After taking a 38-year break, Can-Am is back in the business of making motorcycles. In the meantime, the French-Canadian Bombardier parent company focused on Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Can-Am ATVs, and the Spyder road-going trike. Part of Can-Am’s snowmobile initiative has been the development of an electric-powered snowmobile. Can-Am has taken that battery technology and built a pair of motorcycles around it. We have already tested the urban-minded Can-Am Pulse, and now it’s time to throw a leg over the saddle of the 2025 Can-Am Origin dual-sport bike. The name Origin pays homage to the original Can-Am motorcycles, which were dirt bikes and dual-sports.
- While Can-Am calls the Origin a dual-sport motorcycle, we beg to differ. At 412 pounds, its weight is in the adventure bike territory. With a limited claimed range—52 miles at 50 mph—you won’t be doing much adventuring before you have to put 90 minutes into charging, if you have a 240-volt Level 2 electrical source handy. Between the weight and the range, the dual-sport designation is off the table. Instead, we have our own description—Urban Adventure. The good news is, it’s not bad for that.
- Can-Am definitely did its best to make the Origin a dual-sport bike. The Origin is outfitted with KYB suspension that offers 10 inches of wheel travel at each end—not bad. Although the fork has no adjustment, the shock is fully adjustable. The 34-inch seat height is reasonable for its purpose, and nearly 11 inches of ground clearance makes off-roading practical. The 21-/18-inch wheelset and dirt-ish Dunlop D605 tires aren’t bad, either, and the geometry—rake, trail, wheelbase—is spot-on. However, it’s thick in the waist and has an ADV-style fairing. You must disregard the weight, girth, and range to call it a dual-sport bike. Of course, we can’t do that, so we’re sticking with Urban Adventure.
- The 2025 Can-Am Origin makes a decent case off-pavement. The 21-inch front wheel rolls over obstacles, and the D605s are suitable for hardpack and friendly loam. Riding it on hardpack is no problem, as long as you aren’t dealing with whoops or g-outs. You can get some limited air, though 412 pounds will land with a thud, as the KYB suspension can only do so much without being too stiff for normal riding. The electric motor and fully automatic single-speed transmission make stalling impossible, and power is available instantly. New riders will love not having to deal with a clutch or gearbox. Experienced riders will learn to appreciate the advantages of an electric powerplant and exploit them. Despite its weight, you can easily plonk along like you’re on a trials bike thanks to the manageable power delivery.
- There are two Off-Road modes, along with four street-going modes. The standard Off-Road mode pads down the power, reduces traction control intrusion, and turns off the rear wheel ABS. You can also turn off TC completely in Off-Road mode. This mode is perfectly usable for casual rides off the pavement, and is the best choice for dirt neophytes. It masks errors and builds confidence. Those who have dual-sport chops will gravitate to the Off-Road+ mode. You get full power, less traction control (again, it can be defeated), no rear-wheel ABS, and reduced front-wheel ABS. Off-Road+ mode lets dirt bike riders do dirt bike things—slide the back end into and out of corners, lift the front wheel, and roost their buddies. The fully automatic power delivery allows full concentration on mitigating the weight. Predictably, the harder you ride, the more constraining its limitations.
- Back on the pavement, the 2025 Can-Am Origin excels. While there are plenty of off-road accouterments, this motorcycle works great on the street. The Dunlop D605s offer enough traction, with the four power modes helping them out. The tall perch gives you a great view of your surroundings, whether you are riding on the highway or in town. With 53 ft-lbs of torque as soon as you crack the throttle, acceleration from stops is not a problem, and no shifting is needed. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a low-maintenance enclosed chain with a tensioner.
- The four pavement ride modes definitely have different personalities. You choose between Sport+, Normal, Eco, and Rain. Sport+ has excellent throttle response, though it is best reserved for those with a disciplined right wrist. Normal mode is a perfect around town choice. It isn’t abrupt, yet Normal makes it easy to dart through traffic as needed. Eco mode is slow, which will reassure a new rider. It’s great if you don’t like having fun but want the most out of a charge with the least effort. A little secret is that if you have enough throttle control, the range in Sport+ is the same as in Eco—most people don’t. We didn’t test Rain mode due to bone-dry conditions. It slows down the throttle response while boosting ABS and traction control intrusion. It’s great having four personalities to work with.
- A bonus feature of the 2025 Can-Am Origin is the reverse mode. It seems like a gimmick until you get used to having it. It can be very handy when parking on a grade and you need to back out uphill. It’s a simple process to engage reverse via the brake lever and the start button, though you won’t do it inadvertently. It also helps off-road should you overshoot a corner and end up in a bush—don’t ask me how I know.
- The chassis works well in urban settings. The 21-inch front wheel makes for light steering, and the long-travel suspension effortlessly sucks up potholes—you can even use it to jump curbs, should that become necessary. If you can manage the 34-inch seat height, you’ll love that you can see over many cars, though not trucks and SUVs.
