#Can-amCommander

Three off-road vehicle manufacturers ( BRP/Can-Am, John Deere and Polaris) issued a total of four recall notices in January, all involving Side-by-Sides.

Can-Am Commander

BRP issued two separate recall notices for the Can-Am Commander. The first notice was issued on January 10 due to a improper assembly of the steering column to the rack and pinion, which can result in the loss of steering control. This recall affects about 3,400 models, including the 2011-12 Can-Am Commander 800 and 1000, 2011-12 Can-Am Commander XT 800R and 1000, 2011-12 Can-Am Commander X 1000, and 2012 Can-Am Commander Limited 1000.

BRP has received three reports of loss of steering, but no injuries have been reported. Affected models were sold at Can-Am dealers nationwide from April 2011 through December 2012 for between $11,700 and $21,000.

The second Can-Am Commander recall was issued on January 29. According to the recall notice, debris such as leaves, hay and grass in wet terrain areas can collect in the vehicle’s exhaust pipe area in a short period of time. A hot exhaust pipe and accumulated debris that has dried poses a risk of fire. This recall affects about 25,000 models, including the 2011-13 Can-Am Commander 800 and 1000, 2011-12 Can-Am Commander XT 800R and 1000, 2011-12 Can-Am Commander X 1000, 2012-13 Can-Am Commander Limited 1000, and 2013 Can-Am Commander DPS 800R and 1000. The affected 2013 models only affect those with the front grill kit.

BRP has received 18 reports of fires related to accumulated debris in the exhaust pipe area, including one report of minor burns to the hand. Affected models were sold at Can-Am dealers nationwide from April 2010 through November 2012 for between $11,700 and $21,000.

With the GNCC returning from its annual summer break, Can-Am racers got back to work and picked up five class victories at the Unadilla GNCC in New York state. In the New England ATV Motocross (NEATV-MX) series, three Can-Am DS 450 racers swept the Pro class at round 10 held in Epping, NH. At the final round of the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS), Can-Am-mounted racers won four classes in Taft, Calif.

“I was extremely pleased with all of our 4×4 racers’ efforts on the challenging Can-Am Unadilla GNCC course. Having five class wins was a nice way to start the second half of the season,” says Jimmie O’Dell, race manager, Can-Am. “Josh Creamer kept his perfect season alive, winning both the Pro and Pro-Am classes and earning the 2012 Pro and Pro-Am titles. It was gratifying to see Josh Frederick finish second in the SxS Production 1000 class and also take second overall in the ATV Pro ranks. Both he and Dillon Zimmerman put in a solid year for team Motoworks / Can-Am.”

It’s been rumored for a while, but we can now confirm that BRP will be unveiling a brand new Can-Am Commander at the Sand Sports Super Show in Torrance, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2012.

We thought Can-Am would be looking to introduce a four-seat Commander, but the Canadian manufacturer released a teaser image that looks very much like a machine aimed at the Polaris RZR XP 900 and Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000. We put together a comparison photo of the teaser image next to the Commander 1000 X to give you an idea of the differences.

Lone Star Racing has teamed up with Murray Motorsports, who is racing its Can-Am Commander in the 2012-13 World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS).

Lone Star will be providing suspension components and support for the team. Lone Star has more than a few championship titles under its belts in the WORCS series with racers like Doug Eichner, Chris Ward and Jeff Stambaugh all winning championships piloting LSR suspended UTVs in the WORCS series. Murray Motorsports will be running LSR’s line of long-travel suspension kits on their newly built Can-Am Commander 800 and 1000 specifically for the WORCS series.

Murray Motorsports has some very impressive results under its belts as well, like winning the 2012 Mint 400, the Henderson Desert Challenge, Silver State 300 and finishing second place in the Baja 500. The team is currently on a 17-consecutive desert finishing streak with over 4,000 miles of desert racing behind it and is currently in the points lead in the BITD 1900 pro UTV class.

Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 racer Josh Frederick and teammate Dillon Zimmerman each finished in the top 10 of the World Off-Road Championship Series Pro class held at On The Edge Raceway in Enterprise, Utah. Frederick posted a fourth-place finish and Zimmerman rallied to finish seventh overall. Collins Webster, Can-Am X-Team DS 450 racer, earned third overall in the Pro-Am class.

