i am thinking about buying a honda rancher 4x4 manual shift. are these very good of machines

 

I do not own a Rancher, but I did look around befor I bought my ATV (400 Eiger) and I got a chance to test drive the rancher, and it was definitely my second choice. I still drool when I see someone towing on. But it is very smooth riding, has gtreat torque, and are very mechanically sound machine. If I were you and had a little money to spare I would upgrade to the ES because the electronic shifting is so nice. If you don't mind all time 4x4, the Rancher is definitely a great choice for a mid-size ATV.

 

Hey biglease, go to www.abernathyonline.com and print out the cost of the rancher your interested in (hell maybe even buy it from them), tell the dealer you want it for that price, also on the paper write AAA Cooper gave you a deliver bid for $289 which you'll substitute for setup fees and then just the tax, I did this last night and it worked. I bought the Suzuki Eiger instead, but he still matched the price. Good luck

P.S. And once you cant get them to go down anymore tell them to throw in a helmet then you'll sign.

 

My neighbor has the two wheel drive shift model and he has been every where with that machine.

Sometimes its so covered in mud and goo, it looks like a mud ball instead of a rancher. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] He is so into his rancher that he made some wooden box for the front and cut two holes for speakers and added a stereo system so he can listen to the tunes when he rides.

Myself I prefer the manual over the ES model.

I just like the foot shift and have been shifting since 1969.

Chet

 

I have a 2002 Rancher.....it'a a great machine......but let me tell you exactly what you're gonna get so you don't be disappointed if you choose the Rancher......it's not tremendously powerful but it's low 1st gear provides plenty of torque for most work like plowing or towing....it has pretty good speed at about 53 mph but you'll practically need a runway to get there!!....it's not a smooth ride, as none of the hondas are unless you get the 650 Rincon.....good ground clearance.....the 4x4 steers pretty easily with the torque-sensing differential.....but most of all it seems from all the rancher owners here that you are getting a VERY realible machine when you get a rancher...if that is not the most important feature to you, there are other machines you should look at such as the Eiger of Kodiak.....the ES system on the Hondas appears to be very reliable....i have the S model but the ES owners are saying that in general their ES systems have been very reliable...overall, the Rancher is a great bike....you won't go wrong if you want a fun machine with great reliability.

 

Been there, done that.

The Rancher is a good machine - was my second choice to the Eiger that I did buy.

Jaybee

 

i should tell you that i am definently getting a rancher instead of anything else cause my uncle works at honda so his discount definatly makes it worth while

 

I used to be a used car salesman, and I used to make the most money from my relatives, you just know they are going to buy from you.....

 

I already said some of this in another post, but I'll share w/you, too:

I have a 2002 Rancher ES 4x4 and this one I have is absolutely indestructible. It has 1600 miles on it and rides like new. It has had NO problems whatsoever and is so, so low maintenance. I am super lazy on maintenance, so I like that. It floats: has gone thru crazy deep rivers, it has climbed anything it has come upon, has been awesome in the mud, and even light enough to jump pretty well! It's pulled more ATV's out of the mud or back home than I can count. All the plastic has been torn off and goes right back on because of the rivets it's held with. It's been rolled (driver error--hit a stump on a sideways hill in the dark!) and just beaten up time after time. It runs perfect and looks great. It's plowed a ton of snow wonderfully, and it's been raced a few times. It's also hauled huge trees when a tornado knocked them down. You would never know any of this by looking at it or riding it. It's super sturdy and stays on four wheels VERY well.

As far as S or ES, that's just preference. I don't think that changes the machine much. The ES has been great for river crossings that are so deep you're on the back rack with the front end up, or for super nasty mud. It's convenient to shift on the handlebar.

GreatCanadian has very good points. Good ones to know beforehand.

 

There are several reasons it is the best selling ATV out there. I do believe they will last forever. I have seen two posts where one Rancher has 9600 miles on it and another 01 with over 10,000 miles on it and both claim no major repairs.

So far very pleased with ours.