[3TV]

The Can Am Renegade 800 is an amazing machine. It is the only true sport 4x4 ATV in existence. It is fast, great handling, and built as tough as they come. I am very impressed with the build quality of the Can Am Renegade. Spend some time looking one over and you'll see that the axle shaft diameters and CV joint sizes are half again larger than other sport utility ATVs. Driveshaft diameter and U-joint size is double that found in some 4x4 ATVs, and more akin to what you would see in a half ton pickup truck than what you are used to seeing in an ATV. The engine and transmission are the powerhouses of the ATV industry, and the drivetrain is built to take the abuse they can dish out. The frame on the Can Am also sets it apart from other ATVs, with a central spar design that is very light and very strong for torsional forces and for shock loads (jumping the ATV). The central spar can be damaged by a hard enough impact though, such as from a high speed impact with a large rock, and this can result in a loss of structural integrity. The Can Am frame needs skid plate protection, perhaps more than other ATVs do.

Here's the belly of the beast, in stock form.

The OEM skid plate is minimal protection at best. Also note the aluminum support bars for the floorboards. They are more than strong enough to support the weight of the ATV if you get hung up on the floorboards. But they would not be strong enough if the ATV were to catch one of these bars on a stump or sharp edged rock while the ATV were travelling at a high rate of speed. You need to be able to slide over these support bars, and not have them get snagged by an immoveable object.

Ricochet Off Road makes high quality skid plates for most ATVs, and they have some features for their Renegade skid plates that other manufacturers do not have. Skid plates are the first upgrade for our ATV Torture project Renegade, so we ordered up a set from Ricochet. Ricochet Off Road is located in Utah, and they know how to build skid plates for those of us that ride in the Rocky Mountains. I ordered the skids Wednesday afternoon, and UPS dropped them off at my house the next day. Packaging was clean and simple. The instructions were straight forward. And everything fit perfectly, with no unexpected adjustments being needed. The hardest part of the install is lifting the ATV up onto its rear bumper.

I did not get the a-arm skid plates. I have never had problems with bending a-arms in the past, and I want to keep weight to a minimum with this sport 4x4. Even without the a-arm skid plates, you are bolting 21 pounds worth of armour plating onto the belly of your ATV with these Ricochet skid plates. The extra weight is as well placed as it can be though, and the extra protection is well worth it.

Here is what the Ricochet skid plates look like installed on the Renegade:

And here is a close up of the floorboard skid plate. It should work well for sliding over trail obstacles without getting hung up on the floorboard supports.

This double thick section of skid plate is a great feature. That is 3/8" of solid aluminum right there protecting the frame of your Can Am.

I'm very happy with the Ricochet skid plates at this point. Trail testing will begin this weekend.

3TV

 

[1Bad1000Xxc]

Wow 3TV, the skids look great. it amazes me though how open can-am left the axles to damage. I'm really surprised there's not some type of gaurd on them better than the what appears as plastic over the boot area. I'm also very surprised that Ricochet didn't devise a front a-arm skid somehow. Without seeing a close-up of the front a-arms, maybe it wasn't possible, but certainly it is with determination and it would certainly be beneficial.

Lemme ask you this: How do you like, so far, if you've had a chance to test it, the 4wd mechanism on it as far as it auto-engaging the way it's designed. I'm referring to compared to the grizz where you can doa 4wd diff lock and have all 4 wheels locked by hitting a button as opposed to the can-am system that locks once hydraulic pressure kicks in?

So how long will the holeshots be on it? I'm sure they will be short lived knowing your style.

Thanks!
Buster

 

[Koko]

Looking good!

