Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's How about Can-Am?

Ok here's one more question. What's the reputation of can-am. Stopped by the dealer today to look at yamaha and saw these. Look like impressive well built machines with nice features. I think I gotta consider one of these in a 650 probably.

My only-recent interest in ATVs leads me to believe that Can-Ams are regarded as probably the most powerful and fun-to-drive machines available. On the other hand, they are also regarded as one of the most problematic and most expensive.

Do a search for cracked frames on Can-Ams. Apparently, they had a problem, redesigned the frames, and still have at least as big as a problem on the redesigned models.

Cracked frame??? HHhhmmm that can't be good!!

Maybe I'll stick with yamaha.

My brother has Can Ams. He prefers them to anything else. Never mentioned cracked frames.

The vast majority likley don't have frame problems. According to this 84 page thread on a popular Can-Am forum, there is a poll with 130 respondents, and nearly 28% (36 out of 130) have reported that their frame is cracked. There are separate categories for "dealer checked" and "I checked".

I have no dog in this fight, but I remember having come across this issue just a few weeks ago. Here is a link:

Can-Am Forum with Poll

I believe they are GAY. Just my $.02

Here's what got me looking at can-am. Good ground clearance, comes with a winch, polymer racks (no rust), auto diff lock, 3 levels of power steering adjustment (not sure if this is important)and comes with a little more aggressive tire.

Can-AMs come with alot of stuff but cost more....i bought a 2012 foreman with power steering for 6200$....I could buy a winch, better tires, etc and still spend less than a canned ham costs...but it'll never be as fast as a canned ham, wont smoke a belt either since it doesnt have any like a canned ham

yes cam-am frames both generation 1 and generation 2 have had cracking issues...

if you want the fast utility atv and like to fly through the woods at 70 MPH then yes, get a canned ham,.....btw the tires they come with can easily be bettered by buying replacement tires

i just priced one out online $10,300!!! wow

Ya I think I'm sticking with yamaha, one dealer has a 2011, 700 I might try to make a deal on. Bigger than I wanted.....but if the price is right.

Nothing wrong with Yamaha's, a lot of my buddies ride them and I still have one in the yard with a jag of miles on it. And to be honest I was a died in the wool Yamaha fan for the last 26 years.

But I bought a Can Am Outlander in March......And I'll never look back. There truly is no comparison between the machines. Yes, they cost more, but a Nightforce cost's more than a Tasco, and nobody complains about that......

To be fair, I did have a screw loosen off on mine and I have had a headlight fail, but for what I've put this machine through in the last 3 months.....Unbelievable.

Im curous what makes them so much better? the v-twin that pumps out horsepower and speed? FOr hunting and trail riding, hauling stuff how are they so much better?
i know they go fast
I do think yamaha has the best 4wd diff lock on the market

So Kodiak, can you elaborate a little, is it ride? handling? Did you put your can-am through more "abuse" than your yamaha? When you mention can-am it seems everyone thinks you want the extra speed and power to fly through the woods, which I don't think that's true, and I have no need for even though the machine might be capable. Are you now a can-am brand-loyal guy now? Curious cause I'm leaning back toward a yamaha mostly due to price and I don't need a "monster" machine just would like a mid-power 450-650.

Well this article doesn't paint the canned ham as dominant

http://www.atvaction.net/ME2/dirmod...amp;nid=2A5A273DACC6440281B2D2C45E58FD10

Good article sako, thanks for the post.

I would have to say yes, I've put the Outlander through a bunch more abuse than most of the yamaha's I've owned, but that's more a function of the Grin Factor it provides.

The ride is significantly better than the yamaha, the handling is better, the power delivery is better, the fit and finish is better, all in all it's just MORE. It's kind of like comparing a hand fitted Sako Vixen to a mass produced sako 85. Sure they are both nice critters, but the Vixen is simply MORE of a good thing.

Mind you, I'm comparing apples to cherries. Although I have ridden/owned everything Yamaha has produced on four wheels over the last 25 years, and this is my first Can Am product that I've owned. And the biggest unit you can get in a Yamaha is a 700cc class machine, and the Outlander I bought is the 1000cc Vtwin, with power steering and the quick engage locker up front.

