Club BRP: Adventure Playground

While the wheels of development may have slowed for Japanese manufacturers since the GFC, for companies like the Canadian-based BRP it’s a badge of honor that it can continue to innovate and release bona-fide new products – or ones with major facelifts at the very least – year after year. And it’s a breath of fresh air, too.

And to showcase the fruits of its R&D labour, BRP (pioneered by Joseph-Armand Bombardier in 1937 when he obtained his first patent for the development of a tracked vehicle for travelling over snow) holds an annual event called Club BRP, which this year was held in Brisbane – and in 2010 it was the adventure playground that is Queenstown in New Zealand.

It’s all about experiencing the latest from the Can-Am and Sea-Doo stables, both fully owned by BRP alongside other businesses such as engine behemoth Rotax, which has been powering the majority of BRP products for the last 50 years.

And one of the major reasons we were in the Brisbane hinterland was to try out the new Rotax 1000 engine that BRP has shoehorned into the new Outlander (utility) and Renegade (sport) models.

And we were also offered a spin in the Commander X side-by-side vehicle alongside champion rally car driver Michael Guest, who is piloting one in the 2012 Australian Side by Side Rally Challenge. The first round was recently held at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne. It was a phenomenal experience, but more about that one later.

The 1000cc V-twin in the Renegade and Outlander produces 82hp, which BRP claims perches it straight to the top of the ATV ladder in terms of outright power and power-to-weight ratio, ahead of its own Outlander 800R and competitors in the form of Arctic Cat (100i GT) and Polaris (Sportsman XP850).

The 1000cc mill joins the 800R EFI, 650 EFI and 500 EFI units in the Can-Am ATV engine stable, all with twin fuel injectors, four valves per cylinder, overhead camshafts and 46mm throttle bodies. And the engines power a wide variety of different models, so if you’re a cocky, enthusiast or racer you won’t be caught short. The Outlander 800 also comes in two ‘MAX’ configurations – the luxuriously appointed Limited and the XT-P. Both have air control suspension for preload adjustment on the fly, as well as tri-mode dynamic power steering.

And finally, there’s also the Outlander X mr, which is the quintessential  mud-slinger with its Gorilla Silverback tyres for churning through the snottiest of conditions, auto-locking differential, relocated radiator, high air intakes, 1360kg winch and mud-riding footrests.

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But the 1000 engine is just one of the new performance pillars for Can-Am, as there’s also an updated steel chassis (G2), which is claimed to offer increased strength compared to the traditional tubular steel design, a lower centre of gravity, less front dive, increased rear squat to facilitate better acceleration, and increased ride quality.

And then there’s the suspension, with changes on the front focusing on A-arm attachment points in a non-parallel configuration rather than parallel, which is claimed to reduce dive and allow for better cornering. And the independent rear suspension only allows the wheels to pivot up and down rather than in a ‘butterfly’ motion like other systems. The plan is that the Renegade and Outlander only go in the direction you are pointing them.

Although we weren’t given free rein to test out the absolute limits of the updated chassis and suspension, it was enough to get an inkling of what BRP is sprucing – and it’s impressive.

The suspension is the real X factor, as it isolates the rider from even some of the biggest hits – and then maintains trajectory as well as promoting rapid changes of direction. That’s a huge thing, as so many ATVs let themselves down with choppy and harsh rides, which more often than not feed into severe understeer.

No sign of that in the Can-Am camp, with plenty of neutral steering and a lot of trust in what the ATVs are going to do next. And that’s the critical element: performance gains become a waste of time if the chassis and suspension can’t handle the heat.

And it’s not as if the Can-Ams weren’t pressured -- creek crossings, hill climbs, descents, off-camber corners, tight terrain and some punchy little straights were a part of the menu. But they stood form, even the lower capacity units without the latest G2 chassis and suspension.

In press-on mode, the 27kg weight advantage for the Renegade X over the Outlander XT ($17,579) is obvious. Not so much in overall rider quality, but in sheer agility and nimbleness, with the Renegade’s sporting ability really coming to the fore. The Renegade has fully adjustable piggyback shocks.

But then again, the Renegade doesn’t have the 21.4 litres of easily accessible storage space at the rear, nor the multi-purpose rack with quick-attach system. Horses for courses.

The new 1000cc engines are not about delivering a howl of revs – and the CVT transmission keeps that in check anyway. But there’s plenty of torque even from the bottom end, which is addictive in itself – or brings on a relaxed ride depending on your thing. And the engine has a hearty tone to maintain the muscular rage.