- While the range is inadequate for traditional adventure or dual-sport riding, it’s fine for city dwellers. We didn’t have an opportunity to test the range, but Can-Am claims 90 miles. Even if you drop that by a third because you ride hard, that should be enough for most excursions in the city limits. If you have to charge at home on a 110-volt outlet, it takes over three hours to go from 20 to 80 percent, and over five hours from flat to 100 percent. In town, if you can locate a Level 2 charger, you can go from 20 to 80 percent in less than an hour—a reasonable charging interval at lunch.
- The 2025 Can-Am Origin gives you two ways to actively brake—discs and adjustable active and passive regeneration. While the single 320mm disc and the J.Juan two-piston caliper work together well, active regen is the way to go. Just twist the throttle forward past the stop, and the Origin slows predictably and smoothly. Once you adjust to the braking protocol, you’ll love it, and the most aggressive active regeneration setting almost always gets the deceleration job done. You’ll only need the discs when you need to quickly scrub a lot of speed off. Passive regeneration mimics engine braking, and there are two settings. Can-Am engineers did admit that the regenerative braking adds just a tiny amount of juice to the battery and doesn’t measurably extend the range.
- All of the electronics are displayed on an expansive 10.25-inch TFT dash. Easily read, even in direct sunlight, everything you expect to see on the dash is there. The Origin offers multiple display choices and a split screen, plus you can customize the data shown. Your phone can be paired for turn-by-turn navigation, and you can put it in a handy storage compartment with a charging port.
- We tested the 2025 Can-Am Origin ’73 variant with the Adventure package. The list price of the standard Origin is $14,449. The ’73 adds a taller windscreen, extra LEDs, and exclusive badging and trim work for $16,499—the result looks slick, though the $2000 premium is stiff. Additionally, our test bike had the $700 Adventure package—crash bars and hand protectors—which ups the price to an eye-popping $17,199. That’s about the same price as a 2025 Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro. If you want to go electric, it’s not cheap. Dipping into Can-Am’s innovative and convenient LinQ accessory system that simplifies installation can bring the price into the $20k range.
- No doubt about it, the 2025 Can-Am Origin is a unique urban adventure motorcycle. However, several things work against it on the showroom floor. Even if you want the base model, you’re paying what you would fork over for a 2025 Husqvarna Norden 901. The range limits your dual-sport or adventure rides, and it is not particularly powerful for its weight. On the upside, if you like to ride off-road in urban areas, as I do in Los Angeles, doing it on an electric motorcycle allows stealthy operation and a wow factor. The Origin is also a fine commuter bike, as long as you live close enough to work that the range doesn’t rear its ugly head. Can-Am aimed for a niche market with the Origin. If you have the budget and the right needs, the Origin will do exactly what you want it to do.
Photography by Align Media
RIDING STYLE
2025 Can-Am Origin Specs
MOTOR
- Type: Rotax E-Power
- Maximum power: 47 horsepower (peak); 27 horsepower (continuous)
- Maximum torque: 53 ft-lbs from 0 to 4600 rpm
- Top speed: 80 mph
- 0-60 mph: 4.3 seconds
- Cooling: Liquid
- Transmission: Clutchless single-speed w/ reverse
- Final drive: Enclosed chain
BATTERY
- Type: Lithium-ion
- Maximum capacity: 8.9 kWh
- Level 1 120-volt charge time: 20-80%, 3 hours, 10 minutes; 0-100%, 5 hours, 15 minutes
- Level 2 240-volt charge time: 20-80%, 50 minutes; 0-100%, 90 minutes
- City range: 90 miles
- Highway range: 52 miles @ 50 mph
- Combined WMTC estimated range: 71 miles
CHASSIS
- Front suspension; travel: Non-adjustable KYB inverted 43mm fork; 10 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Fully adjustable KYB shock; 10 inches
- Wheels: Wire-spoked tube-type
- Front wheel: 21 x 1.85
- Rear wheel: 17 x 4.50
- Tires: Dunlop D605
- Front tire: 90/90 x 21
- Rear tire: 150/60 x 17
- Front brake: 320mm disc w/ J.Juan 2-piston caliper
- Rear brake: 240mm floating disc w/ J.Juan single-piston caliper
- ABS: Standard
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 59 inches
- Rake: 30 degrees
- Trail: 4.6 inches
- Seat height: 34 inches
- Ground clearance: 10.8 inches
- Curb weight: 412 pounds
- Colors: Bright White; Carbon Black (+$500); Sterling Silver Satin (’73 only; +$2000)
2025 Can-Am Origin Price: From $14,499 MSRP ($17,199 as tested)
2025 Can-Am Origin Review Photo Gallery
