Canyon Carving on a Canyon

[LisaMal]

Those of us who have purchased a Canyon are sitting here smiling and nodding our heads. The seating position reminds me (as you would expect) of my dear departed BMW GS.

Older GS rider here, too!

 

[Tslepebull]

Older GS rider here, too!

Its like BRP was looking for a conquest market; and it worked.

 

[Peter Aawen]

I'll be posting my review of my extended test of the Canyon on the Women of On Road Facebook group at some point soon. Please watch for it!

Quite a few of the members here will have nothing to do with faceache, not even to follow a link there!

So you'd likely get somewhat more of the members of this Forum to see it/read your article (or anything, really! ) if you actually posted it here; I'd suggest maybe as a Ride Report in the 'Ride Report' section, or even as a Review in the 'Canyon General Discussion' section?!

Just Sayin' - but not everyone uses faceache!

 

[BajaRon]

I have to say, Peter, that I am one of those. I'm good with the person to person aspect. Friends & Family posts can be great. It's the open forums that I just can't get into. And it isn’t for the lack of trying.

For example, the BRP/Can-Am Facebook arena makes no sense to me. It seems to be an endless stream of disjointed conversations and scattered thought streams. I think of it as a mental Demolition Derby. It reminds me of the Bull Run they have every year in Spain. With small thought bites crashing together, then running off in all directions.

Here, you have a clear subject line with (mostly) coherent, pertinent responses. People come back to a thread, sometimes years later, and pick it up like it was yesterday. That’s enduring relevance!

Instead of the random, quickly disposable thought dump that you get in Facebook, Spyderlovers has built a searchable, usable repository of great ideas, information, and helpful tips. Not to mention a comradery that I’m not sure is possible with Facebook.

I know that people really enjoy Facebook. It has become the ‘Go-To’ place to be. Still, I just don’t see the attraction to chaos. I’ve always wondered if that venue appeals to those who want to reach the A.D.D. crowd.

As always, just my 2 cents. And you’ve probably overpaid for it. I don’t mean to offend any Facebook lovers. Just a perspective, not a sales pitch. Well, maybe just a little!

 

[greer]

I despise FB for the very reasons Ron mentioned. I bum off Doug's account so I can have access to the Canyon Lovers group, but I'd much prefer we all meet here and I'm hoping it'll eventually be that way. This brain trust is invaluable.

Earlier in the thread someone asked if Ron had an upgraded sway bar available for the Canyon. Yes he certainly does, in my opinion. I've ridden 1000 miles with the BajaRon Standard RT sway bar and have taken the bike through gravel, paved tight twisties, back roads and the interstate, but I could have told you two miles from the shop at the first sweeping curve, the RT bar is definitely an upgrade. In stock configuration the tall Canyon almost felt like it had a hinge in the frame, make a turn and I'd feel flung high and far to the outside. This sensation is dramatically reduced since upgrading the sway bar, the best way I can describe it is to say it feels like the body of the bike is now strapped down snug to the frame. There's still some sway of course, but it feels much less exaggerated. Keep in mind I came from a Ryker Sport with a BajaRon bar, so I may be overly sensitive to the sensation of sway on a tall bike, but I can tell you there's no longer a "teetering on the brink" feeling in the least. Just as important for me though, the RT bar near eliminated what I call the "manic squirrel" behavior Can-Am Roadsters exhibit when riding my roads. I'm in rural KY, hills and hollers everywhere. The surfaces of the roads are nicely kept for the most part, it's the lay of the old roadbeds that get you. Fairly narrow two lane roads with off camber curves, dips and sinks in one track or another, but worst of all are the sags angling toward the ditch. Now tracks like this are no big deal on four or two wheels, but they'll give our bikes fits as one front wheel or another is constantly being pulled this way or that while the rear wheel rides the crown. Just like my stock Ryker, the Canyon was near impossible to ride at anything approaching the 55 mph speed limit. I'd fall further and further behind while Doug clipped along on his Honda. And just like the Ryker, with the Canyon's upgraded sway bar I glance down to find I'm running at least 10 over without giving it a thought. Riding faster while feeling safer tells the tale for me.

Sarah

 

[LisaMal]

Its like BRP was looking for a conquest market; and it worked.

Only problem is that they really don't know how to market it as such. I've been invited to Club BRP and hope to talk to them about it! More to come!

 

[LisaMal]

I despise FB for the very reasons Ron mentioned. I bum off Doug's account so I can have access to the Canyon Lovers group, but I'd much prefer we all meet here and I'm hoping it'll eventually be that way. This brain trust is invaluable.

Earlier in the thread someone asked if Ron had an upgraded sway bar available for the Canyon. Yes he certainly does, in my opinion. I've ridden 1000 miles with the BajaRon Standard RT sway bar and have taken the bike through gravel, paved tight twisties, back roads and the interstate, but I could have told you two miles from the shop at the first sweeping curve, the RT bar is definitely an upgrade. In stock configuration the tall Canyon almost felt like it had a hinge in the frame, make a turn and I'd feel flung high and far to the outside. This sensation is dramatically reduced since upgrading the sway bar, the best way I can describe it is to say it feels like the body of the bike is now strapped down snug to the frame. There's still some sway of course, but it feels much less exaggerated. Keep in mind I came from a Ryker Sport with a BajaRon bar, so I may be overly sensitive to the sensation of sway on a tall bike, but I can tell you there's no longer a "teetering on the brink" feeling in the least. Just as important for me though, the RT bar near eliminated what I call the "manic squirrel" behavior Can-Am Roadsters exhibit when riding my roads. I'm in rural KY, hills and hollers everywhere. The surfaces of the roads are nicely kept for the most part, it's the lay of the old roadbeds that get you. Fairly narrow two lane roads with off camber curves, dips and sinks in one track or another, but worst of all are the sags angling toward the ditch. Now tracks like this are no big deal on four or two wheels, but they'll give our bikes fits as one front wheel or another is constantly being pulled this way or that while the rear wheel rides the crown. Just like my stock Ryker, the Canyon was near impossible to ride at anything approaching the 55 mph speed limit. I'd fall further and further behind while Doug clipped along on his Honda. And just like the Ryker, with the Canyon's upgraded sway bar I glance down to find I'm running at least 10 over without giving it a thought. Riding faster while feeling safer tells the tale for me.