What I wanted with this machine, was a physically large machine with independant rear suspension and a lot of horsepower and low end torque. When I killed a big bull elk last year I was able to get him to an atv trail, but due to the mud conditions of the trail I wasn't about to drag him through muskeg and beaver ponds and mud for 6 clicks back to camp, so I had to quarter and load him on the racks. The mudholes being what they were and the weight of the bull was too much for the bike, and I had to spend a lot of time winching my way through holes at 2am. With this machine, being the size it is and the torque and weight available it's a non issue.

However, that said, I'm not sure that ANY midsize machine would have made any difference at all in the same situation.

But to answer short and sweet, the handling and power make them easier and more capable in tricky situations. The suspension is seemless, which makes them more capable in off-camber situations (although the same can be said of any independant rear machine). Power delivery makes them more capable (kind of like how a diesel is strong from the start, but a gasser might be faster in the long run) as it comes on smooth and LOTS.

A RIDER will be able to get farther on one, than a guy who rides will. But the same can be said of the difference between a sportier side by side than a quad as well.

But I do agree, the Yamaha differential locker is a nice system. I was a full on skeptic of the Visco Lock until I actually used it, and I was a full on lover of the Yamaha locker system up till I ran the Visco Lock. It is simply a nicer system. The full locker on the yamaha is great, if you don't have to turn, or go with any momentum, or climb a steep hill. It does have some apeal in the mud, for sure, but it has a lot of downfall (turning, handling, power availability - governed when it's engaged unless you push and awkward to get at button).

And if you don't have it engaged it's an open front diff and the easier tire spins.

The Visco system is a variable rate locker. Being hydraulic based it runs on channels in the face of the diff, so the tire with more traction is the one that gets the power. If it starts to spin then fluid runs up the ramp and engages the other wheel until you back off the throttle. And it does that in less than a quarter of a rotation of a tire. Pretty slick system, that works.

One thing I will give the Yamaha though, is that the belt system is flawless. Constantly engaged so no slipping or glazing is possible.

If I were looking for another mid range machine, I'd probably go Yamaha due to the weight savings and diff lock. But after riding something with almost double the horsepower of anything else on the market, I couldn't go back.

The other thing to think about, is that regardless of the unit you buy, you are better off buying a tire tailored to what you are going to be riding. All trails, some gravel, stuff like that you would do alright with a Pitbull Growler. Lots of mud and muck and heavy traction requirements, MudBugs, Mudlites, Silverback Lites, etc....

But you need to decide what it is you want the machine to do for you. Great ride, putt around a bit on a weekend, maybe something like the Can Am 650 (which generates more horsepower and torque than any of the 700/750's on the market from other brands), or you want something a bit more utility with less snap to it then a Grizzly 700 is going to be more up your alley.

Regardless, if you go with either of those you are still going to be farther ahead than if you went Honda or Polaris.......

Good explanation, thanks. It's doubtful I'll ever put a machine through what you do, but good to know what they can do.

I've run an Outlander 400 (or 450?) for around 8-9 years now....before they were known as Can-Am they were Bombardier. At the time it had so many more options that the other makers. The visco-lock works great. I loved the CVT transmisstion for easing down steep/rocky washouts. I liked the disk brakes that were inside the frame rather than un-sprung out on the wheels. It was just way ahead of everyone else then when I was doing the research....and the cost reflected it.

When I was looking to buy an ATV I happened by a John Deere dealer near me and they had two of them which surprised me. I'd already priced them at the next closest dealer about 200 miles away and they were more than I wanted to pay.....the JD dealer said he'd sell either of them for his cost....I almost flipped. He said no one around here knew the name so no one would buy them. I took one home and if I'd have had the $ I'd have taken both of them. At that time they came with a 3 year warrenty.