“It was a very challenging weekend in Utah, for Motoworks / Can-Am pros Josh Frederick and Dillon Zimmerman. They battled their way through deep-water crossings and a very rocky, short racecourse that forced many bottlenecks. Even with the difficult conditions, I was proud of the way both our riders never quit and fought all the way to the end. We have two races remaining to show them what we’re made of and we will continue to keep fighting for the championship until the very last race of the season,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “Collins Webster had a good race on a very difficult course to put his Can-Am DS 450 on the Pro-Am class podium again.”

BRP has announced that it is moving the assembly of Sea-Doo personal watercraft from its Valcourt, Quebec facility to a new plant in Mexico. The new plant will also handle production of engines currently being manufactured in Juárez, allowing for increased production capacity in Juárez for Can-Am ATVs and side-by-side vehicles. Finally, BRP will assign North American distribution of its parts, accessories and clothing (PAC) to a logistics provider. These changes will affect approximately 500 employees.

“Building a global multi-market business is an ongoing process. To remain a market leader, BRP needs to constantly challenge itself and adapt to change,” says José Boisjoli, president and CEO. “This is not the first time that we change things at BRP; nor will it be the last. While we remain very much committed to our heritage and roots in Valcourt, we must become more flexible to leverage our growth opportunities.”

BRP will provide nearly US $1.8 million to support its Can-Am ATV and Side-By-Side Racing Contingency Program for the 2012 racing season. BRP has added more regional racing series as well as improved the contingency program for select Can-Am ATV and all Can-Am Commander side-by-side vehicle racers for 2012. Racers who compete on Can-Am ATVs and side-by-side vehicles in both Canada and the United States are eligible for a cash payout through the program for the upcoming racing season.

“We remain dedicated in our support of both professional and amateur Can-Am ATV and side-by-side vehicle racers,” says Denis Morin, vice-president, Product Development & Racing at BRP. “Our class-leading contingency program is essential for rewarding those racers who choose to compete on our products and be part of the Can-Am family. Racing is deeply rooted in our heritage and serves as an integral resource for furthering product development and innovation.”

Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 ATV racers Josh Creamer and Josh Frederick each won the Pro class in their respective series to inch closer to the overall points lead. Creamer, who competes in the New England ATV Motocross Series (NEATV-MX), went 1-2 in the Pro class at Englishtown, N.J. to stay within four points of the Pro class points leader. In Washougal, Wash., Frederick won his second race of the season in the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) to climb within five points of class leader, teammate Jeremie Warnia.

“I was very pleased with the efforts put forth by both Creamer and Frederick and seeing them each earn the top spot on their respective podiums to stay in the hunt for their Pro class titles,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “No matter the conditions, terrain, distance or series, the Can-Am DS 450 continues to outperform the competition.”

NEATV-MX, Round 9

Creamer won the Pro and Pro-Am classes on his DS 450 ATV, tallying 2-1 moto finishes in both classes at a gnarly Raceway Park in Englishtown. Creamer overcame the wet, single-line course to notch his second straight victory and fourth win of the season on the Can-Am ATV. Difficult passing conditions hampered Creamer’s first moto as he took second place. However, in moto two, Creamer started out in third place and quickly moved into second after just two turns. He then made a pass on the leader to take the lead and earn the overall victory. Creamer remains only four points behind the Pro class points leader with three rounds remaining on the NEATV-MX schedule.

“I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t win all four motos, but I’m still happy to get the overalls,” says Creamer. “Ryan Cox (Motoworks) came out to help me this weekend and it was nice to have a mechanic there to take some of the pressure off and let me focus on racing.”

The aftermarket for side-by-sides is absolutely massive and obsessed with improving performance and adding style to the latest and greatest UTVs. These companies were waiting with baited breath for the new Can-Am Commander, so when it was unveiled in June we knew it wouldn’t take long before we started seeing products. After all, this was perhaps the most anticipated and long awaited performance UTV ever.

We can’t possibly keep track of every aftermarket company, but the first one notify us about a Commander-specific product is Holz Racing Products, who unveiled a new long travel suspension kit for Can-Am’s side-by-side.

Though Holz isn’t quite ready for its long travel kit to hit dealerships, it has given interested early Commander buyers a first look.