This is a very powerful mission statement, especially when referencing a relatively flat ATV market that hasn’t seen a whole lot of attention in the past few years. While UTV’s seem to have taken over the four wheeled side of our industry, we at ATV WORLD still have big spot in our hearts for the conventional four wheeler or ATV. With this said, we were more than excited at a chance to check out and ride the newly redesigned Outlanders and Renegades. Almost equally exciting was getting to experience them on the beautiful mountain trails of British Columbia.
CKMP
The invite was to ride the 19 Can Ams at the Carl Kuster Mountain Park near Revelstoke ski area in southeastern BC. CKMP is the dream child of former Snocross racing and X Game star Carl Kuster. A lifelong passion for big mountain, back country snowmobile riding led him to create the park, with access to nearly 100,000 acres of riding. In the winter they offer guided tours and snores camps that can improve even the most seasoned of snowmobilers. As Carl and his guides also happen to be pro level off-road riders, they have recently expanded seasons with a fleet of KTM dirt bikes and some of the best single track in the world.
Luckily for us, ties run deep between CKMP and Ski-Doo, as Carl is a long time sponsored rider and the park uses nothing but BRP sleds. The CKMP lodge is first class all the way, with a massive shop building below, and amazing accommodations and gourmet kitchen on the second floor. The house chefs do an amazing job and they are on hand for both the snow and motorcycle tours. The ATV and UTV trails are a mix of mountain access roads and modified single track trails for more aggressive trail testing. This area provides an absolutely stunning backdrop for photography, but was temporarily hindered by the smoke from multiple local forest fires that happened to be burning while we were there. Overall, this is an amazing bucket list location to ride, and the pictures just won’t do it justice with all the smoke blocking the scenic vistas at every outlook.
THE BRAND NEW OUTLANDERS
As we mentioned, we were completely stoked to see Can Am putting their focus, energy and money into the ATV market with completely redesigned Outlanders. Their statement was “Reimagined From the Rider Down”, and they set out to achieve the best handling, stability, and comfort through a brand new suspension. They also wanted to create the most powerful ATV ever, with a bold new appearance, and all with a value that is more accessible than ever before. Just as they set out to do, the 1000R, 850, and 650 Outlanders all got the same completely new front and rear suspension. The 1000R now leads the industry as the most powerful ATV, and the 650 and 850 both lead their class for HP.
THE NEW SUSPENSION
The biggest news with the new Outlander platform is the addition of its “Industry First” front sway Bar. By design, a front sway bar adds outbound wheel pressure for increased cornering ability and overall turning stability at any speed. We’ve seen them in place on many different UTVs, but not yet on the ATV side of things. With the sheer size and brute HP of these newest ATVs, it makes perfect sense, and we’re honestly surprised that they haven’t been integrated until now. The reasonably small (13.5mm) front sway bar drastically reduces body roll and also allows BRP to implement a softer rear sway bar for increased overall comfort and smoother suspension. The use of a smaller rear sway bar allows for more independent movement between the rear wheels for increased comfort to the rider. Traction while cornering is also improved with enhanced “tire to ground” contact.
The Outlander also gets a new “wider” 48” stance with +1” longer a-arms up front and TTI arms in the rear. This is the real deal way to add width as you increase wheel travel, footprint and stability, without sacrificing steering ability. To save money, many manufacturers will just push out the wheel offset for additional width, resulting in a machine that pushes in the corners versus staying predictable and accurate. The new Outlanders get an additional 1.5 cm of wheel travel in the rear and .5 cm in the front. The Outlander’s longer a-arms are also completely redesigned to incorporate an arch for substantially increased ground clearance. The 2019 model Outlanders feature an unheard of 35mm of additional ground clearance, for a total of 295mm or 11.6 inches.
Completely new suspension calibrations, shock valving and spring rates are developed to work with both the addition of the sway bar and the increased wheel travel. The softer rear sway bar and the addition of a front allows for smoother valving and a much more controllable and comfortable ride.
CREATING THE MOST POWERFUL ATV EVER
BRP has increased the already extremely powerful 1000R engine to a class leading 91HP. 91HP not only makes the 1000R the most powerful in class, but also the most powerful stock ATV ever made. While many riders might never really need a 91HP ATV, most of us will want one! While 91HP might seem a bit excessive for an ATV, it helps create quite a workhorse, allowing for a class leading 750 kg towing capacity. The 1000R’s drive by wire throttle with Intelligent Throttle Control, (iTC) keeps the machine rideable and controllable when needed for work, and allows for full on thrills when looking for such.
Between the three riding modes, (Standard, Sport, & Work) there is a power curve for everyone, and every occasion. Engine torque is managed with a drivability filter, and control in technical conditions is improved by being able to switch modes on the fly.
The newest 1000R creates its class leading 91HP on premium 91 octane fuel, but utilizes a knock sensor to allow the safe use of lesser fuel, with slightly reduced performance. This improved 1000cc class machine also gives Can-Am the power leadership in all classes of available utility machines. Why this is important is because we all know that more power typically equals bigger smiles and more fun!
