So are the polaris videos true about hondas front end . They show the competion all getting stuck on the mud hill as the front ends are limited slip. If u haven't seem them check it out at polarisindusties.com.
Am looking at a Honda 350 fm4 or a polaris. Which is better So guys and gals help me out Thanks.

 

u have to remember that the honda does a limited slip and it will not spin one wheel when under alot of pressure, but the polaris has a differential action but does not kick in when your back wheels haev traction. so i dont know really what you would like better because the polaris is in 2 wheel drive even when it says its in 4 so the steering is easier. its really just a decision that your gonna have to make which ever you like better. sometimes i get pissed at my polaris becuase when i want to cross the tracks the front wheels dont come in right away, but my suzuki does get over better. there is a diff lock kit that you can put in your honda for about $250 so that both front wheels have to spin only one can spin slower. i dont know its totally what you feel you would like better in the quad

 

Think about the fact that the Polaris only has engine-braking to the rear wheels, when you are descending some steep, technical downhill. That is a fatal flaw in my opinion! Can't imagine what the Polaris designers were thinking? (They are probably sled guys who never rode a quad.)

Haven't seen the Polaris video, but what model Honda are they using??? One of the old ones that has an open diff I'll bet!!!!

I ride with a guy who has a 500. The Rancher and the Polaris are completely different machines. The Rancher is light, stable, and has a low center of gravity. The Honda diff works well.

 

nope they use a rincon 650 in the begining and i think there is a 350 in there too. they also have the grizz 660 and the vinson 500. and not to start something or anything cuz hondas are great machines but when you say only 2 wheel engine breaking and the steep hill stuff u gotta remember there is something called a brake and it is there to be used.

 

It is true that the front end of all current Honda 4x4 bikes are limited slip, just like your Z71 chev pickup. When its new its works fairly well. All 4 wheels will turn in mud, but if you get one off the ground, there's too much pressure on the wheel with traction and it will slip. Problem with this desing is age. Mine stopped working after about 2 years.

You can get a Detroit gearless locker at highlifter for about $300. It still gives easy steering and true 4x4 action in the rough. For a mere $35 you can get a spool style lokcer that will permantly lock the front end up. Side effects are stiff steering on hardpack surfaces at low speed. Best of all, at any time they will credit you $25 to upgrade to a detroit locker.

I have a spool along with a warn 424 kit on my forman. It will kill my freinds 500 sportsman in the mud with reliability to boot.

I don't like the polaris system of putting it in 4x4 on the selector, and the bike stays in 2x4 until it slips. If they want to do that, they should at least offer the option of fully locking the bike in 4x4 for situations where its granted.

 

I saw that video. Freakin joke! I could have drove through those ruts in 2wd and everyone knows it if you see the video. They go really slow with all the limited slip bikes and drive them sideways through the ruts. Whereas with the Polaris they go fast and straight through the ruts. what the hell?

Yes, a locker is better than limited slip, but that video was a joke.

 

Action450s, Im not sure you got that right, I have both a2003 foreman es and a z71 chev, and believe me, they have totally different front differentials. The honda has a differential like in the rover. Check out this article in popular mechanics.
http://popularmechanics.com/outdoors...V/index2.phtml
This is much different than the old clutch type limited slip, Ive had one front wheel up many times, testing this out, and no matter how hard i hammer it...the tire with traction pulls. no bs.

 

Hondabuster makes a good point, the front diff Honda uses on their ATV's has changed mondo over the years. It seems to work quite well IMO. Sometimes it's not as quick to switch the drive on the front wheels as some would like (or have been led to believe it would), but it helps to tap the front brake if you're in the situation where the wrong wheel has the drive. Bombardier has a nice diff lock (automatic type) with their visco-lock system.

 

Honda front diffs are horrible. When I climb slippery hills or in deep snow my front end hops badly and it sounds like the diff is ready to come apart. I am buying a gearless diff lock shortly and hopefully that takes care of my problem.

 

Honda's don't have a conventional Limited-Slip, there are no clutches for the spyder gears to compress against the carrier to engage both axles. It works completely different. The Polaris does have a lot more aggressive 4-wd system than Honda's as long as you are going forward and accelerating. They do not work when descending steep hills, only the rear wheels slow you down (not a good trade off in my opinion). People will tell you there are all kinds of "tricks" to get both systems to work better. Some of the Yamaha's and Kawasaki’s have pretty nice w-wd systems, but I don't like governors limiting when and how fast I can use them. In the 5200 miles we have put on our Honda's, their "limited-slips" have not left us hanging.