- 5/1/2025
The Can-Am Origin ($14,499) is an all-new electric motorcycle designed for both street and dirt adventures, marking the revival of the once-iconic Can-Am brand in the motorcycle world. Powered by a Rotax electric motor, the Origin combines on- and off-road versatility with zero emissions, offering immediate torque in a relatively lightweight design—especially for an electric motorcycle. Equipped with modern features like an oversize color dash and smartphone connectivity, the Origin aims to provide an exciting and eco-friendly riding experience for dual sport riders.
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Looking to buy? Get prequalified
https://octane.co/vehicle-selection/?partner=jAYmx9P&a=303&flow=long-prequal&appTheme=3a49337c5724d18079602a4ca5a91626
Read the best motorcycle news and reviews: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motorcyclistonline/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motorcyclistmag/
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SportsTranscript
00:00All right, folks, here we are on Can-Am's new 2024 Origin Electric Power Dual Sport bike.
00:10This is an all-new electric dual sport from Can-Am, a subsidiary of BRP out of Quebec, Canada.
00:19Now, if you're not familiar with Can-Am, they are an old-school motorcycle manufacturer that made motorcycles in the 70s and 80s.
00:26Before they stopped making motorcycles.
00:29Then they came back a few years ago.
00:33They came out with their Spyder line of three-wheeled auto cycles for the 2007 model year, I believe.
00:39And then the Spyder RT for the 2009 model year.
00:43And they continue to make those motorcycles to this day.
00:48Can-Am wanted to get into the motorcycle segment.
00:52And they're doing it with this Origin All-Electric Dual Sport motorcycle.
01:01Now, they didn't say, but they probably went with an electric powertrain because the R&D is likely substantially less expensive than if you had to do R&D for a new internal combustion engine powered vehicle.
01:17So, basically, these EVs are really neat because they lower the playing field for manufacturers, in theory, by allowing manufacturers to engineer these vehicles with reduced engineering cost.
01:33You've got to remember, if you were trying to develop an internal combustion engine, an internal combustion engine to develop from scratch probably costs $40-$50 million nowadays.
01:44That's just for a simple two- or three-cylinder.
01:47You get to, you know, an R1-type engine.
01:50I bet you that's $80 million to make one of those, if not even more.
01:55So, that's really the barrier to entry for a lot of these companies.
01:58It's just the engineering cost is just too high.
02:02So, that's why EVs are cool because the engineering cost is going to be a lot lower just because there's way less moving parts.
02:12Way, way, way, way, way less.
02:14Here it is, the 2024 Can-Am Origin.
02:17This vehicle retails for $14,500.
02:22It is powered by an 8.9 kilowatt-hour liquid-cooled lithium-ion powered motor.
02:31This motor is good for upwards of 50 pound-feet of torque.
02:36And Can-Am says that it goes from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds.
02:41But we've got our V-Box here, so we'll see what that really is if we get an opportunity to do that.
02:47This vehicle has a range of about 40, we've ridden about 40, 50 miles, 42.3, and we only had about 10 miles left.
02:56So, a range of around 50 miles.
02:57So, the range isn't the highest, but the secret sauce for this vehicle is its 6 kilowatt charger.
03:07So, the 6 kilowatt charger is really cool because it's basically a high-input charger.
03:14So, it's a level 2 charger J1772 plug, which we all have at our houses now.
03:20Maybe not everyone, but I have one.
03:23And you can use it to charge your electric vehicles, whether it's an automobile or a power sports vehicle.
03:29So, the 6 kilowatt-hour charger is great because the battery can charge from 0 to 80% in less than an hour, and 0 to 100% in one and a half hours.
03:41So, that's really the secret sauce for Can-Am, is that 6 kilowatt-hour charger.
03:46While the battery range isn't the highest, it charges quickly.
03:49For reference, other motorcycle manufacturers have a 6 kilowatt charger, but it's an added accessory.
03:56It's an upcharge.
03:58So, it's kind of neat that right from the get-go, Can-Am really focused on the ability to charge.
04:04You're just going to have to remember that you're going to have to be really close to a level 2 charger,
04:08because you're only going to have a range of right around 50 miles.
04:11Now, this vehicle rolls on a 19-inch front, 17-inch, I'm sorry, 18-inch rear-spoke wheel with an inverted fork and a direct mount shock absorber.
04:24We have 10 inches of suspension travel front and back.
04:27With a full tank of battery ions, this vehicle weighs 412 pounds, which is very, very light.
04:35This vehicle is extremely light for a motorcycle, and we really like that.
04:42It's cool that you have an electric vehicle that weighs such a little amount of weight.
04:48And you can really tell when you're riding it here on the street, this motorcycle is very apt to direction change.
04:54The rake on this motorcycle, it has a lot of rake.
04:59It has a lot of rake.
05:00The front end's really kicked out, which kind of makes it feel kind of funky.
05:03This motorcycle's really, really, I don't want to say twitchy, but it really likes to change directions.
05:10And when you're changing at low speed, it has a slightly awkward feeling.
05:16And again, I think it's just because that rake is so aggressive, and it's extended out a lot.
05:23So just something to know, a very unique handling character.
05:26It's very, very nimble, but it kind of feels a little bit strange compared to a modern motorcycle, whether that's an EV or a gasoline-powered vehicle.
05:40I do like how slim this vehicle is.
05:43It's very slim.
05:45It rides nicely over the bumps.
05:48I wouldn't say it's the most comfortable over the bumps, but it's certainly not the least either.
05:53I think the suspension does a good job of absorbing the rough stuff.
05:57The pitch control in this vehicle, the suspension, I wouldn't say it's overly stiff, yet it's not overly soft either.
06:06The suspension calibration is pretty good, but it definitely does have a degree of pitch forward and back.
06:16I wouldn't say it's abnormal by any means.
06:20It's what a motorcycle is supposed to do.
06:22It's supposed to actuate the front brake, the front end pitches, the tire digs into the pavement, and that's how you have really tasty mechanical grips.
06:31So you can go fast on your motorcycle, same with the shock, you give the bike some gas, the rear end squats a little bit, that rear tire digs into the asphalt, and that's how you have good mechanical grip.
06:44Oh yeah, baby, this thing is taking off.
06:47Right now we're riding this vehicle in sport mode.
06:52Here is the switch gear.
06:54Switch gear has nice tactile feel.
06:56Buttons are nice and chunky.
06:57You can adjust your various settings, like regenerative braking.
07:04We like that off.
07:06Regenerative braking is just kind of silly, in my opinion.
07:09Just have it off.
07:10Let the vehicle roll.
07:11But if you want to have that on, you can.
07:14We also have different power modes, which we can change.
07:19Right now we're in the sport riding mode, which gives us full access to the 8.9 kilowatt hour battery.
07:30This thing has pretty good acceleration.
07:34I wouldn't say it's the fastest thing on the road, but it's certainly not the slowest.
07:37We do really like the innovative drivetrain system that Can-Am has fitted on this vehicle.
07:44It has a sealed left-hand side chain final drive.
07:48The chain is very, very quiet.
07:50It's bathed in oil, and it's virtually maintenance-free.
07:55There's just no chain tension to adjust.
07:57There's nothing to clean, aside from regular oil changes at an extended mileage interval.
08:06And it just allows for a really nice riding experience.
08:10You can't tell.
08:11The ride inside this cockpit is very quiet.
08:13There's not a lot of drivetrain noise.
08:16There's not a lot of any noise.
08:18It's just really quiet.
08:19It's probably one of the most quiet electric motorcycles we've probably ever ridden.
08:25So, if you're looking for a vehicle that's very quiet, you're going to like that.
08:31Now, this vehicle has double hydraulic disc brakes.
08:35We have one hydraulic disc brake up front, one in the back.
08:39Brakes do a good job of shedding speed on this vehicle.
08:43And we have fixed always-on ABS.
08:46So, if you apply too much brake pressure for the conditions of the road or the tire,
08:55the ABS will mitigate either the front or rear wheel from sliding against the pavement.
09:03That really allows you better control in all types of weather.
09:07So, very, very nice.
09:10Now, it's worth noting that this Can-Am Origin, the powertrain on this vehicle was engineered by BRP Can-Am out of Canada.
09:23It's got a liquid-cooled system.
