Can Am Ryker 900 Hard Fact’s - Mike Mas

[chris56]

I leave here in the Alps - lot of hills and curves .. after 45.000 Spydermiles I just can say the Ryker is the better solution for roads like this ..

thanks to the CVT transmission and the FOX shock absorber (with swaybar), the Ryker floats through the curves, the ups and downs of the old gearboxes is completely away - unbelievable (says my Girl !)
( and yes - we ryde a little faster as on our old ones)

the ROTAX is strong enough to follow all the others uphill, but downhill no Spyder could follow a Ryker, the brake-system of the Ryker is so much "stronger" (for this low weight) ..

and : I don`t know exact why this is so - its more fun with the Ryker to ride roads like this her. (sorry)

I reach now the 6.000 miles and never saw my dealer, also new for me in my olds Spyder-times - lets see what BRP brings in the Future !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa52jYfIZiU

 

[T.P.]

Good hard facts Mike, I still don't need one or want one. Thanks for your write up. T.P.

 

[Jaxfann]

I have already replied to IdleUp's other post on the same darn subject and don't have the energy to do it all over again - except to say that I disagree with his criticism and am extremely happy so far performance, handling and price wise with the Ryker that I purchased 3/4 months ago!

And I have ridden the F3!

So I am not sure of the poster's mission but from my experience so far the Ryker should be a very successful launch for BRP.

I could list my credentials - but don't wish to bore y'all!

 

[007james]

For you Guys & Gals that are hyping your Ryker’s Off Road and Mud capabilities, as well as Street transportation and fun, I can’t imagine how any one could compare buying a Ryker for Off Road Trail riding ,when for almost the same money, you could but the Outlander!

https://www.atv.com/manufacturer/can-am/2019-can-am-outlander-1000r-xt-review

Also, I can’t imagine why Rykers are Highway legal in the U.S., whereas Outlanders, and all 4 wheeled ATVs are not considered Road Worthy, and as safe as many of the 4 Wheel ATVs built by Kawasaki, Polaris, John Deere, as well a Can-Am. I can’t imagine, in my worst Nightmare, riding a Ryker on ANY Rush Hour City Freeway traffic on a Friday afternoon in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Boston, or any where around these busy Cities on ANY of the Freeways, as compared to being on a Spyder RT or F. I am really amazed that Rykers are even considered safe enough to legalize for highway and Freeways transportation in the United States, at least, while All ATVs like the Outlander are not only illegal on public highways, and need to be trailed to Off Road Trails to ride, while Rykers can be ridden on busy Freeways and taken off road to compete with ATVs on Trails full of mud , rocks, and water. Yes, no doubt, Rykers do have their nitches and places, but Freeways and Off Road Trails seem a bit like trying to fit square blocks in to round holes. Credentials are not the only requirements needed to see what Mike tried to enlighten Entry level Spyder rider’s attention to. Common sense and just a little imagination of comparing my Spyder RT Limited and the Ryker on Freeway Rush Hour Traffic in Houston or L.A.,
on a Friday Night or Lining your Rykers up with a Group of ATVs like the Outlander and other 4x4 s, ready to hit the mud and rocks of any off road trail. Just saying. Maybe its just Mike & Me, and a few others who have not changed who we were, before we became enlightened regarding Rykers, but just identified who we are not. ( no Credentials needed. Just Common Sense.)

I have already replied to IdleUp's other post on the same darn subject and don't have the energy to do it all over again - except to say that I disagree with his criticism and am extremely happy so far performance, handling and price wise with the Ryker that I purchased 3/4 months ago!

And I have ridden the F3!

So I am not sure of the poster's mission but from my experience so far the Ryker should be a very successful launch for BRP.

I could list my credentials - but don't wish to bore y'all!

 

[Wahrsuul]

Side by sides aren't road legal as they'd be considered "cars" and therefore have to have all the appropriate safety equipment. You can make a side by side road legal in many states its been done here in SC - but they list them as "home built" or "RV" like the VW Dune buggies. They Ryker follows bike rules so can get away with less. As for the validity of the review - it's just like any review, worth everything you paid for it. It's his opinion and you can take it or leave it.

I looked at Rykers, but don't care for the looks much. That alone was enough to keep me off them. When the RT is paid for, I may look for an F3 for solo riding, or maybe we'll upgrade to the latest RT.

