Skids...a must on the Outty IMO,Can-Am added a partial HDPE skid but they didn't cover the entire spar...duh..the Ricochets should be here anyday.
I have also ordered HIDs,they are a little trickier on the Outty,the ECU apparently doesn't like the striking current draw. With the way the ignition switch is the light switch as well..unless you wire up a relay it shuts the bike down when you turn on the HIDs...I have a kit on order that the company swears is plug and play and will work wihtout a realy. They build to order so I am still wating on that. I hope it works,it's a nice kit and even utilizes some stock Can-Am parts(rubber seal cup on the back of the headlight housing) so you don't have to take any connectors apart.
It already has bumpers,winch and hand guards. Now that my daughter basically rides with me everytime I ride my thoughts are that I am probably going to leave this one pretty much stock exhaust and tire size wise....we'll see how long I hold out lol.
I'm going to give the stock tires some more time to smooth out..really only feel it on the pavement,or hard pack at speed. Other than that the tires so far do pretty well. So I don't see it as an immediate need like on thr XP.

 

Great review! Two thumbs up! Out of curiousity, did the XP have good old metal skids?

 

No,it also has HDPE plastic,the front section has a intergal metal skid made into the frame...but at least it the underside of the frame is entirely protected(minus the hole for the oil filter),and the floorbaords of course. I found the HDPE skids pretty darn tough and they slide nicely over obstacles. Not nearly as imperative to do anything to the underside of the XP as it is with the Outty. On the XP if anything you could fab up something to cover the oil filter and feel pretty safe IMO. Of course that won't do anything for axles,boots ect...but the core frame is pretty well protected.
I started to get aftermarket HDPE skids for the Outty but by the time I paid shipping they were more expensive than the alum...got a good deal on them from Ricochet.
Not sure what Can-Am was thinking leaving like the back 18" of the main spar unprotected...and when people tell you that spar is thin...boy is it...like paint can thin,well not quite,but alot thinner than you would expect lol. The strength is in the design...problem is I bet a dent of the corner of the boxed spar would significantly weaken that spar and the unprotected section is a common bend point fwd of the rear diff. As far as I can tell those running skids rarely have problems unless they crash the machine. Not that the skids provide much if any structural strength of their own(Ricochet says they do,not so sure I buy it,maybe a tad)but more than anything they protect the integrity of that spar.

 

A couple more things I thought of...

The Outty's OEM belt is even more expensive than the XPs..looks like $150-180 depending on where you get it.
The Outty requires a not included "special" tool to open the secondary during belt replacement. It's just a specific size metric bolt...but still lol.
The Outty doesn't require any crazy unheard of viscosity oil....all the oils looked to be spec'ed by viscosity not just the name of the Can-Am lubricant. The Outty's air filter is retarded expensive!!!! Around $75 list!! It is a paper element and has a washable,oilable foam cover.
The oil filter is a paper element cartridge type changed via a cover on the right side that looks easy to get at.. I picked up 2 at the dealer for $10 each,haven't looked for an aftermarket version yet.
The Outty's prop shaft U-joints all have Zerk fititings for greasing(a good thing IMO)

The Outtys airbox and belt intake snorkel are high up under the pod(very cool)...belt exhaust is lower...not sure what sense that makes unless you plan to hit the water at WOT and keep the airflow so high it keeps water out of the belt housing lol.

The Outty's fan rarely runs,at least in the same climate(mid 80's) it runs alot less than the 850's and when it does come on it is quieter. Not saying that is entirely better,guess it depends on how hot the Outty runs,I have no idea about that yet,haven't checked the turn on specs. But it is nice not to have it running so much. The Outtys rad is smaller but is about twice as thick as the XPs and supposedly the front fascia was redesigned to allow more air flow to the radiator...
The Outty's inboard front brakes(sometimes make one hell of a grinding racket right as the machine comes to a stop....the first time you hear it you think something bad has happened lol. It doesn't happen as often now that I have some break in on the pads and rotors and I've learned to either clamp a little harder on the brakes right as it is competely stopping or let off right before it completely stops(like the last 6"-1 fot of roll).
I haven't noticed any noise from the rear diff pinion mounted brake.

