Can-Am certainly has some great looking accessories planned for the Spyder.  I’m particularly found of the solo seat cover, seat back, and higher windscreen.  But there is also some accessories I would have expected, and that are surprisingly not offered.  Here are a few of those I think would have universal appeal:

• Handlebar Brake Lever – Think about it.  How many people are going to be interested in the Spyder specifically because they don’t have the use of their legs to the extent necessary to ride a motorcycle.
• Hard Luggage – The Spyder is perfect for touring.  Yes it’s got a trunk, good enough for a day trip, but what about the road trip for the weekend?
• Front End Conversion Kits – Everyone who rides the Spyder loves it, but can the same be said for the design?  I’ve heard enough people claim that is the one area Can-Am missed the mark.  I think the place most people will want to change the looks of their Spyder will be the front end, from light changes, to full on fiberglass conversions for a more “Sports Car” looking grill, probably with a full frontal fender and quarter panels.
• Removable Racks Front and Rear – As cool as the Spyder is to ride, its price and convenience guarantee it will get used for things other than sport riding.  I could see this being the vehicle I quick take to the store.  Being able to load up more than the trunk can hold would certainly interest me.  Especially if the racks could be easily put on and taken off, so as to use them only when necessary.

I’m sure there will be a lot of other items people come up with.  And hopefully some enterprising person or two reads this stuff and is already planning on bringing us these things.  If you have an idea, help them out by leaving your suggestion below.

To start the Spyder the operator inserts and turns a key not unlike a standard car motorcycle key, in a lock located top-center on the handle bar. There is a switch on the right handle bar next to the grip that must be toggled to on before the Spyder’s starter can be engaged. This also operated as a “kill” switch in the event the engine needs to be turned off quickly. Below the kill switch is the starter switch, which, once depressed, activates the starter.

A first time operator will also want to acquaint themselves with the other switches before operation, located on the left handlebar next to the left hand grip. Here the operator will find the high-low beam selection rocker switch, the turn signal selector switch, and the horn.

Once the vehicle is started, the operator should depress the brake lever (located forward of the right foot peg) and while applying the brake, step on the parking brake lever located behind the left foot peg to release the parking brake. Then the operator pulls in the clutch lever, and pushes the gear selector lever (forward of the left foot peg) down. This will move the transmission into first.

The transmission on the Spyder is a sequential 5 speed selected in the traditional motorcycle pattern. From neutral, first gear is one click down, and second through fifth gear is sequentially selected by putting the toe of the left foot under the gear selector lever and raising (clicking) it up once for each next gear. Each time a new gear is to be selected, the clutch lever must be engaged.

Once the Spyder is in first gear, it is time to get rolling. The operator releases the brake and slowly lets out the clutch lever while simultaneously rolling the throttle grip back toward the operator to give the engine fuel. Once the Spyder is moving, the operator can completely release the clutch lever and adjust the speed of the Spyder with the throttle. When moving, The operator can move to a higher or lower gear by again engaging the clutch lever, clicking into the desired gear, and releasing the clutch lever.

When braking on the Spyder, the operator should be conscious of the gear they are in. When slowing signifigantly, a gear change is most likely in order. An operator unfamiliar with the Spyder would be best advised to engage the clutch for the duration of the braking, and to be cautious when letting out the clutch lever after making a gear change under braking, as too low of a gear selection could cause the Spyder to lurch under the power, and too high a gear selection could cause the Spyder to stall. When braking to a complete or near stop, it is best to keep the clutch engaged and ensure the bike is returned to first gear before continuing. It should be note here that the clutch does not need to be released between gear selections, and an operator can move through any number of gear changes while the clutch lever is engaged.

Turning the Spyder is as simple as turning the handle bars in the direction of desired travel. This is much like a conventional car, and the opposite of a motorcycle, which operates by counter-steering. Aggressive steering inputs combined with higher speeds will produce a yaw like tendency, the Spyder will feel like it is going to roll to the outside, but the Spyder is equipped with controls to prevent this from occurring. For more information see How the Can Am Spyder Stability Control System Works.

The last bit of knowledge concerning the operation of the Spyder is knowing how to put the Spyder in reverse. This can be done from a dead stop by placing the Spyder in first gear, and with the clutch lever engaged, pulling back on a release lever on the left handlebar and simultaneously pressing down on the gear selector lever. This will place the Spyder in reverse. To exit reverse, a click up on the gear selector lever (again, with the clutch lever engaged), will return the Spyder to first gear.

When preparing to turn off or dismount the Spyder, it is good practice to return the Spyder to neutral. This can been done by engaging the clutch lever, putting the Spyder in first gear, and gently clicking up on the gear selector lever. This will move the transmission into a state of neutral located between first and second gear. A “N” in the gear indicator on the instrument panel will indicate successful neutral selection.

The engine can be turned off by either turning off the key or turning the kill switch to the off position. Remember to engage the parking brake by pressing down on the parking brake lever located behind the left foot peg. Then simply dismount.

That’s all there is to it. I hope you get a chance to try one soon.

When any vehicle turns, it produces a centrifugal force which manifests as a pushing force to the outside of the turn. Since the strongest point of resistance is the traction of the tire against the road surface, and with the center of gravity above that, the combined forces of friction (the tire traction) and centrifugal force produce a tendency to rotate the vehicle over the traction point. In layman’s terms, the vehicle starts to roll over the outside wheels. Motorcycles counteract this force by leaning into the corner, channeling the centrifugal force down through the motorcycle to the tires, negating the rollover tendency. The Can-Am Spyder does not lean, however, and therefore must address this issue in a different way.

Most Can-Am Spyder riders will never experience enough force to cause this effect, but since it is a possibility, Can-Am went to great lengths to insure that the Spyder comes under control immediately upon any threat of rollover. To this end the Spyder employs advanced sensors to detect imminent rollover, and when so detected, simultaneously cuts power to one of the two cylinders while applying the brakes. Both of these measures combine to reduce the forward velocity that is one of the components producing the centrifugal force.

By regulating the power to arrest imminent rollover, the Can-Am Spyder continues to allow the operator to continue through the turn on the desired and expected course, albeit at a reduced speed. The only other way of attempting to arrest rollover, without designing a leaning machine, would be to regulate the other component of the turn, that being the tightness of the turn, and would both require an extensive linkage system to adjust the steering automatically, and would result in the unsettling, and unsafe, experience of the Spyder failing to follow the desired path, regardless of the input of the rider.