Launch: Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs

There’s new and all-new, and the Can-Am Maverick 1000R sports side-by-side vehicle definitely belongs in the second category. The Maverick – as it just so happens, the same nickname I’ve had for the last 30 years... – has been designed to match wits and performance with the Polaris RZR XP 900 and Arctic Cat Wildcat in the sports side-by-side market, where seat-of-the-pants and adrenalin-charged driving are literally part of the menu on every corner.

In North America, the sports side-by-side market is huge, so the battle to win the hearts and minds of the thrill seekers who hit places like the Mojave Desert in their hundreds is intense – and there are always the recreational-utility side-by-sides to satisfy those with who don’t to hang it all out.

In Australia, Can-Am has the recreational-utility market looked after with its five-strong Commander range, which leaves the Maverick 1000R as the ultimate go-to machine for pointing, shooting and blasting your way across all sorts of terrain at ridiculous speeds – and with a tremendous amount of composure. Still, the Maverick does have a multipurpose rear rack with a quick attach and release system. The rack, which is the same one found on the Outlander ATV, has a total capacity of 91kg.

Locally, for $25,145 we’ll be seeing the up-spec Maverick 1000R X rs, which has all the standard features – 101hp mid-mounted Rotax engine, CVT transmission, dual exhaust, 33cm ground clearance, double A-arm front suspension, independent rear suspension with 356mm of travel, and 214mm ventilated disc brakes front and rear -- and added to that is FOX piggyback shocks with full adjustment; 12-inch aluminium wheels; custom steering wheel; special seat trim and graphics; and analogue/digital gauge.

The full-house treatment makes complete sense, as most Aussie Maverick customers will be looking for a competitive edge in events like the side-by-side class in the Australian Rally Championship (here), where Polaris driver Cody Crocker has been the pacesetter since day one. Genuine accessories available for the Maverick include a rear bumper, a wide range of lights, sport aluminium doors, a ‘rock’ protection bar, underbelly protection, and a windshield.

The Bikesales Network recently rode the Maverick 1000R X rs in New Zealand during the annual Club BRP event, which saw Bombardier wheel out not only its full range of side-by-side vehicles, but also the Can-Am ATVs, Can-Am Spyders and the Sea-Doo personal watercraft. And BRP wasn’t afraid to throw in some opposition tackle for comparison, as well. How’s that for a playground?

We rode a Sea-Doo last year, which blew us away with its sensational performance, so in 2103 the major focus was on the new Spyder RT, as well as the Maverick. We’ll follow up with a report on the Spyder RT, which will give us some time to get all the excitement of the Maverick out of our system.

The Maverick may be based on the Commander 1000 X platform, but styling wise it’s miles apart with its minimalist panels, more aggressive front end (with dual headlights) and generally more taut features all-round.

The 588kg (dry) Maverick is simply an outstanding package, and it has that ‘racy’ feel from the outset with the tilt-adjustable sports steering wheel close to the driver and a wonderfully fruity burble from the high-flow dual exhausts, which feature an industry-first catalytic converter.

Strapped in and the one-click side net locked in place (it’s a simple and secure car-like buckle system) it was time to explore the Maverick’s capabilities on a variety of tracks, including a 1km blast along a beach.

The throttle action has that aggressive and raw edge that you’d expect from a sports side-by side, and the power characteristics are pitched towards an instant response from the bottom end – and boy does it take off with a real punch. The aggressive power delivery doesn’t really seem to taper off at all, because the CVT always has it beautifully positioned in its sweet spot, which is probably why it’s such an involving and animated ride. The CVT belts have been strengthened in the Maverick to handle the increased stresses. The CVT transmission has high, low, park, neutral and reverse settings, which you can only change when the bikes are stationary.

I think you’re getting the picture: the Maverick isn’t really ‘sensible’, and in Sports power mode, with the gearbox in High and two-wheel drive activated, it’s exhilarating. There’s just a beautiful connection between the Maverick and driver, a level which a comparable sports ATV just cannot – in my books – ever hope to reach.

It’s just so easy to get caught up in the excitement, but if you want even more controllability switch it over to four-wheel-drive and from Sports to Standard power delivery. You’ll instantly notice the difference. BRP also has what it calls Visco-Lok, which is a locking front differential system that automatically comes into play once four-wheel-drive is selected. The system transfers power from a slipping front wheel to the opposing wheel with traction.

The muscular Rotax  SOHC eight-valve engine – fed by a single 54mm throttle body and two Seimens fuel injectors – ensures the Maverick has the best power and torque-to-weight in class, ahead of the RZR XP 900 and Wildcat. The Maverick has 15 more horsepower than the Commander 1000 X, which was first introduced in 2012. But even in such a pressure-cooker environment and with larger intake and exhaust valves, Bombardier reckons the Maverick has excellent fuel economy – either way, with a whopping 37.8-litre tank it’s not really a huge concern. The engine is nestled in a steel frame.

Power is one thing, but bumps are another, and the Maverick has that covered with distinction as well. I’ve written in the past that sports side-by-sides take the ‘close the eyes and hope’ factor out of the equation with their ability to soak up the heaviest of hits. The Maverick has those top-shelf absorption properties a well, and with 356mm of travel to work with it’s no surprise. But the Maverick brings more to the table than that, and where some really heavy terrain claimed some of the opposition quads on the ropes – I’m not talking busted or broken, but bouncing off course – it refused to be swayed. The Maverick skims over bumps like Chad Reed over whoops in a supercross – and I’m told the standard suspension (we used the X rs model with the trick FOX shocks) is nearly as good, and only lacks the adjustability of the up-spec model.

The front suspension is a conventional double A-arm, and the rear is a Torsional Trailing A-arms (TTA) independent design with five separate links. This compact and lighter setup not only reduces unsprung weight, but also claims to enhance “tyre-to-ground” contact ie traction. Whatever terminology is used, the steering is beautifully predictable, whether it’s going slow or fast. The mid-engine layout also probably has something to say about composure, as the configuration improves mass centralisation and there’s certainly no issue with quick changes of direction – a real thumbs up for a machine with a 2140mm wheelbase.

Front and rear dual 214mm ventilated disc brakes handle retardation on the Maverick, but they aren’t the showstoppers I expected – lacking bite and feel on a machine which is so eager to please in all other areas. The front discs have twin-piston calipers and the rear is a single-piston.

Unfortunately, I was rostered off the Maverick when the beach run beckoned, and all I saw was its behind as it roared off into the distance. That just confirmed how powerful it really is, but it’s much more than that. It’s full of poise, is willing, able and confident – all the ingredients to make it the new darling of the sports side-by-side fraternity.

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 101hp
Claimed maximum torque: Not given

TRANSMISSION
Type: CVT
Final drive: Shaft

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Front suspension: Double A-arm, with fully adjustable FOX PODIUM shocks
Rear suspension: Torsional Trailing A-arms independent with fully adjustable FOX PODIUM shocks
Front brakes: Dual 214mm discs with twin-piston calipers
Rear brake: 214mm disc with single-piston caliper
Wheels: Cast aluminium
Tyres: Maxxis Bighorn

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 588kg
Wheelbase: 2141mm
Fuel capacity: 37.8 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $25,145
Colour: Yellow/Black with ‘X’ package graphics
Test bike supplied by: BRP Australia & New Zealand
Warranty: Six months; extensions available from 6-30 months