Can am ATV

[DrDunc]

Digging this back up.

Been on CanAm website and its hopeless IMO - what's the difference between the models? What do you get standard on the basic bike, and what extra is on the Pro?

Nearest dealer is 2hr away so I can't just go for a look...

Buy a Suzuki king quad

I have both that and a Can Am 500l (current equivalent is the 570 with a V twin engine. Don't consider the smaller single cylinder version, there slow thirsty and noisy).

Can Am is as comfortable, handles far better, has a better revving and more economical engine, better rack load capacity, better towing capacity, longer seat, better electric steering.....

The Suzuki is engineered and build better, and won't cost anywhere near as much in repairs after a few thousand miles I've discovered.

When I can afford it, I'll not have a Can Am and a Suzuki, I'll own two Suzuki.

 

[fergie35]

Pro:

Power steering
Alloy wheels
More aggressive tread tyres
Heavy duty seat cover
Stiffer suspension coils - same carrying capacity just stiffer ride, less roll
D.E.S.E key - coded key to the bike
Raides air intakes and axles breathers

STD:

Less all the above.

 

[Mursal]

All stuff that will only give trouble as the bike gets older.
Bolt on accessories for marketing .............

 

[Downton_shep]

One extra worth getting is the flared arches. Keeps rider and bike clean in any weather. Think the hand guards are standard, also make a big difference in the winter.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

All stuff that will only give trouble as the bike gets older.
Bolt on accessories for marketing .............

How do stronger seat cover, better tyres, alloy wheels or stiffer suspension give more trouble with age?
And I wouldn't be without power steering now.

 

[neilo]

How do stronger seat cover, better tyres, alloy wheels or stiffer suspension give more trouble with age?
And I wouldn't be without power steering now.

+1 I only changed my old bike for this one, in order to get power steering.

I wouldn’t pay extra for alloy wheels, but I would add a strong seat cover (new Outlander seat has an rep of £500) and proper tyres from the start anyway.

 

[DrDunc]

The can am I am learning is not built to last.

They are very comfortable, rapid, and have a very sturdy chassis frame.

However comparing it to my Suzuki king quad, the can am bearings are of poor quality. The can am hardi spicers are so soft that most mechanics cans who work on them carry spares alongside consumables like oil filters and brake pads.

What alarms me most is the wonderful engine doesn't have any clutch between the flywheel and the drive belt. Unlike all Japanese bikes that have a centrifugal clutch driving the main belt, the can am belt is driven directly off the flywheel. Any slip must be taken up by the belt.

While many owners will never put the bike into hard enough work for this to be a problem, hill ground and trailer towing kills the belt.

This design makes the can am less expensive to manufacture, but vastly increases the maintenance and running costs. How it affects the used value will become apparent when I go to trade it in.

 

[Hilly]

The can am I am learning is not built to last.

They are very comfortable, rapid, and have a very sturdy chassis frame.

However comparing it to my Suzuki king quad, the can am bearings are of poor quality. The can am hardi spicers are so soft that most mechanics cans who work on them carry spares alongside consumables like oil filters and brake pads.

What alarms me most is the wonderful engine doesn't have any clutch between the flywheel and the drive belt. Unlike all Japanese bikes that have a centrifugal clutch driving the main belt, the can am belt is driven directly off the flywheel. Any slip must be taken up by the belt.

While many owners will never put the bike into hard enough work for this to be a problem, hill ground and trailer towing kills the belt.

This design makes the can am less expensive to manufacture, but vastly increases the maintenance and running costs. How it affects the used value will become apparent when I go to trade it in.

Used value will be very very poor unless trading for another can-am, the Suzuki is a good bike my friends snapped in half mind so you pay your money and take your chance id say.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

The can am I am learning is not built to last.

They are very comfortable, rapid, and have a very sturdy chassis frame.

However comparing it to my Suzuki king quad, the can am bearings are of poor quality. The can am hardi spicers are so soft that most mechanics cans who work on them carry spares alongside consumables like oil filters and brake pads.

What alarms me most is the wonderful engine doesn't have any clutch between the flywheel and the drive belt. Unlike all Japanese bikes that have a centrifugal clutch driving the main belt, the can am belt is driven directly off the flywheel. Any slip must be taken up by the belt.

While many owners will never put the bike into hard enough work for this to be a problem, hill ground and trailer towing kills the belt.

This design makes the can am less expensive to manufacture, but vastly increases the maintenance and running costs. How it affects the used value will become apparent when I go to trade it in.

Didn't think the belt was dear? Not that I'm saying it's a wonderful design as I'm not mechanically minded. I have seen belt damage, which was blamed on heavy towing in high range on slopes.
The UJs certainly seem to need regular greasing.

