It was a beautiful day last Friday at the Robb Report office in Malibu, California, but what else is new? Not a single cloud interrupted the pristine blue sky, beachgoers were out in force, and a few team members from the West Los Angeles–based Taylor Public Relations—the firm that represents all vehicles from Canada’s privately held Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) in the U.S.—brought three Can-Am Spyder roadsters up to our office in scenic Point Dume. Editorial director Bruce Wallin, associate editor of automotive Paul Meyers, and I were the lucky test drivers of these curious-looking three-wheeled vehicles, which hit the market back in 2007. Upgrades to the 2009 models include an easy and intuitive semiautomatic transmission, an extended line of sport and touring packages, and optional phantom-black body panels. The SE5 semiautomatic model starts at $17,699; the SM5 manual transmission version runs for $16,199.
The Spyders look like nothing else on the road. They are equipped with two forward wheels and a lone extra-wide wheel in the back. Paul and I each mounted an SE5 model (mine in bumblebee yellow; Paul’s in matte black), while Bruce—with a bit of motorcycle experience—took the reins of a yellow SM5 manual model. We all made a few laps around the parking lot until we got our bearings. I had never driven a motorcycle before —California is one of only two U.S. states in which a motorcycle license is not required to drive a Spyder—but after a lap or two, I felt like I’d been riding my entire life. The new semiautomatic transmission is incredibly easy to use, offering similar shifting to that of a car equipped with steering wheel paddle shifters. The SE5 shifter is located on the left handlebar with the throttle on the right. After not more than five minutes of racing around our parking lot, Bruce, Paul, and I were beginning to feel like sharks swimming in a fish bowl. It was time for the open road.
We cruised the Point Dume area, taking sharp cliff-side turns with the confidence provided by the Spyder’s sturdy ride and stable handling, eventually making our way down to the beachfront road past the Sunset Restaurant & Beach Bar. As one would expect on a day like this, there were surfer dudes and beach babes aplenty, and the Spyder roadsters garnered attention from them all. After making our initial beach pass, Paul—speed-thirsty from his regular rides, which include Lambos, Astons, Ferraris, and the like—took to the Pacific Coast Highway, leaving Bruce and me in the dust, to see if the Spyder’s Rotax 990 V-twin engines could really achieve the 115-mph top speed (though Paul claims he never took his Spyder above the posted speed limit).
Bruce and I leisurely made our way back up the Point to our office, stopping for a few minutes to talk with a strolling Malibu couple who were very interested in knowing more about our unique rides. We told them to look for the August “Toys of Summer” issue of Robb Report in which the Spyders will be featured. “Why wait till August?” the woman asked, leading me to believe that she would be riding Malibu’s next three-wheeled head turner. (888.864.2002, www.spyder.brp.com)
