2019 Can-Am Ryker

Can-Am announced the newest addition to its funny-backwards-trike lineup with the all-new Ryker model that BRP hopes will open up a whole new market for prospective entry-level trike riders. (Trikers?) The Ryker comes with all the electronic fandanglery that you'll find on its large-displacement siblings, but comes with a choice in powerplants between a mid-size mill and one that falls closer to a liter. An automatic transmission delivers twist-and-go operation for the ultimate in rider friendliness, even for folks who are complete strangers to having their fists in the wind. Could this be BRP's new big shoo-in? Only time will tell, but meanwhile, we can certainly dissect this most-interesting machine, so let's get to it.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Ryker.

2019 Can-Am Ryker

Specifications

Make: Array
Model: 2019 Can-Am Ryker
Engine/Motor: Rotax 600 ACE
[do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

2019 Can-Am Ryker Design

Right! So it looks like Can-Am grabbed a Ginsu and chopped its Spyder F3 down to its essential form. No fluff or fat to be found, the Ryker is lean as a snake with much the same look, just more compact and sporty. The Volkwagen-style trunk that leads the way has been whacked down to a mere snub-nose, and that is reflected in the storage capacity with only 1.85-gallons (7-liters) of cargo room versus over three times that much on the next bigger model. That's alright, 'cause this here is the barhopper of Can-Am's “Y-trike” lineup. Just think of it as a funny-backwards equivalent of a Sporty or café.

The dual front wheels ride with exposed linkages and individual fenders that give it a roadster-esque look head on. Much like myself, the Ryker looks a little bit stocky around the middle due to its compact build, but as sparse as the machine appears, it's actually wider than the F3 line at 59.4-inches wide up front. The trade off comes in the overall length that measures out at 92.6-inches long even though the wheelbase falls out on the same 67.3-inch centers.

Instrumentation is digital in its entirety and delivers its data on a compact display perched just ahead of the drag-style handlebar for a clean-, even austere-, looking control area with bar-end mirrors and handguards to complete the ensemble. If you think the handlebar clamp looks a bit odd, that's just Can-Am's UFit System that lets you shape your rider triangle with an adjustable handlebar as well as movable forward-control footpegs and brake pedal, so you can dial right in for your body type.

The solo seat is absolutely slammed at 23.5 inches off the deck, and it suspends your butt over thin air just ahead of the single rear wheel that is left well-exposed by the single-side swingarm and hugger that mounts the rearward lighting and license plate. This lack of bodywork out back gives the Ryker an all-up-front look like a sprinter crouched at the blocks for a sporty appeal all its own.

2019 Can-Am Ryker Chassis

Can-Am uses a Y-frame setup, otherwise known as a Delta-trike, to support the Ryker. Double-wishbone members articulate the front wheels and hold them proud of the body like an old-school roadster. A set of Sachs Twin-tube coil-over shocks float the front end on 5.39 inches of travel with another set out back that sports 5.91 inches of travel and adjustable preload for the only ride-quality tweak in the stems.

Automotive-style tires provide three generous contact patches that make the Ryker corner like it's on rails. A pair of 145/60-16 hoops lead the way opposite a 205/45-16 that delivers the power to the pavement. The single-side swingarm unit doubles as a housing for the drive shaft to help keep everything clean and tidy while also protecting the shaft.

An electronic brake distribution system actuates all three brakes via a single brake pedal with an ABS feature that lets you safely get the most out of the not-inconsiderable pressure you can bring to bear. Additionally, the Stability Control System monitors vehicle attitude and intervenes with brake pressure and power modulation whenever you push the envelope just a little too hard and run the risk of landing dirty-side up.

A 270 mm disc with twin-pot calipers stop the front wheels and a single-piston anchor bites the 220 mm rear disc to provide your stopping power; plenty considering the roughly 600-plus pound running weight. It comes with a parking brake for parking safety and a hill-start control that holds your position until you're ready to launch.

