New BRP Rumour

[BajaRon]

I remember reading that back in the early 80s that team Can Am raced a 500 cc dirt bike.

They did. There were several engine sizes including 350cc, 370cc and 400cc before they folded up their tent and went home.

I was off 1 year on my Can-Am 250. It was a 1975 MX2 and not the MX3 Black Widow 1976 model. It may have been a GP because it was a limited edition model sold in California as being 'Illegal' to ride anywhere but a track. That was because it did not come with a USFS approved spark arrestor (according to the DMV). The guy sold it to me with almost no miles on it because he could not get it registered for off road. He had it for over a year before he sold it to me. He had gotten an approved spark arrestor fitted to the pipe, but because it was not factory, the DMV wouldn't go for it.

I took it to the DMV to try my luck and they said the rules hand changed since the bike was purchased and they let me register it.

This is exactly what it looked like. That down pipe was a rock magnet but it had a pretty heavy duty guard to protect it. Ground clearance was not very good. Power was awesome!

 

[Flanker]

Interesting, but just blah, blah, blah.

 

[SNOOPY]

Nice thread opcorn:

 

[otter28169]

And the founders of the Company are spinning in their graves... :shocked:

I don't think that they went "Whole Hog" on liquid cooling :roflblack:

They kind of, sort of; put a water jacket around the exhaust port...
At least that's what I've heard about it! :dontknow:

What I heard was HD bought Buell, sunk all of their debt into them, appropriated a liguid cooled design that had been in development for several years, and sent them away. It was strange that liquid cooling in Harleys came after they bought Buell eh???

Just sayin'............

 

[Yazz]

What I heard was HD bought Buell, sunk all of their debt into them, appropriated a liguid cooled design that had been in development for several years, and sent them away. It was strange that liquid cooling in Harleys came after they bought Buell eh???

Just sayin'............

Harley is famous for that. Think about the TriGlide. They did the same thing to it's originators.

Funny thing about the V-Rod. Still remember when they first came out. "Water Boy" is still ringing in my ears.

My how things have changed.

 

[NancysToy]

I wonder if they are going to keep just the two front ones, or one rear and one offset front? :roflblack:

I wonder what the nanny will think? :roflblack:

 

[Blue Star]

Great minds think alike

If BRP goes to two wheels. How are they going to hold up the rear of the bike?

I wonder if they are going to keep just the two front ones, or one rear and one offset front? :roflblack:

I wonder what the nanny will think? :roflblack:

Only you Bob.

Brian, NancysToy put it better than I did, but we both had the same thoughts

 

[Bob Denman]

:gaah: Harley... :gaah:
They haven't actually liquid cooled all of their engine...
Just the exhaust ports...
The EPA just kept tightening the noose, until they couldn't fight it anymore... :shocked:

 

[SXSMachine]

If BRP goes to two wheels. How are they going to hold up the rear of the bike?

Maybe they can use the system they have developed for the leaning Spyder.

X = speed, torque, acceleration (out of the corner) , lean (acceleration figure too this time towards the ground) = hope the bloody hellfire it doesnt fall over.

Pretty close on the leaning Spyder I think........ I do mean pretty close.....

 

[SXSMachine]

I should say that I was speaking to the Australian Product Liaison Manager in Australia about the withdrawl of Bombardier from the Jet Ski or Sea Doo market if you will and he said they did to concentrate more on some of their more core products and that was more in the Ski Doo market and though he didnt show me anything at all, I have seen something of a wildman of a machine which seems to be pretty much production trim.

Unfortunately for Bobs and my dreams it isnt going to AWD and that may be the only clue I'll leave with you on that one if we are talking "rumors" so that means there wont be any immediate crossover into a AWD Spyder from an AWD Ski Doo, which is a shame and will it be an opportunity lost for Bombardier?

But I havent anything in the 2 wheel rumor file for Bombardier.

I do have a few other rumors. If Yamaha do build a 4 wheel or even 3 wheel road going machine now that Can Am is going to hit the Japanese shoreline, it wont be the Tesseract or even close!

Yamaha who were given something of a hiding by fans about "only" coming out with Viking SXS/UTVwhen they have had so long in hiatus I believe are still going to be left waiting for "that" first Japanese sports machine with the likelihood that even though Yamaha have moved to the US for its UTV production, showing Nth America to be the biggest UTV/SXS market in the world and the promise of a model to be released every year for 6 years including the Viking, the next machine I believe to hit the market from the tuning forks is going to be a 2 row seat of the Viking, so Japanese sports SXS is still over 14 months away. Maybe the best news I can give you is that the wonderful tank mounted Dash on the Vmax is making a comeback?!

The big US rival Polaris will not be coming after the 3 wheel motorcycle market this year, but they are coming at 3 wheels. A machine similar to the KTM crossbow is once again seen in close to production trim and was confirmed to be in existence by a Polaris Exec but no release date. Looks pretty good, what will the power plant be???

One powerplant I do feel assured of but not the CC's yet is the the offroad sports quad the Sportsman. In something from left field perhaps but something that has been asked about for some time Polaris have decided they are gong to knock off Honda with an Ode to the first 4 wheeler the Odyssey. Some major reshuffling of the deck chairs has allowed room for a seat and for foot controls ahead of the stub axles of the front wheels. Although the current cage doesn't look production any good aftermarket firm can knock one up in a weekend anyway and the wheel base isnt much changed from the actual bike or the soon/now defunct 800RZR that started the ball those 8? years ago.

KTM of course have already but their nose to the grind for the year and the release of their 1290CC Vtwin street sports hooligan is a take no prisoners motor with best of minimal everything else around it including a bespoke tyre by Dunlop. 4 riding modes including the "turn everything off and wear your armored trousers" mode wil make for a more than interesting year on debut. Can anyone really ride it 10/10ths even on a track? I guess a few racers will get one and they'll show us what can and cant be done.

Kawasaki are doing some stuff electrically with Motorcycles (tubular frame unit) and with their Mule UTV. The Teryx is getting a switchable 2nd row of seats that removes to extend the length of the carry bed but more importantly the possibility of electric assist in 4wd for either starts or maybe uphill and the carry over of their very successful ram air from motorcycles into the Teryx engine, will that be the end of the engine upgrades or will the Big K go for that top of the tree power plant they are known for in motorcycling, it'll have to go ~1000cc to do so given current HP figures.

I used to love Suzuki, are the now so boring I wont even bother to spy??? They are still working with a Hygrogen celled scooter and I love that at least, I love Hydrogen fuel source.

Honda have all the appearance of doing nothing but producing 2 very very Honda motorcycles. ( I just ran out of steam actually! lol)

So the BRP rumor plus a whole heap of others should be a little entertainment! :bbq:

 

[spydermyke990]

I think it'll be an attempt to break into the dual- sport/ adventure bike market, that seems to be growing, I've seen a lot more of those bikes on the road lately.

 

[Roadkill]

Buell factoid

I believe that Buell owns the Buell name, not Harley. Harley was the backing (read money) and outlet for the Buell.

+No, BobD is correct. Harley-Davidson owns the Buell brand, which is why they could close Buell Motorcycles, and which is why Erik Buell now operates as Erik Buell Racing (EBR) http://www.erikbuellracing.com/

I'd love to see Can-Am re-enter the two-wheeled market.

Ride on.
Roadkill

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: I got one right??

Tim,
Long time no see; I hope all is well on your side of the 'Gunks... :thumbup: