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No one in their right mind would tell you that riding an adventure motorcycle off-road is easy. Yes, it’s thrilling, fun, and incredibly rewarding, but there’s nothing easy about learning to ride a heavy machine in the dirt.
As such, it comes as no surprise that so many would-be adventurers pass on the trip of a lifetime because the potential risks seem so high. Speaking from experience as someone with a decade of off-road riding under their belt, getting to this point took a lot of practice, and I’ve earned my fair share of injuries along the way.
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The folks at Can-Am are looking to change all that with their latest three-wheeler, the Can-Am Canyon. The idea is simple: When you add a third wheel, you take away the risk—and in doing so, lower the barrier to entry for adventure riding.
That’s all well and good, but one glaring question remains: Does adding a third wheel subtract from the fun factor?
Why the Can-Am Canyon Makes Sense
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Can-Am’s aim with the new Canyon is to make the core experience of adventure riding accessible to as many people as possible. Think open-air travel, exploring gravel and dirt roads, and carrying all the gear you need with you wherever the road takes you.
The three-wheeled layout means there’s no need to worry about balance or stability, while a hand-operated semi-automatic transmission removes the need to work a clutch or foot shifter. Those features make the Canyon as easy to ride solo as it is loaded down with gear and a passenger, whether you're riding on pavement or dirt roads.
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If you can drive an electric shopping cart around your local grocery store, chances are you can handle the Canyon just fine. And while most jurisdictions require a motorcycle license to legally operate a three-wheeler, you can also take your test and earn your endorsement on one, so the learning curve is low across the board.
Sprinkle in an assortment of dirt-friendly features like all-terrain tires, more suspension travel, and more ground clearance, and you’ve got an easy-to-ride rig that’s ready and willing to take on the same sort of light off-roading that most adventure riders enjoy.
The concept made sense to me, so I decided to head out to Prescott, Arizona, to try the Canyon out firsthand.
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Road Test: Riding the Can-Am Canyon Redrock
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As far as adventure riding goes, it doesn’t get much better than Prescott, AZ. The small town lies just outside the breathtaking beauty of Sedona, and it is surrounded by a jaw-droppingly scenic mixture of winding pavement and dirt roads.
I spent a cloudless, sunny day riding a few different versions of the new Canyon through a panorama of pink canyons, wild horses, and sandy washes. I’ll cut straight to the chase: If you’re looking to have yourself an adventure, the Canyon can take you there.
The seat is comfortable enough for a full day in the saddle, the wind protection is downright flawless (even at highway speeds with an off-road helmet), and the machine itself is enjoyable and engaging to ride. You could do a lot worse for an open-air cross-country trip.
With that being said, let’s get one thing straight: Despite what the local authorities say, Can-Am’s three-wheeled vehicles aren’t motorcycles, and this one is no different. My first impression after climbing aboard the Canyon was that it felt completely alien to anything else I’d ever thrown a leg over.
And I’m not just talking about motorcycles here. I’ve driven every sort of car and truck known to humans, and I've even driven other three-wheeled oddities like the popular Polaris Slingshot. None of it translates to riding a Can-Am three-wheeler.
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Take the handling, for instance. Even though you’re straddling a saddle and gripping a handlebar like a motorcycle, there’s no leaning to be done in the corners. The machine naturally “rolls” toward the outside of a turn, which means you get a feel for traction based on what the outside front tire is doing.
Then there’s the shifting. Can-Am specs a semi-automatic six-speed transmission on the Canyon, which means while there’s no clutch to work between gears, the transmission won’t shift until you tell it to by using the paddles on the left handlebar. That means you can hold a gear and rev your way around a corner for a sportier experience, or sit back and go full-cruiser a gear or two high.
Everything feels foreign, but I’ll give credit where credit is due: The Canyon is probably the easiest vehicle I’ve ever learned to ride on the fly. Within an hour of climbing aboard, I felt like I had more or less mastered everything I needed to know about it, which bodes well for owners of any background who want something fun, versatile, and unintimidating.
And I really can’t put enough emphasis on the unintimidating part. Between the Canyon’s modest 115 horsepower three-cylinder engine and 1,100-pound curb weight, the acceleration is sporty, but it never comes anywhere close to scary.
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The same goes for the electronic KYB suspension on the Canyon Redrock; it’s firm enough to deliver a fairly sporty ride, but where it really shines is how well it smoothes out bumps, potholes, and rough pavement in town and abroad.
This isn’t some face-melting, high-performance vehicle: It’s a comfortable, well-appointed touring machine that’s loaded down with creature comforts like heated seats, Apple Carplay, cruise control, a reverse gear (with a backup camera), and more modular storage that you could ever dream of piling onto a typical two-wheeled ADV.
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Going Off-Road on the Can-Am Canyon Redrock
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The folks at Can-Am will be the first to tell you that the Canyon is not an off-road vehicle. Yes, it’s a gravel road vehicle, a dirt road vehicle, and a fire road vehicle, but an off-road vehicle it is not.