Front Suspension:	Double wishbone
Front Shocks Type / Travel:	SACHS Twin-tube coil-over shocks / 5.39 in. (137 mm)
Rear Suspension:	Multi-link - mono swing arm
Rear Shock Type / Travel:	SACHS Twin-tube coil-over shocks with preload adjustment / 5.91 in. (150 mm)
Electronic Brake Distribution System:	Foot-operated, hydraulic 3-wheel brake
Front Brakes:	270 mm discs with Nissin 2-piston floating calipers
Rear Brake:	220 mm disc, 1-piston floating caliper
Parking Brake:	Park lock
Front Tires:	MC145/60R16 66T
Rear Tire:	MC205/45R16 77T
Aluminum Front Rims:	5-spoke Carbon black, 16 x 4.5 in. (406 x 114 mm)
Aluminum Rear Rim:	5-spoke Carbon black, 16 x 6.5 in. (406 x 165 mm)

2019 Can-Am Ryker Drivetrain

Power comes from a Rotax® Advanced Combustion Engine, and Can-Am hedges its bets by offering two different engine sizes in the new Ryker. At the bottom of the scale, the 600 ACE™ runs in a twin-cylinder configuration, and it looks like the 900 ACE™ is essentially the same exact engine but with a third cylinder tacked on.

If you are unfamiliar with the engine, its pedigree spans from vehicles, to personal watercraft and even aviation, so we're talking about a solid, reliable powerplant here. It's water cooled to provide stable operating temps with the additional benefit of having a water-jacket to attenuate some of the mechanical noises from withing the cases.

Electronics control the throttle along with a traction control system that modulates the butterflies whenever a wheel-speed differential is detected so you're looking at a fully ride-by-wire system here. Naturally, power varies depending on which size you choose; the 600 produces 47-horsepower at 7,300 rpm and 35 pound-feet of torque at 6,200 rpm, and the power is proportional with 77-horsepower at 7,100 rpm and 56 pound-feet at 6,300 rpm from the 900. Power flows through a Continuously-Variable Transmission that delivers twist-and-go operation and a supremely user-friendly ride with a reverse gear so you don't even have to Flintstone the thing out of your parking slot.

Model	Rotax® 600 ACE™	Rotax® 900 ACE™
Engine:	in-line 2 cylinders, liquid-cooled with electronic fuel injection and electronic throttle control	in-line 3 cylinders, liquid-cooled with electronic fuel injection and electronic throttle control
Bore & Stroke:	2.9 in. (74 mm) x 2.7 in. (69.7 mm)	2.9 in. (74 mm) x 2.7 in. (69.7 mm)
Power:	47 hp (35 kW) @ 7300 rpm	77 hp (57.5 kW) @ 7100 rpm
Torque:	35 ft-lb (47 Nm) @ 6200 rpm	56 ft-lb (76 Nm) @ 6300 rpm
Transmission:	Automatic (CVT)	Automatic (CVT)

2019 Can-Am Ryker Pricing

Can-Am lets loose of the Ryker 600 ACE™ for $8,499 and the 900 ACE™ rolls for $9,999 with all-of-the-above as standard equipment plus a pair of USB ports and a glovebox for your small possibles and sundry items. The color schemes are pretty subtle with black as the dominant hue and a wide palette of color options that end up being little more than a splash around the topsides around the headlights.

Safety Features:	Stability Control System, Traction Control System, Anti-lock Braking System, Digitally Encoded Security System (D.E.S.S.™ ), Hill Hold Control
Warranty:	1-year BRP Limited Warranty with 1-year roadside assistance, (BRP’s B.E.S.T. extended service term available from 12 to 36 months)
Features:	2 halogen headlamps (55-W), Front fenders with integrated LED lights, Dual USB port, Glove box
Colors:	Carbon Black, Intense Black, Liquid Steel, Immortal White, Heritage White, Adrenaline Red, Midnight Red, Orange Blaze, Yellow Shock, Electric Yellow, Haze Blue, Army Green
Price:	$8,499

2019 Can-Am Ryker Competitors

What to pick? The Ryker kind of fits in the same displacement brackets, and potentially the same market as the H-D Sportster, Yamaha Star Bolt and maybe even Ducati's Scramblers, but they're all two wheelers. Harley has its Freewheeler that brings its own type of performance to the table, but the mill measures out at almost two liters and costs as much as a small piece of land, so it's out as well.

I could bring up another Yamaha product, the Niken, and it's definitely an interesting machine, yet it falls in more of a sportbike genre and I think it's unlikely to appeal to the same sort of rider, plus it leans so it's a vastly different machine. And before you even ask; No, the Slingshot does not fit into this niche.

