After a decades-long absence, Can-Am motorcycles have returned to market. But rather than attempting to revive the Rotax-powered 2-stroke dirt bikes it was known for in the 1970s, the brand has opted to launch a pair of Rotax-powered e-bikes offering more versatility. The Can-Am Pulse is a nimble urban commuter, whereas the Origin is designed to handle basically any terrain you throw beneath its wheels.
The Bombardier Corporation originally launched Can-Am in 1972 to tackle its motorcycle efforts, particularly those involving dirt tracks and trophies. Shuttered in 1987, the brand was reformed in 1997 and later came under control of the spun-off Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). While Can-Am’s initial models were faulted for lackluster fit and finish, just about everything they make today seems rather premium and exists within a familiar ecosystem. This includes their new motorcycles.
(Full Disclosure: Can-Am flew me out to Austin, Texas, and set me up in a rather nice hotel so I could test its new motorcycles. It likewise loaned me a riding jacket because mine was too warm for the triple-digit weather we encountered.)
Like most BRP vehicles, the new bikes utilize a lot of the hardware found in its other products (snowmobiles, personal watercraft, side-by-sides, the Spyder trikes, etc). This includes the 10.2-inch touchscreen and the liquid-cooled Rotax E-Power motor. The former is found on just about everything the company builds whereas the all-electric motor and its fully enclosed chain chase case have been featured on its snowmobiles.
Whereas the big get with the screen is familiarity between models and the fact that it works quite well, the powertrain’s main advantage is its compactness and a relatively lean maintenance schedule. In addition to keeping out debris, the sealed drive system only needs its oil refreshed every 10,000 kilometers (after the first 5,000-km change). You don’t even have to inspect the chain until 25,000 km and the whole system is extremely quiet on both bikes. Riders basically just hear a faint whir at lower speeds, which will eventually be replaced by wind noise after about 40 mph.
Since the motorcycles use the same powertrain, they also have the same output — which Can-Am said would be 47 peak horsepower and 53 lb-ft of torque. While that may not sound like much, the bikes weigh roughly 400 pounds and the instantaneous power delivery of the electric motor means there’s no need to build engine RPMs.
On the 390-lb Pulse, 0-60 mph can be had within 3.8-seconds. But the 412-lb Origin takes a little longer, at 4.3 seconds, due to the extra weight and and all-terrain tires.
The electric motor also means Can-Am could give the motorcycles a reverse gear. While I didn’t see much use for that particular feature on bikes this lightweight, it’s still nice to have and I’m certain there are riders who would appreciate it.
As for range, the 8.9 kWh battery is liquid cooled (along with the inverter, motor, and on-board charger) to maximize range. The Pulse is said to be capable of 100 miles in the city while the Origin is supposed to run out of juice around 90 miles. But those estimates come down the faster you’re riding and assume you’re making extremely good use of the bikes’ regenerative braking features (which can be made active, passive, or switched off entirely).
The bikes are also electronically limited to 80 mph to ensure riders don’t drain the batteries prematurely. But neither design is suited for prolonged expressway journeys anyway. These aren’t touring motorcycles.
When one finds themselves in need of more energy, the 6.6-kW (Type 1 J1772) connector is supposed to recoup 20-80 percent of the battery's maximum energy within 50 minutes using a Level 2 (240 v) outlet, whereas a complete 0-100 percent charge would take roughly an hour and a half. While the bikes can likewise be recharged using a Level 1 (120 v) it takes just over three hours to go from 20-80 percent and a little over five to from 0-100 percent.
That’s likely fine for anyone using these bikes as urban commuters. However, someone hoping to take their Origin into the wilderness to hit the tails — or their Pulse for an extended cruise — might need to carefully plan their day around charging needs or be ready to haul it there using a separate vehicle. You’re probably going to ballpark around 50 miles of range if you’re cresting 200 pounds and the brunt of your journey happens at speeds above 55 mph.
As for what they’re like to ride, let’s start with the Pulse.
Having spent some time on the Can-Am Spyder earlier this year, the vehicle controls for the Pulse were immediately intuitive to me. The models may not ride the same and play host to their own unique menu options. But the interface is familiar and relatively simple. So simple — in fact — that I’d probably recommended the Pulse to someone who wants to ride but feels intimidated by traditional motorcycles.
Handling is very neutral and the relatively low seat height (30.9 inches) makes it easy to flat foot unless you’re short enough for it to be deemed a medical condition. ABS and traction control also do an excellent job at keeping things placid, regardless of what you’re doing with the throttle or brakes. Combine the above with a clutchless drivetrain and the bike’s modest weight, and you’ve got probably one of the more approachable motorcycles on the market.
But that doesn’t mean the Pulse is staid or boring. It changes direction quickly and easily and has enough power to quickly squirt ahead of city traffic. One can also select the sportiest drive mode if they want a bit more throttle response. The 41mm inverted KYB fork offers 5.5 inches of travel and lets the Dunlop Sportmax GPR-300 tires handle everything but the absolute worst sections of pavement without issue. The rear Sachs monoshock offers an adjustable preload. However, most riders probably won't bother messing with it.
The brakes are a single 320mm disc up front (being grabbed by a J.Juan two-piston sliding caliper) and a 240mm disc in the back (with a single sliding caliper). Our ride really didn’t offer many opportunities to abuse them. But they seemed fairly responsive, linear, and were aided by the active regen that is engaged when you roll the throttle forward past the dead zone. Just be aware that this does activate the brake light even if you’re not applying the brakes.
