123kawi
Dillon MT.
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Rincon-newby wrote:Greygriz, the comparison that Ksims was trying to make was about the weight differences. The new Rancher compares to the weights of the Yamaha and suzuki 450 IRS machines and its features are as similar or better than both. The new Rancher also has different gearing than the 08 Rancher to make it more befitting of a trail machine. Don't know about shocks used on the 09, but I hope they are on the level with the Rincon's. As long as we are looking at small light weight 4X4s what about the 375 Cat.I rode one last week and for what it was I liked the ride and it's cheap
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Rincon-newby
Southeast Ga.
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123kawi wrote:Rincon-newby wrote:Greygriz, the comparison that Ksims was trying to make was about the weight differences. The new Rancher compares to the weights of the Yamaha and suzuki 450 IRS machines and its features are as similar or better than both. The new Rancher also has different gearing than the 08 Rancher to make it more befitting of a trail machine. Don't know about shocks used on the 09, but I hope they are on the level with the Rincon's. As long as we are looking at small light weight 4X4s what about the 375 Cat.I rode one last week and for what it was I liked the ride and it's cheap
I believe you were refering to the new Artic Cat 366. A cat made engine.
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Over30
Ontario Canada
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Rincon-newby wrote: found that the Rubicon/foreman/Rancher models all have Power Steering as an option. That to me would make the Rubicon a good candidate for trail machine.
Adding IRS would put it over the top.
Honda has a long way to go with their utility line up to shake the lawn tractor atv image i have of them. A good solid product yes, but years behind in performance.
Even if your idea of a utility atv is hauling a moose out of the woods or plowing a long drive the big twins on the market do it much better, in other words no advantage goes to Honda as a work horse either.
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kmdad
Canada
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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Over30 wrote:Rincon-newby wrote: found that the Rubicon/foreman/Rancher models all have Power Steering as an option. That to me would make the Rubicon a good candidate for trail machine.
Adding IRS would put it over the top.
Honda has a long way to go with their utility line up to shake the lawn tractor atv image i have of them. A good solid product yes, but years behind in performance.
Even if your idea of a utility atv is hauling a moose out of the woods or plowing a long drive the big twins on the market do it much better, in other words no advantage goes to Honda as a work horse either.
I totally disagree with this statement. Honda atvs don't have the performance of say a Polaris or Can Am, However, if you can't pull the moose you want with a Foreman or Rubicon than you should think twice before you shoot such a animal. I've seen some pretty big animals towed out with Hondas. Can other machines do the same or better. Sure, because of more power. However, as a Hunter these machine are not getting turned over every three years like trail machine. most hunter I know are still using their '99 400 Honda. And what they want is a bike that they use hard around the farm and pull that moose out every years without problems and for that reason Honda has the record of reliability heads and tails above every other manufacture.
For a mud machine or rock climbing Honda isn't the machine and i see these other machines on the internet totally crushing Hondas on mud runs or hill climbs. However, when I go on a day ride over 5 or 6 hours with my Rubicon on a hot day and I'm running with Polaris and Can Am. The number of times they have to stop for me because I couldn't get through some mud hole is nowhere near the number of times I have to stop because they are over heating, belt slipping( not yamaha they seem to have a good belt system) or broke down...And these are new machines. So where I run and what i do my Honda out performs everyone.
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123kawi
Dillon MT.
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kmdad wrote:Over30 wrote:Rincon-newby wrote: found that the Rubicon/foreman/Rancher models all have Power Steering as an option. That to me would make the Rubicon a good candidate for trail machine.
Adding IRS would put it over the top.
Honda has a long way to go with their utility line up to shake the lawn tractor atv image i have of them. A good solid product yes, but years behind in performance.
Even if your idea of a utility atv is hauling a moose out of the woods or plowing a long drive the big twins on the market do it much better, in other words no advantage goes to Honda as a work horse either.
I totally disagree with this statement. Honda atvs don't have the performance of say a Polaris or Can Am, However, if you can't pull the moose you want with a Foreman or Rubicon than you should think twice before you shoot such a animal. I've seen some pretty big animals towed out with Hondas. Can other machines do the same or better. Sure, because of more power. However, as a Hunter these machine are not getting turned over every three years like trail machine. most hunter I know are still using their '99 400 Honda. And what they want is a bike that they use hard around the farm and pull that moose out every years without problems and for that reason Honda has the record of reliability heads and tails above every other manufacture.
For a mud machine or rock climbing Honda isn't the machine and i see these other machines on the internet totally crushing Hondas on mud runs or hill climbs. However, when I go on a day ride over 5 or 6 hours with my Rubicon on a hot day and I'm running with Polaris and Can Am. The number of times they have to stop for me because I couldn't get through some mud hole is nowhere near the number of times I have to stop because they are over heating, belt slipping( not yamaha they seem to have a good belt system) or broke down...And these are new machines. So where I run and what i do my Honda out performs everyone. Yes your wright in most cases a honda will allmost go where a ATV with traction and power will.When you can't I'm sure the popo and cand hams will pull you out.So if you want to ridded last ride red.
