The Can-Am DS is the sport all-terrain vehicle line of Can-Am. Its best-known model, the DS650, was begun by Bombardier Recreational Products in 1998 for sports riders, and it won the Dakar Rally in the quad class in 2004; a year later Antoine Morel won the rally on a DS 650X.
Can-Am DS at a glance
| Class | sport all-terrain vehicle |
|---|---|
| Maker | Bombardier Recreational Products, Can-Am brand from 2007 |
| DS650 | development began in 1998 for sports enthusiasts |
| Dakar 2004 | won the quad class |
| Dakar 2005 | Antoine Morel won on a DS 650X |
| Brand | Can-Am since the 2007 rebranding of BRP’s ATVs |
| Later model | DS 450X |
Short article based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Can-Am Off-Road range mentions the DS only briefly, so no figures beyond those in the source are given.
History of the Can-Am DS
The DS650
In February 1998 BRP entered the all-terrain vehicle market with a prototype of the Traxter, a utility-based ATV. Later that year the company began working on its second ATV, the DS650, which was designed for sports enthusiasts rather than for utility work. In 2004 this model won the Dakar Rally in the quad class, a result that put the sport side of the range on the map.
Dakar 2005
In 2005 Antoine Morel of France successfully completed and won the Dakar Rally, racing on a BRP DS 650X. In the same year, in late October, BRP won the GNCC Racing Series Championship in the Utility Modified ATV class on an Outlander 800.
Under the Can-Am name
Starting in 2007 BRP launched and rebranded its ATV segment as Can-Am, so the DS line continued as a Can-Am model. The DS 450X is the version remembered in the video below, a motocross-oriented machine used for private-track riding.
Design and features
- Sport focus: the DS650 was designed from the start for sports enthusiasts, not as a utility vehicle.
- Rally record: the DS650 won the Dakar Rally quad class in 2004, and a DS 650X won the rally in 2005.
- Motocross versions: the DS 450X represents the competition end of the line.
Can-Am DS versions
- DS650: the original sport ATV begun in 1998.
- DS 650X: the version with which Antoine Morel won the 2005 Dakar Rally.
- DS 450X: a later motocross-oriented model.
The DS is the sport ATV of the Can-Am range, next to the utility Outlander, the Renegade, the side-by-side Commander and the Spyder. More in the Can-Am collection.
Video: Can-Am DS 450X MX Private Track Edit
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Can-Am Off-Road, English Wikipedia: DS650 development, Dakar wins, rebranding
