The Start of something new in the Electric Bike Market with the Can-Am Origin.

Can-Am is a name most people associate with American muscle cars, so it is intriguing to see that the company has entered the electric bike market. The Can-Am Origin is an electric Trail/Dual Adventure machine that will tackle the mass of electric bikes currently in this sector and the UK's bridleways.

The Can-Am Origin looks like something from futuristic sci-fi films, but these designs are becoming the norm for electric bikes that don’t contain an engine and are not constrained in construction. Instead, you have a motor and battery, and the designers aim to locate both of these heavy components low down on the bikes to improve their centre of gravity. Weight is the enemy of any motorcycle, so if parts weigh a lot, they have to be placed strategically.

The Origin has a cutting-edge drivetrain and the first fully liquid-cooled motor, inverter, and battery package built by Rotax. This sets it apart from rivals that can’t manage the thermal values of the significant components.

Aiming to attract younger riders and those new to motorcycling, Can-Am has focused on low maintenance and high tech, so users are familiar with the type of operation on eBikes and Smartphones. The display has a touchscreen TFT with many features, options, and connectivity. Get over-the-air updates when the Origin is connected to Wi-Fi

The final drive uses Can-Am's experience gained in other Powersports. It has an enclosed silent chain that runs in a small amount of oil with an auto tensioner. Only a small amount of maintenance is required, with an oil change after 3000 miles and every 6000 miles, a considerable mileage on an electric trail bike. Your first inspection on this part is at 15500 miles, but nothing should go wrong with it as Can-Am uses it on their snowmobiles, which take a heavy beating compared to what the Origin will.

The Origin is primarily sold in 35kW / 47bhp A2 licence set-up and has a similar 11kW, 125-equivalent A1 available for Learners. Can-Am has not developed the Trail Bike look; it is just a style statement; the construction will allow you to venture off the tarmac. You have 255mm, which is ten inches of fork and shock travel, which betters the likes of the KTM 690 Enduro R, and it also beats the Austrian bike with 274mm of ground clearance, a whopping 5mm higher.

Like many electric motorcycles, the Can-Am Origin has regenerative braking and offers two levels that recharge the battery under deceleration. You can also select the Active option. You activate this by twisting the twistgrip forward beyond its ‘closed’ position to access two more substantial levels of regeneration. Maximum slows the bike as much as a moderate squeeze of a conventional friction brake and will bring the bike to a stop.

The Rotax motor has typical high-torque, single-speed power delivery—an instant urge sustained from a standstill to 60mph, where it begins to peter out a little bit but still smartly gets up to out-of-town speeds. The throttle response is smooth, and small openings are at a standstill to creep forward. Don’t invoke the slight juddering some electric motorcycles exhibit with slight inputs.

There are three road riding modes: Rain (which mainly tailors the traction control/ABS to low-grip situations), Eco (which lessens output to save power), and Sport (full power available). Then there’s Off-Road and Off Road+, which tailor torque response, ABS, and traction control, with the ‘plus’ setting having the most nominal restrictive assists and stronger power.

It’s a competent, refined, and well-thought-out package. Inevitably, traditional riders will still struggle to see past the cost and usability drawbacks, but it's at least compelling for those who take the plunge. Can-Am believes it can draw in non-motorcyclists with its blend of daily practicality, high-tech/low-emission construction, and easy, low-maintenance prospects that mirror most other industries.

The Dirt Bike riding position is tall, upright, and narrow, which helps with vision and manoeuvrability on the road. The bike has slow steering due to the full-size 21-inch front wheel. Dunlop D605s are a 50/50 dirt/street tyre and, as such, limit grip and feel on the hard stuff, although they’re perfectly fine for getting from A to B as long as you aren’t too aggressive and expect a big lean angle.

Braking power is adequate at best, but it is sometimes underwhelming. The front lever’s response is satisfactory at a light touch, but a firmer application fails to yield much more from the two-piston J.Juan caliper. It’s less of a problem on this than an ICE bike once you’re attuned to the regenerative braking system, and it's the best way to exploit an electric motorcycle in general.

The Origin comes into its own with its off-road look and ability, which gives the machine something other than a standard-looking L-plate-friendly town bike and offers the possibility of trail riding when and if you want.

The Can-Am Origin is easy to ride to the extent of your ability, primarily because it has an excellent chassis. Only a dedicated Enduro machine has more suspension travel, and the spring/damping rates are well-judged, absorbing rough stuff while giving support. There’s no clutch or gearbox to distract you, nor does the motor produce any significant inertia, so the powertrain’s effect on the bike’s behaviour and ability to control it is minimal.

