Can AM's vs Goldwings and others

[Lexi]

I am thinking of getting a trike and considering Can Am, Goldwing. What are the pros and cons?<br />
<br />
thanks

 

[BeHereNow]

Can Am is great for beginners, it will correct for driver errors, but in Florida this is much less of a problem than where there are mostly twisties.

For what it is, the Spyder is great, I just don't like the body styling.
I also like a little more hp than the Spyder offers. It does fine, I just like more.

First time riders will probably be happier with the Spyder, all things considered.
The same money will buy a new Spyder, vs a used GW.
JMO

 

[Bikerbozo]

Me, I like my HD Tri-glide for the classic 2 wheels in the back design. If you are planning far trips, I think packing all the crap is easier with plenty of room and weight limit in back.

 

[Pittsburgh Biker]

Can Am in my opinion is a bit quicker to respond to steering and is probably lighter than a Goldwing package. The RS version requires a bit more leaning forward. The RT is more upright. Try all of them and buy what you are most comfortabe sitting on. For me it was the Harley Roadking and I am very happy with my choice. All are built well.<br />
Thats my humble opinion.

 

[kwputt]

Lexi
I bought a used GW CCS trike after riding both. The Spyder just didn't fit my short stature very well. The dealership that provided the Spyder demo informed me that the bike had to come back for any and all maintenace. Being somewhat of a gear head, I didn't like that option. Ride any that will give you a demo, buy what feels good. Enjoy your choice and be safe.
KP

 

[oleman69]

The Spyder limited has a ton of room

 

[champsman97045]

we all ride the ones we like , no matter the brand or model , and lets face it , if your making the payments and your happy then all is well.
best advice try as many as possible then make a choice your comfortable with.

 

[Southern Man]

I test rode the Can-am and loved everything about it while I was in the saddle.

Back in the showroom after I heard a service was almost $1,000 and I started thinking about all the built in stuff that could go wrong with new products and how expensive it was going to be to have it worked on at the dealership I left it alone. Also it sat too much like a sports bike and not a road cruiser even though I drove the RT model.

I then bought the Harley Tri-glide and disliked the heat issue so I sold it.

Now we have a Honda Gold Wing and love evrything about it but a rattle in the dash.

Test them all and buy the one you like the best.

If you are here there is plenty of good information about the heat issue with the Harley and if you are willing to add another $2k to fix it then that is OK.

 

[skuuter]

Test ride as many Trikes as You can, if You can. I have enjoyed riding many, many different Trikes including Gold Wings, Aeros, VTXs, Can Ams (Both Models, I personally prefer the Tour Edition), Harleys (Various Models), and one Yamaha since being introduced to the Trike World and TRIKE TALK .com.....I've enjoyed Them all, but still prefer my Gold Wing Motor Trike IRS(really enjoyed the VTXs also)....GOOD LUCK in Your Quest.....ThumbUp

 

[White Knight 04]

Ride as many as you can ...ultimately you are the one that has to be satisfied with the machine... Good luck in what ever you should decide on ... There are a lot of nice rides out there....

 

[jlb]

I love my spyder, it's a 2008 premier edition & haven't had a single issue with it. Incidentally I have many friends that do their own maintenance as well. Granted it's probably best to take it to a dealer sometimes so they can hook BUDS up to it & check the systems but i've never had to pay high mech fees & mine goes to a dealer for all work. By all means, do your research on whichever you decide to buy that's where all the fun starts. Especially the test riding :yes:<br />
<br />
janetb

 

[duane43344]

Dont forget the VW factory built and home builts! I had an `03 Wing w/Layman conversion. Due to some medical issues, I can no longer handle a motorcycle seat. After selling the Wing, I bought a RoadHawk w/ 2333ccVW. Smother ride, more stable, and a backyard mechanic can do just about anything on them And my g/f is more comfortable and loves the stability. Conversions are fine...however IMO and from experience, they`re worlds apart from a purpose-built from the ground up trike

 

[oldman]

I dont understand the term "underhorse" when you have 998cc can am and 1800cc on a goldwing or1200cc bmw. go ride as many different brands of trikes as you can then make up your mind.

 

[Motogordo]

I just purchased a 2011 CanAm Spyder RTS/SE5. Yes, it is very different when you first ride it. I take getting use to after riding about 50 motorcycles over the years. I just didn't want to push a heavy cycle around anymore. I now have 1400 miles on the Spyder and love it. It get all the same attention and questions that the Stallion and the GW & Harley Trikes get. I have no problems with mine. My dealer has been selling the Spyders since 2007 and are very experienced in their service. The storage space is humongus. The stereo, cruise control, techtronic shifting (no clutch), A real reverse gear, heated handgrips for driver and passenger, ipod compatible, electric windshield, electric parking brake control, adjustable rear shock settings on dash and lots of other bells and whistles.<br />
Gordon<br />
<br />
p.s.

I agree with what everyone says. " Different Strokes for Different Folks." <br />
They are ALL fun to drive. As far as I am concerned, They are all TOYS.