 

[3TV]

Buster,
I took the Renegade on the ATV trail I took pictures of in this other ATV Torture thread:

http://www.atvtorture.com/forum/index.php?topic=1277.0

It is a challenging trail that is a decent test of a 4x4 ATV. All of the people that have worked on the trail, except myself, have rolled their ATVs on the trail. The two people that have done the most work on the trail have spent more time up there than I have, so that is why they have rolled, not because I'm a magically better rider. They are very hard core ATVers, and are very good riders. I have personally only invited three other riders on the trail that haven't been helping us build it, and all three of them have rolled their ATVs the first time on the trail. One of the people I invited on the trail rolled his Prairie 650 right in the EXACT spot that the second from last picture in that thread was taken from. It was raining and hailing that day, and his Prairie slid off the side of the trail right where I was standing to take that picture, and did three complete rolls down through the brush. The mountain side was so steep that the Prairie could not climb back up on the trail, even with no rider on it and both of us helping to push it. I had to turn my Grizzly back around on the trail beyond that point and winch the Prairie back up on the trail. The trail is pretty dangerous. I took the Renegade on that trail the second day I owned it, and made it through unscathed. The biggest challenge was that the CVT transmission on the Renegade engages much more suddenly than the Grizzly, so you REALLY NEED TO USE THROTTLE CONTROL WITH THE RENNY, or you'll launch it right off the side of the mountain. The Grizzly 700 is easier to finesse your way through the real technical stuff. But the low range on the Renny is good, and the suspension seems to articulate well, so it still hooks up and climbs like it needs to. I didn't have any problems with the three wheel drive thing on that one ride. I haven't had the Renny in mud or snow to see if it makes a difference there. But having said all that, if I was able to pick a four wheel drive system for the Renny I would prefer a front locker like the Grizzly. So far the Renny seems to work just fine in four wheel drive though.

3TV

 

[1Bad1000Xxc]

Interesting input. From reading the details of the way the 4wd worked on their site a few months ago, and reading many forums, I couldn't convince myself I would like it. However, I did read that Can-Am was making it so it engaged quicker than the previous year models.

I will be interested to read your input on this in the future on how the full 4wd compares to the Grizz since that was my concern when I was considering buying one. My concern was a steep hill in 4wd and having to wait on it to fully engage. Only your time on it will tell, but that trail ride may say enough. Your trail looks knarly and I do remember those pics. Glad you refreshed my memory of them. Beautiful area!

Thanks 3TV!
Buster

 

[GRIZZLYWIZARD]

Very good read. Cant wait to get your full report 3TV. :icon_thumleft:

 

[3TV]

I'm also very surprised that Ricochet didn't devise a front a-arm skid somehow. Without seeing a close-up of the front a-arms, maybe it wasn't possible, but certainly it is with determination and it would certainly be beneficial.

So how long will the holeshots be on it? I'm sure they will be short lived knowing your style.

Thanks!
Buster

Ricochet does make front a-arm skid plates for the Renegade. I chose not to use them because I do not think they are needed, and because, without being needed they just add extra weight, ... in my opinion.

I really like the Holeshot ATRs, and think they are the perfect tire for this ATV. I've used Bighorns and Terracross tires, which are both really good trail riding tires for conditions we have here in the western USA. The Holeshot ATRs feel like they perform about halfway inbetween the Bighorns and Terracross tires. By that, I mean they get better traction than the Terracross tires, but not quite as good of traction as the Bighorns. And they powerslide better than the Bighorn tires, but not quite as good as the Terracross tires. For the intended use of the Renegade I don't think Can Am could have chosen a better tire if they would have tried. I plan on keeping the ATRs, because I cant think of a better tire for this ATV.

3TV

 

[3TV]

BINK! That's the sound it makes when you tag a rock with your quad's frame. I'm glad the Ricochet skid plates are on my Can Am, because I hit more rocks than I can remember on our last ride in the mountains.

The Ricochet skid plates work well. They are very solidly mounted, and did not shift position or get bent from multiple impacts.
Skid plates don't look pretty for very long, but they do their job.

In this video you can see how well the Can Am slides on its belly with a smooth flat skid plate under there.
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j175/ps3tv/Renegade%20Project%20Quad/?action=view&current=MOV01134.flv

3TV