1979 Can-Am 400 Qualifier- 7-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article for Sale

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1979 Can-Am 400 Qualifier- 7-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article For Sale

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1979 Can-Am 400 Qualifier- 7-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article:
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1979 Can-Am 400 Qualifier- 7-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, Vintage Magazine ArticlePage Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each pageCondition: Good
• IF YOU HANG AROUND YOUR LOCALshop or racers’ clubhouse long enough,you get an idea—though stereotyped—ofwhich bikes have “personality" and whichones are anonymous blobs. Motorcycleshave a European Feel or Italian Styling orJapanese Reliability—or they are simplymachines. If you've ridden too many blobsand don't remember what a bike withpersonality is like, refresh your memory byriding the Can-Am 400 Qualifier. Keep inmind, though, that third-rate electrics andleaky engines, as well as renowned speedor handling, also build reputations. Hav-ing a personality doesn't make a bike AllGood; it simply distinguishes it.Can-Am has built a bike with distinctivepower and handling characteristicsbased on one major consideration—thebike's intended use. Most manufacturersdesign their open-class cross-countrymachines for relatively low-speed, cut-and-pivot enduro work. Can-Am, on theother hand, has designed its 400 for OneDay, Two Day and Six Day Trials (hencethe name Qualifier) or cross-countryevents of a similar nature—in which high-speed handling is prerequisite. Can-Amhas produced a first-rate Two Day bike,which means it's equally suitable for fastenduros. But if your local promoters regu-larly host timed events with 12-mile-per-hour averages, you'll find that you’re notusing the slow-handling, stable Qualifierto its potential.It's no secret that most manufacturersbuy major parts, including suspensioncomponents, wheels and tires, from out-side suppliers. Most factories are tradi-tion-bound (or contract-bound) to buycertain parts from a single supplier. NotCan-Am; they make a virtue out of chang-ing suppliers, trying either to buy the bestcomponents currently available or tosnatch up good buys. There's a majorexception to this policy: because Bombar-dier-Rotax of Austria is wholly owned byBombardier (Can-Am's parent company),Can-Am always uses Rotax engines.Most of the time, Can-Am's policy ofpurchasing whatever’s hot this yearworks to the consumer's advantage.Buyers of the new 400 Qualifier get aMikuni carburetor, Magura levers, Sunrims, a K&N air filter, a Marzocchi fork andS&W shocks—all superlative compo-nents. Those interested in Can-Am's big-bore motocrosser have the option of se-lecting Ohlins shocks, which are the bestrear suspension units available. Unfortu-nately, the 400 Q-bike has one bargain-basement, cut-rate part: a 530 chain (withno name stamped on it) replaces lastyear's top-notch 520 Reginald. Thoughmassive, the new chain on our test bikekinked after only 150 miles, which is atelltale sign of poor construction.The 1980 Qualifier has several signifi-cant chassis and engine refinements. The400's frame is based on the MX5's, usingthe same basic design and geometry. Thisyear it has a new backbone air intakesystem. Both the 250 and 400 MX6 moto-crossers also use the high-breather, andin fact the Q-bike's frame differs from the...
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