In the mid-1970s, Can-Am was known for making motorcycles for endurance races and motocross. But by the mid-1980s, financial turmoil had knocked Can-Am off-course, and the brand’s bikes had been eclipsed by those from Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. The last Can-Am bike rolled off the production line in 1987. Now it needs to reintroduce itself to urban commuters likely too young to remember the brand. In its favor is Can-Am’s ability to infuse its history of designing the entire widget in-house to produce two solid competitors in the electric motorcycle market.
It was extremely hot in Austin, Texas. Can-Am had flown me to this pizza oven masquerading as a state to ride both of its new electric bikes, the dual-sport Origin ($14,999 and up) and the naked Pulse ($13,999 and up). The sun was punishing us, likely for no longer worshiping it as an all-powerful deity. So as I donned my protective gear and slipped my skull into a black helmet, I noticed that the temperatures on our test ride would jump above 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit).
Like all electric motorcycles, the bikes ship without a clutch or gear shifter. Launching from a standstill is a twist-and-go affair. Immediately, I was impressed with the even and fluid acceleration mapping of the Pulse’s throttle. Early electric bikes from some manufacturers could catch a rider off guard by delivering too much torque when they twisted the throttle.
The intense Texas heat and sustained speeds should murder the battery and result in thermal derating, which is when the motor’s performance is automatically choked to keep it from overheating. But the Pulse’s liquid-cooled architecture kept the bike from losing any of the acceleration I needed during the ride. At highway speeds, I was able to continually twist the throttle and have the bike deliver the expected power required to overtake another driver.
The ride was further complemented with the KYB front suspension with 5.5 inches of travel that sucked up the potholes and other asphalt issues. The wheels are outfitted with 17-inch Dunlop Sportmax GPR 300 tires, an appropriate choice on a small motorcycle that’s going to have to handle both wet and dry environments.
The size of the motorcycle is where things get a bit weird. The Pulse has a seat height of 30.86 inches (78 cm). About an inch to 1.5 inches lower than a typical 600cc motorcycle. Cam-Am calls this design “small but mighty.” I’m 6’3″ and was surprised at how comfortable I was from the waist down. My knee bend was less than I anticipated. Still, the size of the bike can’t be overlooked by taller riders. I was awkwardly towering over the frame and had to tilt my head down more than I liked to see the 10.25-inch display.
The Pulse is a commuter bike with the range that comes with that designation. In the city, Can-Am says it can cover 100 miles. Take it on the highway for a bit, in addition to city riding, and you’ll get a range of closer to 80 miles. At sustained highway speeds above 55 mph, I experienced approximately 55 to 65 miles of range.
One particularly interesting feature Can-Am has added to its bikes is active regenerative braking. Passive regenerative braking on electric bikes has been around for years. The rider twists off the accelerator and the bike slows itself using the electric motor. The happy byproduct of this system is that the motor sends the electricity created by this deceleration back into the battery.
Can-Am is Back, in EV Form. The Pulse (and Origin for the tall folks) are Can-Am’s first two-wheeled motorcycles in nearly 40 years. It would have been easy for the brand to return with a gas-powered dual-sport. Instead, the company opted for a more difficult route. It could have purchased parts from third-party suppliers. But true to its history, Can-Am spent years designing all of its powertrain and battery components. The electric motor was built to its specifications by partner Rotax, the same Austrian company that built the rotary motors for the original Can-Am motorcycles. Both companies are subsidiaries of BRP.
