RYKER: Can Am Ryker 600 vs 900 comparisons // Meet-up Ride in OKC

It's Monday, May 6, 2019, and today I'm meeting up with a subscriber in OKC for a lunch-and-ride. Skip to the end of this description for clickable time indexes.

I met with ‪@fattywithafirearm‬    / fattywithafirearm   ) for an early lunch and then we rode around the OKC metro area to kill some time and have fun. I traded bikes with him so he could try out my 900 Rally, and I rode his 600 around for the afternoon.

We compared notes on the differences between the models, and we ran several tests comparing acceleration and top speed to highlight the difference between them. Overall, I am impressed with the 600, and I think it has plenty of power for use as a general commuter or general-purpose bike. Another interesting point is that his 600 tracks BETTER than my Rally... it takes much less effort to ride it at highway speeds than my Ryker.

The roll-on acceleration comparisons weren't any surprise, but they do highlight the difference between the 600 and 900. The 900 has much better highway roll-on above 60 mph. You don't really need to plan overtakes with the 900 because the acceleration is so strong. Conversely, you need to plan your passes with the 600 more carefully because you need some time to build momentum.

The 600's observed top speed was around 88-90 mph, but the pull from 75-90 was much slower than the 900 (to be expected). That means that cruising on 75 mph highways is certainly possible, but you'll need to think about your overtakes... max usable speed is only 5-10 mph above that, and that upper range is slow to arrive.

Time indexes:
0:00 Initial impressions of the ride quality of Ryker 600 vs Rally 900... his Ryker wanders much less than mine does; the 600 has very good acceleration, but less power above 60 mph than the 900 has
1:48 His Rally 600 is averaging ~30 mpg, which is about the same as the 900? That seems odd.
4:22 Example of the Ryker's quick deceleration under closed throttle... it could really benefit from the "smart" brake light (e.g. AdMore High Output Premium LED light bar: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a... )
4:55 The 600 sounds really "throaty" under full throttle, louder than the 900... it sounds good!
5:42 Listen for the deceleration groan in the driveline, very similar to my 900
9:30 Stopping to compare notes and grab some drinks
11:45 Resuming the ride, headed to Cycle Gear to shop around
13:35 Explanation of why I'm riding without gloves today...
15:00 Discussion of the closed rear fender on the 600 vs the open fender on the Rally... I plan to replace mine with the full fender to reduce the amount of tire/wheel overspray and junk that is flipped onto the swingarm and seat areas
17:24 New realizations about the Ryker's tail light and rear signals... I suspected that the visibility was limited, but now it's confirmed. In my opinion, the Ryker definitely needs an accessory brake/signal light solution
20:37 Listen for the loud, hollow clunk from my Rally's final drive (or CVT) when he takes off at a normal pace... it's LOUD even next to the bike
22:00 We both notice the difference in our bikes' idle at the same time... the 600 seems to be idling higher and it pulls forward at idle without any throttle input... my 900 sits static until you rev the motor a little bit
23:05 LET THE SPEED GAMES BEGIN! We are playing with top speed runs on some open stretches of highway on the west side of OKC
24:12 Full-throttle run on the 600 yields ~88-90 mph... it seems like the throttle position sensor might be misaligned on this 600 because it leans out at WOT, reducing it about 1/8 turn lets the power come back up a little bit
25:30 Top speed run for the 600 yields 90 mph indicated, 88 mph on GPS
26:35 There is a big difference in wind pressure at 70 mph without the windscreen
28:03 Side-by-side roll-on comparison of the 600 and 900, from ~50-75 mph
32:30 Stopping for fuel
33:30 Roll-on comparison from 30-65 mph
36:13 Another roll-on comparison from 40-60 mph
37:13 Side-by-side drag race from 0-70 mph
38:05 If you have a Ryker with the handguards and deflectors, then you also have a Redneck cup holder 🤣
39:20 Summary of the ride meet-up today, closing thoughts, etc
41:40 Gotta love the 900's acceleration to dispatch slow cars... bye-bye traffic!
43:16 Oops, not done yet, size comparison between the Ryker and a Smart ForTwo... the Ryker has ~8" shorter wheelbase and is only 1" narrower than the Smart! I was pretty close when I made the comparison... and that was just by "gut feeling" and guesstimation!

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2019 Can Am Ryker Rally
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