Canadian powersports manufacturer Bombardier Recreational Products is considering a return to the motorcycle business. BRP corporate communications director Sylvain Morissette has confirmed that the company is currently evaluating the market, possibilities and trends, after an industry analyst suggested the eventuality.
Under its former parent Bombardier Corporation, Quebec-based BRP made Can-Am off-road competition motorcycles until the late 1970s. And it was a supplier of dual-purpose bikes to the British armed forces. Its products were used by Army and Royal Marine despatch riders during the Falklands war in 1982.
The Can-Am brand is now applied to BRP’s ATV range and the Spyder road trike. The company manufactures Rotax proprietary engines for its own use in the current Can-Am portfolio, plus Ski-Doo snowmobiles and Sea-Doo personal watercraft. It also has a long history of providing motors for bikes produced by KTM, Aprilia, BMW Motorrad and, most recently, Erik Buell Racing.
Morissette said that BRP is looking at several growth opportunities, but did not say precisely when the decision would be made, or when the products would arrive on the market.
Speaking to the Montreal Gazette, Desjardins Capital Markets analyst Benoit Poirier commented: “This market is supported by a solid foundation, and we believe that BRP has the key elements in place to enter the sector, naturally or by acquisition.”