![]() Electronic fuel injection feeds the beast, and it cranks out 96 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm backed up by 115 ponies at 7,250. The liquid-cooled plant runs with RbW throttle control, TC and cruise control. For the uninitiated, let me just say that junk engines don't last long in those fields, and the Rotax has been around for quite a while something in the order of a half-century or so. If you're familiar with personal watercraft and aircraft at all, you'll recognize this engine, in name at least. Gotta' appreciate that.Ĭan-Am powers its Spyders with a Rotax 1330 ACE triple. In case you haven't noticed, BRP is dead serious about keeping its riders as safe as is practicable. ABS, SCS and Dynamic Power Steering features augment the rider's skills and control for even more built-in safety. Pressure for the system comes from a single foot control and distribution is controlled electronically. When it's time to haul it down, the RTs rely upon the all-around, 270 mm discs with a pair of four-pot Brembo calipers up front and a uni-piston anchor out back. Don't believe it? Ask an owner and get back to me. In case you were wondering, I can assure you that the Spyders corner like they are on rails. These rubbers aren't designed to lean like bike tires, so the contact patches are yuge (sic) by comparison, and the increase in contact-patch area brings with it a concurrent increase in traction and safety. A trio of 12-spoke, 15-inch rims mount the automotive style tires with a pair of 165/55 hoops up front and a 225/50 out back. Out back, both rides enjoy an air-preload adjustment that delivers a luxe ride, and the Limited takes it a step further with push-button control over an automatic adjustment feature. ![]() Of course, that illusion is shattered as soon as the eye meets the upright section that boasts another pair of lights set in an almost motorcycle-style fairing that comes complete with a vented windshield to protect the rider's trunk and head from wind and weather. In fact, the entire front end is rather automobile-ish on the Limited with recessed light housings that extend well back away from the leading edge. The roadster-style front wheels stick proud of the body with fenders that float independent of the rest of the painted parts, and like the Volkwagen Beetle, the Spyders carry a storage compartment up forward between the hoops. BRP doesn't entertain such foolishness and instead sticks to a fixed front end with wide, automotive-style tires and a stable stance. Though Delta trikes are emerging as the favored three-wheel configuration, most of the other funny-backwards-trikes run with a narrower footprint and use some sort of parallelogram action that allows the craft to lean and carve the corners much like a two-wheeler. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |