For not-so-wild ones, a three-wheeled bike

LACONIA, N.H. -- It is tough to turn the heads of hardcore veterans of New Hampshire's motorcycle week, which attracts a quarter million bikers or more to the Lakes Region each June.

But a pair of 2008 Can-Am Spyder Grand Sport Roadster motorcycles managed to attract a lot of attention this year at the rumbling, bawdy -- and sometimes rowdy -- event. That's because the Spyder has two wheels in the front, something new to the leather-chrome-tattoo fantasy strip that Weirs Beach becomes during motorcycle week.

The bike more closely resembles a snowmobile or personal watercraft than traditional motorcycle, and that could be a selling point: its manufacturer hopes the Spyder will persuade enthusiasts of those vehicles to also take to the roadways for recreation.

In fact, the Spyder's roots can be traced to Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who is credited with inventing the modern snowmobile in 1958 and whose family owns a substantial stake in the Spyder. But it could also appeal to those not comfortable with a two-wheeled motorcycle, as well as older riders looking for safety and stability.

The Spyder comes with safety features that some cars don't have: an antilock brake system, traction and skid control, and antirollover technology. Computers monitor the wheels and use brakes or the throttle to correct driver errors.

"It's a solution for my balance problems when I hit 75," said Todd Johnson of Titusville, Pa.

He may want to start worrying before then, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Last year, the government agency warned that in the past decade motorcycle fatalities have increased by 250 percent among riders 40-and-older, and 350 percent among those 50 and older. The increase is partly attributed to the growing number of older motorcyclists, some aging with their bikes, others rusty after years of being off their bikes, and some looking for new thrills as they grow older.

Sales of motorcycles and scooters nationwide increased from just over a million in 2003 to an estimated 1,158,000 last year, about a 15 percent jump, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. The percentage of older motorcycle owners has gone up more dramatically. In 1998, 19.1 percent of owners were 50 and older, according to a survey conducted for the Motorcycle Industry Council by Irwin Broh & Associates Inc. By 2003 -- the last year for which statistics are available -- 25.1 percent of motorcycle owners were at least 50 years old.

No matter what someone's reason for riding a motorcycle, their reaction time, strength, and balance decrease with age. The stability and electronic safety systems of the Spyder can help offset those declines, yet Bombardier Recreational Products has no plans to actively market it as a motorcycle for "old people."

Among those ready to give it a try is Brenda Breda of Alton, N.H. "I don't trust myself on a bike, but I do really well on a snowmobile," she said after examining the Spyder last week. "I can drive that."

That's a common reaction, said Bob Holmberg, owner of Bob's Ski-Doo & Power Center in Easton, one of six outlets that will sell the Spyder in Massachusetts. "Most of these people also own a snowmobile," he said of bikers gathered at a test drive compound for the motorcycle in Gilford, not far from Weirs Beach. Throughout the week, bikers parked their Harleys, Triumphs, and BMWs for a crack at the Spyder, which costs about $15,000.

The bike can be "an addition to the toys" of snowmobile and personal watercraft owners, said Chris Dawson, vice president for strategic planning and head of the Spyder program for Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., the bike's manufacturer. But will the hardcore motorcycle crowd accept it?

None who stopped to check it out last week seemed taken aback.

"It's cool. It's got my vote." said Ted Nurmi of Gary, Ind.

"Oh yeah, it's a motorcycle," added David Brouard of Keene, N.H.

It does have a V-twin engine, popularized by Harley-Davidson, and a belt drive to the rear wheel, also common on two-wheel-bikes. And it features a water-cooled Rotax engine (found in some BMW motorcycles and aircraft) that powers it to an electronically limited speed of 110 miles per hour. But the brakes are controlled by a single right foot pedal, instead of the pedal/hand brake combination common to motorcycles, and it even has a reverse gear.

On the road, it feels stable, but unlike on a two-wheeler, Spyder riders don't need to lean into turns to aid in steering. Power-assisted steering on the two front wheels, not weight shifting, handles cornering.

Bombardier Recreational Products, which also builds Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Lynx and Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Can-Am four-wheel all terrain vehicles, and the Rotax engine, plans to begin production this fall and sales have already begun in some locations.

The Spyder will be sold in 12 states and four Canadian provinces with plans for global expansion over a three-year period. "We could build 40,000-50,000 per year," Lawson said.

Bikers who tested the Spyder at the Gilford show center included George Comeau of Deltona, Fla., who has been coming to motorcycle week in New Hampshire since 1955, when he was 15 years old. Comeau, owner of nine motorcycles, said he admires the Spyder's Rotax engine and considers it a genuine motorcycle, despite the two front wheels.

"I just had to try it out," he said.

Royal Ford can be reached at ford@globe.com.