Can-Am Renegade 800

Escape Claws

Genuine innovation doesn't come along all that often in the ATV world so you have to admire Can-Am for throwing everything they had into an innovative quad like the 800cc Renegade. Can-AM calls it a 'hybrid' that mixes the genes of the sports 650 with those of the Outlander utility quad. The idea that recreational riders needed an 'all access' quad sprang to life in 2002, and the Renegade was always going to be based on the Outlander, but with a few modifications to prepare it for its new vocation.

When we saw this machine as a preproduction model in Europe we wondered what Australians would make of it. It was unlike anything they'd seen - unlike anything anyone had seen. Combining all-wheel drive capability, a dual-range transmission and 800cc wasn't unusual, Can-Am had already done that with the Outlander, but locking those features into a compact sports quad that was seriously fast and could handle very rough terrain was certainly new.

THE BASICS
The Renegade shares many of the Outlander 800's chassis characteristics. It has the same length, width and height, the same wheelbase (1295mm) and the same seat height (877mm). It has the Outlander's SST spar-frame and fuel injected Rotax 800 V-twin of course, nonetheless it tips the scales at 270kg, a good 25kg under the Outlander's dry weight (and, by the way, 4kg under the weight of what is probably its closest competitor, the Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4x4).

Under the floorboards is the same all-wheel drive componentry used on the Outlander series, with switchable 2WD/4WD and Can-Am's Visco-Lok front differential, basically, a multi-plate clutch that transfers driving torque from the spinning wheel to the gripping wheel. Ground clearance is a generous 305mm (12 inches). The transmission shifter is positioned on the righthand side of the front cowl and moves in a simple L,H,N,R,P pattern.

We expected to see twin inboard discs on the front, after all the DS650X has them and you think they'd be natural on a machine with cross-country genes, but Can-Am opted for outboard discs on the front and an single inboard disc on the rear drive-shaft. The reason resides within the shocks; they're high pressure gas units that are lighter than hydraulic shocks and therefore reduce the concern over unsprung weight (the weight carried by the suspension). Can-Am says that the Renegade has more responsive and precise handling with outboard brakes and is less prone to nosedive under hard braking. They also believe that mud and debris would not be a problem for outboard discs on a 4x4 sports machine.

We thought the brakes were easily strong enough to haul down the Renegade's rampaging 270kg. Like every North American and Canadian ATV, this one has all-wheel braking controlled by the brake lever and rear-wheel-only braking controlled by the brake pedal. Using the rear brake to initiate power-slides is the obvious technique for blasting around turns on fast fire trails and gravel roads, and since the rear brake has plenty of feel as well as power, the technique works very well in the hands of an expert.

THE BODYWORK
Renegade bodywork is compact, sporty and sharp. Can-Am shied away from the current obsession with 'bug faced' quads, favouring instead an angular treatment, with four hugely powerful, 60W headlights mounted under the leading edge of the front guards. On low beam the lights throw a bright wide arc, while the 'projector beam' lenses focus the light to a large and almost perfectly round roo shooters' spottie whose reach and penetration is exceptional. We've never encountered a standard headlight setup this good on a car, 4WD or ATV. It's just what you'd need on the Dakar and no doubt Can-Am is aware of that.

A small dry storage compartment sits near the tail-light but in our opinion it's not big enough if you're thinking of remote adventuring. Fortunately, Can-Am is working on a dry cargo box for the Renegade, as well as a rear rack, a winch and a higher front bumper.

THE SUSPENSION
The front-end uses the double A-arm setup we're used to on Can-Am equipment, and down the back is the familiar TTI independent trailing link design. Both ends are now controlled by new gas shocks with 26mm more travel.

How does this setup perform? It gives the armchair ride we admired so much on the big Outlander 800, but with the level of control you need on an ATV with this much power and speed. If Can-Am intended to isolate the rider from trail shocks they certainly succeeded. You can thunder across hard-arse terrain and not get belted around by suspension that is either too hard or rebounds violently in perilous directions after landing from a drainage hump (or what Queenslanders call a 'water boy').

You'd have to give the Renegade nine out of 10 for ride quality too, it's superb, and on top of that it goes where you point it. It doesn't understeer like a Polaris Sportsman, actually takes very little physical effort to turn in two-wheel drive, and of course on fast fire trails you can use the time-honoured technique of steering with the throttle. It's the classic quad attack: come in under brakes, set up the counter-steer on entry and get back on the gas as you hit the apex. If the Yamaha Raptor 660 set a new standard in two-wheel drive steering precision, the Renegade takes it up another notch.

If you want to slide, stick it in 2WD. If you need to reduce the footprint, or get across something ugly ( like a bowling green), select 4WD and creep across it - no-one will hear a thing. And we really like this machine's versatility. In low range it will pick its way quietly through creeks and washouts without getting shitty because you don't have the throttle pinned to the stops.

When you come across a deep creek bed or jump-up on a two-wheel drive ATV you have to stop and ask yourself that famous question, am I feeling lucky? But that stuff won't trouble you on a Renegade. With low range four-wheel drive it's as capable as any utility quad, and noticeably lighter than most of them, so all you do is flick it into 4WD, bang it in low if its super nasty and pull the trigger. You don't have to rely on momentum any more, this engine and tranny combination will get you up there - provided of course you have the necessary riding skills to make it happen.

THE ENGINE
We described the Outlander 800 as having enough power for anyone and too much for some. Same goes for the Renegade. This is not a beginner's quad so don't stick your granny on it. In its latest incarnation the transmission has been tweaked to give better acceleration ( almost one second better on the 0 to 100kph scale), and about 5kph more top speed. The Outlander 800 weighs 295kg while the Renegade weighs 270kg and has the same amount of gob-smacking, pull-that-sailor-off-your-sister grunt. No-one needs any more power than this fantastic trail engine provides. But don't get carried away, and don't come into a corner all crossed-up and cranky if you don't what you're doing. That'll hurt.

On the other hand, there's a nice finesse to the drivetrain that lets you creep when you have to as well as thunder when you feel like it. The big V-twin will lay your ears back alright, but it's also a subtle tool when you want to sneak through difficult terrain without leaving a mark and with total control. The engine has plenty of firepower at launch but it's willing to work at low revs when you're trying to get to something important, like a pub at the top of a big rock ledge. The fact that it has a locking front diff simply makes things easier, and without you having to make any decisions.

WHO'S GOING TO BUY IT?
Now there's the rub. We think the Renegade is a fantastic machine that good riders will really enjoy, if they're trail riding types, and that's where Can-Am could strike a problem. Trail riding is popular alright, but given the lack of suitable riding areas - we get more letters about that than about anything else - people who buy a serious recreational ATV like the Renegade will then have to figure out where the authorities will let him ride it. ( Frankly, we believe ATV distributors should lobby the government much more actively on this issue - that wouldn't be difficult; they're doing nothing at the moment - but that's another subject for another day).

You could take this quad to the dunes but frankly that would be a waste. It's much happier on remote trails than following Tommy TRX around Stockton Beach. And it'd be a shame not to make use of the Renegade as the maker intended. Australians need educating in the pleasures of trail riding on an ATV, and if they want to combine the pleasures of sports riding with all-terrain capability, we can't think of anything more capable than a Can-Am Renegade.