Styling is a good blend of traditional and modern, with the Pulse resembling a naked sport standard. As you might imagine, Can-Am plans on offering loads of accessories for both bikes (something it’s pretty good at doing with all of its products). While additional cargo options will be made available for both bikes after launch, the Pulse comes with a small storage compartment in what would normally be the fuel tank. It’s not particularly large but sufficient to hold a cellphone, baseball cap, water bottle, or any documents you might want to keep with the bike.
While I had heard some preliminary allegations that the Pulse was too small for some riders, my guess is that you’d have to be quite tall for this to apply. I’m 5’11 with particularly long limbs and didn’t feel cramped on the bike. But even someone several inches taller would probably run out of range before the ergonomics, which ultimately make it a better city bike, became an issue.
Can-Am likewise stated that it wants the Pulse to be approachable for an array of riders, including women and novices. With that in mind, adjusting the motorcycle to be taller wouldn’t be doing the sales department any favors. The bike is sized perfectly for its given task. The majority of the miles that flew beneath me happened while I was on the Pulse. And, by the time we got to the off-road portion of the event, the only comfort issue I was experiencing came from the extreme Texas heat. It was well over 100-degrees Fahrenheit when we rolled into the ranch and I stepped off the motorcycle feeling suddenly wobbly and wishing I had drank more water.
Needless to say, my time with the Origin was limited and undercut by some light heat delirium. But your author did manage to learn a few valuable lessons. For starters, it seems to be of the same high build quality as the Pulse. It feels solid and did not seem worse for wear after being chucked into some hard packed earth. While it wasn’t much of a drop, the bike ended up unscathed and fully functional — including that big touchscreen.
The softer suspension with longer travel necessitates a higher seat height. But, at 34 inches, it’s still going to be manageable for shorter riders. While the average dirt bike would be a couple inches taller and noticeably lighter, the Origin is akin to a dual-sport motorcycle and seems right sized for the task with more oomph than you’d get from something like the venerable Kawasaki KLR650 (the only dual sport I have any real experience with).
Bumps that would have shattered the spine on a street bike were soaked up nicely and the traction control seemed to work well on the loose testing surfaces. The KYB 43-mm inverted front fork (featuring 10 inches of travel) and KYB HPG mono shock seemed to pair well with the Dunlop D605 tubes. It would be ideal for taking down an unpaved road, even one that was rutted and messy, with the only real drawback being the bike’s modest range.
But I’m hardly an expert when it comes to dirt riding and really should have taken more time to familiarize myself with the Origin on flatter ground before hitting the trail. Not having a clutch to help modulate the throttle took some getting used to. I also foolishly left the active regen function on, which I would accidentally activate when repositioning myself to take a sharp corner. However, these are issues that can be sorted out with a modicum of practice and some tailoring of the vehicle’s six distinctive riding modes.
After a sloppy first lap where I jumped one of the berms, I attempted to rectify things by diving into the menu screen. But this was when I realized my goose was getting cooked. Despite the Origin having utilized the very same interface on every Can-Am product I’d ridden over the past twelve months, I was suddenly having a little difficult time navigating the same UX I had been interfacing with all day. My brain was failing me and my limbs were about to follow.
The bike remained wholly compliant but my motor skills continued to deteriorate as we moved to the second off-road course. There, I was caught out by some silty sand and dumped the Origin in a banked turn. Lifting it back up revealed that I should have spent the summer getting more exercise and the day drinking more water. I rode the bike back to basecamp covered in dust and collapsed into a folding chair — disappointed that my endurance had reached its limit, that the fun hand to end, and that my skills in the dirt fell short of the Origin’s true capabilities.
Can-Am was predictably concerned and informed me that I was far from the only person who had dusted themselves during the week-long event. I was preoccupied with drinking water and covering myself in wet towels at the time. But I later inspected one of the other bikes that had gone down and it didn’t have a single scratch on it either. The only way to tell it had even encountered the ground was some extra dirt on the side and the tell-tale vegetation stuck in one of the footpegs, this was despite the model not having the factory crash bars equipped.
At any rate, watching the more resilient riders with higher skill sets further proved to me that the Origin was extremely capable off-road until they were likewise encouraged by mother nature to step out of the sun and into the shade. And I certainly had a good enough time to want to explore the bike’s capabilities again, provided it was in a more temperate climate.
Still, the hot weather proved that all that talk Can-Am served up about integral cooling wasn’t for nothing. Neither the Origin or Pulse seemed to suffer much from the heat and the range estimates provided by the company seemed reasonable, regardless of the climate. As an added bonus, riders aren’t subjected to much (if any) ambient heat coming off the electric bikes — something I was particularly appreciative of during the final leg back to the hotel.
While range remains an issue for just about every electrified vehicle on today’s market, Can-Am seems to have built a couple of solid entrants. Neither the Pulse or Origin came across as half-baked concepts and they seem to be well positioned against the competition. I just wish they could eek out another 50 miles between charges, as it would broaden their usefulness immensely.
There are plenty of electrified, two-wheeled vehicles boasting extra range and higher top speeds that cost upwards of $10,000 more than the Can-Ams and cheaper alternatives often feel poorly built with terrible range or end up being little more than upsized e-scooters. Waiting a bit to jump into an already crowded EV market may have seemed a risky play from BRP. But the resulting Can-Am vehicles seem well positioned and worthy of consideration from anyone curious about buying an all-electric motorcycle they might actually use.
That said, they aren’t budget products. The Pulse starts at $13,999 and moves up to $15,999 if you want one of the slick, limited edition ‘73 models. Meanwhile, the Origin starts at $14,999 and tops out at $16,499. Combustion motorcycles filling a similar niche will retail for less than the Can-Am models and offer greater range. But the electric bikes will almost assuredly be easier for new riders to cut their teeth on and come with more features, added technology, and can be conveniently recharged at home.
[Images: Can-Am; © 2024 Matt Posky/TTAC.com]
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