First Ride: 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR with Smart-Shox

By Jon Crowley

I got the call from Can-Am that a new 2021 Maverick X3 was coming out and if I wanted to check it out firsthand before it was unveiled on June 30, 2020. “Heck yeah I do!”  Not sure about anyone else but being able to test a model before it is released is super cool. And what made this even better, it I was going to Pastranaland in Maryland to check them out with Travis Pastrana!

The 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR comes in two and four-seat models and the biggest news is they are equipped BRP’s new Smart-Shox.

Smart-Shox

Smart-Shox technology is an industry-first, fully self-adjustable suspension technology for superior performance, control and comfort. It is the only suspension in the industry that controls both compression and rebound for enhanced precision, delivering superior ride and handling, no matter the terrain or conditions.

The system constantly monitors wheel position and velocity for improved shock absorption and filtering, acting on both compression and rebound. It is the only system in the industry with rebound, and it also has the industry’s fastest valve reaction time – Smart-Shox can go all the way from full soft to full firm in an average of seventeen milliseconds (0.017s).

Smart-Shox technology makes real-time automatic suspension adjustments, improving vehicle stability and providing excellent control with flatter cornering. It reduces front and rear bouncing, while minimizing vehicle body movement, adjusting automatically to any type of terrain after selecting a driving mode: Comfort, Sport, or Sport+.

The Test Drive

After spending the morning watching Travis rip around his property, it was time for me to experience the 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs Turbo RR firsthand.  I jumped in the right seat with Travis behind the wheel and we hit the track.  Not gonna lie, I was holding on with everything I had and I had to keep telling myself that he knows this track better than anyone. We took several trips around the track and tried in in Sport +, then Comfort and finally in Sport. It was amazing to feel how the X3 made changes in real time with a driver like Travis Pastrana. Even in Comfort mode, we never bottomed out and the sway control differences in the three modes is something I have never felt before. Check out the video to see what I experienced:

I cannot thank Travis enough for a ride I will never forget.

Can-Am Set to Continue Leading the Industry with Introduction of Smart-Shox Technology