Honda needs to come out with a stripped down version of the Rancher 420. Light enough to classify as a new generation of lightweight sporty true hybrid 4wd's. It would easily out compete the Yamaha Wolverine!

Even alloy wheels and stripping off the racks would be a great start.........

 

yep, no one seems to care about weight but you. give it a rest allready, ranchers are not heavy they are more then easy to spin around and manipulate whatever direction you want. and i only weigh 150 pounds

 

removing racks is pointless its a utility quad, they should then also pull the 4x4 at that point, the starter, reverse maybe take 2 tires off, then you can gain like .01 sec faster

 

This would NOT be a utility quad.......you mud wallowing........!

 

what are you hoping to gain by this anyway, make this a competitive mx bike or something?

its not going to happen. i'll put it point blank. the suspension sucks period..... this bike will never keep up with anything with a race suspension. it simply wasn't designed for it period. how do i know this ? because i keep up with sport bikes in the trails. its only cost me 9 ball joints, 3 blown shocks, blown tierod ends, shock mount failures, and finally a multitude of failures in the frame. can the bike do it, no not really, and the limitation shows very fast in the whoops, at this point i need to back off because im bottoming the suspension and it simply is trying to throw me off the bike. even with a pair of elka reservoir shocks a 1500 dollar upgrade the bike can be pushed much harder, however i am still limited and after seeing the other failures my other bike incurs, i suspect the same will happen to the bike with the elka's on it given the time and riding i do. but i simply say this. i ride incredibly hard. i blame myself entirely for the failure's. i know i've push the bike way past the design limits.

without a major redesign of the bike, this bike will never be competitive. but.. i wouldn't touch it, it does the job it was designed for extremely well.

my 2 cents.

 

mud wallowing ...... whats the word, im curious i can't figure it out from the asterisk's. but yes i love the mud, and the snow, was out yesterday first time we have had snow on the ground this winter. very exciting


now i just read your other post in utility, please let me clarify my knowledge is only on the 350 rancher. i have zero ride time on a 420. maybe it has been improved. won't know till i ride one

 

Like I said, this is something to compete in the same class as the Wolverine. Now the Wolverine is a fairly pathetic attempt by Yamaha IMO, but at least they are making an effort, so I will give them that much! By the way, I don't know about where you ride (Mudville it looks like?), but I am seeing a surprising number of Wolverines out on the trail, so this concept is selling with the average buyer. Other manufacturers can get smart or get left behind..........

This is not something in the utility class, but neither is it a full on sport 2wd either. Most folks are just trail riders who don't need a utility "work" quad. Neither do they need a fully larded 700 pound IRS monster. But, they would like to have 4wd just in case they get into trouble out there on the trail.

Have you even ridden a 420 yet? The stripped down basic Rancher 420 will make a great platform to start from!

 

no i haven't ridden the 420 yet, don't know anyone who owns one yet, i will prolly step up to one in the future

 

I absolutely cringe when I hit a whoop section on the 350. I thought it would be the same on the 420.....but I have been very pleasently surprised at how much plusher it is. The 420 suspension isn't up there with the sport quads, but it sure is getting close enough that I am liking it......

The 350 is now the g/f's ride. The 420 I got is yellow, and she says the color is approriate because it is "buttery smooth". I can see myself selling the 350 at some point, and replacing it with another 420!

 

LOL, I didn't even have to look who started this thread, it was a given.