Is the Suzuki frame strong enough these days? Criticism levelled at them here in the past was frame would snap. Especially on Exmoor.

Edit: I see Hilly has similar experience

 

[Hilly]

Didn't think the belt was dear? Not that I'm saying it's a wonderful design as I'm not mechanically minded. I have seen belt damage, which was blamed on heavy towing in high range on slopes.
The UJs certainly seem to need regular greasing.

Is the Suzuki frame strong enough these days? Criticism levelled at them here in the past was frame would snap. Especially on Exmoor.

Edit: I see Hilly has similar experience

Can am needs grease or they will eat uj`s lift mine up on pallet forks makes it easier.

 

[hally]

Our new one needed new belt at first service 200hrs, dealer blames us for not towing in low box, even our gator belt went for 1000 hrs
Universal joints are a real pain to grease, and it has a turning circle the size of the titanic. Really not sure why folk are loving them as much as they do on here, other brands must be getting really sh*t as apart from the power steering and suspension this can am is not a patch on our previous 10 year old Honda 500.

 

[Hilly]

Our new one needed new belt at first service 200hrs, dealer blames us for not towing in low box, even our gator belt went for 1000 hrs
Universal joints are a real pain to grease, and it has a turning circle the size of the titanic. Really not sure why folk are loving them as much as they do on here, other brands must be getting really sh*t as apart from the power steering and suspension this can am is not a patch on our previous 10 year old Honda 500.

Maybe your dealer sold you a belt that you didnt need ? ive had can am for 10 years and never put a belt on but do change into low when needed.

 

[hally]

Maybe your dealer sold you a belt that you didnt need ? ive had can am for 10 years and never put a belt on but do change into low when needed.

Yeah we use low when hauling heavy loads, the fact that our old Honda was trouble fre for 10 years indicates that we are not rough with bikes. Challenged the dealer who said the belt was damaged and vibrating so changed it, total bill was £175 for service ( exactly the same price as a 36k dmax pickup service the same week) and said that the 570 had a different engine / gearbox arrangement which was kinder on the belt than our 450. However contrary to other opinion on here we chose the 450 as the demo 570 was seriously heavy on fuel, have we made the wrong choice?

 

[Mursal]

Didn't think the belt was dear?

What belt is this we're talking about, alternator ..............
Never a constant variable drive belt to the transmission?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

What belt is this we're talking about, alternator ..............
Never a constant variable drive belt to the transmission?

Drive belt.

 

[Nithsdale]

The can am I am learning is not built to last.

They are very comfortable, rapid, and have a very sturdy chassis frame.

However comparing it to my Suzuki king quad, the can am bearings are of poor quality. The can am hardi spicers are so soft that most mechanics cans who work on them carry spares alongside consumables like oil filters and brake pads.

What alarms me most is the wonderful engine doesn't have any clutch between the flywheel and the drive belt. Unlike all Japanese bikes that have a centrifugal clutch driving the main belt, the can am belt is driven directly off the flywheel. Any slip must be taken up by the belt.

While many owners will never put the bike into hard enough work for this to be a problem, hill ground and trailer towing kills the belt.

This design makes the can am less expensive to manufacture, but vastly increases the maintenance and running costs. How it affects the used value will become apparent when I go to trade it in.

What age/mileage is your CanAm?

The Yamaha 'ultramatic' and Arctic Cat 'duramatic' transmissions are the best you can buy... but expensive to replace when the pulley bearing (eventually) fails. But 20,000miles isn't uncommon before any sort of drive failure (belt or pulley).

 

[sodbuster]

Got 2yr old 570 pro with 11k miles on it. Any repairs so far have been warranty so cheap to run. Just hope it keeps going til October when I will be ordering a new 1

 

[Mursal]

Surely the wet clutches on the Japanese bikes will outlast a drive belt and be cheaper to replace.
£22 for a drive plates for a Kawasaki KLF after 20 years hardship?

 

[A1an]

Users have a BIG effect on the longevity of any particular marque and getting feedback should be taken lightly.

I am sympathetic towards my machinery, I believe if you look after it then itl look after you.

Ive seen some bikes that are wrecked at 18mnths old. The CanAm will stand the test of time in my hands but wouldn't last an afternoon in the hands of our shepherd.

 

[Nithsdale]

Surely the wet clutches on the Japanese bikes will outlast a drive belt and be cheaper to replace.
£22 for a drive plates for a Kawasaki KLF after 20 years hardship?

That's a manual transmission you're talking about... all posts above are re. CVT belts and pulleys. Different ball game