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snake oil
usa
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Joined: 07/14/2008
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I had a Yamaha Big Bear(vintage 1995) that I used to pull out a 150 Ford two wheel drive,stuck in a cornfield...
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kmdad
Canada
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123kawi wrote:kmdad wrote:Over30 wrote:Rincon-newby wrote: found that the Rubicon/foreman/Rancher models all have Power Steering as an option. That to me would make the Rubicon a good candidate for trail machine.
Adding IRS would put it over the top.
Honda has a long way to go with their utility line up to shake the lawn tractor atv image i have of them. A good solid product yes, but years behind in performance.
Even if your idea of a utility atv is hauling a moose out of the woods or plowing a long drive the big twins on the market do it much better, in other words no advantage goes to Honda as a work horse either.
I totally disagree with this statement. Honda atvs don't have the performance of say a Polaris or Can Am, However, if you can't pull the moose you want with a Foreman or Rubicon than you should think twice before you shoot such a animal. I've seen some pretty big animals towed out with Hondas. Can other machines do the same or better. Sure, because of more power. However, as a Hunter these machine are not getting turned over every three years like trail machine. most hunter I know are still using their '99 400 Honda. And what they want is a bike that they use hard around the farm and pull that moose out every years without problems and for that reason Honda has the record of reliability heads and tails above every other manufacture.
For a mud machine or rock climbing Honda isn't the machine and i see these other machines on the internet totally crushing Hondas on mud runs or hill climbs. However, when I go on a day ride over 5 or 6 hours with my Rubicon on a hot day and I'm running with Polaris and Can Am. The number of times they have to stop for me because I couldn't get through some mud hole is nowhere near the number of times I have to stop because they are over heating, belt slipping( not yamaha they seem to have a good belt system) or broke down...And these are new machines. So where I run and what i do my Honda out performs everyone. Yes your wright in most cases a honda will allmost go where a ATV with traction and power will.When you can't I'm sure the popo and cand hams will pull you out.So if you want to ridded last ride red.
I ride last because I ride red. Everyone in my riding group aways wants me in the back because I can help the guys who go mechancal instead of aways have to double back to help. It's the usual "I'm over heating,"hang on wet belt," or my favourite if it's a Kawi" what the hell is wrong with this thing now"
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123kawi
Dillon MT.
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I don't know how we can even go ridding we have no Honda's to pick up the parts or go back and pull though a snow bank.
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YOURADHERE
Louisiana
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Joined: 07/28/2006
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kmdad wrote:
I totally disagree with this statement. Honda atvs don't have the performance of say a Polaris or Can Am, However, if you can't pull the moose you want with a Foreman or Rubicon than you should think twice before you shoot such a animal. I've seen some pretty big animals towed out with Hondas. Can other machines do the same or better. Sure, because of more power. However, as a Hunter these machine are not getting turned over every three years like trail machine. most hunter I know are still using their '99 400 Honda. And what they want is a bike that they use hard around the farm and pull that moose out every years without problems and for that reason Honda has the record of reliability heads and tails above every other manufacture.
For a mud machine or rock climbing Honda isn't the machine and i see these other machines on the internet totally crushing Hondas on mud runs or hill climbs. However, when I go on a day ride over 5 or 6 hours with my Rubicon on a hot day and I'm running with Polaris and Can Am. The number of times they have to stop for me because I couldn't get through some mud hole is nowhere near the number of times I have to stop because they are over heating, belt slipping( not yamaha they seem to have a good belt system) or broke down...And these are new machines. So where I run and what i do my Honda out performs everyone.
THIS seems to be my number 1 bother with Honda riders/enthusist/loyalist. They seem to be OK with the fact that they get less for eqaul money. Again ALL manufactures have made great strides in reliability over that last decade. The reliability agruement is, as cc would say, moot. In your second paragraph you pretty much admit that Honda < Other Manufactures. Those machines are over heating, they stopped to wait for you to catch up
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GreyGrizz
Ma.
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Joined: 01/25/2007
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There's no denying that Honda makes great products. When contractors started using Honda generators in the 80's they outlasted the Briggs or Tecumseh equipted units at least three fold. This caused other engine makers to vastly improve their designs. This is also true with other products, such as ATV's. Honda's problem is; if a particular product works well, they are very slow to update it. Even when its common scence upgrades. Such as going with disk brakes on certain models. It took them forever to finally switch to them. If Honda would be a little more bold in modernizing some things, they could truly shock the world with new products.
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