If the Origin does step out, you can control it simply by backing off the power, which is reassuring, and then you have plenty of power when required to get the front wheel up to clear any obstacles along the trail. I’d happily do some more trail riding, but one thing that restricts you from doing extended rides is the range. Electric motorcycles do not have good range, and you won't want to be caught out miles from nowhere. The average range quoted is 70 miles at cruising speeds on roads.

Around town, it’s claimed to see 90 miles before requiring a plug-in.

There’s not much more to say about range: there is a clear correlation between range and the size/weight of the battery pack.

The most significant benefit of Can-Am is its thermal performance. Most – if not all – electric bikes will cap performance if they get too hot, whether it’s the battery, inverter or motor that’s getting toasty. The Can-Am Origin’s liquid-cooling almost entirely sidesteps the need for temperature-based failsafe: it has them but should rarely need them in most climates.

The system also assists when charging, aiding the commendable charge times there. It’s one of the few items that will need servicing – aside from the final drive oil (all 300ml of it and coolant, services are broadly a basic check for wear and tear).

The battery has a five-year warranty, in addition to the two-year guarantee for the bike itself—although Can-Am engineers expect its useful life to be far beyond the bike's, based on both testing and their experience using the same technology on snowmobiles in harsh winter environments.

The Can-Am Origin is well-designed, with the battery cleanly integrated and made a clear but not overbearing part of the design package: it’s painted yellow, with contrasting elements around it. Look at some electric bikes with hideous monolithic packs crudely placed in the centre, and you can appreciate the effort made to make a bike that doesn’t just look like an awkward attempt to bring new technology to two wheels—it’s better integrated

Initial buying cost is around twice what you’d expect to pay for a comparable ICE bike; that’s just the reality of electric vehicles in general.

Once purchased, running costs should be minimal: each charge will stand you less than the equivalent petrol costs, and maintenance time/needs are reduced, so dealer services should be less. The final drive oil is only changed every 6200 miles after the initial 3100 service, with periodic coolant changes the only other major maintenance beyond basic checks.

The enclosed drive’s oil also feeds the single-sided rear hub bearings, so those shouldn’t experience the kind of water/dirt ingress and drying of grease that a traditional single-sided rear end experiences, potentially extending their life, too. The outright price is higher than that of a comparable electric bike. PCP deals have yet to be confirmed, but the monthly running costs over three years may offset the purchase cost.

The closest is the £17,000 Zero DSR, which has aspirations of going off-road but little ability. It has the same power. The City range is 155 miles, but that comes with more weight. On the other side is the Zero FX, at £12,000, with a claimed range of 100 miles but lower overall spec. It can’t hold its slightly superior 85mph top speed for long before the heat management system pegs it back to 70mph.

For a lighter, more off-road-oriented experience, the Ultra Bee from Surron is available from MotoEbikes of Guildford. The 85kg, 12.5kW costs £6299, but the range is predictably shorter (under 40 miles), and a top speed of 55 miles means it doesn’t have the same ‘daily ride’ appeal as the Can-Am.

The wide TFT touchscreen dash comes from the snowmobile/waverunner world and, as such, is well-developed and should have an excess of rugged durability from being developed in harsh environments. Apple Car Play and over-the-air updates are standard and easy to use. The switchgear allows easy on-the-move control of riding modes, display, and connectivity options—a brief demo was all it took to get started. The rest of the menus and functions are intuitive enough to figure out without memorising a user manual.

KYB suspension at both ends is of decent quality, though having full preload/compression/rebound adjustment at the rear and none on the fork seems odd. Standard Dunlop D605s are a decent OE tyre choice.

Can-Am has a range of accessories for the Origin, including heated grips, crash protection, a comfort seat, LED foglights and additional running lights, plus the ‘LinQ’ luggage and screen options. LinQ allows these parts to be fitted/removed without tools whenever they’re needed: there’s a set of 22-litre side bags,  a tank bag and a 36-litre top box that attaches with a simple quarter-turn connector, and in the case of the bags/top box, are then locked in place with a key. Even the roll-top of the bag has a closing strap locked by the key to stop thieves from emptying your bags.

Can-Am Origin Price (£15,399)

The standard price of the Can-Am Origin ’73 edition with silver paint, additional LED running lights, and a small screen is £17,299. Unless silver paint and the (admittedly natty-looking) LEDs make or break the deal for you, adding a screen to the £15,399 standard model and opting for white more or less nets the same result.