Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1445637
34 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com Roach Resurrection Roach Resurrection 1976 Can-Am 175 T'NT OR 1976 Can-Am 175 T'NT OR By Kurt Flachbart By Kurt Flachbart As an older dude, I remember well when we start- ed seeing these rather odd-looking white bikes with bright 70s stripes and graphics. I've always felt the Can-Am motorcycle from Canada was a great looking bike with lots of style. As a kid, I saw that they stood out; they were different. Even today, it's hard to pin- point what makes a Can-Am unique. European bikes of the day had a rather agricultural look. Most were all business, with func on of utmost importance and visual appearance of li le concern. Japanese bikes of that era had the look, and they s ll worked pre y damn good for the price point. As for Can-Am, I s ll feel they are a strange beast. Unique might be a be er word. For our younger readers, yes, Can-Am (designed for the Canadian-American market) made off-road motorcycles, and they were pre y damn good too. The bikes were manufactured under the umbrella of Bombardier in the li le town of Valcourt, Quebec (home of Ski Doo snowmobiles). The engineering team was given a clean sheet of paper to develop a serious off-road motorcycle. Although designed from scratch, the concept was to be based on the Bultaco/ KTM/Husky-like design of a standard-sized frame that could accommodate a range of different sized engines. This was based on a decision made in 1971 a er Engineering Manager Bob Fischer bought every available model 125cc motocrosser on the mar- ket and tested them extensively. The end result was an off-road motorcycle that incorporated the features of many top-of-the-line bikes of the day. Most innova ve and unique to Can-Am were steering head bearing cups that could be swapped for different steering head angles. Can-Am jumped into the game of off-road riding and racing with both feet. Records were set right out of the gate, capturing gold, silver and bronze medals at the 1973 ISDT in Dalton, Massachu- se s, along with first, second and third-place finishes in the 1974 AMA Motocross Na onal Championship season. Can-Am was soon a force to be reckoned with. They were well constructed, and their components were top quality with most parts manufactured in-house with Bombardiers' thinking outside-the-box design. As for power, Rotax of Austria was chosen, and all the Can-Am motorcycles produced in Canada (1973-1982) were Rotax-powered. I truly feel Rotax power was a huge part of Can-Am's success.