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{{about|Can-Am motorcycles from 1972 to 1987|the Can-Am ATV model range|Can-Am Off-Road|the Can-Am Roadster model range|BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster}}
{{Short description|Canadian brand of motor vehicles}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Can-Am Motorcycles
| logo =
| image = Can-Am Irving Oil 73 South Main Street downtown Hanover NH April 2024.jpg
| image_alt = Can-Am motorcycle
| image_caption = Irving Oil station<br />downtown Hanover NH
| hq_location_city = [[Valcourt (town)|Valcourt]]
| hq_location_country = Canada
| products = [[Motorcycle]]s
| parent = [[Bombardier Inc.|Bombardier Corporation]]
| homepage = {{URL|https://can-am.brp.com/us/en/}}
}}
'''Can-Am''' is a Canadian subsidiary of [[Bombardier Recreational Products]] (BRP) founded in 1972 and based in [[Valcourt (town)|Valcourt]], [[Quebec]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-02-21 |title=History of Can-Am® |url=https://www.familypowersports.com/blog/history-of-can-am--20907 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=www.familypowersports.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Beginning |url=https://www.canned-ham.com/the-beginning/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Canned Ham |language=en-GB}}</ref> The company produced off-road motorcycles from 1972 to 1987. In 1997, the company was reformed and began production of ATV vehicles as well as the [[BRP Can-Am Spyder Roadster|Can-Am Spyder]] [[Motorized tricycle|three-wheeled motorcycle]].
==
===
Can-Am was created as a subsidiary of the [[Bombardier Inc.|Bombardier Corporation]] in 1972.<ref name="Can-Am's history">{{cite web|url=https://www.cyclenews.com/2020/04/article/archives-can-ams-history/ |title=Can-Am's history |publisher=cyclenews.com |accessdate=31 March 2023}}</ref> The barn that housed the original Can-Am headquarters still exists at the Bombardier test facility within the Circuit [[Yvon Duhamel]] and is located a few miles south of Valcourt, Quebec.<ref name=":0" /> The right side of the barn housed the offices for design and engineering, and the left side was used for fabrication.<ref name=":1" /> Can-Am’s name was the result of a Bombardier employee competition based on the anticipated Canadian vs. American market, though the existence of the [[Can-Am]] racing series necessitated the purchase of rights to the name.<ref name=":1" />
Based on the [[Bultaco]] design principle of a standard-size frame that could accommodate a range of differently sized engines, engineers Gary Robison, Bob Fisher, and Camille Picard, and seasoned motorcycle racer [[Jeff Smith (motorcyclist)|Jeff Smith]] designed a competition motorcycle from scratch using engines supplied by the Austrian firm, [[Rotax]], another Bombardier subsidiary.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canned-ham.com/bike-design/ |title=Bike Design |publisher=canned-ham.com |accessdate=31 March 2023}}</ref> Their design featured steering head bearing cups that allowed for the adjustment of the steering head angle; these were mainly driven by simplified production on the assembly line.<ref name=":1" />
The machines made an immediate impact, with riders winning Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the International Six Days Trial.<ref name=":0" /> The International Six Days Trial, now known as the [[International Six Days Enduro]], is a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics which is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme|FIM]] dating back to 1913.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2010/10/25/international-six-days-enduro-an-fim-history/ |title=History of the International Six Days Trial |date=25 October 2010 |publisher=ultimatemotorcycling.com |accessdate=22 February 2019}}</ref>
In [[1974 AMA Motocross National Championship season|1974]], Can-Am was the first brand to sweep the [[American Motorcyclist Association]] (AMA) 250cc [[AMA Motocross Championship|motocross national championship]] with Can-Am riders [[Gary Jones (motorcyclist)|Gary Jones]], [[Marty Tripes]] and Jimmy Ellis, finishing first, second and third in the championship although, Tripes had raced for most of the season on a [[Husqvarna Motorcycles|Husqvarna]] motorcycle before being hired by Can-Am for the last race of the season.<ref name="Can-Am's history"/><ref name="Jeff Smith at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://hof.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=272 |title=Jeff Smith at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame |publisher=motorcyclemuseum.org |accessdate=2 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hof.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=204 |title=Gary Jones at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame |publisher=motorcyclemuseum.org |accessdate=2 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://vault.racerxonline.com/1974/mx/intro |title=1974 Motocross Season |publisher=racerxonline.com |accessdate=23 November 2018 }}</ref>
Can-Am [[enduro]] rider Skip Olson finished second to [[Dick Burleson]] in the 1976 AMA Enduro national championship.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z_gDAAAAMBAJ&dq=carl+cranke+penton&pg=PA26 |title=Familiar Faces Fill the Forest, American Motorcyclist, January 1977, Vol. 31, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358 |date= January 1977|accessdate=2013-03-05|last1=Assoc |first1=American Motorcyclist }}</ref> Can-Am's motorcycle racing success enhanced the brand’s image and they gained a reputation for their high horsepower outputs.<ref name="Can-Am's history"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-25 |title=BRP Returns To Two-Wheelers With The Can-Am Electric Motorcycle |url=https://motoress.com/news/brp-returns-to-two-wheelers-with-the-can-am-electric-motorcycle/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=Woman Motorcycle Enthusiast |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1983, Can-Am released a 250 cc [[road racing]] motorcycle. Using two 125 cc [[Rotax]] motors with a conjoined crankshaft, the motorcycle featured a bespoke [[Motorcycle frame|frame]] with an aluminum [[swingarm]].<ref name=":1" />
When the [[1973 oil crisis]] precipitated a drop in sales of recreational vehicles, Bombardier was forced to cut back on their snowmobile and motorcycle production.<ref name="Bombardier: Our history">{{cite web|url=https://bombardier.com/en/who-we-are/our-history |title=Bombardier: Our history |publisher=bombardier.com |accessdate=31 March 2023}}</ref> Bombardier then shifted its priority from recreational products towards the transit equipment industry and then, several years later, into aircraft manufacturing.<ref name="Bombardier: Our history"/>
As a result, investments in the young Can-Am division were reduced substantially and as a result, they were unable to keep up with Japanese manufacturers' pursuit of technology.<ref name="Bombardier: Our history"/><ref name="The Demise of Can-Am">{{cite web|url=https://www.canned-ham.com/the-demise-of-can-am/ |title=The Demise of Can-Am |publisher=canned-ham.com |accessdate=31 March 2023}}</ref> In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to [[Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles]] of Lancashire, England.<ref name="Can-Am's history"/><ref name="The Demise of Can-Am"/> 1987 was the final year of Can-Am motorcycle production.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Can-Am's history"/>
=== Rebirth and rebranding ===
In 2006, Bombardier reintroduced the Can-Am brand with its [[Can-Am Off-Road]] range of [[all-terrain vehicle]]s (ATV). In 2007, the Can-Am brand was also used for the [[Can-Am Spyder]], a new three-wheeled roadster.
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1973]]
[[Category:Motorcycle manufacturers of Canada]]
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