Can-Am motorcycles
Encyclopedia
Can-Am is a motorcycle
producing subsidiary of the Bombardier Recreational Products
, a Canadian
corporation.
In 1973, under the direction and leadership of an American Engineer named Gary Robinson and former motocross
World Champion, Jeff Smith
working with a team of California desert racers, Can-Am began producing motocross
and enduro
bikes using engines provided by the Austria
n Rotax
company, another Bombardier subsidiary. The machines made an immediate impact with riders winning Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the International Six Days Trial
, a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics. The following year, the company swept the 1974 AMA
250 cc motocross national championship with Can-Am riders Gary Jones
, Marty Tripes
and Jimmy Ellis, finishing first, second and third. The bikes gained a reputation for their high power outputs.
The Rotax motors used a slightly unusual style of intake. A rotary disc system was employed and this plate was altered repeatedly between T'n'T (track and trail) and MX models. This plate is accredited with the horsepower gain over conventional piston port motors used on Japanese motorcycles. The MX3, produced in 1977, was the pinnacle of Can Am. Its 36 hp was 6 more than the closest competitor.
However, soon after the Can-Am introduction, the Bombardier corporation shifted its priority
from recreational products towards diversification into the transit equipment industry and then,
several years later, into aircraft manufacturing. As a result, investments in the young Can-Am
division were reduced substantially. In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong / CCM
of Lancashire, England. 1987 was the final year Can-Am motorcycles were produced.
In 2006, Bombardier Recreational Products reintroduced the Can-Am brand with its all-terrain vehicles (ATV). In 2007, the Can-Am brand was also used to introduce the Can-Am Spyder a new three-wheeled roadster.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
producing subsidiary of the Bombardier Recreational Products
Bombardier Recreational Products
Bombardier Recreational Products or BRP is a Canadian company that traces its roots back to the year 1942 when Joseph-Armand Bombardier founded L'Auto-Neige Bombardier Limitée in Valcourt in the Eastern Townships, Quebec.In 2003, Bombardier Inc...
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
corporation.
In 1973, under the direction and leadership of an American Engineer named Gary Robinson and former motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
World Champion, Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith (motorcyclist)
Jeffrey Vincent Smith MBE is a former world champion motocross racer.His achievements include two FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships , two British Trials Championships, multiple British Experts Trial wins, four individual race wins in the Motocross des Nations, one Scottish Six Days Trial win...
working with a team of California desert racers, Can-Am began producing motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
and enduro
Enduro
Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly off-road. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges...
bikes using engines provided by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Rotax
Rotax
BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co KG , commonly known simply as Rotax, is an Austrian engine manufacturer. It develops and produces four-stroke and advanced two-stroke engines for Bombardier Recreational Products products as well as for motorcycles, karts,...
company, another Bombardier subsidiary. The machines made an immediate impact with riders winning Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the International Six Days Trial
ISDE
ISDE may stand for:*Institute for Space and Defense Electronics, a research facility at Vanderbilt University*International Six Days Enduro, a motorcycle event*International Society of Doctors for the Environment, an environmental organization...
, a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics. The following year, the company swept the 1974 AMA
American Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
250 cc motocross national championship with Can-Am riders Gary Jones
Gary Jones (motorcyclist)
Gary Jones is an American former professional motocross racer. He won the first three AMA 250cc Motocross National Championships, riding three different brands of motorcycles, a feat that has never been repeated....
, Marty Tripes
Marty Tripes
Marty Tripes was a leading AMA motocross and Supercross rider of the 1970s and early 1980s. He is remembered for winning the Super Bowl of Motocross at the Los Angeles Coliseum in July 1972, just a few weeks after turning 16...
and Jimmy Ellis, finishing first, second and third. The bikes gained a reputation for their high power outputs.
The Rotax motors used a slightly unusual style of intake. A rotary disc system was employed and this plate was altered repeatedly between T'n'T (track and trail) and MX models. This plate is accredited with the horsepower gain over conventional piston port motors used on Japanese motorcycles. The MX3, produced in 1977, was the pinnacle of Can Am. Its 36 hp was 6 more than the closest competitor.
However, soon after the Can-Am introduction, the Bombardier corporation shifted its priority
from recreational products towards diversification into the transit equipment industry and then,
several years later, into aircraft manufacturing. As a result, investments in the young Can-Am
division were reduced substantially. In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong / CCM
Clews Competition Motorcycles
Clews Competition Motorcycles or CCM for short, is a British motorcycle manufacturer based in Bolton, England.-History:CCM was born out of the collapse of BSA's Competition Department in 1971....
of Lancashire, England. 1987 was the final year Can-Am motorcycles were produced.
In 2006, Bombardier Recreational Products reintroduced the Can-Am brand with its all-terrain vehicles (ATV). In 2007, the Can-Am brand was also used to introduce the Can-Am Spyder a new three-wheeled roadster.