I am about to purchase a new 4 wheeler and I've narrowed down my choices to either a Foreman 450 ES or a Rubicon 500. I talked to one guy that owns both the machines and he said the Rubicon was WAY better in his opinion. Can anyone else support his claim or is he just dead wrong? I realize that they both have their strong parts...the 450 has the Traxlok...the 500 is comin with GPS and a great Tranny. But exactly how is the power factor and the ride quality different? Any info is helpfull. Thanks

 

The 450 has the old wet sump engine. They now have a 400 and a 500, so they have their bases covered. I just don't see where it fits in Hondas philosophy anymore. It is my guess, that it will be discontinued at some point in the future?????? (But, that is not to say anything bad about the quality of the bike!! I personally prefer a manual foot shifter.)

My other hunch is that the only reason the Rubicon doesn't have Traxlok is that the bike is already at 600 lbs. Honda has often said they will not build a bike that is over 600! The Traxlok would put it over the top. They should offer it as an aftermarket option.

Just a little Honda philosophy. I have never owned or even ridden either of these, so my comments are limited to philosophical ones!

 

The Forman 450 is lighter, cheaper and aavailable in manaul shift. New models have traxlock and even the same headlights as the rubicon, reliability is certainly there as well as the machine has been on the market since '98.

Depends on what features you want and how much you want to spend. I thing the power difference is negligable, top speed of both would be close.