I love the new Rubicon Honda came out with. Or course I Like the deluxe package.. 9500.00


Other bikes for that same price are 700-850cc bikes. Can someone tell be why I would spend the same for 200+cc less bike? Having a hard time making decision

 

Honda has the best reputation for build quality and reliability. The reliability took a knock with the old model 500FM gearbox which, on early machines, would just about last the warranty out, and the old model 420 with rear axle problems. I would be a bit cautious with any new model that comes out.

As for engine size, do you need more power? A friend had a 700 Suzuki for a while, then got a 450 version, he said the 450 was better in mud as the 700 would spin the wheels if you opened the throttle but the 450 would grip and lift out when you opened up. Both Suzuki frames started to crack so he has an old model Rubicon now, which has proved dead reliable, though the gearbox is getting a bit noisy.

 

The 550 Grizzly (37hp) has more power then the Rubicon. The Rubicon does not have the 33hp 499cc any longer ,it has the foreman 28hp 475cc.

If they are selling 500 Rubicons for the same price as 700 (46hp) or 550 Grizzlies they are out of there minds.
Whats the 680 Rincon 38hp go for, $11000!? and it does not even have a low range or low gear or diff lock.

 

The 2015 rubicon with EPS and the DCT Automatic transmission goes for $9150 msrp. The Grizz 550 with EPS is 8700 so it is 450 dollars more but it's probably due to the manufacturing cost of the transmission. Just about every sport car over 100k has a dual clutch transmission these days but they are costly.

 

I sure would not pay $450 more for 83cc and 9hp less. Maybe the other way around.

 

If you didn't like a cvt (like most honda owners don't) you might. I've actually heard that the new rubicon accelerates faster than the older model despite the weight increase/HP decrease so it may be closer to the 550 than you think. There is always the foot shift version for less money as well.

 

Honda's are the best choice if you're buying used. If you're buying new, its hard to justify buying an atv that is underpowered compared to the competition for the same or even more money. A Polaris 570 Sportsman has more power than any utility model Honda makes and costs a lot less. Anything new will be reliable. In the long run, the Honda will probably last longer but anything that is taken care of and maintained well will last. In the end it comes down to personal preference. Try out a few models and see what you like the best. Honda has the market cornered on semi-auto shift models so if that's what you really want then that's basically your only choice. Many people think they wouldn't like a cvt auto machine until they ride one and realize the machine is easier to ride and is always in the right gear. Most also have a low range for heavy pulling or plowing or just really tough terrain that requires slow speeds. I've owned both and I think semi-auto is best for anything under 400cc and cvt is fine for 400cc and above.

 

Remember, CVTs suck up power. So a direct drive engine needs less hp to produce the same at the wheels. Also, and I'm not against CVTs, and the Hondas aren't HP monsters we know that, but they have nice broad powerbands that are very usuable, meaning peak HP numbers only tell one of the many tales. There is lots of ways to twist it. If Honda put out similar peak numbers, kept the sideways mounted motors for more power to the wheels, kept direct drive, and kept the broad powerbands, man they'd have solid drivetrains in relation to the competition.

 

Yeah, Honda's are solid machines and hp number are somewhat deceptive sometimes but the utility machines need more power to really compete with everyone else. Honda's "feel" like they have more power than what the numbers say but still fall short of the rest. Yamaha and Suzuki as well refuse to even put a v-twin engine in anything. All of them have motorcycle engines they could derive a solid v-twin atv engine from that could make great power and be very reliable. Imagine Honda's dual clutch transmission in the Rubicon coupled to an 800cc v-twin making say even 60 hp. The problem I see with something like that is that Honda has priced many of their new models so high that making something that actually would come close or equal to the competition in performance would make it so expensive that it wouldn't sell well. The less expensive models are what sell the most, such as the Recon, Rancher, and less expensive Foreman models. They provide value along with getting the legendary Honda reliability.

 

Are you sure?
My best bud has a 500 Foreman 5speed and I have a Polaris 500 CVT and when drag race on a gravel long straight road I spit stones in his face and leave him behind. On top end I,m almost 5mph faster and my ATV weights almost 100lbs more then his.

Its not drivers either because we switch ATVs and the same thing happens.