“I feel the need…. The need for speed!” Yeah, it’s a cheesy line from an iconic 80’s movie that centers around a pilot named Maverick. Why use it in the opening line of this story? Because that’s what many of the high-performance SxS enthusiasts are saying when they’re walking around the floors of their local dealers trying to decide which machine to drop their hard earned cash on. Over the last year and a half we’ve seen this market take off since Polaris released their popular RZR XP 900, which blew the doors off of everything in its class; Because there was nobody else in that class. Arctic Cat launched the Wildcat last year and for people that were looking to tame Baja style terrain, this was the way to go but plenty of people were still waiting to see what Can-Am had under their sleeve. Of course they would be a player because they had one of the most powerful engines in the business, so surely they weren’t going to be outdone. Rest assured, the engineers studied and took their time to make a quality product because they didn't want to bring a knife to a gunfight. Enter the all-new Can-Am Maverick 1000R.
Commander on steroids? No Way!
Some might think that Can-Am played things save and produced a Commander that has a few improvements, but those people couldn't be any more wrong. While you will see some similarity of the Commander in the cage that is the only part of this machine that is the same. From the bodywork to the front suspension, everything is brand new from the ground up and the same can be said for the rear end as well. The front suspension uses a dual a-arm setup that is outfitted with Fox Podium X Performance 2.0 piggy back shocks that feature compression and preload adjustments, providing 14” of wheel travel. The rear end of the Maverick is outfitted with Can-Am’s Torsional Trailing Arm (TTA) suspension was designed for serious performance with 14” of travel as well with the same shock package as the front. The thing engineers boast about is how light the system is making for the least amount of unsprung weight compared to any other machine in its class. There’s plenty more info on the suspension but we know what you’re really foaming at the mouth for, and that's the information on the power of this machine.
Are you ready for 101HP? We hope so because Can-Am has pulled out the stops to create the most powerful engine with its 1000R. The 976cc V-twin, liquid-cooled, SOHC engine is fed by a 54mm throttle body with twin Siemens VDO fuel injectors. To maximize performance, the amount of flow from the intake plenum and runners to the throttle body has been increased, compression has been raised to 12.0:1 and a high-flow dual exhaust system ensures that spent gasses leave as fast as fresh air gets in. The Maverick also features an industry first closed loop fuel injection system complete with catalytic converter that ensures the optimal fuel delivery and combustion.
Mated to the engine is an updated CVT transmission that showcases a new belt that is reinforced with Zylon, which is a material that has 1.6 times higher tensile strength and increased belt rigidity in compression when compared to a regular belt. It also features a dual exhaust for the belt as well to ensure cooler temperatures and a long belt life under extreme conditions.
Another engine/chassis benefit that the Maverick has over both the Polaris XP and Arctic Cat Wildcat are a high frame rigidity and mid-engine mounting location. This setup gives the Maverick a low center of gravity and improves the side by side weight distribution which in turn makes the Maverick quicker to react to direction changes. The Maverick sports 13-inches of ground clearance so you can blast through the desert with confidence as your 27-inch Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 tires shred terra firma. To ensure that you can stop as quickly as you’ve accelerated with that 1000R engine, the front and rear end is equipped with dual 214mm vented disc brakes. To ensure total driver and passenger comfort, the Maverick features the most spacious cockpit out of any sport-performance SxS in the industry and has been designed to cater to the needs of drivers of various sizes. The adjustable drivers seat and tilt steering wheel allow any driver to feel 100% comfortable in the seat and the 3-point seat belts, quick-attach side nets and 2-inch ROPS-approved roll cage ensure you can mob through the desert with confidence.
As far as storage is concerned with the Maverick, this is like nothing you’ve ever seen before on any SxS. Can-Am opted to get rid of any bed whatsoever and instead installed a rear rack like you find on the new Outlander ATV. This eliminates plenty of weight but at the same time allows you to take advantage of the many linQ quick attach accessories that are available through Can-Am’s aftermarket catalog. The rack can accommodate up to 200-pounds of cargo, which unless you’re doing severe work with this machine on a farm or worksite, should be more than plenty for the average user.
For those of you who want a sportier version of the Maverick you can order up the Maverick 1000R X rs, which comes with fully adjustable Fox Podium 2.5 shocks, race inspired graphics, aluminum beadlock wheels and plenty of other specialty add-ons.
If the release of the Maverick wasn't news enough for you, just wait till the summer of 2013 when Can-Am makes the Maverick 1000R Max and 1000R X rs Max available to the public. This 4-seat marvel is 29.3-inches longer than the 2-seat Maverick and makes it more than 3-inches longer than it’s closest multi-passenger sport-performance competitor.
For an in-depth review on the Maverick 1000R and X rs models, be sure to pick up ATV Rider on the newsstands, or in the iTunes bookstore and even check back on the website to stay current on anything and everything in the ATV and SxS world.