Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) is an adrenaline junkie’s best friend.

The Canadian company manufactures and markets really cool vehicles that send adventurous riders cruising over just about every type of terrain. There are Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and sport boats, and the always-dependable Evinrude outboard engines.

They also produce Can-Am all-terrain vehicles, as well as ultralight aircraft engines. Even dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers, for whom Central Park represents the wild outdoors, are familiar with the name Bombardier Inc. That company (which spun off BRP four years ago into a private business) is one of two manufacturers of the city’s subway cars.

Until this year, you could confidently say that a BRP product could help you reach just about every corner of the earth — provided, of course, that the trip didn’t involve a paved road or highway. Strangely enough, the last frontier for this rugged bunch of Canadians was asphalt. So when BRP decided to make its first on-road vehicle, it determined that what the world didn’t need was another sports car or motorcycle. But they nevertheless wanted something that would deliver excitement, especially to their core audience, the aforementioned adrenaline crowd.

They came up with the new Can-Am Spyder. BRP touts it as a roadster that combines the nimble handling and road feel of a motorbike with the fun of a convertible sports coupe. Two wheels in front and one in back suggest that the Y-shaped vehicle might be the next trend on America’s highways.

We recently took a quick look at a Spyder in Midtown. It has a low center of gravity and a comfortable, upright seating arrangement; you won’t feel as if you’re crouched into the aggressive racing motorcycle stance required to navigate, say, a Kawasaki Ninja.

Sitting on the Spyder was as close as we got to a road trip, however. Only three states (California, South Carolina, and Delaware) allow anyone with a valid driver’s license to ride a Spyder. Just about every other state requires a motorcycle license to drive a three-wheeled vehicle. But in most of those states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, you can take a special (shorter) three-wheel test that certifies you for driving three-wheel vehicles only. People not planning on ever riding a traditional two-wheel motorcycle could save time with such a test. Still, seeing sometimes is believing, even on a busy stretch of 34th Street. What’s impressive is that BRC placed its own power plant in the Spyder: a Rotax 990 V-Twin engine with electronic fuel injection. It boasts dual overhead cams and produces 106 horsepower at 8,500 rpm.

It’s mean-looking (that is, in a good way) but at the same time suggests its owner has a sensitive side. The engine passes even the most stringent American and Eurozone “green” requirements with flying colors.

For all the talk of hybrids over the past decade, it’s reassuring to find a roadster that combines the best qualities of a number of different vehicles. The Can-Am Spyder, like most hybrid cars, is a niche product. But unlike most hybrids, it’s fast and fun.