Words: Kyle Callen
Photos: Brandon Bunch
It’s not uncommon for me to get the call that an event is on the horizon, and need to jump into action to get our fleet ready. It’s almost second nature after doing it this long. This time was different, I had to ask to clarify something. Did you just say mud?!? The day came where a trip to River Run ATV Park to play in the mud was on the books.
As luck would have it, I would be making the trip not in some run-down mud machine but in a brand new 2020 Can-Am Maverick X3 Max X MR Turbo RR. A bike (yes, I called it a bike) that has everything one would need to go enjoy miles in the mud with their friends. It is rare that I get to check off a bucket list item in such an extraordinary fashion, so naturally, my excitement was through the roof and all my attention turned to the X MR.
The 30” ITP Cryptid Tires and beadlock wheels that came factory would have worked great, but bigger is always better, right? Trying to bring a little West Coast style to the mud, we chose the 37” EFX MotoHavok wrapped around a polished 24” Fuel Kompressor wheel. I didn’t want the car to be a behemoth but wanted to blend the massive wheel and tire combo with the stout performance Can-Am provides from the factory. Doing a little more research and talking to the guys at Super ATV, the wheel and tire combo selected would work great, but without portals and axles, the car would eat itself alive in the sticky mud which was notoriously hard on equipment for reasons I didn’t quite understand yet. The proverbial snowball had begun to roll.
With snorkels as high as the roof to make sure the engine and clutches aren’t sucking in mud and water, added preload to the shocks for added ground clearance and 195 mud-slinging horsepower to get through the deep and sticky holes. The X MR comes very well equipped right off the showroom floor. Can-Am also added a “mud mode” that optimizes the traction of the front tires as they dig and pull their way through the deep sludge. Again, Can-Am has really nailed the perfect platform for anyone that wants to go mud riding. It can be left rock stock, do some mild bolt-ons as we did, or go all in and create a mud-mashing machine. The stout suspension and driveline would hold up to any abuse that we could throw at it, so there was no reason to really go over the top crazy, Can-Am had us covered.
After the phone call with Super ATV, they had a good idea of what we were trying. A surprise delivery from the big brown truck would yield 6” lift portals, Rhino 2.0 axles, and a Super ATV Can-Am Maverick X3 Frame Stiffener / Gusset Kit. Not only did they guide us in the right direction on the build out but they supplied us with the complete package to do it. If I can make a car go fast and last in the desert, 2mph in the mud can’t be that difficult, right?
The departure date was nearing and I was far from completing the car. The Baja Designs lights, Gorilla Whips, and SSV Works stereo system were dialed in and working great. For an extra measure of fun, I pushed the install of the Kleinn Air Horn system ahead of the portals, axles, wheels, and tires, which may have been a mistake in hindsight. Out of time, Keith called Shane Jumper at TCP Offroad in Tyler, Texas. They are renowned in the sport for their vast experience and extreme mud builds. Shane was kind enough to give us a bay in his shop upon our arrival and some of his mechanics time to help with all the mud stuff I knew nothing about.
Twenty hours later I was pulling the X MR loaded with parts out of the trailer and into TCP Offroad, hitting the Kleinn Train Horn to make sure everyone knew UTV Sports was in the building. With some miscellaneous things to tie up and a pile of parts on the floor, this was going to be a lot of work. I may have bitten off more than I could chew. But with the help of Shane, Jodi (TCP head mechanic), and our good pal Justin Vickers, the Can-Am went together pretty smoothly and looked incredible. Being a West Coast kid, I had yet to see a mud build in person. My best description of the first impression was it looked like a drivable Hot Wheels toy. I was so excited. The SSV stereo system sounded great, all the lights were bright and plentiful, and it was tall on those 6” GDP portals and 37” Motohavoks. The Manta Green chassis popped off the polished aluminum wheels—I was truly a kid in a candy store.
From what I am told, the smile never left my face all weekend and I virtually refused to get out of the Can-Am. If someone needed a ride somewhere, I would do it. Admittedly, I had a lot of fun skirting the big mud holes and deep water crossings. In the desert, the obstacles can be seen and either avoided or slowed for. That wasn’t an option here. Very timid, I knew I had to overcome my fear. Sitting at one of the main water holes, I studied the driver’s lines. Where they would get in trouble and how deep the hole was in that area. The next morning while the crowds were still sleeping off the night before, Brandon, Elizabeth, and I went out to see if I could work through the fear. It is a very strange feeling when the water level hits your feet knowing your heels are three and a half feet off the ground. After a few attempts backing in letting that water rise up my legs, I started to get comfortable with not only the water levels in the cab but the car and how well it was performing. High range was now like low with the 45% gear reduction in the Super ATV GDP portals and the 195 horsepower and a heavy right foot made it even better. I was starting to gain some confidence until the left side of the Can-Am dropped into what felt like a bottomless pit.
Panic fully set in as the bike started to sink into a massive hole. Relying on the available down travel of the suspension and turning into the hole in an effort to not roll, the unmistakable roar of the 900cc Rotax turbocharged triple-cylinder engine rang out as the Motohavoks dug their way to the bottom and back out the other side—what a rush. I now get why there is a mud side of our industry and I wanted more. Finding deeper and muddier holes, I pushed the limits of the car and my newly regained confidence. I was having an absolute blast. After a morning of thrashing, we headed back to the trailer and I was on top of the world. Well aware of how capable the Can-Am Maverick X3 platform is in the desert, rocks, and trees, this adds a whole new dimension to them. Add in that you can take three friends, a large cooler, and get lost for a day less than 10 miles from the trailer, I’m hooked.
With a long road home, I had plenty of time to reflect on what just happened. I was able to check a bucket list item off my book. There were so many companies who stepped in and made the experience even better by adding in parts and time that would allow an already great platform to go deeper and survive more. What really made this trip special was the learning experience of the mud riding community and the abuse these bikes take at under 10 MPH. With a little maintenance and a lot of washing, the Can-Am will be prepped and ready to head back to more mud events later this year, and I can’t wait to be back there rollin’ deep yet again.
