Greeneville, TN - We are currently in a new
era of ATV racing. The popularity of competition ATV’s
has elevated factory involvement and support to the highest
level ever. The demand is there, and the manufacturers know
it. The big four have been controlling the technological advancement
of racing ATV’s since the 80’s, only making enough
improvements to keep the market going. Consequently, their
two-wheeled machines have progressed to the point where you
can buy a competitive bike off the showroom floor and race
it with only minor modifications, whereas the quads offered
require a substantial investment to be competitive. Without
a serious threat to the all-Japan market, ATV’s would
be doomed to wallow in a low-tech world.
Enter the 2008 Can-Am DS450
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Horse
Power Comparsion Chart |
The DS450 is not a redesign of an existing machine. The
design of this quad was done from the ground up by a group
of engineers starting with a clean slate. Each part was
reevaluated, and if there was a better way to do it, it
was done. The result is a machine that has more radical
design changes than any ATV since they decided to add another
tire onto the three wheelers. The fuel injected Rotax engine
is based on technology developed with World Championship
caliber four stroke road race engines. The intake valves,
bore, and throttle body are the largest of all the Sport
450’s, and the potential to modify the engine is massive.
This powerplant was designed with the capability to be modified
far past its already class-dominating performance level.
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| The
CanAm DS450 Powerplant is a Rotax 4-TEC 450 EFI Engine
with the top end based on the Aprilia RSV 1000 R sportbike
with its free-flow intake design with dual sparks
plugs. The piston bore, intake valves, and throttle
body is the largest among the 450cc Sport ATVs.
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Altec
aluminum frame with its dual-pyramidal frame design
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The chassis of the DS450 utilizes construction techniques
previously unheard of in the industry. The aluminum frame
is a combination of cast, extruded, and stamped pieces joined
with aerospace-grade fasteners that eliminate any strength-reducing
welds. You heard it right, a frame with no welds at all.
Parts of the frame are removable for servicing, and sections
can be replaced and reattached with conventional fasteners
to get the machine back on the track in an emergency. The
dual-pyramidal frame design is exceptionally strong, and
the designers were able to fine-tune the structure without
the guesswork of weld-area weakness, resulting in the lightest
frame in its class. The frame weight helps put the DS450
at 345 lbs dry, which is lighter than all other 450’s
with or without EFI.
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| The
CanAm DS450 Altec aluminum frame utilizes an aluminum
lock-bolt fastener system along with conventional
nuts and bolts to connect the forged and stamped aluminum
frame components instead of a conventional welding
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