The CVT transmission has high, low, park, neutral and reverse settings, and there two or four-wheel drive options. You can only change gears and drive mode when the bikes are stationary.

The Renegade and Outlander also have a fairly light throttle action, ideal for thumb-operated systems where fatigue can quickly settle in.
And the brakes are brilliant, without the wooden fell you so often get on heavy ATVs. The front and rear both have dual 214 mm ventilated disc brakes with hydraulic twin-piston calipers.

Standard features on both bikes include a multi-function digital LCD gauge, digital encoded security system, and a pre-wired set-up for a winch. If you still want for more, accessory packages include power steering, cast-aluminium wheels with machined finish, a 1360kg winch, integrated storage, heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, handlebars with wind deflectors, a 650-watt magneto.

There are a number of configurations for both the Outlander and Renegade, which can be viewed in Bike Showroom, along with full prices and specifications.

The ATVs were fun, but for sheer exhilaration the highlight of the day was a couple of quick laps alongside Guest in the Commander X side-by-side vehicle, priced at $23,740. Only weeks earlier, I had driven a Polaris version of the sports SxS in the Mojave Desert in California and was mightily impressed, but with Guest at the helm of the Can-Am this was another experience to behold. I’d love to race one in this year’s Australasian Safari: can anyone help me?

As you’d expect from a six-time world rally class winner, Guest’s driving is a clean as a whistle, and his vehicle control exemplary – smooth and frenetic all in one.

The Commander X, first introduced in 2012, is powered by an 85hp version of the 1000cc Rotax engine, again with a CVT transmission.

In Australia Rally Championship configuration, the engine, transmission, brakes and wheels must remain standard, and the only real add-on is a CAMS-approved safety cage.

Three rounds remain in the 2012 Australian Side by Side Rally Challenge: Busselton, WA (March 31-April 1), Sunshine Coast, Qld (May 26-27) and Coffs Harbour, NSW (October 13-14).

The 1000 Commander is also available in standard an XT iterations, and there’s also an 800cc one as well.

Sea-Doo dominates the personal watercraft scene in Australia, with nearly 50 percent market share, and then a massive chasm back to Yamaha and then Kawasaki. It’s obviously doing something right, and I experienced that ingenuity first-hand thanks to the latest race-bred creation – the phenomenal RXP-X 260 RS.

Jumping back on a personal watercraft held some trepidation, as my last experience saw me mis-time a jump near Torquay (Vic), and I was jolted  violently forward into the start/stop button on the Kawasaki.  Hence the round mark on my forehead as  a permanent reminder…

But I had nothing to worry about and, armed with a fresh PWC licence, I climbed aboard the RXP-X 260 RS. And it was somewhat of a baptism of fire, as there’s no doubt it’s fast with the 260hp Rotax engine – certainly not for the faint-hearted -- but the biggest thrill for me was the way that the $19,990 (excluding trailer and registrations) PWC corners.

There’s a new hull platform which can take most of the credit for that. Called T3, it’s exclusive to the 1494cc, supercharged machine, and is shaped as a deep V to help you cut through the water. The T3 works in concert with the unique Ergolock system, which keeps your hands, knees and feet locked in place – a similar profile to a motocross bike. It’s also claimed to reduce fatigue.

And there are also adjustable rear sponsons and built-in trim tab for sports bike-like adjustability. And other technology manifests in intelligent braking, a reverse gear system (both unique to Sea-Doo) and different riding modes – eco (less power, fuel saving) and sport. We spent the entire test in Sport – just for the sheer ecstasy.

Cornering is simply a matter of turning the bars where you want to go and it just hooks up and drives in that direction with incredible dexterity. The slingshot effect is quite extraordinary, and doesn’t require the lean-in style which is common with more rounded  hulls.

So that means the RXP-X 260 RS can be ridden any number of ways – from tight to more sweeping ‘road racing’ lines.  Helping us out on the day was a multiple Australia PWC champion, and his speed and cornering was quite phenomenal – nearly five seconds faster than me on a tiny course.

Other features of the RX include twin rear-vision mirrors, a 116-litre dry storage compartment, a digital dash display with 31 functions including lap timer, fuel consumption meter, time/distance to empty, top/average speed readouts, compass, et al.

Accessories include a boarding step ($493), cruise control and ski mode module ($493), and it comes  standard with a programmable iControl learning key to dim performance. Great for novice riders – although I couldn’t envisage too many of them buying this PWC.

For the full list of Sea-Doos, including prices and specs, visit New Boat Showroom.