The Can-Am Spyder Blog

When is a Spyder a cow? When it has been recruited to do promotion for Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Atlanta, GA area.

The work was done by Can-Am of Cumming, GA for Wayne Farr who owns several Chick-fil-A restaurants. Jeff Whaley, owner of Can-Am and Sea-Doo of Cumming  shared some of the details with us.

Jeff Whaley: He(Wayne Farr) was on the Kyle Petty Charity Ride with us and saw the Spyder and ordered one when the ride was over. He ordered a Silver one and when it came in we
"cow-ed it up" 

“We totally disassembled the Spyder’s body parts and sent them to our painter. He painted the white and then the cow patches. The whole thing took about 10 days, then we had  "eat mor chikin" and Chick-fil-A labels on it, then cleared the hole bike. It came out perfect.!!”

“Wayne picked it up Saturday morning and was thrilled.”

Wayne sent in pics to the Corporate office and hopefully soon, we will be seeing a whole fleet of Spyder roadsters promoting the restaurants across the country.

We do not think they could have chosen a vehicle that attracts more attention than the Can-Am Spyder roadster.

Santa and his elves on Spyder

By Marc Pukos

In October 2007, soon-to-be Spyder owner Bill Laurie had an idea. Bill envisioned a Spyder owner's event that would celebrate the one year anniversary of the first production Spyder. How about a grassroots event in the picturesque Smokey Mountains? 

The idea started as a discussion thread on www.SpyderTalk.com and caught fire. A full year in the planning, the inaugural Spyders in the Smokies owners event was a huge success!

What started as an out of the blue idea ended up being the largest owner organized Spyder event to date. Over thirty-five Spyders descended upon Gatlinburg, TN the last week of September. Spyder owners from as far away as California and Canada spent four fun filled days riding some of the best roads in the world.

Local motorcycle tour guide, Steve Pickles, led tours of the Tennessee and North Carolina countryside including a day on the world famous Tail of the Dragon and a visit to the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum.

Nightly gatherings offered an opportunity for Spyder owners to share stories from the day and build camaraderie among fellow Spyder owners.

The four day event concluded with a Bar-B-Q and awards ceremony hosted at BRP dealer Mountain Motorsports in Kodak, TN. Over seventy Spyder enthusiasts watched as Spyder owner Ken Miller took home the grand prize, a $500 gift certificate donated by BRP, for traveling 2365 miles from San Diego to Gatlinburg on his Spyder (Ken's story can be read here http://www.spydertalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8200).

So how do you top a rally as successful as Spyders in the Smokies 2008? Check out SpyderTalk.com for planning for Spyders in the Smokies 2009 - more ride options, more events, more vendors....and more fun.

For more photos and stories, check out the thread on Spydertalk.com

http://www.spydertalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8151

On Monday morning, Santa and two of his favorite elves arrived in New York City’s Times Square to start spreading holiday cheer a bit early this year.

Santa and his elves made a pit stop at Radio City Music Hall to see the World Famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes.

Santa’s helpers helped unload his bag of toys to make a donation to the Marine Toys for Tots toy drive at a Babies “R” Us in Union Square.

The item on everyone’s wish list this Christmas is the Can-Am Spyder.  These two delivery men asked Santa if they could trade in their two wheels for three.

These construction workers wanted to know how they could get Santa’s new ride!

Santa and his elves posed for photos in Herald Square, site of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

On Sunday, September 21, the first ever gathering of Benelux Spyder roadster owners was held in Genval.

Organized by BRP, the gathering brought together over 100 people on a beautiful, sunny autumn day, including 50 Spyder owners. The event was held at Chateau du Lac, a beautiful facility that created the perfect setting for this inaugural event.

On display for all participants to see was the entire new line of Spyder clothing and accessories, as well as the SE-5 model in the new Roadster Red color and Black Phantom kit.

The afternoon consisted of a breathtaking ride through the Genval countryside. After passing by the Lion of Waterloo and stopping at the Ronquieres Inclined Plane, the group of Spyder Ryders traveled through the towns of Villers-la-Ville and La Hulpe before heading back to Genval.

Even though there are over 120 Spyder owners in the Benelux, the unique vehicle is still an unusual sight. However, that day, Genval residents really got to know the Can-Am Spyder, as six groups of eight Spyders don’t go unnoticed!

To finish off the spectacular day, BRP awarded several exclusive trophies with a 3D photo of the Spyder roadster. These awards went to the very first Spyder owner in Belgium, the Spyder having driven the most kilometers, the most original Spyder, the Spyder with the most accessories, and finally, the Spyder Ryder who drove the farthest to participate in the Genval event. BRP is very proud of the success of the first of many Spyder Drivers Days in Belgium!

BRP and the entire Spyder Team would like to wish all of our U.S. friends a very Happy Thanksgiving.

As you travel to see family and friends or prepare your homes for the arrival of guests, keep in mind many people will want a ride on your Spyder roadster this holiday season.

Our advice is to ride before eating! Post-Turkey Napitis (PTN) afflicts many people during this special holiday, and clinical tests have determined napping and Spyder ryding do not mix.

Thus we bring you this Public Service Announcement:

Do Not SpyderRyde Immediately After Eating Turkey!

