I'm lookin to change manufacturer. I hear great things about Honda. I have had great luck with my 07 800. I want a better trail machine. Live on east coast WV riding mainly need some power for hill climbs at Hatfield and McCoy, no prblem for a Rincon I assume. has anyone ridden both machines' for a comparison. Thank's in advance for your input.

 

The Rincon is a OHV single thet puts out 39 hp and tops out at a little over 60 mph. There are 500 Utitlity that would give it a go. Plus you looses true AWD,15 hp and a low range and the smoothness of a twin cylinder motor. Your heading for a big down grade if anything.

 

Yeah don't do that. The Honda is built well and handles good but it lacks in power and its a 3wd.

 

There have been a few people that we ride with that have switched from Polaris and will never go back simply due to the fact that they are over way weight and they can't believe how much more enjoyable, sportier and much funner it is to tide another ATV that weights over 150 pounds less.

Small things like having more than one brake lever, 4-wd that works in reverse and descending steep hills.

One friend who recently switched and bought a Suzuki 750 said it's like comparing a Jeep Rubicon to a full size dually pickup truck.

I think the Rincon fits a certain niche in the ATV world and they aren't for everyone.

Most folks who do have them say they are a fast trail machine with great handling characteristics while at speed the big Polaris’s are like a spoon in a bowl of mush.

I've never ridden either one, this is just what my friends tell me that do have personal experience.

I would love to spend a day on a Rincon but have no interest in riding anything that comes from either Polaris or Arctic Cat.

 

While I like a sporty ride too, I live in an area where you need all 4 wheels churning to get through headlight deep mud/waterholes to get from point A to point B. There have been instances even with full 4wd that I've almost not made it out. I can't imagine losing traction in one wheel. I went from a 300 Lakota to a Polaris for the 4wd so I didn't have to keep pulling my son out of the mud/waterholes. Momentum only gets you so far. Now, if Honda put true 4wd like they have in the Big Red, (at least that's what I've read), why can't they put it in their quads? People don't like the heaviness of Polaris but I find it really good to get down through the mud to the bottom where it is more solid. Just a personal like there. Another reason the Polaris machines are heavy is they have a very stout frame. I've abused the tar out of mine and it still is straight as it came from the factory. All this being said, if Honda comes out with a true 4wd 2-up machine (my wife doesn't want to drive one) I'd go give it a good long look. I like the Honda's I've ridden in the past and they make a good quality machine but they are behind in some areas IMO. I just got back from a bridge project on my club's trails and it was nice to have the power and traction to get the trailer with my generator, compressor, nail gun, nails, circular saws, etc. the couple miles through rocks, and mudholes. It was a few hundred pounds and the PoPo never missed a beat. Got about 1500 trouble free miles on it so far and it has not been babied.

 

What the Rincon will have over the Sportsman is a super stable and comfortable ride. Honda knows how to get the most out of short travel suspension! All the other manufacturers know how to do is make the suspension travel longer, and that raises the center of gravity...often to the point of instability. Several of my riding buddies have Sportsman, and all I can say is that the ride is scary when things get really nasty!

But....even Honda calls the Rincon an "SUV". The market it is aimed at is the seinior citizen set who are looking for a comfy ride, not the technical trail rider or the mud bogger. Personally, a 3-speed torque converter transmission (with no engine braking!) is fine for grandma, but not for me...thanks.

 

I'd like to try out a Rincon if it is as comfortable as my Sportsman. I have a bad disk in my back and the ride of the Polaris X2 was one of the main reasons I bought one. And, no, I'm not a seasoned citizen yet. I still like my fun. Just can't afford more than the 2 machines we have now. I like the X2 ride as it is set up more stiffly than the regular Sportsman. The regular Sportsman does dive more than a stiffer sprung quad. But, that also gives better articulation meaning more rubber on the ground and less wheel lifting in uneven terrain or rocks.

 

Moose, I sympathize with your bad back. I am a "seasoned citizen" and have near crippling back injury. I can tell you this, my Rincon is a smooth as silk even on the trail. I use mine with a snow plow and pull a couple of small utility trailers around the place but even while working the fact is that if I can't ride something without maiming myself all 4 wheels turning doesn't matter.

If Honda Rincon came out with a 2 cyl, a low range and lockers I think they would have the perfect machine for this old guy.

 

I can only speak to the Rincon in WV trail conditions (took a trip with mine this year for week, 250 miles at H/M) For the record i am only thirty and in good shape.

The ride is what makes this ATV stand out. Very smooth and very stable. Not as stable as my Foreman, but close.

It has next to nothing in engine braking, so you will be on the brakes a lot. I didn't mind it, but would be nice.

Overall, the quad does a great job on everything I pointed it at. We did every black/black diamond on three trail systems. Never had a problem.

If you have any other question let me know.