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Can-Am motorcycles

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This article is about Can-Am motorcycles from 1972 to 1987. For the Can-Am ATV model range, see Can-Am Off-Road. For the Can-Am Roadster model range, see BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster.
Can-Am
Headquarters
Valcourt
,
Canada
ProductsMotorcycles
ParentBombardier Corporation

Can-Am is a Canadian subsidiary of Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) founded in 1972 and based in Valcourt, Quebec.[1][2] The company produced off-road motorcycles from 1972 to 1987. In 1997, the company was reformed and began production of ATV vehicles as well as the Can-Am Spyder three-wheeled motorcycle.

History

Early history

Can-Am was created as a subsidiary of the Bombardier Corporation in 1972.[3] The barn that housed the original Can-Am headquarters still exists at the Bombardier test facility within the Circuit Yvon Duhamel and is located a few miles south of Valcourt, Quebec.[1] The right side of the barn housed the offices for design and engineering, and the left side was used for fabrication.[2] Can-Am’s name was the result of a Bombardier employee competition based on the anticipated Canadian vs. American market, though the existence of the Can-Am racing series necessitated the purchase of rights to the name.[2]

Based on the Bultaco design principle of a standard-size frame that could accommodate a range of differently sized engines, engineers Gary Robison, Bob Fisher, and Camille Picard, and seasoned motorcycle racer Jeff Smith designed a competition motorcycle from scratch using engines supplied by the Austrian firm, Rotax, another Bombardier subsidiary.[1][4] Their design featured steering head bearing cups that allowed for the adjustment of the steering head angle; these were mainly driven by simplified production on the assembly line.[2]

The machines made an immediate impact, with riders winning Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the International Six Days Trial.[1] The International Six Days Trial, now known as the International Six Days Enduro, is a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics which is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the FIM dating back to 1913.[5]

In 1974, Can-Am was the first brand to sweep the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) 250cc motocross national championship with Can-Am riders Gary Jones, Marty Tripes and Jimmy Ellis, finishing first, second and third in the championship although, Tripes had raced for most of the season on a Husqvarna motorcycle before being hired by Can-Am for the last race of the season.[3][6][7][8]

Can-Am enduro rider Skip Olson finished second to Dick Burleson in the 1976 AMA Enduro national championship.[9] Can-Am's motorcycle racing success enhanced the brand’s image and they gained a reputation for their high horsepower outputs.[3][10] In 1983, Can-Am released a 250 cc road racing motorcycle. Using two 125 cc Rotax motors with a conjoined crankshaft, the motorcycle featured a bespoke frame with an aluminum swingarm.[2]

When the 1973 oil crisis precipitated a drop in sales of recreational vehicles, Bombardier was forced to cut back on their snowmobile and motorcycle production.[11] Bombardier then shifted its priority from recreational products towards the transit equipment industry and then, several years later, into aircraft manufacturing.[11]

As a result, investments in the young Can-Am division were reduced substantially and as a result, they were unable to keep up with Japanese manufacturers' pursuit of technology.[11][12] In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles of Lancashire, England.[3][12] 1987 was the final year of Can-Am motorcycle production.[1][3]

Rebirth and rebranding

In 2006, Bombardier reintroduced the Can-Am brand with its Can-Am Off-Road range of all-terrain vehicles (ATV). In 2007, the Can-Am brand was also used for the Can-Am Spyder, a new three-wheeled roadster.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "History of Can-Am®". www.familypowersports.com. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Beginning". Canned Ham. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Can-Am's history". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Bike Design". canned-ham.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  5. ^ "History of the International Six Days Trial". ultimatemotorcycling.com. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Jeff Smith at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  7. ^ "Gary Jones at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  8. ^ "1974 Motocross Season". racerxonline.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  9. ^ Assoc, American Motorcyclist (January 1977). Familiar Faces Fill the Forest, American Motorcyclist, January 1977, Vol. 31, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  10. ^ "BRP Returns To Two-Wheelers With The Can-Am Electric Motorcycle". Woman Motorcycle Enthusiast. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  11. ^ a b c "Bombardier: Our history". bombardier.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  12. ^ a b "The Demise of Can-Am". canned-ham.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
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