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By: Jason Giacchino
Can-Am Tricks Out the
DS450 So You Don’t Have To
For 2009, especially where the 450cc race
class is concerned, many of the OEMs have
decided to step up their game in the form of
specialization. Sure they’ve all had entries in
the class for the past few seasons, but the big
news of late comes in the form of limited
edition models designed with specific race needs
in mind. KTM, for example, expanded its
cross-country-intended XC line of quads to now
include SX versions designed for motocross
specifically. Yamaha intends to release a
motocross-built version of the YFZ450 (called
the 450R) for 2009, and Can-Am has a similar
trick up their sleeve as well.
Introduced only a year ago, the
Can-Am DS450
has quickly become one of our favorite 450cc
quads--thanks in no small part to a laundry list
of innovations not shared with any other ATV on
the market today. While a single year may not
seem like a whole lot of time for a model to
become stagnant, Can-Am realizes that the
competitive nature of the premier racing niche
will require constant R&D attention in an effort
to keep their edge. So for 2009 the DS450 will
receive not one but two siblings, each designed
with a specific racing application in mind. Yes,
the base model DS will still be available (in a
slick red and white color scheme to celebrate
Can-Am’s racing heritage no less) for the lowest
MSRP ($7599) of the bunch.
The two new DS450s will each bear the X
moniker (meaning that Can-Am has tricked them
out right at the factory) followed by two
letters to indicate their design intentions: XC
and MX. As you may have already figured, XC
denotes Cross-Country and this version of the X
package comes set up for GNCC style race
courses. With an MSRP of $8799, it sits right in
the middle of the three models. We took a look
at the motocross-package (MX), which, while the
more heavily modified version of the DS family,
sits on top of the price scale at $8999. Both X
models are distinguishable from the base model
DS from afar thanks to an all black color scheme
broken up with just enough yellow trim to remind
us of a killer bee. We unloaded the 2009 Can-Am
DS450X MX right at our local MX track to see if
Can-Am invested the $1400 (over the base model’s
cost) wisely.
Before we dig into the new top-of-the-line X
package, we should probably get up to speed on
the base model DS450 because, after all, Can-Am
has actually made a handful of changes to what
we already considered a very well-rounded
machine. Aside from the plastic color variation
mentioned above, Can-Am went back to the drawing
board and ditched the small round lenses found
on last year’s DS. In their place are
redesigned
headlamps with more angular charms (a la
Yamaha). Additionally Can-Am added a
quick-adjust clutch perch, which completes the
theme on the bars (last year had only the quick
adjust brake lever). Aside from these small
tweaks, the base model DS is essentially the
same
450cc Rotax powered beast we’ve known and
loved.
And loved it we have, thanks to a whole host
of intriguing ingenuity found nowhere else in
the industry. Offering up such features as a
weld-less ALTEC aerospace grade dual pyramidal
frame (riveted like the fuselage of an aircraft)
cast aluminum A-arms, a
hollow rear axle,
inverted brake calipers, what wasn’t to love?
Besides, after a year of abuse, we can speak
pretty openly about the impressive reliability
the machine boasts. For the X package, the
Can-Am design team wanted to push the envelope
even further and specifically targeted customer
requests/complaints when laying out the spec
sheet. Even more impressive still was the
knowledge base the factory had to work with
coming in the form of feedback from racers such
as John Natalie, Jr. and Jeremy Lawson. In truth
the end result of a bone stock DS450X MX isn’t
all that different from the machines beneath
said champions!
Here’s what Can-Am added to turn the DS450
into the X MX variation:
Aluminum nerf bars,
heel guards, and bumpers, factory installed kill
switch (and tether), adjustable width axles
(46-50 inches),
+1 inch anti-vibe steering stem,
and ITP Quadcross MX Pro tires mounted on
ITP
wheels (T-9GP front/ T-9 Trac-lock rear). The
front end is now full regulation width at 50
inches (up from 46) via trick
+2 inch A-arms (camber and caster adjustable). Can-Am also
managed to lower the ride height of the DS for
the specific demands of the MX track through an
absolutely gorgeous Kashima-coated KYB HPG
suspension package. Although difficult to
discern visually, Can-Am assures us that the MX
version’s shocks offer longer stroke, larger
diameter shock bodies, pistons and shafts over
the base DS and X XC package. The shocks are, as
expected, fully adjustable: High and low-speed
compression damping, high and low speed rebound
response, and preload (on the shock reservoirs).
All told the X MX boasts an impressive 10.7
inches of wheel travel! Can-Am says its goal
with the X packages is to make machines that can
be raced with absolutely zero modifications. The
spec sheet certainly seems compliant, but what
about the ride?
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