It's been a great machine. Other than replacing a battery and wearing out the pull cord it's been a great machine. I'm not a rider...I use it for working the farm and hunting. I pull a brush cutter with it, drag uprooted stumps and tree tops, I've busted one of the lights, the seat has a couple of melted spots where embers from a brush pile landed on it, carry hay on it, use it for pulling wire, all the tires have been plugged at least once....it gets used hard and has never faltered.

Friends of mine that I've let ride it always mention how much more zip it's got than what they're used to...and some of them ride big rigs.

When I get a new one I'll look them over again and $ may be the deciding factor, but I can't find a complaint on this one right now......

Rode my first can-am in about 3" of wet snow - Helping my uncle flag out a fence line down some ravines. His Yamaha left me in the dirt going up slick snowy inclines.

Part of it was that the can-was a bigger machine, bigger tires and less maneuverable. The ride on the other hand sure was nicer than either my 06 rubicon or polaris 6x6. Power was outstanding, but once the tires started spinning it was dive off and head down hill and find a easier path.

My polaris sportsman 6x6 with the dump bed has been a great machine. Weak point is the chain drives needing re tightened frequently. Newer ones are all shaft now. I've had it loaded with a 3x3x8 bale before and had to have my daughter sit on the front to steer. For a pure work horse when you need to carry a bunch of gear they are good. Ride is what one would expect of a "work truck" type compared to a cruiser. If you have dogs that like to go with you then they will love one of these. My three dogs don't let it out of the yard without them being in the box.

You need one of these...


Ask Mark..."Safariman" ...This is a modified Rokon...Honda ATC 110 engine, Maxis "Bighorn tires"...You can't buy one, but you CAN make your own...hell, for what MOST people seem to use their four wheelers for, I'm really surprised a major manufacturer hasn't latched on to the old Honda CT/ATC patent for the high/low transmission & produced a factory bike along these lines....I haven't yet found a downed log that I can't either go around or over... I haven't even mentioned the side hill capabilities...you get too steep, your four wheeler will tip over...Rokon, not so much...I've owed horses in the past, & there really is no beating them, but unless you have a place to keep them, it's not really economical...In a perfect world, I'd have enough property to care for a few mules & a horse...but the sad reality is that I do not...The Rokon fits in my garage & takes up about a 2'X 8'space....You reading this Mark??? This one is so many times above the one swapped you, that I'm ALMOST ashamed...

ETA; I just got through boiling out the old carb & put a rebuild kit in...it runs great, but my personal feeling is that it's lacking...I'm still happy with the performance, but feel it could have been better....

Tom

In a week or two, I'll post its weight...it'll probably come in a little over what the general Rokon crowd thinks acceptable, but my thinking is that it needs a little more weight forward as it is....

I guess in CA you don't need to hook up a plow to that thing.

I suppose you could if you wanted to, prolly wouldn't work very well...I didn't notice that was one of the things you wanted to do with it. For a go-anywhere off road vehicle though, I love em...

I've had two Can Ams now. After riding a few dozen others, nothing will scratch the itch like a Max two seater Can Am. It's a great utility machine. I'm partial to the two seater because it climbs, descends, and carries so much better than a short machine. Neither of mine have had frame issues at all, but I have had an '06 and now an '11. I pulled a big 44" Swisher rough cut mower with my first one for three seasons, worked the heck out of it. I like my Can Ams because I can work on them. The belt's super easy to change, all of the fluids too, and the valves are really easy to do. The new QE Viscoloc is flawless. My '06 was a sit'n'spin, not the '11. The power steering makes for such a great day riding.

I did upgrade my shocks because I like to ride fast. I put Crutchfield Stage IIs on it. Some will say "bull" but I'm telling you, there's just not a faster way to cover the rough earth. I know it seems like bullpucky, but seriously, over the past six years I've been riding a Can Am 800, well, we wait alot. It makes for a nice way to enjoy the scenery I guess. I've also put skid plates and the Xmr snorkel kit on my Outlander.

My buddy has an Xxc Outlander that absolutely flies. It has a sway bar up front and handles like a darned sport quad! It just eats the earth for lunch, no two ways around it. A stunningly fun and fast machine that'll still hunt and haul.

They're great on fuel too.

