Canadian brand of motor vehicles
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 Motorcycles
| Headquarters |
Valcourt
,
Canada
|
| Products |
Motorcycles |
| Parent |
Bombardier Corporation |
| Website |
can-am.brp.com/us/en/ |
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. In 2024 Can-Am released two new electric motorcycle models.[3]
History
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Brand history
[edit]
Can-Am was created as a subsidiary of the Bombardier Corporation in 1972.[4] 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 former 500cc Motocross World Champion Jeff Smith designed a competition motorcycle from scratch using engines supplied by the Austrian firm, Rotax, another Bombardier subsidiary.[1][5] 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.[6]
In 1974, the Can-Am factory racing team swept the 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.[4][7][8][9]
Can-Am enduro rider Skip Olson finished second to Dick Burleson in the 1976 AMA Enduro national championship.[10] Can-Am's motorcycle racing success enhanced the brand's image and they gained a reputation for their high horsepower outputs.[4][11] 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 decrease in sales of recreational vehicles, Bombardier was forced to reduce their snowmobile and motorcycle production.[12] Bombardier then shifted its priority from recreational products towards the transit equipment industry and then, several years later, into aircraft manufacturing.[12] As a result, investments in product development were reduced substantially and, Can-Am was unable to keep pace with Japanese manufacturers as rapid advancements in motocross technology progressed during the 1970s and 1980s.[12][13] In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles of Lancashire, England.[4][13] 1987 was the final year of Can-Am motorcycle production.[1][4]
Rebirth and rebranding
[edit]
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
[edit]
- ^ a b c d e
"History of Can-Am®". www.familypowersports.com. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ^ a b c d e "The Beginning". Canned Ham. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ^ "Canada's BRP Adds Two Electric Motorcycles To Can-Am's Offerings". forbes. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e "Can-Am's history". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Bike Design". canned-ham.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "History of the International Six Days Trial". ultimatemotorcycling.com. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ "Jeff Smith at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ "Gary Jones at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ "1974 Motocross Season". racerxonline.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "BRP Returns To Two-Wheelers With The Can-Am Electric Motorcycle". Woman Motorcycle Enthusiast. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ^ a b c "Bombardier: Our history". bombardier.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ a b "The Demise of Can-Am". canned-ham.com. Retrieved 31 March 2023.