Did it really start this way?

[MarkLawson]

Recently someone posted a question about the history of the Spyder and one of the responses mentioned that it would be nice if BRP would provide some background information.

One of the things that I heard at a gathering may or may not be true but again, it would be nice if BRP could verify.

Here is the story.....

A group of BRP folks were at a meeting sometime after the turn of the century (the one from the 1900's to the 2000's for you older folks) and were talking about how to expand their market. Apparently someone said..,"we have the winter market covered with our Ski-Do product and the watersports market is well served by the Sea-Do but how can we expand for more year-round presence?"

Then an engineer spoke up. "Why can't we just put wheels on a snowmobile?"

Could it have been as simple as that?

Yes, it is true. When I attended my first Owners Event (the first one held in Maggie Valley), they had a nice display of actual prototype Spyders as they developed them. There was a narrative that went along with the displays and in 1999, I believe, their R&D department was tasked with developing an on-the-road vehicle based on a snowmobile design.

 

[sledmaster]

That sounds right Mark. Notes I took on 1-11-07 when we were told the Spyder had just received the go-ahead for production say it was a "concept 10 years ago and prototype 7 years ago" which would place the concept stage right at about the start of 1997, with prototypes at about the start of 2000. Give or take.

At that time they had P3 prototypes and were six months from production. It was being described as bridging the gap between a motorcycle, sports car, go kart and snowmobile, with a emphasis on the "WOW" factor. They were really stressing the stability at rest and stability in motion as main benefits. At that time they didn't know how it would be received by the existing motorcycle community, but they did know it would bring the powersports (sled, quad, PWC) experience to the road. Curiously at that time they were targeting the 35-45 year old male, but that was the initial GS sport models. We were also told that it would be 18-36 months until Phase 2, which we can now assume to have meant the RT touring model introduction.

But make no mistake, the Spyder started out as a snowmobile with wheels. That is who BRP is at their roots, snowmobilers. That is what they do best. But as the first prototypes were sled-based, the actual production units are far more similar to an ATV chassis with their SST surrounding spar technology 3-beam frame design. And the styling seems to have been influenced more by their PWC models than anything else. So it started as a sled, is built like an ATV and looks more like a PWC. Go figure. Sure is fun to ride.

 

[flamingobabe]

let me check my pics on the old computer.....and see what pics I took at owners event....remember going through the prototype to Spyder.....also heard that there were test riders for snowmobiles in summer with wheels on test track...and the concept was born...OK these pics were taken at Durango 2012.....they are not the best...but all I have...notice 2nd and 4th pic had exhaust on each side....wish BRP would of left that feature on the Spyder....

 

[Pennyrick]

.notice 2nd and 4th pic had exhaust on each side....wish BRP would of left that feature on the Spyder....

I agree... that is one of the things that would enhance the appearance of the Spyder. I loved those chrome pipes on either side of my earlier bikes. Of course, I date back to the time when pipes on either side of the rear end of a '40 Ford or '49 Mercury made them objects of art.

When they began putting them in front of the rear wheels or two pipes on the same side or dumping all the exhaust into one big pipe it never looked right to me.

So, for the record, BRP, here is a vote for true dual exhaust.

 

[Bob Denman]

Or at least a set of stacked triples! :thumbup: