The rincon does fit the bill somewhat, its only got 10" of ground clearance and has no locker. Its more of a trail machine that gives a very nice ride with very good smooth power. Its in no way a mudding machine, just a trail machine lacking features the other manufacturers offer.

The ride on my 500i is not tippy at all once you get used to how it works and feels. At first I didn't dare do a donut on the gravel because it felt tippy. Now I can do it no problem, piece of cake. Its weird though, when you take a corner pretty fast the outside tire will sink in and the inside tire will lift up some. Its a weird feeling but its never tippy.

 

Come on guys ..lets call a spade a spade.The honda products are a bit bitten by the cheap bug.For you people that own stock in Honda you will understand that things arent so rosey and the have to spread development monies out over a lot of areas.This problem has existed for a number of years.This is not to say that the product is poor .It is to say that in my opinion it isnt the front runner it once always was,And it definitley isnt the same quality /fit finish it once was.The 450 es was real trouble the first 2 years it came out.Thepush rod engine with the crank running length wise is not a breakthrough in anything .It is although CHEAP to manufacture,many less moving parts. My 1986 honda trx 350 4by4 has the same horse power and has an electric fuel pump.The 1986 engine is much quieter,smoother and produces the same power.And still runs perfect today without any glitches.Is the 450 a better machine???I would say so ..more reliable???NOT......better materials...NOT......handle better ..YES...Better ergonomics? ..yes..........15 plus years of development time of improvement?? Absolutely NO. Try running the 450 up some real steep stuff...It will stall.(gravity fed fuel system)...Try leaving the machine for a few weeks with out a battery tender on it......Dead battery.......(well known Honda screw up caused by the light draw from the computer).Suspension is rough.........not much better than my live axled trx 350 ..without the durability.Whats with the aluminum brush guard in the front?...run over a rose bush and it caves in.....who engineered that ????.Not what I would call attentive engineering...Need i go on?........Not the Honda of my younger years..........My first Honda product was purchased in 1970.

 

Well I can totally agree with MrMom, on this, I will say one thing, I feel and many other people feel that the BOMBARDIER Traxter has taken over where Honda left off.
I got a 2002 Traxter XT with a Step through bag as I didn't like the step through.
It came with big bush bumpers that protect the headlights, handguards, hidden warren winch, blackwater tires, crome rims, very wide and stable. This has got to be the toughest bike i've ever ridden, it does have a compareable ride to the 450 ES and S.
The best was the price with all this was the same as a BONE STOCK Rubicon that is slower also on top end. I get 123miles on 1 tank of gas.
They are heavy though compareable to the SP 700.

 

<< Thepush rod engine with the crank running length wise is not a breakthrough in anything .It is although CHEAP to manufacture,many less moving parts. >>


ya that's why honda did that.........they were running low on cash.



<< The honda products are a bit bitten by the cheap bug >>

lol again





<< My 1986 honda trx 350 4by4 has the same horse power and has an electric fuel pump.The 1986 engine is much quieter,smoother and produces the same power. >>


i don't know where you got your HP readings, but it they're wrong. we had a 91 350 honda, and the solid front axel SUCKED!! it was reliable until we sold it, when we had to pay $500 to kit the electronics



<< Try running the 450 up some real steep stuff...It will stall.(gravity fed fuel system) >>



lol, unless you are going up a vertile hill (then you'd have more than just fuel problems when you flip) my brothers 450 goes up anyhill everyone else does, and sometimes the front wheels are in the air, no problems



<< Try leaving the machine for a few weeks with out a battery tender on it......Dead battery.......(well known Honda screw up caused by the light draw from the computer). >>


you really don't know do you. i don't know about you, but we turn the keys off on our quads. once again my brother left his alone for a MONTH (he works 6-7 days a week-10-14hour days) and it started up fine with a little choke last weekend.



<< Suspension is rough.........not much better than my live axled trx 350 ..without the durability.Whats with the aluminum brush guard in the front?...run over a rose bush and it caves in.....who engineered that ????.Not what I would call attentive engineering...Need i go on?........Not the Honda of my younger years..........My first Honda product was purchased in 1970. >>



i'm gonna stop now because you obviously don't know what you're talking about!

 

ya that's why honda did that.........they were running low on cash.....

I wish i didnt know what I was talking about.....The trx 350 is an over head cam single cyl.engine w/2exhaust exits.It developed roughly 23.5 H.P(as listed on my tile)the 450 es is a simple 2 valve push rod enginew/ the crank running the length of the bike vs.purpondicularfor the 350.It develops roughly 24 H.P.(as listed on my title).It has less loss of power because you dont have tthe gear direction loss.that is typical w/the cank running purpondicular.In the US a 1991 trx 3504by4 never existed.The last year for the trx 350 4by4 was 1987.The machine was sold in canada for a few more years.The well known honda 300 came out in 1988 and took its place until the foreman400 came out in i believe 1995.

I ride in the adirondacks and if the tanks get low the machine will stall.......both the cat and the honda........but not the trx 350 w/the electric fuel pump and the tank under the seat........


The 1998 and 1999 450 es models are defective.........they were recalled for killing batteries in a matter of days............WITH THE KEY OFF THEY HAVE A 6 MILLIAMP DRAW ........they installed a current control kit which cuts the draw to 3milliamp which is the recall remedy.It still kills the batteryquickly.i had so much trouble w/ the machine over this issue I took the dealer to small claims court.and i have an extensive file on this issue.The court found the machine to be defective and the dealer not responsible.I installed a battery disconnect and soved the problem .

I am not honda bashing...I buy and continue to buy honda products....im simply stating that the attention to detail isnt what it used to be. ...I used to marvel at the products.I now see many flaws............but they are still good competent products................Do you have a rubicon????have you tried to access the primer for the carb.????try drilling a hole in the side cover and use a wooden dowel to access the primer button........ Can you read your gas guage?????most of the rubys ive seen have the plastic misfit to the point of blocking the fuel guage............Such basic screw up....just makes me wonder what is going on with the rest of the machine............

 

they made 350 honda here until '92-93. just because they have similar power doesn't mean they pull the same. anyways no i don't own a rubi, but it's a FINE product

 

The Ruby may be a fine machine but it has more than its fair share of problems. If a person were to do a search on several different forum and they would see the list of problems. The biggest begin the tranny. Also in the latest issue of ATV Action or Dirt Wheels (can't remember which) an owner said that his tranny was dead at 2500 miles. Cats have their problem areas, all ATVs do, but Honda seems to have slipped not only tech wise but also quality wise.

 

Its a never ending story. To each their own.

 

You hit the nail on the head.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

hey free thinker-you have to take into account how many hondas are sold compared to AC's though.