09:25So, there's a curved radiator, a curved aluminum radiator on the front of the vehicle positioned in the same type of position
09:32that you'd have a radiator for a gasoline-powered vehicle.
09:37And that radiator, presumably from an electric pump, pumps cooling liquid through the battery, the motor, and the controller.
09:55So, Can-Am says by being able to control all of those three components' temperature,
10:04it allows for a better service life.
10:09So, you're going to have a better durability in terms of use over years.
10:13It's also going to keep from power degrading.
10:17So, if you're riding on a hot summer day and you're really giving her the business,
10:21on other vehicles, the power will be restricted because the battery gets, and the motor gets too hot.
10:27Not on this vehicle.
10:28It has a cooling system, so the battery and motor and controller will, in theory, never get too hot.
10:33So, pretty neat.
10:35Another cool, fun fact about this vehicle is, it doesn't have a primary frame.
10:41The battery is the frame.
10:43It's a structural component of this vehicle.
10:45So, you have the battery, which attaches to this headstock and this triple clamp.
10:52And then you have a subframe attached off the back and the swing arm.
10:57The swing arm actually houses the motor.
11:00So, the motor is inside the base of the swing arm, very much like other manufacturers, like the Zero motorcycles.
11:08So, using the motor at the base of the swing arm is neat because it lowers the center of gravity of the vehicle.
11:18It reduces unsprung mass because the motor is not attached to suspension.
11:23The suspension doesn't have to worry about damping the motor.
11:26Let's say if the motor was mounted inside the wheel.
11:29Now, the seat on this bike, the seat is, it's more dirt bike-y than street bike-y.
11:35It's definitely narrow.
11:38It's a little bit more firm.
11:41You know, this seat really isn't designed for logging substantial mileage, but neither is this vehicle with a range of 50 miles.
11:49So, keeping tabs on everything is a 10.25-inch color TFT display.
11:58This display is touchscreen compatible, so you can use it.
12:03Touching buttons on it.
12:06Our gloves aren't touchscreen compatible, so we can't use those.
12:09But if we're just using our fingers, we can do that.
12:12You can also manipulate the switchgear, I'm sorry, the menu navigation via this chunky switchgear.
12:21Works pretty good.
12:23Really slick, nice, easy-to-read day or night.
12:27And a lot of customization.
12:29For all you people out there who want to customize the various settings of this vehicle,
12:35it's also worth noting this Can-Am Origin has reverse.
12:39So, with a small push of buttons here, you can actually back up out of a parking spot if you want.
12:48Kind of neat.
12:49Well, everyone, that's a quick review of Can-Am BRP's new 2024 Origin Electric Dual Sport Vehicle.
12:59So, this vehicle will be available for purchase in Can-Am dealerships.
13:07It comes with a two-year warranty and will retail for $14,500.
13:12I think it's pretty neat.
13:17Looks cool.
13:18Super light.
13:19Has decent power.
13:20Rides relatively well.
13:22It's real quiet, which is cool.
13:24The fit and finish on this vehicle is definitely head and shoulders above what we remember Can-Am vehicles being.
13:32Remember back in the old days, those original Spiders, their fit and finish was downright terrible.
13:37So, it's cool to see Can-Am really improving the fit and finish.
13:42You can see the wires are all nice and tidy here.
13:44Just everything looks real good.
13:46There's some little fit and finish things here with this little small trunk it has and the plastic latches.
13:53And, you know, BRP loves to use plastic.
13:56Loves it.
13:56So, that stuff still needs a little bit of work, but it's worth mentioning that this particular vehicle is a pre-production unit.
14:05So, when Can-Am begins its production phase in the fall of 2024, hopefully you'll have some of those bugs worked out.
14:17Well, everyone, as usual, make sure to surf on over to our website.
14:21We have articles on this particular vehicle and probably articles on the 70s and 80s vehicles that Can-Am used to make back in the old days.
14:33Make sure to give this video a thumbs up if you liked it.
14:36Thumbs it down if you didn't because we love to hear from the naysayers.
14:39We're an inclusive organization.
14:40Everyone's opinion counts, so please leave us a comment.
14:44And we'll see you in the next episode.
14:45Thanks for riding with us.
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