Just wounding if im living in a vacuum or not, my friends say my dream quad would not sell:

I would love a revised Rubicon, same basic size and style but adding the following features:

1. Rear disk brake
2. Higher top speed via keeping current dual range, or adding a tri range sub Trans
3. Increase to 600 CC or so, not to large as to keep sporty as possible
4. Some real suspension, maybe Honda guys can have lunch with Polaris guys and get awesome suspension on a quad that deserves it.
5. EFI and not this freaking "programmed fuel injection" crap that requires you to shut off the engine to have the computer read the current altitude. I want TRUE EFI with DIRECT fuel injection with an OBD II Port
6. Snowmobile style ducted heat, also able to shut off in warm riding season
7. Honda and Garmin need to have lunch and add a real GPS, while adding true 2007 style gauges that are Honda durable and unbreakable.

I know i kept the CC's in the same range as current, Honda can build a separate 900cc twin cylinder monster if they want- that would be fun too.

 

i dont mean to start a fight with you, but i have an issue on you EFI concern and having to shut the engine off...

did you know that a lot of your automobiles (not all of them) still use that method? when you first turn your key on on you fuel injected car, it reads the MAP sensor (manifold absolute pressure) and stores that, since the air pressure in the intake manifold is the same as the atmospherice pressure with the engine not running, this establishes the "baseline" for the computer to "compare" the running- map value to, to correctly calculate fuel mixture at that altitude. Now, lets say you started off driving at sea level (which means your computer has that "sea level" programmed as the baseline value) and you drove to the top of the mountain (assuming you made it that far) now the computer is still assuming you're at sea level, so your engine is probably not running quite right, (probably running rich) If you turn the key off and back on at that higher altitude, the computer goes out and reads that map sensor again (as before) and sees that you're at a higher altitude, and sets that value for the base, and now it will run better. the difference is that newer cars also use a "mass air flow" and an oxygen sensor to do the majority of the work, but uses the MAP sensor to fine tune. when driving in mountains there is less of an issue, but it is still there. mass air sensors are quite expensive for automotive, being very sensitive to moisture and other debris, definitly not practical for a quad. there's one reason it would not sell.

also, in my state a machine is not considered an "ATV" if the cc is over 800. so a 900cc machine would be considered an OFF ROAD VEHICLE which has really crappy restrictions, another reason it would not sell.

 

If that's what you want build it! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] You wanting every detail customized to your specification from the manufacturer is never going to happen. I may give it a strong look if the quad existed but it doesn?t and it wont. quicksilver is correct on the EFI, I am not sure what your tying to achieve. In the future if my renegade plans don?t pan out I am looking at putting the 650 from a Rincon in my Rancher [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] Again great quads are not bought they are built [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

i like the irs idea

 

i think what you want is already made . they call it a jeep grand cherokee.just kidding.

i dont know all that stuff is neet i geuse. but personaly for me a 10,000 dollar 4 wheeler is nuts.

i like cheap reliable 4 wheelers. i can beat the $#it out of with minimal complexity.some of these bikes are like automobiles.

i bet you though if i lived in alaska or something like that and i had to ride a 4 wheeler around every where all the time . to save gas money or the roads sucked so bad you had to, or hunting for food all the time. i would get me one of these indapendant rear , heated grips and seat , cup holder , 1100cc, super quads.all depends on what you use them for i geuse.i can see that.

i know what your talking about. it would be a honda goldwing line of 4 wheeler.

i have a 2 wheel drive polaris. it is not very powerfull, but it is a fine riding around bike. the ride on it is imesurably better than my rancher. 180 differnce.

 

I think your ideas are dead on. I would love to see something like this. But you forgot one thing.. A locker. That seems to be the biggest complaint on a Honda (except by Honda owners). But let Honda build a V twin super quad and there will be one in my garage.

 

I see where your coming from. And like some of your ideas. But you have to think outside of the box and come back to reality at some point because as some had stated, your trying to customize too many details to your specific needs. However, i will list what i would like to see (not to hi-jack your thread) and please tell me what you think.

First, i would like to see a manual bigge than 500cc, like a Foreman ES or S around 550-600cc.. That would be awesome. Same with Rubicon, somewhere around that size..

Now, for the fun part... I have always said that Honda has all the tools they want to build the "perfect dream quad", and here it is.

2008 Honda Foreman Rubicon 750 (made up name and engine size)
- Powerful 750cc Engine
- Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)
- Hondamatic Transmission (D1, D2, and ESP)
- GPS (optional)
- Independant Rear Suspension
- Differential Lock

and i had many, many more options i was going to list but i cant think of them right now. Anyway, a Rubicon with IRS would be my dream. But the SRA is just fine.

 

I would have to go with have of the stuff that you want, may happen. IRS would be nice but won't happen. They proved that with the new 420.

Rear disk brakes, you can install that your self I think that hight lifter has a kit.

The EFI deal may happen but not like you would like, they will keep the Honda dealers to be the only ones that can service them by leasing them the tools and software. That's were the car compains went wrong.

The GPS deal most people don't want or care about it. If you don't like there's then go buy one of your own.

Bigger motor size, don't see that either, they should have one bigger than the 680, but I don't see that happening.

I say your just going to have to build what you want yourself or go buy a 500 or 650 Can Am. They have pretty much all what your asking. If it makes your feel better buy a red one and put Honda stickers on it.

 

With all of these options, how much is this thing going to weight. 1000lbs?

 

I know its alot of stuff on one quad, but as far as i see, the only thing that would make it weigh "that" much more is IRS and the engine.. And it shouldnt be 'that' much more.. nothing like Polaris or AC.