 

[blacklightning]

Hello all & Thanks for all the replies both positive and negative. All my comments are 100% factual in every respect. My only focus in writing the article is only to help other riders understand the Ryker’s weaknesses.

All these problem are open and visible to anyone, you don’t have to read my report to easily confirm these for yourself.

Regards - Mike

I normally take what reviewers say about things with more than just a grain of salt. That goes for car, bike, and even movie reviews.
But in this case, for me (being a bigger guy at 6'-2", 255 pounds) I feel you are right on with the review. I was not impressed at all with the ryker. For me, it was also just too small and cheap feeling. But on the other hand, I would love to convince the wife to give the 600 a try. For her smaller size and weight, along with her limited use of the vehicle, it would probably be perfect. If we have one in my garage, I will definitely drive it. But since that is not going to happen, I will possibly pick up a used RSS for running errands one day.

 

[IdleUp]

Bad to The Bone!


Hey guys - While a bit off topic, as I mentioned in my review comparing the Ryker's CVT verses a Dual Clutch Transmission, Honda just introduced the first Dual Clutch Transmission in a side by side.

Just for information purposes, here's a short video showing the Dual Clutch Transmission application in the Honda Pioneer. You can skip to 1:30 for the tranny if you like, however this is a pretty interesting machine it even offers electronic steering as well.

I'm just hoping that BRP adapts this technology to the Spyder line since it would drastically improve their bikes.

Enjoy- Mike

 

[Rob Rodriguez]

Here is another animation showing the Honda dual clutch transmission on a bike. I'm not exactly clear. Are you saying the dual clutch will be smoother than the BRP SE6 tranny? I see the dual clutch system has the ability to be shifted with a paddle or set in automatic mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9PzGhAfgIw

 

[007james]

A few years ago, while I was vacationing in Alaska, I took two Off Road Day Tours, with Off Road ATVs, Side by Sides with Steering Wheels, with my wife. The first day Tour was with the latest Kawasaki ATVs, which I thought were pretty hot. UNTIL the following day, when our Group all had the latest TomCar ATVs. TomCars are really Kick Butt Off Road Tanks!! We were driving 40-45 MPH over 6-8 inch rocks, and thru mud holes wide open. These Vehicles were originally Israeli Vehicles, with Machine Guns mounted on the backs with Israeli Military using them for patrolling, we were told. They are now available for Civilians, and I doubt they have any formadable Competitors, including Honda.

https://youtu.be/08t_D1uCh84

007James

 

[007james]

This is still off topic, but just in case any one, especially Off Roaders with Rykers ready to go off road, over rocks and through mud holes, here is the Link to my Alaska TomCar Tour. I was driving, and my wife did a few short video clips with her phone and put it on Youtube later. Actually, these were older TomCars than present, because this was in Aug 2012, so 7 years ago! But these TomCars kicked Butt, even then, as compared to the much less powerful and slower Kawasaki we took the next day.

https://youtu.be/akT8OqJKNJo

007James

 

[Cobwebs]

Hey guys - While a bit off topic, as I mentioned in my review comparing the Ryker's CVT verses a Dual Clutch Transmission, Honda just introduced the first Dual Clutch Transmission in a side by side.

I'm just hoping that BRP adapts this technology to the Spyder line since it would drastically improve their bikes.

Enjoy- Mike

:agree: I have a space cleared in the garage for a TalonR when I can wangle it.
Spyder would be awesome with dct, maybe make it available in the Daytona as an ongoing performance model in the lineup for the rev heads.
Ryker could be similar only with optional cvt packs depending on the configuration chosen at purchase or retrofit.

 

[IdleUp]

My local shop told me today that every Ryker they sold has has come back with drive-line coupling problems. Has anyone resolved the problem as of yet?

Thanks

 

[TerryTheSpyderRyder]

One thing about the Ryker, style-wise, if you want a red one, you get a black Ryker with a red front cover. If you want a green one, likewise. No color-keyed fenders or any other body parts. Seems kind of cheap to me. At least it looks better than the three-wheeled hot tub known as the Slingshot.

