Notice that I said that I was just expressing MY OWN PERSONAL PREFERENCE. Over the years, I have just seen to many folks have problems with them out on the trail, and I prefer to not share in their misery.

 

recon ranger, IF you are talking to me...I wasn't being sarcastic, I was ACTUALLY asking those ?'s because I am weighing back and forth between a KQ and a Rincon and I don't know the answers to those questions.

 

King Quad or Grizz.
The King Quad's DOHC EFI engine is sweet. The Grizz is a good machine too and its a proven, reliable design that just plain works really well.
Id pass on the Honda because its underpowered ('cause its air-cooled). Its also a good machine, but it wont be as much fun on the trails, over the rocks and through the sand as the King Quad and Grizz.
Cap'n

 

Underpowered because it's air cooled? The Foreman 500 has 2 oil coolers(one up high so it doesn't get caked with mud) so I'm pretty sure that it gets more than sufficient cooling. The Rubicon is liquid cooled.

Fun on the trails? Both Hondas would be fun on the trails due to the solid rear axle(like a sport quad). It's a lot easier to do powerslides and the like when you don't have IRS(which absorbs your momentum and pitches the machine). You're also able to manually shift both machines(Foreman comes in electric push-button shift or foot shift/Rubicon can be fully auto or push-button shift).

Not to mention that IRS quads will squat when there is tongue weight added to the hitch. A solid rear axle will endure the tongue weight(and maintain it's clearence) with it's rear solid axle while an IRS quad will take the burden with it's suspension(and squat down many inches in the process).

The Hondas wouldn't be as smooth going over the foot deep ruts and and 2 foot high rocks as the other(IRS) machines. But for woods trails, they would do better than well as far as fun factor.

It all comes down to what the buyer wants in the end. All quads mentioned have their merrits, as well as their weaknesses. My advice is to buy with your needs in mind, check your ego at the door. Just like shopping for a hunting rifle [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

One more point, when you're trying to creep through the woods(hunting), belt driven ATVs will require many more RPMs and thus much more noise than either Honda(Rubicon/Foreman).

 

I have to admit the Rubicon's tranny is my biggest selling point. Engine braking is great, shifting is good if you want to shift, or when feeling lazy, just put her in gear and forget it. I have yet to find a hill it can't handle. Sure it does not have IRS... but whether it will work for you depends on what you do with it. I work with mine... so the solid axle is preferred. If you rock climb alot though, you might look at an IRS machine. For my purposes, I find them spooky feeling. They do things I don't expect, and at the most inopportune times. But I admit under certain conditions, they are far supperior to a solid axle. I guess it is up to you to decide that one.

One thing I would like to point out... you don't find too many people trash talking the Rubicons... That silence is deafening... Sure wish it had locking Diffs though. Thank God they finally upgraded to disk brakes and the ability to switch from 2 wheel drive to 4 at the flip of a switch.