Project Renegade 800 R has received another aftermarket upgrade. This time, a full exhaust system from Ron Wood Racing.
My all time favorite ATV prior to this Rotax powered Renegade 800 R had been a Rotax powered 2005 Bombardier DS 650. I had had three different exhaust systems on that ATV in the time that I owned it. A CT Racing full system, and HMF slip on, and a Ron Wood Racing full system. The exhaust system that had increased performance the most was the Ron Wood Racing full system. So when it came time to choose an exhaust for Project Renegade 800 R, I went to Ron Wood Racing.
Ron Wood is the USA National Rotax distributor, and has been building high performance Rotax engines for 25 years. Rotax engines are by far the best built and best performing engines in the entire ATV industry, and Ron Wood knows how to make them fast. He has several products for the Rotax 800cc v-twin engine, including stage I, stage II, and stage III kits. We went with a stage I kit for project Renegade 800 R, which includes an improved air intake manifold, an open K&N air filter with a pre-filter, a new throttle cable, and a full exhaust system. Here is what the stage I kit looks like when it comes from Ron Wood Racing.
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And here is what is included with the Ron Wood Racing full exhaust. The Ron Wood exhaust system weighs 3 lbs. less than the OEM exhaust system. The head pipes are larger in diameter, and the silencer is more compact and doesn’t have that coffee can look of the stock silencer.
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For this review we installed only the full exhaust. The intake system will be installed at a later date so we can better evaluate the performance gains from each part of the stage I kit. Pre-2009 Rotax 800 engines have had a very restrictive air intake manifold that chokes down the air intake diameter to as little as 29mm, which is a considerable restriction considering that this engine has a 46mm throttle body. For 2009 Can Am greatly improved the air intake manifold on the Rotax 800 R engine, and subsequently decreased resistance in the air intake. The Ron Wood air intake manifold reduces restriction even further.
Ron Wood had everything in stock, and shipped our order the same day we placed it. Packaging is excellent, and installation instructions are clear and easy to understand. Build quality is perfect, with every weld, every bend, and the ceramic coating all being flawless. The exhaust system fits like a glove, and every mount lines up perfectly. The silencer is mounted with a large rubber bushing to prevent vibration induced stress cracks.
The installation of this exhaust system is more labor intensive than others I have done, because Ron Wood uses a heat wrap on the entire length of the header system and on the reverse megaphone part of the silencer, and you have to install the heat wrap. You also have to plan on a trip to the auto parts store to buy a can of spray on high temp copper sealant to seal the heat wrap. The copper sealant is not included with the exhaust. Why use a heat wrap? Because it improves performance, that’s why. The laws of physics tell us that as a gas expands, it cools. The inverse of this is also true, namely, as a gas cools, it expands. The heat wrap helps prevent the exhaust gas from cooling as it travels through the exhaust, which keeps it from expanding and increasing back pressure. So the heat wrap helps keep back pressure down, and improves flow through the exhaust system. The heat wrap also prevents items like body plastic, the fuel tank, and suspension components from being exposed to too much heat from the exhaust. You absolutely cannot feel heat from the exhaust when riding a Renegade with a Ron Wood exhaust on it. The Ron Wood exhaust also incorporates a true reverse megaphone design at the start of the silencer, which creates a negative pressure at the end of the exhaust, further improving exhaust scavenging from the engine.
The Ron Wood exhaust for the Renegade 800 R is not just another pretty exhaust. The flat black ceramic coating combined with the heat wrap give it a strictly business look. Performance was clearly the primary objective with this system, although I do like the black ceramic coating on our red Renegade 800 R. Our system also came with a USFS approved Supertrapp spark arrestor, which I needed to be able to ride on National Forest land, and to compete in local USRA sanctioned desert racing. The Supertrapp spark arrestor came pre-installed on the exhaust, and it fits perfectly, and looks good. The Supertrapp spark arrestor is the only spark arrestor that I know of that does not decrease horsepower, and it is fully tunable. You can add or subtract disc from the silencer to change the air flow and the noise level of the exhaust to your liking.
Here is the installed Ron Wood exhaust, on our project Renegade 800 R.
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After installation was complete it was time to try it out, so I turned on the key and pushed the starter button. First impression: Oh my god! This Rotax V-twin sounds sexy. Can Am changed the cam for the 800 R engine to increase top end power, and this engine has a pronounced lope at idle speed that is even more pronounced just above idle. It sounds more like a top fuel funny car than any 4x4 ATV engine I have ever heard. The exhaust note is deep and strong, and this ATV definitely sounds like it has some muscle under the hood. There is no better way to describe it, other than to say that sound quality is perfect, absolutely 100 % perfect.
