How do you guys like ES shifting? Do you think it will become an orthodox replacement to foot?

Should I get ES on my new rancher??

Thanks!

 

I personally love it. I used to race Motocross so it took a while to get used to not reaching for a shifter. But after a trip or two I quickly forgot about the manual labour and let my two thumbs do all the work. I'll tell you when in water or mud up to the gas tank, You'll sure be glad you have ES !!!

Ride On:
2000 450ES , 26" Maxxis Mudbugs, Warn 2500 , K&N Filter w/Outerwear, Dynojet Stage 1 , Supertrapp IDS2 Exhaust, 36W Halogen Headlamps, Heated grips/Thumb, And soon whatever else I can get my hands on !

 

It takes a little getting use to.I still find myself trying to find the foot shift well riding.But then again i still pull the back brake to shift.(use to have a 250R)L.O.L
Ilove the esp in the mud. you can be in any position on the seat and still shift.
I think you will love it after you get use to it and never want to go back to the foot shift.


got to love the mud!!!!!!!!

 

After 10 minutes of riding the ES you will really enjoy it & won't have a second thought about going back to foot shifting.

When I swap with my wife on here Recon, I find my thumb reaching for the non existant shift buttons.

 

I had a 450ES and loved the shifter. Only problem was that on a typical 40 mile day ride, I'd downshift instead of upshift about 3 different times. That is because after awhile you don't really look at the shifter button, but are looking where you are going (which makes fairly good sense to me, but hey, I'm old). My riding buddy, who also had a 450ES also told me he did the same thing almost as often. (He may have done it more often, but I guess there might be some pride involved here). That was the ONLY difficulty I had with the ES. I sure miss it on my Expedition.

 

In a previous post someone indicated that he didn't like the fact that he had to have his other hand on the handlebars all the time to shift. He was a farmer who tended to have one tool or the other in his left hand at any given time, so ES shifting was a pain. This was an interesting point that I hadn't thought of. I often ride the slow trails one handed for a rest.

Has the forced two handed thing been a problem for anyone else? I guess your left foot has been freed up by ES shifting so you could always wave with it instead!!

Is it the future, I would say no. The die hard shifters won't let the foot shift die any time soon. Besides being simple, tried and true, they just prefer it. The manufacturer's will lose some to ES and autos but the manual will remain. The auto is definitely here and in the future also. ES is somewhere in between, a band aid to get Honda some Auto market share until the Rubicon arrived. Will it take over, no. Will full autos like the Rubicon gain market share, definitely, but they are more complicated, expensive, and hard for the rider to maintain.

I say there is a market for manual, ES, belt auto, and full auto (in acsending cost order!!). All will remain.

DJ

 

I love the ES, wouldn't be without it. I think the Rubicon will be the next best thing to come along.

 

If you are riding the trails with one hand resting, then it would indicate a casual or leisurely pace. If you out riding around you can stay in 2nd or 3rd. These gears have a nice range of speed. No need to shift. I never use first gear unless we are going down some steep or rocky hills.

 

i don't care for it. i have a rancher (no es) and recently puchased a foreman es and you have to rock it to get it in neutral to start it. if i had known that i wouldn't have gotten an es model.

 

Ranchersmoke, I am not trying to be a smarta$$ here but save yourself some aggravation and shut the machine off in neutral. I, too, have a Foreman and a Rancher ..... both with ES and I wouldn't think of going back to a manual shifter. I am in mud and water way too often for that to be even a consideration.

Temp