Im searching for a ATV to use this summer with my son,,I got him a wolverine and just picked up a trailer,now all I need is one for me

Anyway,I be hunting on craigslist the last few days,really kinda set on a Grizzly but im not sure if im ready to put down that kind of coin,Come to think of it I havent seen many good deals at all from any brand people are selling

But I did run across this 11' rubicon 500cc,has a winch,heated grips,27" tires and 1,500 miles.Hes asking $5,500 OBO,I have no intention on paying that,but if I can get it somewhere around 4k I might really consider it.

All I intend on doing is some mild trail riding and plowing my driveway in the winter. I was just wondering what people thought of them for my use and what about the prices asking and what im thinking of offering?

Like I said I really wanted a grizzly,with IRS and locking diff,but im not sure if I am even going to need that. Let me know what you think of the Rubicon,good and bad,Thanks!

 

hondas are pretty solid machines,not the fastest,my foreman 500 has handeld everything i have come across,and has suprised me a couple times on what it is capable of,you can buy a spoll from high lifter for around $30 and make it a true 4x4,as far as getting the machine for 25% less who knows,personally id decline the offer and tell you to have a good day

 

I have a 2008 rubicon which is the same machine that your looking at. It's a great machine. Not the fastest or the smoothest riding but it's a great maneuverable machine with lots of torque.
The unique thing about the rubicon is the transmission. Instead of a belt driven cvt, the rubicon has a hydraulic unit dubbed the "hondamatic" with the ability to shift between 5 gear ratios along with a low range. The only thing I'm not sure about is the price. That's a fairly new and low hour machine. I doubt the seller would move much but it's always worth a shot.

 

We always fought shy of the Rubicon because of the complex electronics on the auto transmission, but never seemed to have problems with them and by 2012 were selling quite a few. The boss's son had a Vinson and broke the chassis so bad that every tube round the engine had broken, plus the bottom frame rails. He then got a 450 King Quad and broke the bottom frame rails on that, so he has ended up with a Rubicon, no frame problems, the gearbox sounds very strange but keeps going. He preferred the 450 for a smoother ride and better traction but the Rubicon stands the punishment.

 

If i were to spend that much money, Id get a Grizzly. More power and better ride. The Rubicon will probably last longer, as with anything Honda makes but Yamaha is no slouch in reliability. The available power steering on a used Grizzly is nice too, though I've never ridden a non-eps model to see if there was any real difference. I owned a 660 and it never seemed like it was hard to steer and they never had power steering. Even the 550 model has more power than the Rubicon if you hadn't considered that model and will cost a bit less than the 700 and probably the same or even less than a used Rubicon in the same condition.

 

Thats my problem,Im sure the rubicon is a fine atv,but for 5,500 I can throw in another $500 or so and get a grizzly around the same year with a bigger engine.

I am wondering about the tranny drives on both though,as far as the CVT's people seem to love them,but some people seem to hate them for depending on a belt that can wear or break. I watched a few videos of belt cleaning and replacing on grizzlys and it didnt seem to bad,a $50.00 belt and a couple of hours replacing it yourself.
Im not exactly sure how the rubicon works,but it sounds like if something goes wrong with the drivetrain it will be a expensive trip to the mechanics,but im just assuming?

I also seen vids of there 4wd,most call it 3 will drive as one tire likes to slip,but I seen people engaging all 4 wheels by touching the front brake while giving it some throttle,which seems to lock it up better. Is this a normal operation on how to use it?

Thats what I mean about maybe offering him around 4k or so,its a nice good machine, according to nada low retail would be around $4,500. I seen ones sold on ebay from anywhere from 4k-5k,so I dont think im too far out of line offering around $4,200?

 

The Honda will be durable.
I personally will not buy another Honda Utility model till they wise up and go CVT!
I'd get the Grizzly.

 

IRS is big, suspension is kind of a big deal when off roading.

 

IRS usually means heavier but the Grizzly is roughly about the same weight as the Rubicon. I've never rode a Rubicon, closest was a friend's 500 Foreman ES 4x4 and there is no comparison in the performance and power even with a 660 Grizzly, let alone a 700. The 550 is close in performance to the old 660. Too bad you don't live close to me, I saw a camo 2007 700 on my local craigslist with 317 miles on it(yes 317 miles) and a winch with stock wheels and tires and asking $5500 for it. I don't think it has power steering but I don't think you really need it. Must have been someone's hunting atv and they simply parked it the rest of the time. You should be able to find something similar close to where you live too.

 

But for the little extra weight in the large scheme of things you just have a better riding ATV over rough terrain.

Here are two 2015 420 Ranchers and one is SRA the other is IRS. The weight diff is only 46lbs but the IRS also has the advantages of more ground clearance, more rear suspension travel and much better rear brakes since drum brakes can't fit on IRS rear ends. 2015 Honda FourTrax® Rancher® 4x4 DCT IRS (TRX420FA5F) ATVs.

I don,t think when you ride 620lb plus ATVs that one being 45lbs more then the other would ever be noticed. But I know when you hit a bump your butt and back sure will notice the difference instantly.