To test performance we went to the Duck Creek ATV Trail System, for a 50 mile trail ride at 10,000 feet elevation in the Rocky Mountains. The Renegade ran good with the new exhaust system, and the EFI seemed to do a good job of adjusting for both the new exhaust and the altitude, even without the use of a fuel controller. There are no annoying pops or backfires when decelerating, which can occur with some aftermarket exhaust.
Low end response feels about the same as with the stock system. Where the Ron Wood system builds power is in the mid-range and the top end. My favorite characteristic of this Rotax powered Renegade 800 R is the very strong top end pull. The new cam and air intake manifold on the 800 R have increased top end horsepower, and the Ron Wood exhaust is the perfect compliment to this engine, and further improves what I already like the most about this ATV. I like the fact that it just keeps pulling all the way to top speed, and keeps your arms straightened out as long as you stay in the throttle. I also noticed brisker throttle response, and that it is easier to lift the front end to clear trail obstacles like tree roots, washouts, etc. One particular trail that we ride frequently has a five mile long section with water dams that have been built across the trail every few hundred feet to prevent erosion. The Water dams are proceeded by a g-out, and then a jump. When I took the Renegade through here with the stock exhaust on it I had a few of the water dam jumps kick the rear end of the ATV too high in the air, causing an almost frightening nose down landing on a few occasions. It was enough that I had started to think the Renegade needed more rebound damping in the rear shocks. Well the Ron Wood exhaust has fixed that problem. The improvement in throttle response and increase in mid to top end power keeps the front end up much easier on these jumps. You can now decide whether you want the front end up for a landing, neutral, or front end down for a landing, just by varying throttle input on takeoff. I came through that section of water dam jumps with more speed, and had more fun than I have had on any ATV in many years. The Renegade flies beautifully over those jumps, and lands great. I did scrub the Ricochet skid plates on a few landings, so I know I was using full travel, but the suspension does not bottom harshly like other 4x4 ATVs I’ve owned.
One other thing that stands out from our test ride was the return through the unloading area at Duck Creek Village. You have to ride right through town to get to the staging area, and as I rode along on the ATV trail I happened to glance over at the parking lot next to the trail. Every male in the parking lot had stopped what they were doing and had turned around and were staring at the Renegade as I rode by (about ten men). I was riding at six mph, which is where the loping race car idle sound is at its greatest, and the sound of the Renegade’s exhaust was clearly calling out to everyone under the influence of testosterone. So be prepared to get lots of attention if you use a Ron Wood exhaust on a Renegade 800 R.
The Ron Wood exhaust comes with my highest recommendation. I am completely satisfied with this product.
3TV
My all time favorite ATV prior to this Rotax powered Renegade 800 R had been a Rotax powered 2005 Bombardier DS 650. I had had three different exhaust systems on that ATV in the time that I owned it. A CT Racing full system, and HMF slip on, and a Ron Wood Racing full system. The exhaust system that had increased performance the most was the Ron Wood Racing full system. So when it came time to choose an exhaust for Project Renegade 800 R, I went to Ron Wood Racing.
Ron Wood is the USA National Rotax distributor, and has been building high performance Rotax engines for 25 years. Rotax engines are by far the best built and best performing engines in the entire ATV industry, and Ron Wood knows how to make them fast. He has several products for the Rotax 800cc v-twin engine, including stage I, stage II, and stage III kits. We went with a stage I kit for project Renegade 800 R, which includes an improved air intake manifold, an open K&N air filter with a pre-filter, a new throttle cable, and a full exhaust system. Here is what the stage I kit looks like when it comes from Ron Wood Racing.
And here is what is included with the Ron Wood Racing full exhaust. The Ron Wood exhaust system weighs 3 lbs. less than the OEM exhaust system. The head pipes are larger in diameter, and the silencer is more compact and doesn’t have that coffee can look of the stock silencer.
For this review we installed only the full exhaust. The intake system will be installed at a later date so we can better evaluate the performance gains from each part of the stage I kit. Pre-2009 Rotax 800 engines have had a very restrictive air intake manifold that chokes down the air intake diameter to as little as 29mm, which is a considerable restriction considering that this engine has a 46mm throttle body. For 2009 Can Am greatly improved the air intake manifold on the Rotax 800 R engine, and subsequently decreased resistance in the air intake. The Ron Wood air intake manifold reduces restriction even further.
Ron Wood had everything in stock, and shipped our order the same day we placed it. Packaging is excellent, and installation instructions are clear and easy to understand. Build quality is perfect, with every weld, every bend, and the ceramic coating all being flawless. The exhaust system fits like a glove, and every mount lines up perfectly. The silencer is mounted with a large rubber bushing to prevent vibration induced stress cracks.
