Farms & Farm Machinery #385

UTV/ATV REVIEWS
Can-Am’s Defender 1000 had one
of the best cabs in the business,
Barry Ashenhurst wrote in 2016
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Power to burn
While the side-by-side market is bumper-to-bumper, Can-
Am stands out as one of the brands known for strength
and longevity.
The makers have been around forever, are always updating the
spec, and in the Defender 1000 have produced a machine with
few weaknesses.
But first the bad news.
Engine braking is not what we expect from a 1,000cc V-twin.
This might be due to the machine’s dry weight of 641kg, but on
steep descents, if you don’t use the wheel brakes, the steeper it
gets, the faster she goes.
Secondly, we’d like to see a mechanical handbrake augmenting
the park brake on this machine. With 450kg in the tray, and
all this weight parked on a snotty hill, you might need all the
parking power you can get.
That’s the whinging out of the way. Now, here are features we
like about this machine, many of which, says Can-Am, were
developed during testing in Australia and New Zealand.
First up, the Defender has the best side-by-side cabin in the
business by miles, with excellent forward visibility, an adjustable
steering wheel, a drop-down centre console and edgechamfered
seats to allow easy entry and exit.
There’s storage everywhere – under the passenger seats and in
a shelf under the glovebox. The glovebox itself has a removable
insert with a handle that doubles as a small carry-all or
toolbox. Power-steering is a little slower than we expected but
nonetheless perfectly weighted, while gear selection is smooth
and sound levels inside the cab are low.
Lifting the bonnet flap also gives access to the fuse box a small
toolkit and the fluid eservoirs.
OUT IN THE PADDOCKS
The Defender also comes with a safety feature that limits speed
to under 5km/h when the driver is not wearing a seatbelt – as
well as three power and torque keys.
An orange ‘work’ key limits top speed to 40km/h, but doesn’t
affect torque; a green ‘eco’ key reduces torque by 10 per cent
and holds top speed to 70km/h and the ‘performance’ key has
no limits to top speed, torque or power.
You’d expect 1,000cc to haul, and it does. Tests on a long dirt
road yielded a top speed of about 110km/h, with acceleration
to match.
Commensurate with this machine’s performance are disc
brakes all around, with braided steel lines. It’s odd that Can-Am
gave the machine 12-inch wheels. We think it’s to help lower the
centre of gravity when it’s loaded, but small wheels don’t hook
up as well on loose surfaces – and it may be the teensy tyres
that make the steering feel kinda slow.
That said, with an 11-inch ground clearance, its off-road ability
didn’t suffer. The big ATV failed to hang up anywhere on the
steeply undulating property, and barged through Brisbane
River shallows with no trouble at all, even in one-wheel-drive
Turf mode.
All Can-Am products handle well, and the big Defender is
no exception. It has a firm rid , but copes with potholes and
paddock divots as only an ATV with well-sorted suspension can.
That suspension, by the way, is dual A-arms front and rear. The
rear setup has a humungous torsion bar. The front could use a
little more protection for the A-arms – in fact, out of the box, this
machine needs a front bumper more than any other accessory.
We were pleased to see grease zerks on all suspension
pivot points, a sensible feature all manufacturers should copy.
The Defender rides better than a Polaris Ranger – its nearest
competitor – and steers nicely, despite the slow feel.
If you spend a lot of your time managing stock, the Defender
won’t spook ‘em – Can-Am says the 1,000cc machine is five
decibels quieter than any other side-by-side. I didn’t test
that, but the cattle we worked around took no notice of the
Defender, despite the hair-raising performance of which the
thing is capable.
With 53kW (72hp) on tap, you won’t have difficulty climbing
hills. We don’t know what to make of the rated towing capacity
of 907kg though, or how they come up with that figu e. We
wouldn’t want to tow that much with an ATV, even this one.
A 1,000cc side-by-side isn’t for everyone, we know that. This
one mightn’t have the engine braking that a lot of people enquire
about before buying any ATV, but it does a high level of comfort,
power, torque, driveability, and chunky good looks.
1. The best cab in the business, with
plenty of useful storage space
2. We like the twin-piston callipers up
front and the braided brake lines, but
you may need protection for those
exposed A-arms
3. Flip-up seats make extra room
4. The rear setup with a massive torsion
bar (arrowed) and grease zerks on all
pivot points
Can-Am HD 1000
Defender
Engine
Output
Trans
Brakes
Dry weight
Payload cap
Towing cap
976cc V-twin
72hp (53kW)
CVT auto
Hydraulic discs all
around
641kg
680kg (with driver and
one passenger).
907kg
Hits
Best cab in the ATV world
Excellent ride and performance
Heaps of clever storage space
Quiet and responsive
Misses
Comparatively poor engine braking
Lacks a mechanical handbrake
4
$16,500
TA1025549
2016 JOHN DEERE GATOR XUV855D. Hvy duty
front bumper w/fenders. • TAS 03 6111 4725
$11,000
TA1001613
2014 JOHN DEERE GATOR XUV825I. 1400 hrs,
power steering, bullbar. • QLD 07 3171 1832
$26,000
TA998371
JOHN DEERE GATOR XUV855D. 94 hrs only, as
new, poly doors, bench seat. • QLD 07 3171 1832
$6,309
DIY793603
CROSSFIRE X400. selectable 4x4, 400cc EFI,
2500lb winch, tow hitch • NSW 02 8783 8411
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