I never got a tricycle as a kid...

So I got sucked into an Internet ad the other day (yes, sometimes they really work) and discovered the Can-Am Spyder Roadster. Basically a motorcycle, except it has two wheels in the front, presumably for better control (and, ahem, better balance). So curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to find out how much they are. Enter Craigslist...

they make pink ones.

(cue Hallelujah chorus)

(please note: link may be invalid at the time you read this, it is included for reference)

This is a 2008 model (how have they been making them for that long and I've never heard of it??), priced out at just under $15,000, with about 5,000 miles on it, from SS Auto Brokers in Ogden. Is it redundant to say I WANT IT?

Washington State requires a motorcycle license to operate this, though, due to its oddness, that is not necessarily the case for other states. The Can-Am website does provide state-by-state requirements. Smart.

For me, I think the draw is that it's "open-air" and I don't have to worry about a patch of gravel taking me out like it would on a bike. That being said, apparently these things only get a max of 35mpg on the freeway, which sucks compared to your average bike, and regardless of whether it's pink or black, these definitely look like chick bikes. There's also a semi-automatic option on them, so it's easier to shift than a standard motorcycle. Bonus for me, but kinda hurts the street cred. I'm so terrible with shifting and using the clutch that who knows if I'll ever get a bike for real. It's no fun if I kill it every time I come to the freaking stoplight. The new automatic-transmission bikes have me hoping though...