Adapting Vehicle For His Use
The Maverick Trail does offer power steering which is a bonus, but Bower still had to work something out for the gas and brake pedals. He has a hand control system for his pickup and it works well so he just needed to find a company that designed and built a similar system for his side-by-side.
He relies on the nifty Sure Grip Recreational UTV Hand Controls ($459) to be able to run the gas and brake pedals on his Can-Am. “These hand controls are really designed for a UTV,” he said.
He likes this particular hand control system because he can hold on to the handle while gripping the steering wheel. Also, the hand control pivots some back and forth, offering greater control. The same hand control operates the gas and brake and has just two connections (one on the gas pedal, one on the brake) and no wiring. Pivot one way (push) and it applies gas/throttle and pivot the other way (pull) and it applies the brake.
Watching Bower operate his Maverick Trail with the hand controls proved he’s just about as mobile as anyone else.
And saying he has adapted well or is used to his Maverick Trail is an understatement. By the time we caught up with the Bowers near Palisades Reservoir in Eastern Idaho in early June, he already had 700 miles on his side-by-side. Remember he just bought the vehicle in May. Many of those miles came in Copper Basin near Mackay, ID, but he and Lynette had also been to Stanley and the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, both also in Idaho. When we met with them, they had been gone from home five weeks on their adventures.
Then, in the time between when we met the Bowers at Palisades and early July, Bower alerted us that he has dialed up 1,000 miles on his Maverick Trail. He has been slowed down a bit after falling and breaking his arm and elbow. He had to have surgery to fix the breaks and said he hadn’t been able to drive his Can-Am for several weeks. By the beginning of October, the odometer read 1,908 miles.
“My wife Lynette has taken me for quite a few rides for sanity breaks, which have been beneficial,” he said.
After all those miles in his Maverick Trail, Bower has a pretty good feel for how it rides and performs. When we asked him what he likes about his Maverick Trail he said, “Everything.”
He has added mirrors, a cargo box, half windshield, mesh back and roof. When we touched bases a few weeks after our initial visit Bower said, “An update on the Can-Am Maverick. Two things I really like on it are the Dynamic Power Steering and engine braking.” He also said he appreciates the tilt steering and likes the easy-to-read gauges.
