Unless you’ve got a soft spot for carving up snowy trails on a Ski-Doo or getting lost with friends on a Rotax-powered ATV, the name Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) might not immediately ring any bells. Born in Canada in the early 1970s, BRP is better known for rugged off-road machinery than motorcycles — think Ski-Doo snowmobiles and all-terrain quads. After a detour into quirky three-wheelers like the Spyder and Ryker, the company is now back in the two-wheel game, and this time it’s electric.

The new bikes come in two flavours: the nimble, street-biased Pulse and the more adventure-leaning Origin. Both pack a compact, liquid-cooled 8.9kWh battery and a Rotax-developed E-Power motor, offered in 11kW and 35kW variants, making them accessible to newer riders on A1 and A2 licences here in the UK.

Prices currently start at around £11,399 for the Pulse and £11,899 for the Origin, with premium ‘73 trim levels adding a little extra kit and visual flair for a little extra money. That positions Can-Am’s electric bikes well below many established EV rivals, even if they’re still a significant investment compared to petrol-powered equivalents.

If it’s broad appeal you’re after, the Pulse is likely to be the crowd-pleaser. Its shorter seat height, compact proportions and easygoing handling make it well suited to commuting, filtering through traffic or heading out for a relaxed weekend blast. It’s unintimidating, intuitive and doesn’t demand much from the rider. It’s not quite twist and go, but it’s pretty close.

The Origin leans more towards the dual-sport end of the spectrum. Taller suspension, a narrower seat and chunkier tyres give it the confidence to stray off the beaten path, but those same traits mean it feels slightly less settled on smooth tarmac. It’s the more niche choice of the two, but one that makes sense if your idea of fun includes gravel and dirt as much as asphalt.

Tough enough

If you can believe it, both bikes take inspiration from the snowy owl, with Can-Am’s design team claiming the machines are stealthy, futuristic but with a few nods to the company’s trail-riding past. The Pulse looks great – squat, muscular and athletic, but with a seating and riding position that will suit most body shapes and sizes.

“If it’s broad appeal you’re after, the Pulse is likely to be the crowd-pleaser”

The tallest riders might find it a little too compact, but its proportions make it perfect for slashing through city traffic and, what’s more, Can-Am wants to appeal to more new riders and female buyers, so approachability is key.

Like most rivals in the electric two-wheeler market (there aren’t many), there’s no clutch to contend with, merely a ‘twist-and-go’ throttle and a front brake, which is mounted to the bars, and a traditional rear foot brake.

In terms of usability, it’s an absolute doddle. Turn the key, follow the on-screen prompts for the start-up procedure and away you go… at whiplash pace if you’re not careful with the throttle. There’s even a reverse gear to make manoeuvring into tight spots a breeze.

Although most won’t even notice the liquid cooling to the powertrain, Can-Am’s boffins say air cooling can lead to uneven battery degradation, where some packs are inevitably not cooled as efficiently as others.

As is the way with battery chemistry, the overall pack is only as good as the most deteriorated cell, so Can-Am is keen to boost longevity by cooling its battery, charger, inverter and motor, which it says optimises range, limits derating and allows faster, more immediate charging when the battery is stressed.

This is all well and good, but arguably its closest rival in Zero Motorcycles air-cools its entire powertrain and that doesn’t seem to have trouble performing and charging when stressed. Zero also offer the same warranty on its battery packs, so go figure.

The covered chain case is also another innovation that yields mixed results. It offers a silent drive (no slack chain rattling away) and protects from rocks and debris when riding the Origin model on the trails.

Can-Am says it is low maintenance, only requiring an oil change every 10,000km and an ‘inspection’ of the chain at 25,0000km, but the oil alone is arguably more maintenance than a belt-driven bike. 

Although the company didn’t expressly admit this, we would hazard a guess that the liquid cooling and chain case technology help it keep costs down, thanks to it being used across both bikes, as well as its wider off-road portfolio, which is increasingly turning to batteries and electric motors.