The only cure for PTN – caused primarily by tryptophan – is a lengthy nap, preferably on a very comfortable couch.

And a special message to those of you eagerly awaiting the arrival of your new Spyder roadster: remember, you could be waiting for something not nearly as much fun, if you are a turkey at least! We are looking forward to welcoming you to the family.

Happy Holidays!

The Spyder Team

The Can-Am Spyder roadster has been an unqualified success across North America and the globe but there was one territory still left unconquered. Broadway! Your friendly neighborhood Spyder Team decided to meet up with a few owners and enthusiasts from Spyderlovers.com for a scenic ride to the City that never sleeps.

With the days growing shorter and colder, we were blessed with beautiful sunny skies and warm temperatures for the first part of our trip, a ride from Brooklyn, NY. There were a lot of photos taken and thumbs up from the drivers and passengers both young and old. It is amazing how the sight of a Spyder roadster turns grown-ups into kids.

We made our way across the historic Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in North America. Opened on May 24th, 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge took over thirteen years to construct and cost $15 million.  It was made a National Historical Landmark in 1964.

We breezed across the bridge and descended into mid-town Manhattan expecting heavy traffic but were pleasantly surprised to find that the roads had been cleared for our arrival.  The sidewalks however were packed with people as always and many were snapping away with their camera phones as our parade lap led us to the heart of Time Square.

Riding a Spyder roadster means having to put up with minor inconveniences such as having your picture taken constantly but it brings great perks such as being able to park wherever you want, even right on Broadway.

We very quickly became THE tourist attraction of the day as people form not only New York City but from every part of the globe stopped to stare, take pictures and ask what the Spyder roadster were. Tour guides on buses could be heard telling their passengers over their PA systems, “and on the left you will see a new type of motorcycle”.

We had to keep a close eye on the tourists who would walk into the street to get good photo of the Spyder roadsters.

With new people walking by every few seconds, we spent a very enjoyable afternoon talking about our passion. Spyder roadsters!

Soon, more SpyderRyders showed up on their roadsters such as this custom painted flat black one.

New York’s Finest stopped by, not to tell us to leave but to find out how they could get a test ride.

Ahhh, the sights and sounds of Times Square on a sunny weekend day. We liked it and decided that we will be back to share our Spyder love with the masses.

Meet Paul Blouin, aka Spyderpaul308 on SpyderRyder.com. Hailing from the scenic town of St.-Joseph du Lac on the western side of Montreal, Paul is the proud owner of Spyder roadster PE#308.

Since Paul loves to travel, he and his Spyder roadster have not sat still and have explored some of the most beautiful roads and quaint towns in the Northeast.

Paul was happy to share some of his most enjoyable rides with us including many photos from his online albums.

Paul, what was your experience of motorcycles before you bought the Spyder?

Practically none, I did some mini-trailing when I was younger

How many miles have you done on your Spyder so far?

18,910 miles

When was the first time you heard about the Spyder?

Although he didn’t tell me about the Spyder specifically, my dealer at the time told me that BRP was going to roll out a motorcycle, and the big launch was going to be in February 2007.

When did you buy your Spyder?

April 2007. I was one of the lucky few who got the Spyder in the fall of 2007. I’m really proud of that and I have to thank H. Grégoire récréatif for having chosen me.

Can you tell us about some of the trips you’ve taken on your Spyder?

Vermont/Lake Champlain, USA Ride
When? July 2008
How many miles? 415 miles

Can you tell us about your trip??

We went to Vermont and drove through the islands (route 2) and met some great people who asked the usual questions. I always answered their questions about the vehicle. The funniest thing was that people on the road often waved at us. That’s just to show you the effect that the Spyder has on people, they are amazed when they see it. People would often stop and watch us drive by.

http://gallery.me.com/spyderpaul#100269

Adirondacks/Lake George/Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine/New Brunswick Ride
When? August 2008
How many miles? 2,300 miles in six days

Can you tell us about your trip??

Mountains, rivers, the Atlantic Ocean, Mt. Washington, fabulous lobster dinners, Hopewell Cape, where the tide rises to 14 meters, the Panoramic Route through New Brunswick where there are gas stations only every 100 miles or so, etc. Next year we’re going to take more time so that we can really enjoy our trip and our $32 US lobster salad. .

http://gallery.me.com/spyderpaul#100192
http://gallery.me.com/spyderpaul#100246

Lac Mégantic - St-Georges de Beauce, QC, Canada
When? August 31
How many miles? 520 miles in one day

Can you tell us about your trip??

This trip was planned at the last minute. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, except that every time we take a trip with this group of people, one of us is stopped by the police. This trip was the exception, but only just.

http://gallery.me.com/spyderpaul#100207

What is the most distance you have covered on one trip?

520 miles

How do you prepare for a trip?

1. I check the forecast
2. I inspect the vehicle
3. I choose a destination; I look at which route I should take so that I avoid highways as much as possible. I charge up my I-Pod and helmets, I pack my camera and take enough batteries to last the trip and make sure I have my cell phone with me.

Who do you travel with most of the time?

My girlfriend, mostly. I also travel with my friends, and we have a lot of fun. We go on group outings, either on motorcycles or on Spyders.
 
What is the nicest route you can take? Why?