Can-Am Renegade Long Term Evaluation

Pictures:  Lance Schwartz, Ron Henry
Video: Ron Henry
Words:  Lance Schwartz
Test Riders: Lance Schwartz, Chris Borich

.wmv 35.5 MB

After dismounting the 2007 Can Am Renegade 800 following my initial test ride, the first words uttered from my gaping mouth were “holy $%&!”   With those words in mind, the first thought that came to my mind was, “I certainly hope that irresponsible parents aren’t going to buy this quad for their 16 year old who has never ridden a quad before.”   The Can Am Renegade 800 is a serious machine that should only be put into the hands of experienced riders.  The performance from its potent V-Twin matched with its 600 pound carcass is a lethal combination that could make this machine very dangerous for the inexperienced rider.  However, for those enthusiasts who are skilled in the art of ATV thrashing, this machine has a fun factor that is off the charts!  Every stab of the throttle induces a smile that makes it easy to forget you’re actually riding on a 4x4!

Aggressive styling make the looks of the Can-Am Renegade equal to its impressive heart pounding adrenalin filled ride.

In recent years, Kawasaki has been the manufacturer notorious for building ferocious V-Twins.  At 62 horsepower, the Rotax powered Renegade will positively smoke any other four wheel drive ATV on the market.  We had professional ATV racers Jason “Dunk” Dunkelberger and Chris Borich ride the machine as well, and their initial comments after their first ride were pretty much the same as mine.  By that, I mean they were filled with colorful expletives followed by descriptive adjectives!  The Rotax develops power down low in the RPM range and it never seems to fall off.  In my opinion, the power from this Rotax is far superior to the carbureted V-twins made famous by Kawasaki. 

One recommendation we will be making to Can Am is that the Renegade should also come with a bar of soap as standard equipment. That way, after every ride, your mommy can wash your mouth out with that soap as punishment for spewing an endless litany of profanity about the performance this 4x4 should probably not be capable of having.

Engine/Transmission:

V Twin Fuel Injected and weighing in at 800cc means you better have this quad pointed in the right direction when you pull the thumb throttle trigger.

Rotax is to Can-Am what cupcakes are to Artie Lange!  Unfortunately, cupcakes have transformed Howard Stern’s buddy Artie into a blob over the last few years.  Fortunately for us, the Rotax engine does the exact opposite for the Renegade.  That engine puts the Renegade into a category all its own.  Without the phenomenal engine, the Renegade would likely not be as enticing to potential owners.  With the standard fuel injection, the Renegade fired easily whether it was 10 degrees or 80 degrees.  The CVT transmission does an awesome job of keeping the monster twin in its sweet spot no matter what the RPM is.  The clutching is aggressive, which causes the engine to go from growl to scream instantly.  I see that as a good thing.  RPM’s are synonymous with horsepower, and the Renegade is not lacking in either department.  

Suspension & Handling
I really like the rear suspension on the Renegade.  On my first ride, I came up way too fast on a set of whoops that I thought were going to send me over the bars as the rear-end made contact.  But, to my surprise, the rear shocks completely soaked the bumps up.  They take hard hits well while also not beating the rider up on slower trails.  On the other hand, the front shocks seem a little harsh in the woods, but still bottom off big hits.  If you ride it like a normal human being, you shouldn’t have any issues.  But if you push it like the crew at ATV Scene, the front shocks will protest long before the rears. 

Up front the Renegade's RS-Type double A-arm allows a long travel high pressure gas shock, while the Visco-Lok differential transfers power from a spinning wheel to the one with more grip- a Can-Am exclusive.		In the rear Can-Am utilizes a meaty high pressure gas shock mounted to their RS-Type TTI independent rear suspension. Can-Am says their simple independent rear suspension design uses almost 75% fewer part than competitive models.

The handling was a little off for my taste.  I think the Renegade provides a little too much feedback through the bars and the front end tends to push at low speeds.  On many instances, I found myself having to back up because the front tires pushed the front end too wide in the tight stuff.  With a machine that accelerates this quickly, crisp handling is a must.  On some of my outings, bigger rocks have easily yanked the bars out of my hands. I think with a steering stabilizer, my confidence level to ride the Renegade fast would increase exponentially.  Some of those same rocks also punctured several of the stock ITP Holeshot ATR’s and turned the sweet looking stock aluminum wheels into very wobbly Fred Flintstone look-a-likes.  As a suggestion, we’d love to see Can-Am try a different wheel/tire package.  They look nice, but they fall short in performance and durability. Keep in mind, I’m being very critical of this machine partly because there is nothing else quite like it to compare to.  The Renegade will get you through the woods quicker than any other utility quad.  But, since it is also part sport quad, I find myself longing for more sporty handling characteristics. 

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