Can-Am 'Pulse' and 'Origin'
The idea that the Can-Am name could return to motorcycles has been circulating ever since the brand was revived for ATVs and three-wheelers in 2006. The return has now been confirmed, but the production bikes won't be ready until 2024, to coincide with the company's 50th anniversary.
The Canadian brand first appeared as Bombardier's entry to the motorcycle scene in 1973, hitting immediate success in motocross competition, but Bombardier lost interest. Canadian Cam-Am production ended in 1982, with CCM in the UK keeping the brand alive from 1983 to 1987, when the Can-Am name disappeared completely. The 2006 comeback saw the Spyder three-wheeler and a range of quad bikes, but the current interest in electric motorcycles means it's being used for BRP's entry into that market.
The first new bikes are the 'Pulse' roadster and 'Origin' ADV, built around a modular platform that's designed to be adaptable to suit all sorts of bikes, from off-roaders to custom cruisers. The central battery case doubles as the main frame structure, with swappable front and rear subframes to change the bike's character and geometry.
Rotax, the Austrian manufacturer that made the original Can-Am engines, is developing the electric motors.
In all the upcoming Can-Am models, the motor is mounted inside the front of the single-sided swingarm, where it drives through helical-cut reduction gears to a front sprocket, and then via a chain to the rear sprocket to provide another layer of gearing reduction.
Unusually, the chain runs inside the swingarm rather than outside, sealing it from the elements and allowing it to run through an oil bath, with a built-in chain tensioner. That means chain adjustment and oiling should be unnecessary and the chain noise reduced. As with most electric bikes, there's just a single speed and no clutch, but Can-Am is sticking to the familiar foot-operated rear brake rather than moving to a scooter-style, bar-mounted version.
