Finally the information embargo has been lifted on information surrounding Can Am's 2010 lineup of ATVs. It was almost 2 months ago that A.J., Kyle and I went down to ride the new Can Am's, but as always, we werent allowed to talk about it till now. 
So, heres the lowdown on the new rides.
First, A.J. and I are always interested in what changes have been made to any MFG's sport bikes. In this case, Can Am hasent changed the DS 450 X-MX much at all. Just a few very minor tweaks here and there. But, what they have done (and this isnt a secret) is created a racer program with which a rider can qualify to receive a free stage 1 kit for their DS 450. This kit consists of a high flow slip on and new ECU along with some other goodies. What it does for the bike it unleash an extra 30% more power on the bottom end and 5 hp up top. In a nutshell, it makes the DS 450 awesome... or more awesome than it was before.
Next on the list of trickness is something Can Am has included throughout their entire 4x4 line. Everything from Renegades to Outlander Max's are now available with dual mode power steering. Now this is a progressive system which means that in either high or low mode the power steering is less effective the faster you go. Which is exactly how it should work. The difference between the 2 modes is the sensitivity of the powersteering along the entire turning motion. High is for tight, rough terrain where speeds stay lower, low is for fast trails or fire roads. Either way, it works great.
The Renegade lineup gets a new package called the X-XC. This baby is loaded with goodies from the trick color scheme to its cool wheels to its dual mode Power Steering. This bike rips.
The Outlanders now all get the new front end found on the 2009 800R. They also get power steering and some new wheels choices. The biggest news here is a new package called the XT-P. This is the primo version of the Oulander and comes in both regular or Max versions.
Finally, the biggest, baddest Outlander of them all, the Max Limited gets a makeover with a new, touch screen GPS mounted on the bars, dual mode power steering, new paint and the coolest option of all. Something we think is truly revolutionary in the ATV industry. 5 way adjustable air suspension. Basically, this allows the driver to adjust the rear preload via a handle bar mounted switch. A small but efficient compressor under the seat pumps up the custom air shocks to one of 5 preset settings. When you want less preload a valve opens up and lets the air out. Overall, this setup works better than we expected. A huge difference can be felt when moving through the settings. The compressor is fast too. It only takes a couple seconds to bump up the air shocks.
Now, this system would be cool if the only thing it did was offer an adjustable ride. But it has one other function that we think is absolutely amazing. Something that made us all go "hmmm, why has no one though of this before?" On the side of the compressor system is a quick disconnect and inside the trunk you'll find a coiled air hose with standard shrader fill valve. Simply take off the seat, connect the hose (thats easily over 10 feet long) and fill up your flat tires... or its long enough to fill a buddies tire from a good distance. With different fill attachments you could easily use this system to fill a rubber dingy for fishing, water toys for the kids or an air mattress for camping. If you like multi purpose toys on your ATV... this is the best one of all.
So now youve got all the info I was holding back on from Can-Ams 2010 new model intro. Stay tuned for more information and a full story about this intro on the show later in the season.
Until next time
L.
So I just got back from a weeks holidays in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Motorhead, Mark Lester (also, my dear ol' dad) and Mom take their 5th wheel trailer down there each year and my wife, Emmy and I stay for a week while its down there. The air was hot, the water was warm the beach was sandy. Over all, it was great.
On the way back home we had about a 3 hour layover in Philadelphia. While we were at the airport we decided to grab some super healthy fruit smoothies. Now, for reference, a smoothie is basically a tiny portion of fruit and a bunch of ice all chopped up. Not really difficult right. Apparently something about this fruit/ice combo warranted $4 each. I was thirsty, the wife was too... $4? Whatever.
