Other then the rubicon having 24cc more and the fourman not being an automatic what are the differences in these machines. Trying to figure out which one to buy come spring and want to make a well informed decision. I will be using the machine to pull large trailor while rock picking, pulling a 17 foot boat in and out of water, dragging deer out of the woods, pulling trees out of the woods, riding trails in the woods and taking wife or kids on rides constanstly. Some trail riding on old railroad bed as well.

Thanks

 

i would go with the rubicon my buddy had an 02 450 forman and when tryed the rubicon he traded his 450 in on a rube.
he said the differance was like night and day.
all i know is the rube and im very happ with mine.
i use mine for plowing horse shhhcrap and towing a trailer with firewood and hunting and anything else i can think of.
its a sweet machine and wokrs like hell and plays just as well.
i hear the canadain vertion has 2 and 4 wheel drive but not the U.S. vertion.
why i dont know but thats what the dealer tells me.

 

The rubi is water cooled and the foreman is air/oil cooled. Either one would work just fine for what you have in mind.
The front differentials are the same, and they both have traxlox, 2wd/4wd switch for 2005. They are both going to feel the same, and handle the same.
It gets down to, if you want an autoshift, or manual shift, and the rubi is about 700 bucks more than the es.

 

Also the Rubicon has the "Hondamatic" transmission, which by the way, got voted best transmission in the business for 2004 according to ATV TV. You can choose to drive in ES mode (what the Foreman has) or one of two automatic modes. I love having so much control over the quad and how it drives.
The Rubicon also got voted, from ATV TV for 2004, best work quad & best slow speed trail quad. This just isn't for the 500cc class but out of every quad made. IMHO there isn't a better farm quad out there.

 

Thanks for the replies fellas. Looks like my mind is made up and I should start shopping come January 1. Is there anything you would upgrade in a new rubicon? Go to k&n air filter etc.... Do they make lifts kits for 4 wheelers or is a person better off buying 2" bigger tires?

 

You have a little time. We should expect some reviews of the new Foreman in the magazines some time soon. I would wait for those or at least until some rider reviews appear here in the forum, before I committed myself. Personally, I'm no fan of any automatic transmission. Honda's manual transmissions have a time tested reputation for being dead solid reliable, and that is the best thing about the new Foreman.

 

If you ride in the cold...nothing beats handwarmers and thumbwarmer.
The KN is your choice, but those are such low reving, low end torque motors, that a KN doesnt add much power, and isnt as good at filtering out the dust. Those motors are about 16 to 18 horse stock, but have a buttfull of torque.
Youre making a good choice..have fun.

 

i put a 1 1/2" lift kit and 26" tires and hand gaurds on mine a week after i got it and i put hand and thumb warmers on it last week .
and now im ready for anything.
the reason i put the lift kit and tires on is because i had an 03 arctic cat 500 with 28s and i loved the ground clearence and when i got the honda i found on all the trails i ride i could feel it hitting on the skid plate so i put the lift kit and tires on it and now i think it will go just about anywhere.
and the hand and thumb warmers just makes it that more fun in the snow and cold wether.
if you get the rubicon i think you'll be very happy with it.
some people say that the lift kit will make it harder on cv joints but i dont beleve that because i have 2850 kilometers on mine since i put the kit on and it still runs perfect.
and my friend has close to 4000 kilometers on his without a problem eather.
thats what my first choice would be is lift kit and tires then hand and thumb warmers.
then anything else would be gravy.
oh i forgot the very first thing was a winch but i had it put on befor i picked it up.
the winch is a must if you do lots of mud and snow riding.
good luck with your shoping.