This additional HP gets to the ground through a 155mm final drive unit that is said to be 50% stronger than previous models and 25% stronger than the previous Xmr.
THE NEW LOOK
BRP wanted a new look to separate its newest Outlander. Up front they started with a new front grill that looks a lot like the Maverick X3. The bumper corners have been reshaped, and are now made with HSA steel instead of plastic. The 19 Outlander also gets a new cast-aluminum wheel design, mudguards and a 4.5” digital display. As for new color ways, the new Black & Can-Am Red is pretty dang sharp and will surely be a top seller.
THE NEW RENEGADE
The new 2019 Can Am Renegades get the same treatment as their rack laden brothers. Just like the Outlander utility machines, the Sport 4×4 Renegade will get the new front sway bar, wider stance, and increased wheel travel. It also gets the arched a-arms and increased ground clearance. The 570, 850, and 1000R will all get these same upgrades, and the 1000R will also get the HP increase to 91HP and the iTC
A DOLLAR SAVED IS A DOLLAR EARNED
The value will also be evident on the dealership floor, as BRP is bringing these massively improved machines to the public at hundreds less than last year’s retail, and even more savings over the competition. The 650 will see a $400 price break, and the 850 will see a $750 decrease. You can also get into the 850 market for $1,650 less with the addition of a non-DPS equipped Outlander 850.
RIDE TIME
The moment we’ve all been waiting for – getting out and riding these new ATVs with real deal improvements, and not just the typical BNG (Bold New Graphics) we’ve been seeing over the past few years. As a forewarning for comparison purposes, I had not spent a lot of time recently on the previous Outlander models. They did however, have a stock 2018 Outlander 1000R for a back to back experience. The first loop was pretty tight wooded trails, and the 1000R felt really good for a big, massive machine. It’s extremely fast, maybe just short of dangerous in the tight woods in sport mode. Turn the thumb switch to std. and you’re riding a machine with completely different mannerisms. It’s still every bit a 1000cc four wheeler, but it exhibits less wheel spin and is all around more controllable in the tighter conditions, especially when wet and slippery. Switching back and forth, I want to say that I was faster and liked the Sport mode better, but in reality it was overkill until you got out of the woods and into the more open dirt roads, hill climbs, or grassy fields. This is where the sport mode shines. Extremely rocky, more technical hill climbs are the exception to this, and we felt it more manageable and still plenty powerful when riding in standard, as compared to the less manageable Sport mode.
The Outlander handled the tight woods loop very well for a big, powerful machine, and was even more impressive when we got out into the more open “grass track”. The CKMP guys had mowed a 3 meter wide “S” type track through the shoulder tall grass. The course was about a mile long, completely flat with high speed switch backs, and even a few tighter turns. Knowing how and why a sway-bar works, this was exactly the type of trail where a sway-bar would prove itself over a machine without it. It was also a complete blast to ride at speed on both the ATVs and the UTVs later that day. We tested the non-sway-bar equipped machine, back to back against the 2019 model, and it wasn’t even a fair fight on the grass track. The at-speed turning ability was incredibly better, and the overall suspension even felt smoother as well.
We pretty much knew that the sway-bar equipped machine was going to have that result on that type track, and I’m sure that’s why BRP built the track as well. So after we were done blasting laps around the grass course, we opted to run them back to back through the woods loop a couple times as well. In BRP’s defense, it didn’t take multiple laps to see the improvement in the woods either. The improvement is immediately evident in the first hard turn you come into at any speed. We were also more than a little curious to see how it performed back to back in the rough. I can honestly tell you that the new machine with different valving and a slightly freer rear end handles better in the chop, and breaking bumps as well.
On paper, the Renegade looks to be just a slightly lighter Outlander without the utility racks. Well it kind of is, but it isn’t! The inch smaller tires, sportier plastic, and more aggressive handlebars really make it feel more like a true sport quad. Confidence is improved and you find yourself doing things you might not really do on a utility quad, as you wouldn’t want the racks to chase you down when things go wrong. That said, things didn’t go wrong, and I had a complete blast jumping the machine of logs, over dams, and through the river. We also found a straight vertical ledge climb up into some single motorcycle track, a handful of other editors were questioning it, and the point and shoot method proved it had zero problems climbing vertical terrain.
FINAL THOUGHTS
These are by far the best handling Can Am ATVs to date, and they are selling for less than the previous generation. If you’re looking for a new sport utility machine for a mix of work and play, these new machines will be hard to beat. The iTC does an incredible job at making an already versatile platform even more versatile, and they are downright powerful in every category.
