I gust got my 2005 Rubicon GPS Green Friday 1-28-05 Price $6650 This was the lowest I could get out of 8 dealers only one of the 8 was able to get it in green the other was saying any day now since December. Right from the start I could not believe how smooth and easy this ATV was to operate. Lots of power but it's so smooth it don't feel like it. Still not enough power(or I guess I should say right gearing) to ride a wheelie like the belt drive ATV's(which I wish it would do so bad!!!) hope to do something aftermarket to give it more bottom end to ride a wheelie. It will brake the rear tires loose once you get going and nail the throttle it will also burn tires in two wheel drive starting off with front brakes applied. To have the option of two or four wheel drive is a great change from the full time four wheel drive of the rancher.It will slide around corners like a sport quad I love it it's a lot more fun.The disc brake are great will come in handy when I start mud running and no more freeze up.After I broke it in at the trails which it road like a champ I raised a little hell but no mud(I LOVE MUD). Still so smooth the engine brakes works so good you hardly ever had to apply the brake all most like the atv knew the trail conditions and adjusted the amount of braking. I brought it back home to see top speed in D1 top speed was 57mph in ESP top speed was 61mph yes 61. I just got done putting on c series Itp wheels and 26 mud lites tires. I've bought a winch and have a plow but no one makes a mounting kit for ether one. Going to order the K&N tomorrow. Once I get the winch on it will be time for some hard core mudin I'll let you know how it does but I think you all ready have a good ideal. Even though it wont ride a wheelie I still give it a 10 PERFECT (so far) Let me know if you have any Questions.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

I have a question(or two or three). Is the suspension improvement really as good as I've heard? I've read that it rides a lot better in the trails as opposed to the 04 and older ones. I guess they changed the geometry of the components a little and added better shocks(adjustable).

Do the disc breaks have a scraper like the 500 Foreman to get rid of debris?

Does the engine breaking in 4x4 work as well as I've heard? It seems like the Rubi will just creep down steep hills in low and not slide a bit.

I want to buy the GPS Rubi here within the next couple months. Any info that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to give more info than the subjects I asked about! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I never had a 04 or older Rubicon but compared to my 04 rancher there is no comparison handles like a dream. Yes the disk brakes have scrapers. The engine brake is unbelievable it's like the ATV has artificial intelligent and knows when your going down a hill or on flat ground it works perfect as if you were Appling the brakes. Don't pay more then $6650 after some work all dealers came down to that price. At first some salesman told me if I could buy it that cheep then I should buy them one but there managers came down So don't give up. since there so new I had a hard time finding one in green Been ready to buy since November and since December all the dealers were telling me any day now but you should not have that problem if your buying in two months. This is the one to buy It's a Honda My third Honda ATV and the only problems I've had with any is water in brakes and a stretch brake cable great record for 9 years of riding you cant go wrong with Honda and buying the Rubicon your getting the best Honda makes!!!!

 

Yeah, I know all about Honda reliability, from my ATC 110(when I was a little kid) to the 250R to the 250EX that my buddy has. I've owned a lot of Hondas.

The rear drum breaks do not put me off, if you grease them correctly they will perform just as well as any disc setup from the other companies(sometimes better. ie Polaris/ArtiCat/Polaris/Bombardier).

There is a dealer within 50 miles of me that wants 6600 before tax OTD. This is for the GPScape. I'm going to try to talk them into putting some Holeshot ATR's on it for that price. Maybe some C series wheels also.

I'm going to buy it and get a new 500 Foreman or Sportsman 500 for my dad. My dad would probably like the Sportsman ride better than the solid/connected-to-the-ground feel of the Foreman). But I still question Polaris build quality. I also don't like the Polaris engine breaking system. I guess I'll find out later.

 

The new Foreman and Rubicon are almost identical in Susp setup. The New Foreman is great, I think it would surprise you. I still do not have very many miles on mine but it is greatly improved over the 04 450. The power is something that shocked me. First gear almost seems a little to low for the bike as it has all kind of power. The ride really suprised me too, it feels so much better then the old Foreman. I believe the new plastic on the Rubicon and Foreman are shared with the Rincon. I looked at them both closely and I think they are the same.

 

i own a new a 2005 rubicon also, only complaint i have is when i use the fron disc brakes( mainly going down a steep hill) they squeek kinda loud, do yall know anything i can do to stop that noise. thanks! but i love mine i got mine here in tennessee for $6185. sounds fony but check out there website www.abernathycycles.com. its in union city, tn. there the cheapest around, its near the kentucky border. put itp's on it. thought about a winch but haven't made my mind up yet. excellent power! pulled a 14ft john boat half full of water across dry ground. that john boat was extremly heavy. awesome trail riding and love the high and low range option!

 

My front brake never squeakit but I just broke it in (30mi) and played for (15 or 20mi) on the trail. There was alot of ice on all the hills but it seemed like I hardly ever had to apply the brakes. The engine brake worked great no tires slipping and a very nice creep like 3 mph on very steep hills.as for your brakes maybe you gust need to clean them On my 2003 Chevy the front brakes squeaked(when it was brand new) it was brake dust the dealer said some times they do that when their new so maybe that's what your problem is. That's a great deal on the Rubicon I'm sure that's with out GPS,There going for around 6500 here. I wanted GPS and it was very hard to get one in green around here But boy did all the dealers say any day I'll have one. I've been trying since November(with in 100 mi)made the deal for one third week of December they never got one or they sold it for MSRP7399 to someone else my price was $6650.

 

Congrats on the new ATV!!!! How does the ride compare to the Rancher, smoother or rougher. The old foreman and Rubys rode like dump trucks. Very hard and stiff. How about straight line acceleration, is the rancher or Ruby faster? I'm shopping!!!! It's either the Ruby or Rinny.

 

Thank you, The new Rubicon is so much smoother than the rancher and it rides so smooth you don't realize the power you got look down your doing forty and you just barely gave it gas. Straight line I'm not sure I would say the rubi will( haven't lined them up yet). I know it would be the rubi after 3rd gear. MY friend has got an 04 450 Forman S and up until 3rd gear I smoke him but after he leaves my Rancher in the dust.I did not want the Rincon because all the reviews said the transmission had no low gear and it was not a good trail bike But I never got to ride one Never the less there both Hondas so I'm sure you will be happy with either

 

I just bought a '05 Foreman 500 the end of december (Green with manual trans). I picked it up for 5600 and I love it. It will pull anything, including a wheelie in 2nd gear. Wide open I can hit 57-58 (61 with a tail wind), but I haven't verified that with GPS. That's about 4 miles/hour faster than my friends 400 rancher AT. I've found the frame and suspension on the foreman and rubicon are basically the same. I've ridden an '04 rancher and mine seems to ride much better (there is no comparison at all to the 450 foreman, they rode like tractors). I didn't buy the Rubicon because i found out how much they cost if there is ever transmission problems (dealer quoted at over $1000). A friend of mine just bought a 600 sportsman and we are going riding in a few weeks so I'm looking forward to see how my foreman stacks up (I paid over 1000 less). From what he's told me I should be able to keep up. Mudslinger, I posted this in another section as well, but I found a winch mount at www.e-winches.com. $92 (shipping included). Same mount for an '05 forman and rubicon.