Where does that leave us? Well, it puts the Ryker in a market all its own for the time being, as it brings a rather unique set of attributes to the table in a combination of configuration and price point. Ultimately, it'll be interesting to see how this late-summer surprise performs in the market.

He Said

“Gotta' say, this thing came outta' nowhere and caught me flatfooted. I'm digging the clean rear end and barhopper vibe I'm getting from it, and I swear I think I could use it the same way I use my Sporty. Who am I kidding? The wife and I have already figured out the payment schedule to see how soon we can score one for her. Yeah, it's like that.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “I can't tell you how excited I am about this Ryker. It's a production three-wheeler that comes in less than $10K....like way less, unless you can't stay out of the accessories catalog, of course. This puts three-wheel riding into a very affordable price range for folks that have shied away from two-wheelers or folks like me that are getting to a point in life where the body doesn't quite manage things with the same agility and strength it once did. This is huge.”

2019 Can-Am Ryker Specifications

Engine & Drivetrain:
Rotax® 600 ACE™:	in-line 2 cylinders, liquid-cooled with electronic fuel injection and electronic throttle control
Rotax® 900 ACE™:	in-line 3 cylinders, liquid-cooled with electronic fuel injection and electronic throttle control
Bore & Stroke:	2.9 in. (74 mm) x 2.7 in. (69.7 mm)
Power:
Rotax® 600 ACE™:	47 hp (35 kW) @ 7,300 rpm
Rotax®900 ACE™:	77 hp (57.5 kW) @ 7,100 rpm
Torque:
Rotax®600 ACE™:	35 ft-lb (47 Nm) @ 6,200 rpm
Rotax®900 ACE™:	56 ft-lb (76 Nm) @ 6,300 rpm
Transmission:	Automatic (CVT)
Chassis:
Front Suspension:	Double wishbone
Front Shocks Type / Travel:	SACHS Twin-tube coil-over shocks / 5.39 in. (137 mm)
Rear Suspension:	Multi-link - mono swing arm
Rear Shock Type / Travel:	SACHS Twin-tube coil-over shocks with preload adjustment / 5.91 in. (150 mm)
Electronic Brake Distribution System:	Foot-operated, hydraulic 3-wheel brake
Front Brakes:	270 mm discs with Nissin 2-piston floating calipers
Rear Brake:	220 mm disc, 1-piston floating caliper
Parking Brake:	Park lock
Front Tires:	MC145/60R16 66T
Rear Tire:	MC205/45R16 77T
Aluminum Front Rims:	5-spoke Carbon black, 16 x 4.5 in. (406 x 114 mm)
Aluminum Rear Rim:	5-spoke Carbon black, 16 x 6.5 in. (406 x 165 mm)
Dimensions & Capacities:
L X W X H:	92.6 x 59.4 x 41.8 in. (2,352 x 1,509 x 1,062 mm)
Wheelbase:	67.3 in. (1,709 mm)(900: 67.3 in. (1,709 mm))
Seat Height:	23.6 in. (599 mm) (900: 23.5 in. (597 mm))
Ground Clearance:	4.1 in. (104 mm) (900: 4.0 in. (102 mm))
Dry Weight:	594 lb (270 kg) (900: 616 lb (280 kg))
Rider Capacity:	1
Storage Capacity:	1.85 gal (7 L)
Towing Capacity:	N/A
Fuel Capacity:	5.28 gal (20 L)
Details:
Fuel Type:	Premium unleaded
Gauges:	4.5" digital display, Speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trips, gear position, distance to empty, engine lights, fuel gauge, clock (900 also ECO mode and Sport mode)
Safety Features:	Stability Control System, Traction Control System, Anti-lock Braking System, Digitally Encoded Security System (D.E.S.S.™ ), Hill Hold Control
Warranty:	1-year BRP Limited Warranty with 1-year roadside assistance, (BRP’s B.E.S.T. extended service term available from 12 to 36 months)
Features:	2 halogen headlamps (55-W), Front fenders with integrated LED lights, Dual USB port, Glove box
Colors:	Carbon Black, Intense Black, Liquid Steel, Immortal White, Heritage White, Adrenaline Red, Midnight Red, Orange Blaze, Yellow Shock, Electric Yellow, Haze Blue, Army Green
Price:	$8,499