 

[Gorilla]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>Motogordo</strong>
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<div class="message">I just purchased a 2011 CanAm Spyder RTS/SE5. Yes, it is very different when you first ride it. I take getting use to after riding about 50 motorcycles over the years. I just didn't want to push a heavy cycle around anymore. I now have 1400 miles on the Spyder and love it. It get all the same attention and questions that the Stallion and the GW & Harley Trikes get. I have no problems with mine. My dealer has been selling the Spyders since 2007 and are very experienced in their service. The storage space is humongus. The stereo, cruise control, techtronic shifting (no clutch), A real reverse gear, heated handgrips for driver and passenger, ipod compatible, electric windshield, electric parking brake control, adjustable rear shock settings on dash and lots of other bells and whistles.<br />
Gordon<br />
p.s.

I agree with what everyone says. " Different Strokes for Different Folks." <br />
They are ALL fun to drive. As far as I am concerned, They are all TOYS.</div>

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</div>Congrats on the purchase. They are a great trike. The only real issue I have read so far is that most riders feel they have to take it to the dealer for all service. I do not know if that is factual or not. Now go ride.

 

[jfingalls]

Hi Lexi, I looked carefully at the Can Am when I bought my 08 GW. At that time they did not have the cruiser model and my wife would not have any part of it. What now is available can be a lot more attractive. What I did learn is the steering is electric motor powered and works very well. I like the idea that this 3 wheel vehicle was designed from scratch to be a 3 wheeler. I call my Trike a contraption for that reason but I must tell you I love the GW trike. There are many features on the Can Am that seem to emulate most of those found on the typical cruiser bikes, however, I do like the anti-tip feature which is unique and is electronically actuated and basically works like ABS backwoods. That is, when it senses the trike is tipping it will apply the break to the opposite wheel and, I'm told, cannot tip over under reasonable circumstances (by the way it also has ABS). Lastly, the look of it is still "wearing in" on people and may take some time to accept. Good luck with your decision but realize that Bombardier has a lot more research and development money than all of the other traditional bike manufacturers which translates into the Can Am being the first vehicle manufacturer to produce a truly integrated 3 wheeler.

Let's see how many are still around 20-30 years form now to truly judge their longevity, however.

 

[George Lewis]

I have a '02 GW with a '05 Motor Trike kit with 61,000 miles. I have a 2011 Can Am Spyder RT-S with 4,600 miles. I really like both. They are different rides. Yes, the GW has more torque and HP, but the Spyder will run, you just have to get used to running 6-7,000 rpm through the gears. I have the semi auto (paddle shift) which I really like.

My Spyder has 80# torque and 106 hp. It red lines @ 9K with a rev limiter at 9,200.

One of the comfort/handling secrets to a Spyder is setting the front shocks and air pressures to suit your type of riding and weighs. My rear suspension is electro hydralic and adjustable to my needs.

Standard is power steering, ABS, traction control and electric windshield.The matching trailer is a neat accessory.

For short trips of 300+/-, I take my Spyder, for travel, I take the Wing.

 

[TrikerSarge]

For the warranty YES.

Can Ams for me it look like snowmobile, now, I am very happy with my decision to converted my K1200 LTC with Hannigan kit. Just got back from the long trip with out any problems, but the gas mileage dropped from 45 to 30 mpg.

NO!!! If they require you to bring the trike to them for warranty then they have to pay for the work. The Moss Ferguson Act (PART 700—INTERPRETATIONS OF MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT :: PART 700--INTERPRETATIONS OF MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT :: CHAPTER I--FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION :: Title 16 - Commercial Practices :: Code of Federal Regulations :: Regulations :: Law :: ) protects the consumer from that crap. It does require that you keep receipts and logs of all service.

So the Spyder can be serviced by an independent or even the owner provided all documentation is kept. And most dealers wont even ask for it unless they come across an obviously inferior part or signs of abuse.

Sarge

 

[Pandy]

We have right at 17500 mostly trouble free miles on our Spyder RTS. We were about to pull the trigger on another Wing when my lumbar spine pulled the trigger on me. Like George said, they do require a proper setup to match the rider and load, then again, what touring machine does not? As far as maintenance, once you get used to the idea of removing copious amounts of tupperware, it's not different than any other machine I've had. Test one,but there is a non leaning learning curve!
Patrick

 

[Ga Blue Knight]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>jfingalls</strong>
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<div class="message">Let's see how many are still around 20-30 years form now to truly judge their longevity, however.</div>

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</div>Since the Can Am's have so much electronics in the drive train the longevity issue is more dependent on how long BRP is willing to support older versions of the Spyder rather than their ability to last. The Rotax motor is pretty bulletproof and the rest of the bike is pretty durable. But through in untrained techs and underwhelming dealerships and an owner really needs to do their homework to be sure the service is done correctly and on time. I have had two Spyders in the last four years, first an RS sport model and then my current ride an RT touring version. The RT is much better at over the road travel and both have not had any issues whatsoever. But I really don't have any faith in the local dealers to handle anything other than an oil change and even that I have to double check for leaks and proper levels. It the curse of a new product I guess.