The distinction they’re making here is that the Canyon simply isn’t intended to do the sort of technical off-roading you might do on an adventure bike, a dual sport, or even a well-built 4x4. Rutted two-track, rocky climbs, and creek crossings aren’t the Canyon’s forte, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time when the pavement ends.
The off-road section of my test route was a mix of sandy backroads, gravel, and maintained dirt doubletrack, all of which are ideal testbeds for the Canyon. It’s a road-going vehicle, but thanks to the all-terrain tires, plush suspension, and decent ground clearance, those roads need not be paved.
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I’d sum up the Canyon off-road experience as good, simple fun. Where the three-cylinder Rotax engine feels reasonable and restrained on the street, it’s more than enough to get your blood pumping in the dirt.
What makes the experience particularly enjoyable is the Canyon’s selectable “Rally” mode, which tones down the traction and stability control, allowing the rear wheel to slip and spin to an extent. That means you can easily “drift” the Canyon out of corners with a quick twist of throttle, a feat which takes untold hours of practice on a motorcycle.
Again, mastery is easy here because the electronics reliably intervene before you can get yourself in trouble. After a bit of spinning and grinning, you hit a “brick wall” of traction control, which cuts power and pulls the brakes until the vehicle returns to peak stability.
Of course, getting fast and loose isn’t the Canyon’s core mission: This is a vehicle for exploration more than anything. To that end, I’ll also say that the Canyon Redrock’s electronic KYB SmartShox are an impressive piece of kit.
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The system works by automatically adjusting both compression and rebound damping in the shocks multiple times per second, ensuring you get the plushest ride possible out of its 10.2 inches of suspension travel. The system is incredibly effective; sandy washboards that would normally set your teeth rattling feel no different than perfectly groomed trails, and the same goes for riding on gravel.
That makes it an ideal candidate for the sort of low-intensity dirt road touring you’d normally need four wheels to experience. With effectively zero risk of dropping the bike due to balance or loss of traction, you’re free to sit back and enjoy the journey at whatever speed you’re comfortable with.
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Complaints on the Can-Am Canyon Redrock
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Truth be told, if you’re in no hurry, I think you’d have a hard time finding fault with the Canyon. Compared to a traditional motorcycle, the ride is much less thrilling and dynamic, but if you’re shopping for a three-wheeler in the first place, that’ll likely come across as a feature in itself.
I think my single largest complaint with the Canyon comes from the traction and stability control systems. While they are incredibly effective at keeping the vehicle as safe as possible, at times they feel intrusive to a fault.
When you’re in the mood to get a little squirrely in the dirt or a little fast in the curves, you’ll quickly feel the system reigning you in, typically via a hard braking sensation on the outside tire. Once you get an idea of where the limits are, you can intentionally ride within them, but it’s always a bit of a bummer when the electronic “nanny” kicks in, telling you to slow down or pay the consequences.
Another place I wouldn’t mind seeing an improvement is the overall performance of the engine. Granted, the Canyon isn’t supposed to be a straight line missile by any stretch, but considering the base model starts at over $25,000, an extra 20 horsepower or so would go a long way, especially considering you can always rein it in yourself using the Canyon’s selectable driving modes.
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My final complaint is that, unlike Can-Am’s other popular three-wheeled vehicles, there’s currently no option to outfit the Canyon with any sort of sound system. Personally, I couldn't care less, as I prefer running audio through a helmet com like the Cardo Packtalk, but I know Can-Am owners traditionally like to customize and upgrade their machines, and external audio is a major component of the culture.
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Closing Thoughts on the Can-Am Canyon Three Wheeler
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While the Canyon is genuinely unlike anything else I’ve ever ridden or driven, ultimately, I found the same rule applies here as any three-wheeled vehicle: If you come to the party expecting a motorcycle, you’re going to leave disappointed.
That being said, the Canyon isn’t trying to be a motorcycle, a car, a UTV—or anything else for that matter. It’s entirely unique, and as such, it delivers an entirely unique take on the adventure riding experience.
The core tenets are all there: It’s comfortable for long distances, it’ll haul enough gear for two to travel, and it’s a willing companion should you choose to push on when the pavement ends. It doesn’t wheelie, it doesn’t lean, and it isn’t built to tackle gnarly terrain, but it’ll take you pretty much anywhere a Subaru will, and it’ll let you do it with the wind in your hair.
The $25,299 starting price will be a tough pill to swallow for some, and if you want to experience the sublime KYB SmartShox suspension, you’ll have to pony up a whopping $32,299 for the Redrock trim level I tested. Still, three-wheeling is its own kind of adventure, and if you want to experience it for yourself, the Canyon Redrock is hands-down the best way to do it.
2025 Can-Am Canyon Redrock Specs
- Engine: ROTAX 1330 ACE
- Displacement: 1330cc
- Transmission: 6-speed semi-automatic
- Horsepower/Torque: 115 hp/93 lb-ft
- Weight: 571.1 pounds (wet)
- Fuel Capacity: 7.1 gallons
- Seat Height: 33.2 inches
- Price: From $32,299
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