This is a big year for Can-Am, and that’s going to be reflected in the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s annual banquet.
This year, the banquet will run on November 4, introducing the newest members of the Hall. But along with the riders themselves, the Can-Am brand will be acclaimed, as it celebrates its 50th year. The Bar and Hedy Hodgson award will go to Can-Am this year, honoring the company’s history.
Banquet coordinator Vada Seeds says ““The contribution that Can-Am has made to both the Canadian motorcycle industry and the careers of many of Canada’s top racers cannot be overstated,” and that is the truth. While Can-Am’s two-wheeled motorcycles are old history at this point, they quickly grabbed headlines with competition success when introduced in 1973. Running Rotax-built engines, the made-in-Quebec machines won land speed records, AMA national racing titles, and gold medals at the FIM’s International Six Days event. Of course, the biggest impact came right here at home, where Can-Am machines were the bikes to beat at motocross tracks across the country. Can-Am even built GP roadracers, with 250cc two-stroke engines.
A previously-inducted member of the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Jim Allen, worked at Can-Am’s R&D facility in Valcourt, Quebec in the 1970s. As a development rider, he helped with a program developing a liquid-cooled 500cc two-stroke racebike/street platform.
Can-Am axed its motorcycle program in the 1980s to focus on snowmobiles, ATVs and other powersport product, but eventually returned to the space, sort of, building three-wheeled street machines. Later this year, we expect to see its first two-wheeler in decades, a pair of electric street-legal motorcycles which were on display at this year’s Canadian motorcycle show circuit.
This year’s Hall banquet runs at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale. Tickets will be available soon; follow the Hall on Facebook or canmoto.ca for more details.
I remember helping push start that bike at Shubie, there were gremlins but lots of neat engineering. Many years later seeing my first SeaDoo in a shop I worked at the engine bore a familiar design, including the gremlins….