The installation of this exhaust system is more labor intensive than others I have done, because Ron Wood uses a heat wrap on the entire length of the header system and on the reverse megaphone part of the silencer, and you have to install the heat wrap. You also have to plan on a trip to the auto parts store to buy a can of spray on high temp copper sealant to seal the heat wrap. The copper sealant is not included with the exhaust. Why use a heat wrap? Because it improves performance, that’s why. The laws of physics tell us that as a gas expands, it cools. The inverse of this is also true, namely, as a gas cools, it expands. The heat wrap helps prevent the exhaust gas from cooling as it travels through the exhaust, which keeps it from expanding and increasing back pressure. So the heat wrap helps keep back pressure down, and improves flow through the exhaust system. The heat wrap also prevents items like body plastic, the fuel tank, and suspension components from being exposed to too much heat from the exhaust. You absolutely cannot feel heat from the exhaust when riding a Renegade with a Ron Wood exhaust on it. The Ron Wood exhaust also incorporates a true reverse megaphone design at the start of the silencer, which creates a negative pressure at the end of the exhaust, further improving exhaust scavenging from the engine.
The Ron Wood exhaust for the Renegade 800 R is not just another pretty exhaust. The flat black ceramic coating combined with the heat wrap give it a strictly business look. Performance was clearly the primary objective with this system, although I do like the black ceramic coating on our red Renegade 800 R. Our system also came with a USFS approved Supertrapp spark arrestor, which I needed to be able to ride on National Forest land, and to compete in local USRA sanctioned desert racing. The Supertrapp spark arrestor came pre-installed on the exhaust, and it fits perfectly, and looks good. The Supertrapp spark arrestor is the only spark arrestor that I know of that does not decrease horsepower, and it is fully tunable. You can add or subtract disc from the silencer to change the air flow and the noise level of the exhaust to your liking.
Here is the installed Ron Wood exhaust, on our project Renegade 800 R.
After installation was complete it was time to try it out, so I turned on the key and pushed the starter button. First impression: Oh my god! This Rotax V-twin sounds sexy. Can Am changed the cam for the 800 R engine to increase top end power, and this engine has a pronounced lope at idle speed that is even more pronounced just above idle. It sounds more like a top fuel funny car than any 4x4 ATV engine I have ever heard. The exhaust note is deep and strong, and this ATV definitely sounds like it has some muscle under the hood. There is no better way to describe it, other than to say that sound quality is perfect, absolutely 100 % perfect.
To test performance we went to the Duck Creek ATV Trail System, for a 50 mile trail ride at 10,000 feet elevation in the Rocky Mountains. The Renegade ran good with the new exhaust system, and the EFI seemed to do a good job of adjusting for both the new exhaust and the altitude, even without the use of a fuel controller. There are no annoying pops or backfires when decelerating, which can occur with some aftermarket exhaust.
Low end response feels about the same as with the stock system. Where the Ron Wood system builds power is in the mid-range and the top end. My favorite characteristic of this Rotax powered Renegade 800 R is the very strong top end pull. The new cam and air intake manifold on the 800 R have increased top end horsepower, and the Ron Wood exhaust is the perfect compliment to this engine, and further improves what I already like the most about this ATV. I like the fact that it just keeps pulling all the way to top speed, and keeps your arms straightened out as long as you stay in the throttle. I also noticed brisker throttle response, and that it is easier to lift the front end to clear trail obstacles like tree roots, washouts, etc. One particular trail that we ride frequently has a five mile long section with water dams that have been built across the trail every few hundred feet to prevent erosion. The Water dams are proceeded by a g-out, and then a jump. When I took the Renegade through here with the stock exhaust on it I had a few of the water dam jumps kick the rear end of the ATV too high in the air, causing an almost frightening nose down landing on a few occasions. It was enough that I had started to think the Renegade needed more rebound damping in the rear shocks. Well the Ron Wood exhaust has fixed that problem. The improvement in throttle response and increase in mid to top end power keeps the front end up much easier on these jumps. You can now decide whether you want the front end up for a landing, neutral, or front end down for a landing, just by varying throttle input on takeoff. I came through that section of water dam jumps with more speed, and had more fun than I have had on any ATV in many years. The Renegade flies beautifully over those jumps, and lands great. I did scrub the Ricochet skid plates on a few landings, so I know I was using full travel, but the suspension does not bottom harshly like other 4x4 ATVs I’ve owned.
One other thing that stands out from our test ride was the return through the unloading area at Duck Creek Village. You have to ride right through town to get to the staging area, and as I rode along on the ATV trail I happened to glance over at the parking lot next to the trail. Every male in the parking lot had stopped what they were doing and had turned around and were staring at the Renegade as I rode by (about ten men). I was riding at six mph, which is where the loping race car idle sound is at its greatest, and the sound of the Renegade’s exhaust was clearly calling out to everyone under the influence of testosterone. So be prepared to get lots of attention if you use a Ron Wood exhaust on a Renegade 800 R.
The Ron Wood exhaust comes with my highest recommendation. I am completely satisfied with this product.
3TV
