Back in 2022, Can-Am stunned the Powersports industry by revealing not one, not two, but an entire range of two-wheeled machines; these were the first motorcycles made by Can-Am since they stopped producing the things in 1987 – but perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the powertrain running the dynamic duo.
A view of Can-Am’s new electric motorcycle: The Can-Am Origin dual-sport. Media sourced from Can-Am.Using a novel Rotax-e heart, Can Am’s Pulse and Origin will rev from an electric motor, with Denys Lapointe (Can Am’s Chief Design Officer) telling us that these electric motorcycles contain “no compromise from an electric perspective” – hefty words, and ones that have us wondering what went into the builds.
Fortunately, Can-Am is more than happy to elaborate and has released a handful of short documentary-style films on their process, the first titled “The Future Starts Here” (available for a look on Youtube).
As expected, building an electric motorcycle from the ground up required a lot of creativity from multiple corners; while Sebastien Martinez (Can Am’s Design Team Leader for these motorcycles) pulled inspiration from the natural gait and lope of various animals, other team members like Julien Lecreux emphasized the sheer volume of ideas before the table decided on a final design.
“We’re trying to create something that doesn’t really exist and – even in the motorcycle industry – is on the cusp of existing,” explains Dominick Lemerise-Gauvin, Can Am’s Manager of Global Product Strategy.
“… [these are] our first products that will be born with electric in mind, with no compromise from an electric perspective,” finishes Denys Lapointe, Can Am’s Chief Design Officer.
“…[but] at the end of the day, the only one that needs to win, in all of our exchanges and debates, is the consumer.”
Looking forward to sitting on one of these bikes in the near future; meantime, what are your thoughts on the incubating Can-Am electric motorcycle fleet?