Sarah

Love Baja Ron, but CanAm Spyder Accessories upgraded EVEN the Baja Ron sway bar with their own. I bought one for my Sea2Sky and will report on how it works! https://www.canamspyderaccessories.com/rt-2013-2019-rt-2020-and-up-ironhold-ultimate-swaybar/

 

[greer]

LisaMal,

Are you saying you plan to try the Spyder Accessories sway bar on the Canyon? I'm looking forward to your report.

Sarah

 

[LisaMal]

LisaMal,

Are you saying you plan to try the Spyder Accessories sway bar on the Canyon? I'm looking forward to your report.

Sarah

No. On my Sea2Sky, the Canyon was a loaner from BRP.

 

[mrwidget]

I haven't said much about the Canyon so far. Basically 2 reasons for this. First, I felt the Canyon might be filling a niche that didn't really exist. 2nd, I had not ridden one, which I knew might nullify my first reason.

I’ve never been against the Canyon. I just wasn’t sure there was a reason for it.

Well, I won't make you read the rest for my initial conclusion. After a very productive 30 minutes of on and off pavement riding, I must say, I really enjoyed the experience. I admit this was unexpected and I was very pleasantly surprised!

If I may make some less than accurate comparisons. I liken the F3 to the Ferrari, the RT to a Cadilac, the Ryker to a VW Golf GTi (The Poor Man's Sports Car), and I am now of the opinion that the Canyon fills the SUV slot.

OK, so my post title is not exactly accurate. It wasn’t a canyon ride. Nor is this the primary target or reason BRP produced the Canyon version of their Reverse Trike lineup. Still, this kind of riding is a big portion of what people get any motorcycle for. So, why not?

Rural roads here in East Tennessee have all the attributes of a canyon, save the steep walls, sharp drop-offs and numerous guardrails. They really don’t care if you leave the roadway in this neck of the woods. I think they consider it a ‘Personal Problem’.

“We provided the pavement, use it, or don’t. Your call!"

Our randomly winding roads are very narrow, zero shoulder, and either a ditch or stand of robust trees 6” off the pavement. The scenery is beautiful; the path can be challenging (if you want to go fast) and life can become extremely serious if you leave the asphalt.

I got more of a 4x4 feeling than a reverse trike during the ride. I think you need to adjust your cornering style to accommodate this difference.

I was able to take corners aggressively (though I didn’t go all out as this isn’t my Canyon). The Canyon remained stable and I was quite impressed with the effortless power steering. My GS is a bear to steer compared to this Canyon. The Ryker (with no steering assistance at all) can also wear you out in this regard.

I had the chance to do some mild to medium ‘Off Pavement’ riding. Traction was better than expected. Certainly, much superior to what my Spyders would provide. I made a concerted effort to spin the rear wheel a few times and, for the most part, if it did spin some, it hooked up fairly quickly. This isn’t the way you would want to manage the throttle on this kind of road anyway. I was easily able to clear some larger rocks that would certainly have bashed up any of my other reverse trikes.

At first, I thought that maybe a lower gear might come in handy on more challenging stretches (which I did not attempt. Again, it wasn’t my Canyon). But then it occurred to me that momentum may be more important than slowing down. Depending on how rough it might get. The engine had plenty of torque at lower RPM and never struggled with the sharp, uphill turns I was encountering. I was impressed with the way it put good, steady, predictible power to the ground.

If I were to do much off pavement, I would reduce the pressure in the rear suspension (and possibly rear tire as well) to give the rear wheel some additional compliance over the rough stuff.

As has been talked about before, you sit ON and not IN the Canyon. That is obvious before you even start it up. But it isn’t the top-heavy experience I expected. Like a 4X4, it does change the physics from riding positions on the Ryker, F3, and even the RT, but not nearly as much as I’d expected. I was quite happy putting it through its paces in turns.

In 15 MPH turns at 30 MPH when applying full throttle coming out, the front end could have used a bit more traction. There were times when I experienced a bit of wiggle at the back, which I’m sure was the Nanny letting me know she was not entirely happy with my methods. Granted, I was trying to create issues to get a feel for the machine’s parameters and abilities. A more sane approach would probably not produce any of these Gremlins.

I would need to have my own Canyon and put many more miles on one to solidify this initial impression. However, I don’t think my opinion would change all that much.

This was a Standard, Base model Canyon. Though I suspect that my overall experience would translate to the other models, there would surely be at least some subtle differences.

I don't know that I've drunk the Cool-Aid... But I must say, I am sipping at it.

All said and done, don't write the Canyon off your list until you try it. You might find it surprisingly right up your alley!

I have been thinking of the canyon to replace a RT I had catch on fire under me but was not sure it looked like it might be only good for off road I might have to give it a test drive