The 800s are not without fault though. They run hot. I've had seat melting issues. The new 1000s have a much larger radiator. Sometimes a water pump seal goes out, a real pain. They also do not come with skid plates. On a machine this expensive, it's kind of sad. The stock shocks other than the Xxc package, suck big time. Such a fast machine is really held back with the stock boingers. My Crutchfields turned it into an earth eating warp 9 boogie woogie thrill ride. The stock tires are lame. XTR Mudlites are the minimum. Other than that, I've brutalized both of mine, love 'em.

My first one loaded for moose camp:





My '11 at various stages of fun:








[img:center]http://photos.imageevent.com/huckbb62/alaska/ridin/websize/EskaqunquOutty2.jpg[/img]
[img:center]http://photos.imageevent.com/huckbb62/alaska/ridin/websize/Machines.jpg[/img]

[img:center]http://photos.imageevent.com/huckbb62/alaska/ridin/websize/Floatyoutty.jpg[/img]

They have a new '13 model out that's to die for, it's a Max 2 seater 1000 with remote reservoir shocks all the way around. Amazing machine. I WANT IT!!!! They also have a 1000 Xmr mud machine coming out, should be a beast.

That all said, if you just want a tough as nails hunting machine that won't let you down, a Honda Foreman will do the job for about a third of what a Can Am Outlander will! (been there too). If you get an Outlander stuck (rarely have, but it happens), or flipped over (God save you) the winch better sure as heck do it's job. If you get a Foreman stuck or flipped over (it happens a lot), you can carry it out on your back!

Well here;s the update, made a deal on a 12 550 grizzly they wanted to move due to the 13s coming in. Think I got a good deal and was the right move for me financially. I'm sure it will do everything I need it to and then some.

I think you got lucky & made the right choice.
I bought a BomB twice...won't ever do that again

I bought a Can Am twice, and will buy more!

Honda, baby!!

Wife almost bought that very same machine back in 09, then we found out Honda was coming out with an IRS Rancher with power steering so she ended up going with that one. I think you'll like the 550 Grizzly, I rode one and really like it, if Honda doesn't step up their game and make the Foreman with IRS and PS then I may be jumping ship. That's coming from someone that's owned nothing but Honda's since 1992.

Wow! I'm impressed with your ingenuity.

Terry

Neat Rokon.

I live on a farm and use a ATV to work on stuff all the time. All my neighbors have ATV's as well so I see lots of them. Kawasakis, Polaris, Honda, Suzuki. I have seen one CanAm in the back of a truck at the local cafe. We have dealer support in this area for all the major brands but CanAm is absent. I would suggest you ride one, be sure the local dealer has been around awhile, and if you like it get one. You don't need a lot of horsepower or cc's of displacement for most of things including towing a small trailer, on a farm. My 360 Kawasaki does anything I want. Its pretty good at moving cattle too.

Nice bike! It's on my short list. Can-Am outlander keeps calling my name though.

I run a 500XT and love it. Great ride built very well and plenty of power.The 500 Rotax engine impresses many owners of other larger machines.

The Rotax motor is the best out there with no peers..And the whole bike is pretty awesome too.

AKMTNHUNTER,

my 2012 foreman has electronic power steering so your good there. I doubt anything named "foreman" will ever have IRS because Solid rear axle is built to work like the foreman name implies.... On the trail, in off camber situations on a hillside i prefer the SRA as it keeps lower and less tipsy...

the rincon should get upgraded with lower gearing, power steering, and that will give you IRS

+1 on the solid rear axle. I got rid of a Polaris over that issue.

I thought the same thing with the Rancher too but they put IRS on that machine so anything is possible. SRA bikes are all i've ever owned and it's time for me to step up to the IRS for ride comfort. The only work my Foreman see's is plowing in the winter and hauling the occasional moose in the fall.

Agree on the Rincon but honestly, I don't really need a 700cc motor on my wheeler, i'd be good with anthing from a 450 to a 600.

Sounds like 550 Griz country to me.

