Can-Am Spyder RT-S - Long-Term Update

At the press introduction last year of the Can-Am Spyder RT-S, Bombardier Recreational Products said that when the Spyder was conceived, it was always meant to be a turn-key touring rig. When we sampled the pre-production models at the intro, we noted that BRP had done a good job of assembling the components of a three-wheeled Gold Wing, but that only extensive testing would reveal whether the components added up to a machine that made the company’s slogan of “riding reinvented” more than marketing hype. This past May, we got the chance to find out when Can-Am provided us an RT-S for a long-term test.

Our RT-S came with 853 miles on the clock and all but the two accessories we requested—the Garmin zumo 660 GPS system ($1199.99) and XM satellite radio kit ($449.99), which should be installed well before our next report. With a list price of $26,449, the top-of-the-line RT-S is already fully loaded, though, and our test SE5 version has the semi-auto transmission, rider/co-rider-controlled AM/FM radio with provision for iPod or MP3 player control, enough computerization to please the most serious techno-geek, and sufficient cargo space in its front compartment, two saddlebag-like compartments and rear top trunk to swallow two weeks’ worth of gear for a couple, as we found out in a thousand-mile tour up to Mt. Shasta in Northern California.

We’ve accumulated 2800-plus miles on the RT-S, most of them in summertime heat, which allowed us to conclude that this Spyder’s bodywork is very well designed to eliminate most, if not all, engine heat reaching the rider and co-rider. How’s it work in cold and rain? To be determined.