Can-Am Ryker handlebars and foot pegs can be easily adjusted without tools or additional parts to fi t all riders
phase – consisted of validating the layout and shape, with the orientation of everything on board considered. Phase two featured loops to validate concept details, function and then the reliability. The extra time and expense of so many physical prototypes was justifi ed, as Varaldi explains, “At each stage, we discovered and reinforced or solved issues. As an example, we optimised some elements such as increasing the stiff ness of the front axle to improve the fun and the dynamic behaviour by adding a cross member. Another example is adding some padding to help the tool-free adjustable foot rest continue to slide well over time.” One conversation the engineers had early on concerned material
Power packed
The Can-Am Ryker weighs around 300kg. The two engine options are a 600cc two cylinder unit producing 50HP or a 900cc three cylinder unit producing 82HP. Both are electronically controlled and the latter features an ECO mode and a Sport mode. Both options
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come equipped with a 4.5in digital display housing a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip counter, gear position indicator, distance to empty alert, engine warning lights, fuel gauge and clock. The tank capacity is 20
litres, and the fuel is Premium unleaded.
choices. “We were guided mostly by three objectives, two of them coming from the key pillars of the projects,” continues Varaldi. “It must be aff ordable, which impacts fi nal cost, and fun, which translates into the right stiff ness and weight for the handling. The third objective comes from our eco-responsibility, which meant choosing the right materials, limiting the pollutants and optimising the recyclability.”
The design is split into two modules.
The lower one, which takes care of the major loads is made from steel tubes and stampings. The upper one is made from a composite of plastic and long fi bres manufactured with a compression process. This second
structure is multifunctional, like many parts on the machine, as it is part of the external body and takes some dynamic load with the steering, as does the seat base, while holding the fuel tank, storage compartment and lights. “This approach was very much part of the design philosophy,” notes Varaldi. “We worked with a few key elements to guide our design in the right direction. More specifi cally: fi rst, no parts should have only one function and all parts should do as much as possible. Second, development of the platform using a modular approach with group functions for effi ciency. And fi nally, limit ourselves to the needs and suppress the nice-to-have.”
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