Can-Am Spyder on Discovery HD's Mega World

When people see my Can-Am Spyder, they often tell me, "Yeah, I saw that on the Discovery Channel." I finally saw what they were talking about and it's a very cool presentation.
I think it's awesome that they actually show the early prototypes. They also talk about the inspiration for the roadster which is quite interesting. Definitely worth a watch...

Taco Tuesday - Pacific Beach

I took the coast from Encinitas to PB. It was a great ride! Riding the Spyder is riding in style. I passed scores of people out walking, running, biking, and driving down the 101. What a beautiful existence!

I stopped at La Jolla cove and spoke with a couple guys about the Spyder. They were interested in learning more so I handed them some cards and directed them to the website.

Then I heading south a ways and pulled over to take a couple photos overlooking the ocean. Finally I made my way to Pacific Beach and spent some time between Garnett Ave. and Grand. I meet a cool couple who loved the roadster. I took a photo of them. The guy kept saying, "This thing is so cool!". He wanted to take one home with him. I made sure to direct him to the website and let him know about the Chargers contest.

Overall it was a good day for exposure. Hundreds of people saw me between Encinitas and PB and back. I spoke with and handed out literature to a few groups of people.

Jumping Turtle - San Marcos

I cruised my Can-Am Spyder up the 101 into Oceanside and jumped on the 78 east. After a quick pit stop at the House of Motorcycles - North County, I rolled into the Jumping Turtle bar and restaurant. I parked it right in front.

They have a bar area, a place for bands, some billiards tables and an outside area with TV screens. Monday night football was on, the Cowboys and the Eagles.

I headed up to the bar to get a non alcoholic drink and made my way outside. There was only two tables of folks watching the game. I sipped my energy drink and waiting for things to pick up. They never did. After an hour or so I jumped on the Spyder and headed home.

This place seemed like one that doesn't get going until late in the evening.

20 people saw the Can-Am Spyder and I spoke with a few.

Sunday Spyder Ryders (Video)

Today we took some time to ryde by the Surfrider "Paddle For Clean Water" event followed by a trip to Mission Beach where we spoke with a few groups of people on the beach near Caine's (XX 1090 event location). The "National Scholastic Surfing Association" was there having a surf confrence and I even had a chance to speak with a few of the dads. We then rode all the way up to Pacific Beach. There we found crowds who were on thier way to watch the chargers away game at their favorite local bar. We made sure to show them what a cool vehicle the Can-Am Spyder is. On the way home we did a quick drive by at the Home Depot and the local swap-meet for good measure. As you can see, there were a lot of turning heads.

Link:

Later on we headed downtown to attend a Challenged Athletes Foundation benefit and found an amazing parking spot half a block from the venue in the Gaslamp Quarter. I set some flyers and booklets on the Spyder before we went in. When I came out I found people had taken almost all of them. I came out to check on the roadster and found quite a few interested people passing by with plenty of questions. I took the time to explain the details of the vehicle and also made sure they were aware of the chargers contest. We even found a Padres employee and his wife who were very interested in trying out the "Can-Am Spyder". Overall, it was a great time. Good publicity for an awesome vehicle.

CAF - Million Dollar Ride - training

I woke up early and headed down to Flecher's Cove. This was the site of the Challenged Athletes Million Dollar Challenge training ride gathering. This an amazing charity. The million dollar event takes 100 cyclists who each raise $10k for CAF. They ride from San Francisco to La Jolla, CA in seven consecutive days. http://www.challengedathletes.org/compete/MDC_2006.htm#overview

I knew 3 of the riders. I hung out, chatted with some participants, helped pump tires, and observed the good energy. This is an event that is on my list.

There were 40 or so riders. I was there in general support but did speak with a handful of folks who asked me about the Cam-Am Spyder - the ultimate ride!

Padre's Game & Gas Lamp

It was my first Padre's game of the year. They haven't had a stellar year but it's always fun to go out and support the local team. The energy at the ballpark stirs something inside. It's a familiar American tradition. Nothing quite beats a hot dog, baseball, and thousands of fans!

I took my wife, Noelle down on the Spyder. We started off on some back roads... cruising down the 101 into La Jolla. We get scores of looks, honks, and even some photos taken along the way. One guy rolled his window down at a stop light and wanted to know how much my ride was.

We jumped on the 5 and made our way down town. We found excellent parking near J Street and 6th; right in the heart of the "Gas Lamp" quarter. This is downtown San Diego's happening spot. Noelle and I arrived around 7PM. I was able to fit both helmets in the Spyder's truck - no luggage to carry! This is an example of where sports car meets motorcycle nails it. We were about to head out when some passersby stopped us. "What's this?". I ended up talking with a handful of folks before we heading to the game. It was a superb location where a lot of Saturday night traffic would get a glimpse of this "Batman-esque" machine!

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera.

I'm guessing 100 people saw the Spyder and I spoke with and gave literature to a few of them.

Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon

Well aside from being sore as can be, we had a great time today. I managed to get a parking spot right next to the start chute and completed the run with a nice time. The race started at 8:00AM. Luckily the sun never came out until after the race, and once it was done we moved the Can-Am Spyder over to the awards areas so we could catch people on their way out. We stuck around for about two hours and helped our friends who own the timing company break down their equipment.
While we were waiting, we spoke with about 20 to 30 people directly about the roadster. I gave out about a dozen booklets and stack of the "Test Pilots Wanted" promo cards . In this setting I found that a few people handed the booklets back to me. It's a little more than some want to carry away. I made sure to inform them of the contest and also queried where they lived in order to direct them to the dealership closest to them. It seems my friend Amanda, is happy to help. She has heard me recite all of the specs and my spiel on the Spyder so many times, she was able to fill in when I stepped away. Overall it was a great time and a successful guerrilla marketing strike.