The three-wheeled motorcycle that already divides bikers and turns heads will become even more distinctive.

The company that builds the Can-Am Spyder, Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. is starting on a four year journey to develop a hybrid gas-electric engine for its three-wheeled motorcycle.

The staggering figure of $11.3 million Canadian Dollars is the price tag given to develop the new powerhouse. The company has raised funds from local government and investment firms as well as dipping into the company’s own cash to the tune of $5.1 million.

The new engine will be developed with the help of a Canadian University, Universite de Sherbrooke's Centre de technologies avancees (CTA) BRP -named for Bombardier Recreational Products.

But regardless of the amount of funds used or the partners brought onto to develop the project, there is no guarantee Spyder riders could be enjoying a hybrid engine at the end of the expected four years.

BRP President Jose Boisjoli has admitted the project is “a calculated risk."

Although first introduced in 2007, the Can Am Spyder is still an unusual sight on the roads. According to BRP, 25,000 have been sold around the world. If riders wonder why the Spyder would be one of the first motorcycles to ride down the road of hybrid engines, one only has to look no further than the concerns expressed by reviewers around the motorcycle's fuel efficiency. Compared to its two-wheeled cousins, the Spyder consumes more gas because of its heavier size and additional wheel.

The project's goal is to cut both fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions by half, while maintaining the Spyder's current range.

"That's a tall order, but it will open the door to (use a new engine) for all recreational vehicles,” Boisjoli told the Montreal Gazette, ”The objective goes a little further than only the interest of our company."