Easy Rider

Can a three-wheel motorcycle be cool? The new Can-Am Spyder Roadster from BRP is betting it will—and Harley is too

by Douglas MacMillan

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When I was a child my mother gave me three rules to follow the rest of my life: 1) Never get a tattoo; 2) Never play professional football; and 3) Never ride a motorcycle. Despite the occasional rebellious stint, I've managed to follow all three. That is, until I hopped on a Can-Am Spyder Roadster and got my first taste of the open road.

Don't worry Mom, it's not exactly a motorcycle. Bombardier Recreational Products, a privately owned company spun off from Canadian transportation giant Bombardier (BDRPF) in 2003, designed the Spyder to make the thrill of motorcycle riding accessible to all. An eye-popping three-wheel configuration they call Y-architecture (two wheels in front, one in back) means novice riders don't have to support the weight of the bike or worry about tipping over as they learn to ride. But don't call it a tricycle: Inside is a 998cc, 106-horsepower V-twin engine capable of zooming you from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds, faster than most Ferraris.

It's no coincidence the Spyder looks a little like a Jet Ski and rides a little like an all-terrain vehicle. BRP is the maker of Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, and Can-Am ATVs. A top player in each of these categories, the Valcourt (Que.)-based company amassed revenues of $2.5 billion in 2006. The $14,995 Can-Am Spyder, set for an October launch, is BRP's first foray onto the paved road.

No Easy Sell

Even they admit it's a dicey move. "We don't know how big this is going to be," says Chris Dawson, who heads up BRP's Spyder program. The target consumers are middle-age males looking for an adrenaline rush on the weekend—but without taking unnecessary risks. The challenge is convincing them that Spyders are similar enough to a motorcycle that they won't look like weenies riding alongside a pack of Harley-Davidsons, but different enough that their wives will approve of the purchase.

It's no easy sell, so BRP plans to wait and watch what happens with a modest rollout. Rather than making big media buys, the company is getting its 1,500 North American dealers to spread the word and offering test rides at events around the country. Preorders have already been taken on about half of the 2,500 Spyders being produced in the initial cycle, which will last through January, 2008. The eventual goal, according to BRP's Dawson, is to create an entire line of three-wheel "roadsters," and sell as many per year as they do ATVs and watercraft (in 2006, about 38,000 Sea-Doos were sold in the U.S., according to the Personal Watercraft Industry Assn.).

Wave of Interest

Tim Buche, president of the nonprofit Motorcycle Industry Council, thinks the Spyder will be a hit with baby boomers, who have long been the core riders in the U.S. "We know [baby boomers] aren't planning to retire in the traditional sense. And motorcycling is often on their list of things they wanted to do but didn't get to," he says. Between 1985 and 2003, the median age of motorcyclists increased from 27 to 41.

BRP intends to shift the two-wheel paradigm of the motorcycle industry, but to build credibility they will need to entice other big motorcycle- and carmakers into the three-wheel arena. That's not an easy task, says David Edwards, editor-in-chief of Cycle World magazine. "Motorcycle manufacturers don't branch out and take risks," he says. "I think [BRP] should be commended for trying a different approach. But I don't see the Spyder as having any major impact."

A variety of other three-wheel vehicles just hitting the market could help spark the wave of interest BRP is looking for. In 2005, Myers Motors of Tellmadge, Ohio, began shipping the all-electric three-wheeler NmG. The one-passenger vehicle costs a whopping $24,900, but can travel 30 miles on a 6- to 8-hour charge and can go as fast as 75 mph.

This year Vespa-maker Piaggio (PIAGF) launched the MP3, a $6,999 three-wheel scooter that can tilt up to 40 degrees on tight corners and gets up to 60 mpg.

Others Eyeing the Market

And big carmakers are closely watching the emergence of the three-wheel space for fear of missing out. At last year's Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen (VOWG), Mercedes-Benz (DCX), and Peugeot (PEUGY) all displayed concepts of futuristic three-wheelers, but none of them has made it to production (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/27/06, "Tricycles for Grownups? Maybe").

BRP must have received a shock in early June, when patent drawings were first filed on a three-wheel vehicle that bears a close resemblance to the Spyder. The manufacturer? None other than U.S. motorcycle king, Harley-Davidson (HOG), who will only share that they are in partnership with Lehman Trikes, based in Spearfish, S.D., to develop a Harley-branded product. Says Harley's spokesperson: "There's a growing interest in three-wheelers and we see it as a potential market."

This writer is a potential new customer. After about 20 minutes of painless instruction, I was cruising around a New Jersey parking lot on the Spyder, feeling like a rebel with a good insurance plan. Next on my to-do list: temporary tattoo.

Click here for a stable of three-wheelers you can soon expect to see cruising the highways.

MacMillan is a reporter at BusinessWeek.com in New York.