To counter that, never had any kind of overheating problem with mine - summer and winter far south of the Mason-Dixon line.

 

EFI: detuned bottom end from 07.
clutching: same
frame: same
dash layout: looks different, does the same
diff: Viscolock is supposed to engage faster

Overheating problems? Clean the rad once in a while. Not in the car wash....take it out and clean it properly with a garden hose.

Weak frame? No weaker than any other machine. The single spar needs protection in the rocks. If it gets a dent, a weak spot is created. I have NO frame insert on mine, but have had skid plates on since new....no issues. I run the livin hell outta my quad every weekend in the summer.

 

According to Can-Am- the efi was re-mapped, the 08 800 has an increase of 10 hp over the 07 and gets 12% better fuel mileage due to the reprogrammed efi.

Also from Can-Am, the CVT housing was redesigned to tackle water intrusion.

The front diff is also different and according to what I read on the can-am forums, the frame is stronger due to re engineered welding points. I found it by doing a simple Google search.

It's really common knowledge that the outty frames are more susceptible to breakage and tweaking due to the design. No one else make a “frame” insert to help “not break" the frame. Other frames have a better secondary support system to alleviate areas of bulk stress, and tubular frames also have less area for impact to occur unlike the can-am’s frame. I ride my outty 800 pretty rough and I’ve taken some decent hits and so far so good- but you can't ignore the hundreds of people who are having frame issues- and they all seem to break in the same location- just you-tube it.

In regards to the 07 and prior dash- I read it was redesigned to also block the moisture intrusion issues a lot of people have been claiming- which I experienced first hand after washing my 07 650 max with a hose and noticing dew drops on the inside on my gage- never a problem with my 08.

You shouldn’t have to remove a radiator to properly clean it- that makes no sense at all. I’ve always used a #40 fan tip on my PW to clean the grill & core- never a problem with over heating.

 

That cracks me up. "Hundreds" of broken frames. How about a dozen or so and most of them admit to impact damage. Take a gander at some of the other makes. King Quads have a terrible time with broken/cracked frames. If you are going to run your Can Am hard on rocks, put in the frame insert or good skids and you are good to go. Nothing you can do to help a "normal" space frame.

 

not sure what's so funny about it- I didn't pull that number out of my a$$-
There's a web site where you can put in the year make & model of any vehicle, rv or boat and it breaks down the issues by year. I'll find it and post it- there was something like 488 reported frame issues with the outlander- of course if you punish your bike you can expect damage- but that doesn't negate the fact that so many of these issues exist, and malfunction in the same place.
My king quad went through tie-rods like crazy and couldn't keep a battery charged, my brute's carbs were temperamental, my sportsman 800 had lazy front springs and a chatty drivetrain-
Every atv has issues, and every atv will break at some point. Doesn't mean the outlander's frame isn't more susceptible to failure because of the large amount of surface area exposed to the terrain. Iv'e never seen a frame mod for a KQ700 or a SP 800- but do a simple search on any atv forum and the outty's frame is topic of discussion.