"plus the honda costs less and with the money you save on the honda you can get a nice set of tires"

Or a chiropractor.. you'll need one after riding a solid rear axle Rubicon all day.

 

I agree.

I ride with a rubicon all the time and I cannot see for the life of me how anyone can say they are a good trail machine???? They bounce all over the place,I suppose if the trails are smooth they would be a good rig but the trails we have up here suspention is very nice.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

He is confused, he means 70 kilometers per hour not MPH.

 

I agree with the Cats so far... I frind of mine owns a ranch here in Montana (cow and hay operation), and he loves Rubicons. Before I got into my own ATV that is all I rode. Thought it was a great machine. Did what I wanted it to on the trails etc. Put it through some tough situations. Then I got my 2005 AC 400i. I was a bit dissapointed at first with the speed off of the line and power. But after about 100 miles it all changed. What a machine. I'll not say that it's the fastest but I WILL say that its the best riding. I LOVE the ride! I have been in siutations where I needed the DiffLock, and having it was the only reason I got home. I put my cat into the same situations that i thought were pretty tough with the Rubi, and it just didnt seem the same. I swore that was a harder section of trail before (get my drift?). Where the solid axle high centered in the ruts, Ive got NO issue with the Cat's gound clearance. I love the fact that I have 4 wheel disc breaks, and I love the fact that Im not as tired after a long days riding because Im not as beat up.

As for some of the other things Ive head...Ive smashed my rear fenders into trees and no cracks yet. My headlights are NOT plastic brackets, but mounted with metal brackets (I just checked). And as far as weight....I heard someone say that the Rubi is better cause it weighs 600 pounds. Funny, because my 400 weighs 630 pounds and the 500 weighs 649. Or am I misunderstanding and it is better to be lighter? Personaly Id want the weight. The riding I do would throw a lighter bike around so much that youd have a tough time hanging on. As for center of gravity... My cat took a bit of getting used to honestly. But I sure havnt found any center of gravity issues. So far the height has only been an advantage (ground clearance).

And this statement from the first post "AND im not kidding when i say the cats plastic will brake not bend like the hondas will. and dont cut me down saying that its not true because if you havent cracked or broke a fender then you dont ride it very hard" is hard for me to swallow. Sounds like you have this experience from 1 friends cat. I can tell you...I ride hard, and Ive not broken a fender. Bent my bumber, punctured tires, ruined a rim, rolled it on its side, and pulled other machines (1 kawi, and 1 honda) out of muddy creek beds. And I have yet to crack any plastic. Lots of nice deep scratches, but no cracks.

Did I hear someone say the the Rubicon is cheaper??? I have NEVER seen a honda sell for less than the 5500 I paid for my 2005 400i.

Anyway, I think my cat beats the honda on the trails. The ride is better and Ive got diff lock without spending more money on a locker. Ive only got 800 miles on it so far so I cant say anything about better or worse mechanics. Personaly I think they both have great engines and transmissions. I know Ive been completely submerged numerous times, and have never had a problem at all. As for top speed...I wont top my machine out. Ive not reason to go that fast, and it seems down right dangerous to go 50+ on any machine. Gutless? no... just been there.

 

okay, Thanks for ALL the help, info, and replys. Im keeping my Sportsman, and selling my rancher (2wd), as i said. So with that said im not used to needing a diff lock, b/c on a Sportsman you dont need it. My AC dealer is about 1 minute away from where i live, my honda dealer is about 25 min away. I understand the differences between the two quads, and how MUCH better the AC is. I know that. But the only reason i would consider getting the Rubi is [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] the transmission. Im not saying it helps out in the mud or makes a difference there, just saying that (from what i heard) its fun to play with, and i love ESP. Having a Honda, i know their reliable, but I havn't heard if the Rubi lasts like the foremans do. Do they last like the other Hondas? Im getting one of these quads within the next two months. Since my rancher isint powerful enough i need s/t to pull me out when i get stuck on my SP, and it would be nice having another quad that can go through the same things as my SP can, and from what i'm hearing, the AC will go through alot more than a Rubi.
----------------------
2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
'27 ITP 589 M/S
3000 Warn Winch (just added)

2001 Honda Rancher ES
2500 Warn Winch
(FOR SALE)

 

By the way, if your wondering how i ride them, the answer is hard, nasty mud, deep water, etc. pretty much everything, trailriding, hauling a deer out of the woods, etc. I'll have pics of my SP and Rancher within a few days.
----------------------
2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
'27 ITP 589 M/S
3000 Warn Winch (just added)

2001 Honda Rancher ES
2500 Warn Winch
(FOR SALE)

 

there is a few guys on here with over 5000 miles on there rubicons and have had very little go wrong with theres yet.
i have 2000 miles on my 1 year old rubicon so far and its still runs like new.

 

I know a guy with about 4000 miles on a Rubicon that is totally shot. Replaced front differential, rear axle, transmission, all wheel bearings about 4 times, god knows what else, and finally I think he blew the engine. Never wrecked it though. Most things came from entirely too much mud and water riding.

But this is a pretty distinct case, and I doubt any quad ever made would be running after that guy had it for 4 years either. So basically, this little story was for entertainment purposes only rather than advice or testimony.

 

i know a guy with a 2004 arctic cat 400 4x4 automatic with over 15,000 miles on it and the only thing that happened to it was one lil electrical problem and he replaced one clutch. he lost his drivers license and this was his only means of transportation he now traded it in and got a 650 arctic cat. and i ride in the deep mud and ride mine very very hard and out of all the years and miles i have put on the arctic cat i have gotten pulled home once. that was 2 weekends ago when my dynatek cdi burnt out on me so well it wasn't the machines fault. the locking front differential is wayyyyy better then the polaris 4wd system and the polaris 4wd system is better then the one wheel wonder 4x4 system on the honda.

 

Thanks for the help. This is kind of a whole another topic here but weez440, But as far as getting through something quicker, and better, the Polaris 4wd system is quicker, it gets power to all 4 wheels right then, in other words its better in getting the job done right when you need it. I ride with a Grizz Kodiak 450 and AC 650, all have 4wd and 4wd + Diff Lock. Waiting for the true 4wd to kick in is what usually gets them into trouble. Diff Lock is way better than just Limited Slip, thats common sense. And I agree its more fun to play around with, ALOT more. But as far as whats better, ill stick with the Polaris AWD on that one.

----------------------
2004 Polaris Sportsman 700
'27 ITP 589 M/S
3000 Warn Winch (just added)

2001 Honda Rancher ES
2500 Warn Winch
(FOR SALE)