2015 Can-Am Outlander L 450 and 500 Preview

Lucas Cooney
by Lucas Cooney
Budget-friendly ATVs offer unheard of five-year extended warranty

BRP is providing a major new incentive for budget-minded ATV consumers to choose a Can-Am ATV. New for 2015 is the Can-Am Outlander L family, which comes with a five-year extended warranty that has no mileage restrictions and is transferrable with ownership.

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We don’t often lead a story on a new ATV with warranty information, but this warranty is 10 times longer than the industry standard for ATVs. You might expect that warranty to bump up the price, but the Outlander L starts at $6,399. That puts it $100 less than the current budget king – the Polaris Sportsman 570 – and that is surely no coincidence.

2015 Can-Am Outlander L 450 Action Front

Starting at $6,399 and featuring warranty that dwarfs anything in the industry, the 2015 Can-Am Outlander L series looks primed to be a huge success for BRP.

BRP offers the Outlander L in a variety of trims and two different engines: Outlander L 450 ($6,399), Outlander L 450 DPS ($7,299), Outlander L MAX 450 ($7,249), Outlander L MAX 450 DPS ($8,149), Outlander L 500 ($6,999), Outlander L 500 DPS ($7,899), Outlander L MAX 500 ($7,849), and Outlander L MAX 500 DPS ($8,749).

Power

Providing power to the Outlander L 450 models is a single-cylinder, 38-horsepower, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected Rotax 450 four-stroke engine. At the heart of the Outlander L 500 models is a 46-horsepower, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, SOHC Rotax V-Twin. As a comparison, the Sportsman 570 features a 567cc, fuel-injected Single pushing out 44 horsepower.

2015 Can-Am Outlander L 500 Action

Power options for the Outlander L series are a 38-horsepower 450cc Single and a 46-horsepower 500cc V-Twin.

A continuously variable transmission controls the power for both engines, while a dual-room, no-tools air box is elevated to keep clean air feeding the fire.

Frame

The Outlander L models are based upon the SST G2 frame with Geometric Contact Control that was introduced in the Outlander 1000. According to BRP, the frame is a more efficient SST design and offers increased strength compared to a traditional tubular steel chassis, a lower center of gravity, better handling and requires far less components, materials and welds.

2015 Can-Am Outlander L 450 DPS Camo

Suspension

Five-way preload adjustable shocks are found at all four corners, controlling nine inches of travel up front and 8.8 inches in the rear. BRP says the double A-arm front suspension system includes dive-control geometry for better cornering and vehicle-braking dynamics. Can-Am’s Trailing Torsional Independent (TTI) rear suspension is the industry’s only independent rear suspension designed to allow the rear wheels to pivot up and down in a vertical line.

2015 Can-Am Outlander L 450 Action Left

Suspension is adjustable for preload at all four corners.

Other features of the Outlander L include Visco-Lok auto locking front differential, 214mm front and rear disc brakes, 12-inch steel wheels wrapped with Carlisle Trail Wolf tires, 10.5 inches of ground clearance, LINQ-equipped steel racks (360 pounds of total capacity), 400-watt magneto, 1,300-pound towing capacity, 5.4-gallon fuel tank, and multi-function digital gauge.

DPS package

For a $900 premium consumers can opt for the DPS package, which boasts BRP’s Tri-Mode Dynamic Power Steering, Visco-Lo QE front differential, 500-watt magneto, and 12-inch cast aluminum wheels.

Outlander L MAX

The Outlander L MAX gives consumers the option of taking a passenger along for the ride. BRP says the Outlander L MAX transforms from a one-seat to a two-seat ATV in seconds. A redesigned passenger seat allows for a more gradual bending of the backrest and is outfitted with a new lock with a latch to reduce vibration. The backrest pivots to help reduce kick back to the passenger during acceleration or steep climbs.

2015 Can-Am Outlander L 450 MAX Action

Two-up Outlander L MAX models are available with our without dynamic power steering.

The angled rear passenger handle position allows for flex while riding, which BRP says will reduce the overall impact to the passenger’s hands. The handles also allow for numerous hand positions. For one-up use, the rear seat has integrated handles that don’t limit rear rack space or prohibit single-rider comfort.

All MAX models with the G2 SST frame have foot peg angles and depth that cater to the rear passenger. The footrests also have a third row of foot grips to improve lateral grip.

Out with the Old

To make room for the new Outlander L models, BRP has eliminated all variations of the Outlander 400 and all variations of the Outlander 500 except for the 500 DPS, which retails for $1,000 more than the Outlander L 500 DPS at $8,899, and the Outlander 500 XT ($9,549).

Lucas Cooney
Lucas Cooney

I have been working exclusively in digital media since 1997. I started out with TSN.ca, spending nearly nine years creating and editing content on Canada's leading sports website. I left to join VerticalScope, Inc., one of the world's largest online publishers, to start a number of powersports publications. While at VerticalScope, I've helped create and oversee content for a wide variety of different publications, including ATV.com, Off-Road.com, ArcheryTalk.com, Tractor.com, RVGuide.com, and many more.

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