SPECS:
2019 CAN AM Outlander 1000, 850, 650
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
Engine type: V-twin Liquid cooled
Displacement: 976cc, 854cc, 649.6cc
Horsepower: 91HP, 78HP, 62HP
Lubrication system: Dry sump
Induction: EFI w/iTC on 1000R, EFI on 650/850
Starting/back-up: Electric/none
Starting procedure: Turn ignition switch and hit button
Air filter:
Type: Paper pleat tool-less access
Transmission: CVT, P/R/N/H/L std. engine braking
Drive train: Selectable 2wd/4wd with Visko-Lok QE auto locking front differential
Final drives: Shafts
Power Steering: Tri-Mode Dynamic Power Steering DPS
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES/WEIGHTS
Fuel capacity: 20.5 liters (5.4 gals)
Wheelbase: 129.5 cm (51”)
Overall length/width/height: 218.4 cm / 121.9 cm / 126 cm (86”/48”/49.5”)
Ground clearance: 27.9 cm (11”)
Claimed dry weight: 375 kg for the 1000R; 363kg for the 850; 341kg for the 650
Front Rack Capacity: 45 kg (100 lbs)
Rear Rack Capacity: 90 kg (200 lbs)
Towing limit: 750 kg (1650 lbs.)
Storage Capacity: 20.5L (5.4 gallons)
ROLLING CHASSIS
Frame: Surrounding Spar Technology G2 frame w/Geometric Contact Control
Suspension/wheel travel:
Front: Arched Dual A-arm w/anti-sway bar 23.3cm (9.2”) of wheel travel
Rear: Torsional Trailing Arm TTI w/anti-sway bar 25.1cmm (9.9”) of wheel travel
Brakes/actuation:
Front: Hydraulic discs 214 mm w/twin piston calipers
Rear: Hydraulic disc 214 mm w/twin piston caliper
Tires:
Front: AT 26×8-14 ITP Terracross radials
Rear: AT 26×10-14 ITP Terracross radials
Wheels: 14 inch Cast Aluminum Wheels
ELECTRICAL
DC Outlet…Console
Stator: 625 watt magneto
Lighting:
Front: 2 60W projector headlights
Rear: Dual 55W tail light/brake light
DETAILS
Colors: Black & Can Am Red, Intense Red, and Mossy Oak Break-Up, Country Camo on 650/850
Gauges: Multifuction Digital: Speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip & hour meters, diagnostic center, gear position, engine hour meter, 4×4 indicator, temperature and engine lights, fuel gauge, clock
Winch: 3000-lb (1361 kg WARN
Protection: Heavy duty front & rear bumpers, handlebar wind deflectors, and mudguards
Warranty: 6-months limited, and available up to 36 months B.E.S.T coverage
PRICE: $9,899 to $17,299
2019 CAN AM RENEGADE 1000, 850, 570
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
Engine type: V-twin Liquid cooled
Displacement: 976cc, 854cc, 570cc
Horsepower: 91HP, 78HP, 48HP
Lubrication system: Dry sump
Induction: EFI w/iTC on 1000R, EFI on 850/570
Starting/back-up: Electric/none
Starting procedure: Turn ignition switch and hit button
Air filter:
Type: Paper pleat tool-less access
Transmission: CVT, P/R/N/H/L std. engine braking
Drive train: Selectable 2wd/4wd with Visko-Lok QE auto locking front differential
Final drives: Shafts
Power Steering: Tri Mode DPS on equipped Special editions
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES/WEIGHTS
Fuel capacity: 20.5 liters (5.4 gals)
Wheelbase: 129.5 cm (51”)
Overall length/width/height: 218.4 cm / 121.9 cm / 124 cm (86”/48”/49”)
Ground clearance: 26.7 cm (10.5”)
Claimed dry weight: 323 kg for the 1000R; 331 kg for the 850; 286 kg for the 570
Front Rack Capacity: NA
Rear Rack Capacity: NA
Towing limit: 590 kg (1300 lbs.)
Storage Capacity: NA
ROLLING CHASSIS
Frame: Surrounding Spar Technology G2 frame w/Geometric Contact Control
Suspension/wheel travel:
Front: FOX 1.5” Podium Shocks on 1000/850, Arched Dual A-arm w/anti-sway bar 23.3cm (9.2”) of wheel travel
Rear: FOX 1.5” Podium Shocks on 1000/850, Torsional Trailing Arm TTI w/anti-sway bar 25.1cmm (9.9”) of wheel travel
Brakes/actuation:
Front: Hydraulic discs 214 mm w/twin piston calipers
Rear: Hydraulic disc 214 mm w/twin piston caliper
Tires:
Front: AT 25×8-12 ITP Holeshot ATR
Rear: AT 25×10-12 ITP Holeshot ATR
Wheels: 12 inch Cast Aluminum Wheels or Beadlocks on XC version
ELECTRICAL
DC Outlet…Console
Stator: 625 watt magneto
Lighting:
Front: 4- 60W projector headlights
Rear: 60W tail light/brake light
DETAILS
Colors: Yellow, Triple Black, Black/Grey/Sunburst Yellow
Gauges: Multifuction Digital: Speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip & hour meters, diagnostic center, gear position, engine hour meter, 4×4 indicator, temperature and engine lights, fuel gauge, clock
Winch: Pre-Wired
Protection: Heavy duty front bumper, optional handlebar wind deflectors
Warranty: 6-months limited, and available up to 36 months B.E.S.T coverage
PRICE: $9,899 to $17,999
www.brp.ca