 

[Highwayman2013]

Now that I own a Ryker I’d like to counter some facts that the original poster talks about. The Ryker was built to be entry level and as such will never be fitted with premium things unless the owner adds them. The steering seems a little touchy to me. It should be remedied in a few days with a front end alignment. Why Spyder transmissions were compared to Honda transmissions is really off topic. The CVT works fine for me and a little clunk every now and then doesn’t bother me. I’m sure it will smooth out as the Ryker breaks in. I actually like the sporty ride of my Rally and will be exploring after market tires and a sway bar. What someone thinks of the looks are not facts, they are opinions. If an entry level ride isn’t for you, don’t buy it. I looked at the Ryker because of the price and after a test ride I decided to buy the Rally for the extras you get for $1000. I think it will fit in my garage just fine.

 

[Highwayman2013]

You can also get panels wrapped or hydro-dipped.

 

[billythekidd]

Spyders were first introduced in 2007... from the Can-am Website... June 2017 was the 10 year celebration...Jay Leno got Spyder #1 in October 2007. As I said in an earlier post, people who buy one will like it. I think he was comparing the DCT transmission in the Goldwing to the CVT transmission in the Ryker. As I mentioned... the Ryker is like buying a Harley Street 700. Yes one gets the name but ones experience (as you mentioned with the entry level remark) will hopefully get one to upgrade.

https://can-am.brp.com/on-road/owners/spyder-blog/10-years-of-passion-for-the-road.html

 

[Highwayman2013]

I was mistaken about 2007.

 

[Dragracer]

Just my 2 cents worth. My wife rides a 09 Spyder, and I purchased a 900 ACE. I prefer the non-power steering of my Ryker. Her Spyder is "twitchy" to me on the road. Even worse on wet roads.

The Ryker was the first bike in years that caught my attention as I was walking through a motorcycle showroom. I an definitely pleased with my purchase.

 

[MDLNB]

Good write up, BUT the problem with it is that you are not basing it upon what the Ryker is but what it isn't....a Spider. I have owned Harleys; a Road King, a Softail and a Sportster. To compare them with each other instead of just what they are, is ludicrous. I still have my Softail because I prefer it over the others. I had fun on the Sportster, but it was a bit small is length. The Road King was a great long ride, on the highway but I did not like it on my mountain rides where I enjoyed the curves more with my Softail. Each was made for different purposes. Touring, cruising and sport. To get back to the Ryker, I bought one because it was NOT a Spider. I bought one because it reminds me of riding my two wheeler. I bought it because I want the same feeling as a two wheeler but having three wheels and NO shifting, I do not have to worry about it falling over because of my weak leg or having to endure the pain from the clutch when shifting with my left hand, which is due for two surgeries. My wife liked the Spider, but I did not. My preference and my opinion, just like you like yours. In my opinion, I did not even consider buying a Spider because of the bulk of it. It felt more like sitting high in a convertible car. Same as I did not like my Road King compared to my Softail, too bulky and heavy. Since I have never owned a Spider, I can not compare the driving or comfort. I have a Ryker and for the money, I have a basic blank canvas for personalizing it to fit my personality. It works fine for me. It took me a bit to get used to the steering of two front wheels with a handlebar, but I have driven four wheel ATVs in the past, so it was not totally foreign to me.
Even though I appreciate your critique of the Ryker, I failed to see the reason for it. You like your Spider, and you did not like the Ryker....OK. I do not know what your real reason for your hit list, UNLESS you are attempting to sway folks from buying one. It would be like me writing about the shortcomings of a Harley Sportster based on how much I like my Softail. It is all a matter of preference, not what it does not have.
If I wanted a Spider, I would have purchased one a long time ago. I didn't like it. I don't like convertible cars either. It is my preference, not based on what something has or does not have. By the way, I also do not like caramel syrup on my ice cream. That does not make it bad, I just don't like it.
Your hit list is not bad, just redundant and in my opinion not in good taste on a Ryker owners forum. I have no idea what your real motivation is, but I suggest that anyone that is considering the purchase of a Ryker to think about what they are looking for and how much they are willing to pay for it, rather than looking at what the Ryker does not have and does not offer.
BUT, if you are weighing the purchase of a Spider versus a Ryker then this OP's post is an excellent comparison. Mostly weighted toward the Spider, but still.........

 

[Onetrack97]

So your the guy that bought the Honda NM4!