I really didn't want to get in the middle of this but I can't just stand by any more. I would sure like to see where a Rubicon can go that a 300 trx 4x4 can't. I ride with a guy that has an old 200 trx 2WD and he can go everywhere I go on my Foreman 400 4x4. He has to pick his line and it takes him a little longer but he gets there.

In all of my years of owning and riding ATV's I have yet to find a situation that a 300cc 4x4 wouldn't be enough(except for turning oversize mudders but that's a completely different ball game). I also think that there are several situations where a smaller, lighter ATV would put a 650lb machine to shame. Don't get me wrong, if I had $7000.00 floating around I'd probably have a Rubicon, but let's get realistic about things. Sure everyone loves power, and bigger is usually better, but in my opinion ATV's are getting out of hand, who really needs 650 or 700 cc's? For hell sakes, buy a Jeep! I know, I know, opinions are like @$$&^^%!@@, everyone has one.Just my .02 worth, Sorry for ranting.

 

I understand your point,I am not talking about trail riding,In the sand pits where we play there is no chance in he** that the 300 can follow the rubicon up a lot of hills.The 300 is great bike I had probly had over 30 000 km on mine,nut there was limitations where it go,compared to some of the big machine.

 

Foreman 4X4
Well untill this hunting season I would of probably agreed with you.
This year with atv's loaded and meat trailers loaded we where pulling approximately 1500lbs of gear, through an uphill swamp, up very steep hills at 4700 to 5300 feet above sea level. After downing 2 large bull Moose, we then had to hall 1600 lbs of meat out to the vehicles up hills through the swamp 16 miles out one way. It took 2 hours one way with the 500 Cat, SP500 and 2 600 Grizzlys.
We had to get in our lowest gears in some places with enough speed to get up some of the hills and out the mud holes in the swamp. That meant making 3 trips out which took a day and a half. What I am trying to say with all of this is if I would of been on a 300 I would of had to stay in low low range to get enough power to do these pulls I just mentioned which would of meant not enough speed for some of the hills or mud holes. We are not even talking about the lots of extra time that the three trips would of taken being in this low low range to pull this weight.
Sure not everybody would encounter this situation, but I did and I would never go back to a smaller machine after this trip.

 

Also the article states the Cat turns hard , thats why Cat put on such wide handle bars to compensate.Funny...I just measured and they are the same width as my 450es.Yet every tester didnt seem to mind the width on Hondas.The drag race pulling weight should be performed about 100 times so clutch and engine dependability could also be noted.

 

What exactly would limit you in a sand pit? There isn't any sand here so I haven't a clue of what you are talking about. What areas would the 300 4x4 be limited in? Power or what? If its size, that really doesn't portain, and if its traction, then a 450 or a grizzly would be left in the cold as well. Enlighten me dude.

 

Andy
I think to make it up his sand hills he probably gets a running start. If that is the case, then it's easy to see why the rubi is better. "Better acceleration and higher top end" That just seems to be common sense. At least that what I have found out on the sand dunes that we have here.

 

In sand I think the Rubicon would have the advantage cause of it's auto trans vs the TRX 300. In sand you can be going along find then if you slow down you start to dig in droping power. With the auto you would never notice the power and would easily power out of it cause it would automatically gear down for you. The 300 would have to stop/slow down then gear down then try to build it's speed back up, which is (alot of times) impossible to do in most "bowls/hills".

 

One thing they said abou the SP was that low was too low, that just means you have more torque down low and can pull more, and who uses low to trail ride all the time anyway, they make it sound like you race in low. Now it is a fact that suzuki and artic cat have the most low end torque of any quad out there, except the diesel.
And the shootout between the traxter 500 and artic cat, the cat won. those quads and the mag 500 were the only ones ever to make it all the way through that mud hole, ever.
These people don't know what they are talking about.

 

How much torque does the Diesel have?? I've never seen ANYONE attempt to state any claims on the Diesel's power.

 

Andy:In the soft sand hills with a manual atv you have to be in atleast third gear to make it up and if you have to shift to shift to second that is where you stop because it will dig down wright away,My 450 es was also very good because when i would get near the top and would start to loose power with pushrod and low clutch engagement I could let it bog all the way to the top with out the clutch slipping and if did have to shift to second that was it.The soft sand we have is very different to drive in,It robs alot of power and you need to keep lots of wheel spin or it will just sink and lean back.But it is a blast to climb if you have the guts.I have been playing in the pits for 14 years now,I have alot of experience with these conditions.You would not beleive the freedom we have here with our atv's