Since this chapter is called handling, let’s talk about the road first. Several examples in our pre-test series had strange behavior on the front axle, which was very loose and made the bike difficult to turn. The brand’s teams blamed the all-terrain tires. If it is certain that this increase does not give confidence on the road, it will be necessary to confirm this behavior of the steering on a long test. For the rest, the Origin is efficient on the road and its trail side allows us to dominate the road well. In short, behavior is healthy. At very low speeds, you still have to be careful that the weight is too much, which is mechanically lifted by the ground clearance.
What we can criticize is that its braking is not very direct. On the lever, there is a lack of bite when attacking, also because the fork completely crushes under the impact of the horse’s horse. It must be said that we have 255mm of travel front and rear, but it’s too soft in compression for street use. The fork, although Kayaba brand, is not adjustable at all. A bit of a shame on the trail, and it hits the same brand rear shock absorber, which is fully adjustable (HPG). Suffice it to say that on the road, between the studded tires and the rocking chair effect, we’d avoid attacking too much.
The advantage of integrating the engine transmission assembly into the swingarm is that the power goes more directly to the ground. In terms of feeling, it’s almost magical. Acceleration is direct with 35 kW (47.5 hp) peak, A2 license limit, not bad! But unless you’re in Sport mode, you can’t tell if you’re on the 125 or the A2 version because it pushes along. 72 Nm of torque from 0 to 4600 rpm for 187 kg, along with a top speed of 129 kmph make it a good bike for this medium displacement equivalent segment. Slower than the Plus (roadster), the original goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, which seems fine in our tests.
Another advantage is that the regenerative engine braking in the Can M is divided into two parts: active and passive. Both are individually adjustable and useful. A passive engine brake is one that works when you let go of the handle, just like any motorcycle. For this, Can-Am applies active engine braking when the right handle is pushed forward. So we can have a motorcycle that brakes a little on release and slows down very hard when the handle is turned forward. This advanced system doesn’t provide much more than an adjustable regenerative engine brake, but we appreciate the effort. Note, however, that sometimes it is more difficult to hold the handle forward while trying to hold the brake lever.
If the machines can be unstable on the road, a somewhat greasy rocky path does not scare them at all. Obviously, we’ve got a 187kg machine to make in case of overconfidence, but the engine-transmission assembly proves finely tuned and very pleasant when losing grip. 21-inch wheels with original grippy tires (rare!) provide good control over dirt. The motorcycle is unrecognizable. Lifelong backpackers may want to add side protection and more gear, because as it stands, its carrying capacity and wind protection are light. This short test on the road allows us to say that the suspensions are working well, but for more details, we will have to wait until it gets into the hands of more experts for a longer test. .
Fortunately for the most adventurous, the Can-Am Origin resists mud and water splashes well, and can even get through a few fords. Small regret, there is currently no high enduro or rally type mudguard.