 

Ahh I was hoping to hear about a actual drag race between the 2. Every day I get up and look...............and nothin! LOL. I have to agree the throttle response is SLOOOOWWW, at least it is nice when doing slow maneuvering on trails. BTW I heard you sold your XP HO..

 

Actually this is one of the reasons I didn't buy a Can-am, up here they were 2000.00 more plus you need skid plates. Check out a clutch assy compared to a XP if you want a shocker (used ones on Ebay are close to a grand vs less than 300.00 (new) for POPO, the only thing that I seen that is cheaper was the DPS vs EPS, but then you may not need any parts because its a Can-am

 

Yep...it is being picked up today. Never had a chance to race them,wasn't really needed though... I have no doubt about which would have won.

I paid less for the 2010 Camo Outlander MAX XT(DPS) than a 2010 850XP Touring lists for. And the Camo is a $400 option. I know most people don't pay list,but considering the accessories the Outty wasn't that much more,if any, than I could get the Touring for by the time I put a winch and brush guards on the XP. The XT package comes with DPS,a Warn winch,brush guards and hand guards for $1500,where the PS itself is $1200 alone on the 2010 XP.
My dealer has the 2010 800 Max XT ($10,650)listed for about $350 more than the 2010 850XP($10,300) Touring.

Granted I got a REALLY good deal on the Can-Am.
I have heard the clutches are retarded expensive. Maybe that is why they seem to work so well lol. Seriously though,the clutching seems superior on the Can-Am IMO. But yeah...the parts are more expensive. Like anything else though you can save alot by shopping around.

 

Congrats on the sale HO.

You have to admit that a XP850 will always be a better price than the CanAm. Some people say this or that on the net, but I went to a few dealerships when I looked. Saved quite a bit of money buying the XP than buying a left over 08 800 Outty. I have yet to see anyone list a price on the 2010 CanAm. All the posts I have seen sway away from posting a OTD price.

 

Yea, I'm sure why Can-ams are so expensive in Canada, and the dealer here wouldn't budge a dime, I offered 5 percent less than they were asking, no deal

 

Roofer I don't know if I agree...ZI guess it depends on where you buy from...take this example...2010 Outlander 800 XT(DPS,Warn winch and brushguards)$9919 2010 850XP EPS $9244. No other fees,except tax if you are a state residence. The outty is $675 more but has a Warn winch and brushguards over the EPS,also Can-Am more often that not comes with the 3yr warranty.

I assume you are talking about Rutcutter,Kawifan and myself having not posted OTD prices It isn't because we paid alot,it isn't because we are ashamed I have seen a couple other guys post what they paid OTD for the 2010's...
We don't want it to be a problem for the dealer we bought from. We pre-ordered ours and he added them in addition to his regular order and did't finance them as all dealer do with the machines they order so he was able to give us better pricing that he could normally. When a dealer gives better than advertised prices and you post them, it gets to be he said she said with people calling saying "Well you sold XYZ to blah blah for X amount". I can tell you I am more than happy with the deal I got. With that said the dealer we used has some of the best prices in the country on Can-Ams. If you get ready to buy one let me know,you could probably buy from him have it shipped via uship and still save some money lol.


BTW...one thing I just thought of that I don't think I mentioned...the Can-Am only comes with one key...spare keys have to be programmed to the machine,most dealers charge anywhere from $25-$70 for a spare key..luckily my dealer told me about that and programmed me a 2nd key before I left the dealer. What is nice about that though is if you find yourself with no keys you just take the machine to the dealer and they hook it up to the computer and program a new key...no need for a new ignition switch.

Oh and another thing,the can-am service indicator comes on at 10hrs and there is no way to turn it off without taking it to the dealer,and it can't be turned off until 10hrs...dumb IMO...but Can-Am really stresses the importance of the break-in service. I guess they do that for tose not mechanically inclined or those who don't understand the importance...sucks for those of us who do..