The Can-Am Spyder, a three-wheel roadster popular with riders of a certain age, has inspired festivals and its own national motorcycle club. About 25,000 “Spyder Ryders” flock to events like Spyderquest in Saratoga, N.Y., and the Iron Butt Rally, which covers 11,000 miles in 11 days.
But now this beloved adult trike has become a victim of the Trump administration’s trade war with Canada. On Sept. 29, the Trump administration banned all Canadian-made motorcycles, including the Spyder, along with certain alcohol and dairy products.
“It makes no sense to me whatsoever,” said Harold Mette, 79, who founded the Spyder Ryders in 2011 after riding traditional motorcycles for about 40 years. A self-described “hot dog” — a term used for riders who like to go fast — Mr. Mette bought a Spyder because its two front tires allowed him to take tight turns without risking a fall.
Mr. Mette said he was mystified about why his favorite vehicle ended up on the list of banned items.
“Quantitatively, in terms of total dollar value of imports and exports, it’s nothing,” he said.
The price of a 2026 Spyder starts at $27,999, according to the company’s website. Mr. Mette estimated that there are about 100,000 of the vehicles in the United States.
The Can-Am brand was once a symbol of close ties between the United States and Canada. The first Can-Am bike was built “through a collective effort” of individuals from Canada and the United States, which led to the name, according to a video celebrating the brand’s 50th birthday. Can-Am is owned by Bombardier Recreational Products, a Canadian company that manufactures products in Valcourt, Quebec.
Those close ties have soured since the start of President Trump’s second term. He placed a 25 percent tariff on aluminum and steel from Canada in 2025, prompting Canada to retaliate with a 25 percent tariff on certain American products, including Harley Davidson motorcycles. Along with Kentucky bourbon, the iconic American Harley has repeatedly found itself the target of retaliatory tariffs.
In July, the Trump administration accused Canada of discrimination and announced a 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian products. Large motorcycles, including the Spyder, made the list. Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on more than 700 American product categories, increasing the tariff on American motorcycles to 50 percent.
In September, the Trump administration banned large Canadian motorcycles, including Spyders, along with certain dairy products and alcohol. Officials used a long-dormant provision of the Tariff Act of 1930 known as Section 338.
“It’s a negotiation tactic used to bring Canada to the table,” said Nghi Huynh, practice leader at Armanino, an accounting and consulting firm.
Evan Chuck, an international trade lawyer at Brownstein, a law firm with a prominent lobbying practice, said the move was “a signal that the administration is willing to pull out all the stops.”
“The economic asymmetry in U.S.-Canada trade gives Washington enormous leverage,” he added, noting that roughly 72 percent of Canada’s merchandise exports go to the United States.
A statement from Bombardier Recreational Products said that the immediate impact of the ban was expected to be limited, “as the vast majority of production and shipments for the current season are completed.”
The ban came at the best possible time — the end of the 2026 riding season and before the start of the 2027 season, according to Aaron Stroud, general manager of Freedom Cycle, a motorcycle dealership in Concord N.H.
“If this had happened back in March and April, that would have really affected us,” he said. He holds out hope that the trade dispute will be resolved by the spring, when his customers will be looking for new Spyders. He said the company took his order for 13 of them recently, despite the ban.
It’s unclear how much American manufacturers of three-wheeled motorcycles stand to benefit if the ban on Spyders turns out to be permanent. Polaris, a Minnesota company that makes the Slingshot, has lobbied heavily in Washington for tariff relief on imported components. Polaris hired Ballard Partners, which was founded by a Trump campaign-fund bundler. The White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, once worked there.
In a statement, Polaris said it had not lobbied for a ban: “Our energy and resources are focused on the broader policies that impact significant portions of Polaris’ business, dealers and customers, rather than specific products of others.”
The Slingshot makes up a relatively small portion of Polaris’s business, which is dominated by off-road vehicles.
Mr. Mette, the Spyder Ryder founder, said that even if the ban on Spyders remained in place next year, he would never buy a Slingshot, which he said felt more like a car than motorcycle.
He said his fellow riders would probably buy the Ryker, a smaller version of the Spyder, which is made in Mexico, if the ban on Canadian motorcycles continues.
“But I doubt seriously whether it will last,” Mr. Mette said.
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