“There’s no drama, no noise and no gear changes to think about”

The upside is that this technology has been tried and tested on 200hp snowmobiles that have a penchant for being punished on the mountainside, so there are few questions hanging over its reliability.

Simple but effective

After riding both bikes back-to-back, it’s the Pulse that immediately makes more sense to the widest audience. The seat height is approachable, the riding position neutral and relaxed, and the overall proportions make it feel instantly familiar. Within minutes, it stops feeling like “an electric bike” and starts feeling like… just a bike.

Twist the throttle and the response is immediate, smooth and deceptively quick. There’s no drama, no noise and no gear changes to think about — just a clean surge of torque that makes urban riding laughably easy. Filtering through traffic feels effortless, and on flowing mountain roads the Pulse settles into corners with confidence and composure. It’s agile without being twitchy, planted without feeling heavy.

The Origin, by contrast, feels purpose-built for riders who want to point the front wheel somewhere less predictable. Taller suspension, a narrower seat and more aggressive tyres give it a dual-sport flavour, but those same traits make it a little less settled on tarmac. It’s still enjoyable on the road, just not quite as intuitive or playful as the Pulse when the pace picks up.

Both bikes are offered in 11kW and 35kW versions, meaning they’re accessible to a wider array of riders. Importantly, the lower-powered models don’t feel like stripped-out compromises. You get the same tech, the same top speed and broadly the same riding experience, which makes the 11kW option a genuinely compelling proposition for newer riders.

This package includes the ma-hoosive screen. The 10.25-inch touchscreen is impossible to ignore — a huge slab of glass mounted proudly ahead of the bars. It’s not the prettiest integration in the world, but it’s undeniably useful. Speed, range, riding modes and regen settings are all clear and easy to read, even in bright sunlight.

Plug in an iPhone and Apple CarPlay takes over much of the display, offering navigation, music and messaging. Paired with a helmet headset, it works brilliantly on the move. You can’t poke the screen at speed for obvious reasons, but the large bar-mounted controls handle most tasks. They’re functional rather than elegant, and ergonomically not perfect, but this feels like the sort of thing that will improve with feedback and production tweaks.

Giving back

Where these bikes really shine is regenerative braking. Can-Am has nailed the balance. You can adjust regen levels conventionally, but there’s also the option to roll the throttle forwards to engage the most aggressive regen setting. Once you get used to it, you can ride through town barely touching the brakes.

“The lower-powered models don’t feel like stripped-out compromises”

On one downhill mountain run, the bikes started with 34km of indicated range. By the time our small group reached the bottom, that figure had climbed to 59km. It’s an estimate, of course, but the battery indicator barely moved despite covering a decent distance. Anticipation, smooth inputs and smart regen genuinely translate into usable energy. It’s like free motoring.

Range overall is realistic rather than revolutionary. Expect around 80–90 miles in mixed riding, less if you’re pushing hard. That’s fine for commuting, urban jaunts and weekend blasts, but longer adventures still require planning, as there’s no option to DC fast charge on the public network. Owners have to make do with Level 2 charging, which takes around 50-minutes to complete a 10-80% top up.

That’s not bad for those that like to stop for an hour… for every hour of riding, but it gets a little tiresome if you really want to cover bigger distances. That’s not what these bikes are for.

Pricing is where Can-Am really lands a punch. Prices have dropped in recent months, and the Pulse now starts at around £11,399 in the UK, with the Origin pegged at roughly £11,899. That undercuts much of the electric motorcycle market and makes these bikes feel attainable rather than aspirational.

Electric motorcycles still face an uphill battle. Zero remains the most established player in the full-size electric bike market, Energica has been saved more times than we can count and several start-ups have fallen by the wayside. Even Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire brand has found growth challenging. Honda also enters the market in 2026, but isn’t expecting to sell in big numbers.

Against that backdrop, Can-Am’s approach feels refreshingly grounded. These aren’t halo products or tech demos — they’re usable, enjoyable motorcycles that just happen to be electric. And that, perhaps, is their greatest strength.