Motorcycle Review: Can-Am Spyder RSS

I've done a lot of test rides over the years ATVs side-by-sides and one time I even did a generator but it seems like any time a cool on-road vehicle comes up especially a spider Marc jumps all over it well not this time old man this one is mine this season I've made a point of spending as much time on the spider as possible I had a thousand miles racked up on it in only a few weeks and getting to the point now where the good stuff is feeling really good and the annoying stuff is really starting to show through it's taken me a lot longer than usual to get a really good feel for the spider for two simple reasons first and foremost we don't test a lot of roadsters here on dirt tracks so my usual testing criteria gets thrown right out the window and second it's really hard to be non biased when a vehicle makes you feel this cool the spiders been around for a while and more and more of them are appearing on public roads everywhere we go but the newness and cool factor don't seem to have worn off one bit if you ride a spider get ready for some attention people stop and stare kids point and get excited people want to chat with you at every gas station and donut shop along your way the RSS we're testing today is my favorite spider model so far it's orange and black color scheme looks mean from any angle and because it's an RS body it's way more fun to ride and can be ridden way more aggressively than the RT version we had last year the seating position is far more sport by Koosh and has you leaning forward with your feet under you on a really long ride this position can get a bit tiring but if you ride aggressively at all it allows for easier movement around the vehicle far more aggressive lean when the corners get tight what struck me most about riding this version of the spider is just how similar it feels to riding a snowmobile in the winter especially when the speeds get higher sure you can corner it flat without leaning at all but if you really want to ride this thing you've got to get your butt off the side of the seat and get your knee out what all the cool kids are doing under the spiders hood is the very same motor that has come packaged in every spider since it was released a 998 cc Rotax built EFI v-twin that sounds incredible and puts out a respectable 106 horsepower and 77 pound-feet of torque power delivery of this big v-twin is definitely biased towards low-end torque as the revs begin to rise and the torque curve begins to drop off the arm stretching sensations begin to disappear this RS s topped out at 112 miles per hour on flat ground which appeared to be drag not speed limited in the future I think cannon would be doing themselves a favor by adding both higher and lower performance variations in the spider lineup many who ride the RS s we have comment on how fast it is and how much power it has on the other hand many people comment on how they expected more power either way the spider is the most stable and controllable vehicle I've ever ridden on the road vehicle stability system stability control traction control anti-lock brakes and power steering add up to a riding experience that abounds in confidence but to be perfectly honest lacks a little bit of excitement if that's what you're after simply put you can't get the spider out of shape it won't do it even if you want it to it will spin its rear wheel to a max of 30 miles per hour but if the vehicle starts to slide sideways while it's spinning the stability control shuts her down straight-out burnouts are all the hooligan type riding you'll be doing on a spider to be fair this vehicles target audience is not the rubber laying power sliding neighbor annoying crowd the spider is targeted at a far more sophisticated and laid-back rider but let's be honest it does feel good to get a little sideways once in a while of all the spider packages available the RSS is by far the trickiest it features visual upgrades like carbon black aluminum painted a arms and spoiler sport windshield and upgraded black split six boat front wheels but it's really the suspension that makes this package worth the extra bling a set of Fox podium gas charge shocks up front provide an extremely well controlled ride on even the roughest pavement they are only preload adjustable but the factory set compression and rebound settings appear to be nearly perfect the only real gripe I have with the spider is something that only a person with a solid background in power sports would even notice but it is something they would notice immediately the four piston front and single piston rear brake calipers are amazing stopping power is not a problem and standard antilock programming will keep you straight no matter what but there is only one brake lever on the whole vehicle it's under your right foot anyone who has ever ridden other motorized vehicles will constantly be reaching for a front brake lever on the right side of the handlebars this is a moot point if your first experience with a motorized vehicle other than your car is on a spider you'll feel right at home and once you get used to braking with only your right foot it does become second nature but as the power sports enthusiast I would like to have the option of braking the front and rear wheels separately maybe this is an option VRP can add to the spider in the future my overall opinion of the spider is simple and easy to grasp it's an awesome vehicle that's unique and over delivers in nearly every aspect if looks could kill it would be deadly if safety is first its the winner if quality is king it gets a crown if you're a die-hard two-wheeled guy the spiders flat cornering may not be to your liking but if you're a person who has little experience on a motorcycle or someone who just wants a more stable ride that's every bit as exciting as BRP promises it will be the spider definitely has a place in your garage you

Channel: Dirt Trax TV

Views: 559,428

Rating: 4.8514853 out of 5

Keywords: spyder rs, spyder roadster, spyder rt, spyder rs review, can-am spyder, can-am spyder wheelie, can-am spyder crash, can-am spyder turbo, can-am spyder review

Id: Nq6-ohD1cUc

Length: 6min 9sec (369 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 04 2012