Spyders invaded Kingston over the weekend — but not the insect kind.
The Can-Am Spyder is a three-wheeled motorcycle manufactured in Quebec that first hit the market in 2008.
Over 100 riders attended the annual Spyder Odyssey rally.
Kingston resident Paul Throop was sold on the motorcycle since its inception, impressed with its safety systems and its road presence.
“One of the biggest problems with motorbikes is being forced out a lane or people not seeing you,” Throop says. “And the road presence this bike has is similar to what a Smart car would be — it’s the same width on the highway.”
The three-day tour is geared to enthusiasts in their mid-life who may not have ridden a traditional motorbike and who have now discovered the joy of riding a more secure vehicle.
“It’s a gathering of cultures, different languages, but they have one passion in common,” says Pierre Poliquin, organizer of the annual rally. “That’s wind therapy. That’s riding a Can-Am Spyder”.
This is the fifth year for the Spyder Odyssey rally. Over 100 motorcycles and 160 riders came from 17 different U.S. states, Ontario and Quebec.
In small groups, riders explore the Kingston and Thousand Islands regions, using rural roads and stopping at historic landmarks.
A group of 14, led by Spyder enthusiast Bill McDiarmid, stopped at Kingston Mills Locks on Saturday — the first set of locks on the Rideau Canal system.
“Here, you’re going uphill with all these locks,” McDiarmid says. “Halfway there, you get to the top and you start going downhill again to get into Ottawa.”
The lock system is an apt locale for Spyder enthusiasts who are passionate about enjoying a secure ride on a three-wheeled motorcycle.
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