They have the best engines, best rear suspension and best locking front axle in the industry. They're web site used to show racing/acceleration/pulling competitions with their competitors and the Can-Am won hands down against every machine out there.

can-am makes good stuff but im not sure rotax engines are the "best", most powerful yes....

i disagree on best locking axle, thats grizzly IMO

rear suspension....not sure there, guess it depends on how you measure


http://youtu.be/g-hS6nOHedE
http://youtu.be/ZbQH995uMdY

This is funny.

http://youtu.be/1eDK49i2hPc

Keep in mind that IRS will involve some maintenance issues which you won't have with SRA. The IRS, unlike the IFS, has a more dramatic angle which places more stress on the offset joint and related parts. We've got less than a year on ours, but the boots on both upper IRS joints have had to be replaced. 4000 miles was about the failure point for them. (This is on a 450 Grizzly.) Fortunately Yamaha has done a real nice job of engineering it so it is easy to work on. Boot replacement - the kit has all the stuff- takes about a half hour including cleaning out the old grease. I like IRS, but SRA is a more reliable system in terms of not have failure problems out in the boonies somewhere. (Although you can run plenty of distance with a cracked boot as long as you don't get into water or mud that deep.)

I agree with your opinion on locking diffs (for my kind of use) but the 1st vid only proves that stock tires SUCK! & the 2nd shows what a good drive can do against a not so skilled driver.

The back to back pull off on pavement clearly shows that on pavement, weight wins, course anyone but a moron would already have known that.

thus spending 4000$ more for a can-am over a honda doesnt automatically make it a more "capable" machine

Yep,

Pavement there is not a better platform to put power to the ground and test the drivetrain. Moron.

When it's all said and done they're all good bikes these day some better than others.Except for those Chondas and the piece of chit bikes from Canadian tire.Also if can am made a bike with a back up recoil pull starter I'd own one.

Not having a recoil start is a minus.

a big one.

They don't have a recoil starter anymore? That is a minus.... My old one does.

The only thing I can think of that might be a plus to the lack of a recoil start would be lower case integrity against water.

In this country, you can drive one for a whole season and never see water deeper than 6".
I did some searching for the cracked frame thing and apparently they do have a problem although I don't know how serious it is. They redesigned it and still have the problem. From what I'm reading on the forums, though, I think the problems are with guys who pound the hell out of them and likely wouldn't happen with normal use.

I've seen some guys ride. They really ought to be on a CR250! (riding wayyyyyyyy fast over serious rough stuff, much much faster than any other quad is even remotely capable of) You can break anything.

I think the problems are with guys who pound the hell out of them

Not true, I'm 40+ years past my moto-cross days

The cracked frame is what's keeping me from buying one. I'm over the fact that they cost a lot. I don't ride like a motoX guy, but it will get used and sometimes hard.

From what I've read, even everday riding has cracked some frames. I believe it's the design of it that is the problem. I've never heard of that from other manufactures.

I believe it's the natural of a "spar" type frame.
How do you keep a single tube from the twist flexing type strains as each individual tire loads it from side to side!

exactly.

I see a lot of cracked and broken Honda frames in the local dump. I'm not sure why...I've rarely seen more than four adults on one or front and rear racks heavily loaded with logs.

that is on the old 3-wheelers. Just think if they loaded them down like you can with a new 4-wheeler.

Actually, it was on the newer 'sideways' engine Hondas. I had to change frames on my old 300 TRX a couple years ago. The saltwater exposure it has seen in the years since build - 98- had eaten the frame into near nothing (and I had used it to hauled god-awful loads of logs; then again, I don't get too crazy when I've got a big load on either.) But, though I didn't crack anything with heavy loads, the engine was all that was holding that rusty frame together. BTW, what's a 3-Wheeler...other than a very dim memory? (I honestly don't think I've seen one running, and maybe only 1 or 2 sitting dead and idle, in the last ten years.) Wish I had one of those old Big Reds though; they were the shizz back in the day.

Middlefork Miner... I am going to start on a Honda/Rokon Project! you have inspired me.. Please post more pictures. I have also PM you for details..

Scott