Can-Am ' s Hub-Steered Triple By Ben Purvis
Can-Am will return to the twowheeler market after decades away when it launches its Pulse and Origin electric bikes - part of a modular range of batterypowered machines - in 2024 . However , a newly published patent application shows that a radical combustion-engined machine has also been under development . The bike shown in the document features a selection of unusual design elements , including the hub-center steering system that ' s the basis of the patent - plus an inline three-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission . It ' s a design that clearly shares much of its DNA with Can-Am ' s
' crazy-looking creation emerges in patent application '
gasoline-powered threewheelers , the Spyder and Ryker ranges , adopting a similar long , low profile to those machines , but eliminating one of the front wheels . The Ryker , in particular , is closely related to the new design , lending its engine and transmission to the project . At the moment , the Ryker can be had with a choice of a 600 cc twin-cylinder or 900 cc threecylinder engine , both made by Can-Am ' s Austria based sister company Rotax and allied to a twist-and-go CVT transmission . The same powertrain appears to feature in the new two-wheeler , with the drawings showing something that looks like the larger three-cylinder Ryker engine nestled in its trellis-style frame . Like the Ryker , it carries the engine longitudinally . Only Triumph ' s Rocket 3 shares a similar layout with a threecylinder engine . The suspension that ' s the focus of the patent is intended to maximize the potential lean angle and to limit the number of linkages needed in the steering system . It features two parallel front suspension links , with an upright at the front , giving a single-sided appearance . While rival hub-steered bikes like Bimota ' s Tesi aim to maintain a conventional riding position , with the bars above the front wheel , the Can-Am puts the rider further back , as on the Ryker and Spyder trikes . That layout means there can be a steering column running down from the bars to a position behind the front wheel , with a pitman arm and a tie rod transferring the steering movement to the wheel . It ' s a setup that has fewer joints and linkages than most other hubsteered bikes , potentially reducing vagueness in the steering and improving feedback . The weight distribution , with the rider positioned so far back , will clearly be closer to a cruiser than a sports bike , but the hubsteered front end means the rake and trail can be tweaked to whatever geometry the company wants . As with other front swingarm systems , the suspension also separates braking and suspension forces , allowing softer springing without introducing dive when you ' re on the brakes . Although Can-Am ' s initial motorcycle plans are all electric , the company isn ' t tied purely to battery power . The existence of the Spyder , Ryker and an array of Can-Am ATV and side-by-side models shows that the combustion engine still plays a big role in the brand ' s future , so a motorcycle using the same power source could well join the electric bikes once the company has re-established itself in the two-wheeled market .
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Simon Zhu ' s Ontario , California Greenger Powersports , known for its Honda collaboration electric CRF moto-crosser , is to partner with AMA Supermoto National Championship Series promoter DRT Racing . Alex Mock , DRT President : " This partnership will help propel young riders to a new level and mold them into future Supermoto professionals while also highlighting the dynamic Greenger Powersports Honda CRF-E2 and the track-ready Greenger G3S models . Fusing asphalt and dirt , the AMA Supermoto National Championship Series has been an arena for both pro and amateur Supermoto riders since the early- 2000s , offering the opportunity to earn the prestigious AMA National No . 1 plate in Supermoto racing . The new Greenger x Honda CRF-E2 , and the G3S , the equivalent of a trackready 110 cc motorcycle , are available for purchase at any Greenger dealer ; www . greengerpowersports . co m , www . drtracinginc . com .
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