We live on a dairy farm and always wanted a side by side just for the bed. We currently use a 2005 Rubicon with about 8600 miles on it. I just don't know if I would want a Big Red because of the transmission being a 3 speed and the price. What is with Honda and the 3 speed? I mean it is fine on the Rincon since that is more of a play machine but the Big Red is marketed towards utility use. They need to put a transmission similar to the Rubicon in it. The transmission is what I love about the Rubicon. We occasionally do pull some heavy loads with our Rubicon and I have a feeling the 3 speed is not going to do the job very well. What is the top speed on the Big Red?

We have thought about a Polaris Ranger 500 but I know a few people that have one and personally I don't like any thing about it, the way it steers, the way it starts, nothing. I also don't like the idea of a belt.

I wouldn't mind having another Rubicon but why hasn't Honda made them EFI yet? The Rubicon has been out for 9 years now and it still has a carb while everything around it has EFI. You would think EPA would have made Honda make everything EFI.

Another thing is the size of the side by sides. They are a little to big for me. That is what I like about the Rubicon, I can get around so much better. Anybody have any experiences with the Big Red? I have a feeling not to many people own a Big Red yet and probably will not for a while.

I don't know if anybody else seen this but the new Big Red comes stock with Maxxis Big Horn tires. I hear lots of good things about those tires. I thought about buying them for my Rubicon. The tires they had on there were the same ones the Mules had and they were crappy as with most stock tires.

Ok my rant is over.

 

there is a reason honda is called reliable they do not push any limits they stick with old proven less than comfortable mechanics. I would never buy a honda if I wanted to do any real work.

 

The tranny and engine in the bigred has been proven to be extremely reliable. I saw a Rincon with over 20k miles on it and still going stong. The bigred is going to be able to do more work than you think. It has lower gears than a Rincon and will weigh twice as much as your Rubicon therefore getting more traction. I believe the top speed is 40mph. The Maxxis Bighorn tires are a great allaround tire. The are tough will outwear any other tire and ride very smooth at that! Now the bigred is a very wide machine and would be a harder to get around with! Here is a link to a Bigred pulling a heavy load!
YouTube - Honda Big Red Horrendous Monster pull 6000 lbs Incredible

 

I to am thinking about a side by side and don't like how BIG most of them are. I like the new mid-size side by side models offered by Polaris. The EV, the 400, and the new 500EFI seem much smaller and practical. I know you are anti-belt, but they are very reliable IMO. You should check them out!

 

It's a Honda which means reliable but WOW it's ugly in my opion, The yamaha Rhino has proven itself it is belt driven but you would be much happier with it I think.

 

i couldnt of said any better myself not to mention i have never heard of a honda 3 speed unless its a 110 or smaller. gd. luck

 

I drive one up in my big farm in Arkansas, and it does great with hauling loads of hay and everything around the house. And it isn't too big, it's bulky, but not big. But a Yamaha rhino imo is way to heavy and just doesn't have the power I need. But everyones opinion is different. And polaris rangers are very good also!

 

Thats gotta be the dumbest comment I've read on here ever I think.

That big red will do whatever you want it do. I suspect it will last a very long time too I've had a hard time killing the 3 speed tranny in my Rincon.

I've trashed alot of other atv's I cant hurt the engine or the tranny in the rincon if the big red has the same I don't know what you could do to hurt it. Other than run it out of oil or something stupid.

 

Because a throttle body (EFI) has no advantage over a carb in emissions. You have 9500 miles on your Rubicon how many carb problems have you had? I rode many EFI ATVs except for having no choke on cold starts you cant tell them from a carbed ATV.

How is that? The OHC 47hp Rhino is lighter at 1200lbs than the Big Red at 1433lbs and has more horse power than the Big reds 39hp OHV 680. The Rhino also has a low range and should pull harder like the 700 Grizzly can over the 680 Rincon.
http://www.atvreviewnetwork.com/enth...2=203363&go=Go

The term "Side by side" and "light" can,t be even used in the same sentence the lightest one made is the Sporty Ranger RZR 800 and it still is 950lbs and far from a Utility SXS.

Do not worry about a belt, they use them on Snowmobiles that push 150hp.

Go to a ATV dead weigh Pull contest, the winner will be a belt ATV since there are no High powered non belt ATVs made. The Rincon is the most powerful non belt ATV out there and is far far from the top of the hill in Power vs other ATVs.