perfected proven technology

if by "perfected" you mean it's like comparing a 1990 camaro to a 2012 vette- then yea, they are "perfected."
No 2012 honda (utility) could hold a candle to any 2012 polaris or can-am (or even any of the 3 other japanse makers for that matter.)

Honda has just about thrown in the white towel on upgrades & features. underpowered, less clearance, lacking effective decent control and traction control features. It's well know by everyone who's ever ridden a honda, and now rides something else, just how antiquated and behind they are on atv design & features. Their only real claim is their "auto like" tranny which isn't all that great imo. Maybe back in 2003 they were "all that" compared to what was on the market- but not even close now.

 

hehe- if you think you have engine braking now- you need to ride a new polaris or can-am. damn atv will completely stop on a 45* decline without touching the brakes- ADC on polaris is simply amazing- consistant 2 mph down a mountain side without touching a single brake lever-as the irs climbs over every rock- all you do is sit there in comfort, steer and enjoy the ride down instead of smoking the brakes fighting gravity and bouncing all over the place on the sra. And with your drum brakes- just wait until water gets beyond the drum seal (doesn't take long) they sludge & lock up- drum brakes on a utility is old school junk.

 

Hell,I guess its a miracle they're still in business.Good thing there are different brands so we can all buy what we want.What don't you like about Honda's tranny? By the way,it's spelled "descent".

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by DogRunner2

Hell,I guess its a miracle they're still in business.

They won't be for long if they keep refusung to offer features and upgrades found on every other utility atv.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DogRunner2

Good thing there are different brands so we can all buy what we want.

I don’t think anyone was arguing that you don’t have the right to choose which atv suits you- buy what you want.
But, if you’re going to pull some BS cliché “Honda perfected proven technology” then I’m calling you out on it.
You sound like every other typical “die hard” Honda loyalist who refuses to acknowledge that there are features / upgrades found on other atv’s that are clearly beneficial to the sport of atv'ing that Honda just refuses to include on their atv's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DogRunner2

What don't you like about Honda's tranny?

Excluding honda sport quads- In regards to their 03-06 rincons, their "flagship / top of the line" utility atv's (words taken off their web site)- I hate them. the ESP / AUTO option was just plain silly. The motor shares oil with the tranny, both my Rincon’s would have to warm up for at least 10 minutes in the cold new England winter temperatures before they would shift right. Both my rincons had less than 500 miles on them and were running factory Honda oil- it didn’t matter. When in auto mode, the cold tranny would hang at high rpm before shifting into a higher gear (an issue complained about so often they actually added an addendum to the manual to explain why that occurs), the ES was buggy as hell- while navigating down a steep trail, you had to burp the throttle to make it engage a lower gear just to slow down- the engine brake was a joke- almost non-existent. You have to ride the brakes and fight with the atv the whole way down!


And in regards to their engines... Honda should be embarrassed by the fact that their 680 produces just over half the hp that a can-am rotax 650 does! Hell- a rotax 500 produces more hp then their 680!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DogRunner2

By the way,it's spelled "descent".

Congratulations on finding my decent / descent error- Not a context error, just a spelling error on my part from typing too fast and looking at the screen at the same time.

You are the “Gold Star” pupil of the week!

 

I totally agree that there are better features on other brands of atv's.That has nothing to do with the quality of the product.More horsepower in the Can Am? Good for them. The Rincon doesn't have the same tranny as the Rancher or Rubicon, so while that might be a problem for that model,it hardly speaks for their entire lineup.If I wanted certain features more than the quality machine I have I would buy that atv. Thanks for the star!

 

fair enough

 

Yet people continue to buy them (Honda ATVs)...

I live in Utah, and ride the Paiute Trail all the time. There are lots and lots of Honda ATVs around here, but less so than there used to be 10 years ago. It used to be that 7 out of 10 ATVs were Honda ATVs, and now I would say 4 out of 10 ATVs are Honda ATVs. Most of the people that ride them are people that just don't keep up on new developments, they just buy what they have always owned because they have done the job in the past, and they have no idea there is something better now. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't, I suppose.

As far as engine braking goes, the Rubicon is awesome in that regard. The Rubicon transmission is excellent. And the Rubicon also has a very low center of gravity that helps it work very well in technically difficult off camber terrain. A side hill so steep that it makes a Yamaha Grizzly or Kawasaki Brute Force rider get off and walk there ATV across, can simply be ridden across on a Rubicon with the rider just sitting in the center of the seat. Too bad the Rubicon only has 3 wheel drive, has such minimal power, and has such mediocre suspension.

But speaking of suspension, the Rincon is outstanding in that regard. But the Rincon is saddled with what has got to be the all time worst transmission that has ever been put into an ATV. It is geared way too tall, is never in the right gear, and has no appreciable engine braking. And it isn't all that reliable either. My 2003 Rincon spent nine weeks in the dealers shop for repairs, more time than all of my other ATVs combined (and I've owned at least two dozen ATVs).

 

That's been my experience as well. The button controlled, ESP/automatic design seems to be just a band-aid for poor engine braking. And when your on the flats, the auto is always bogging down. So basically, you just put it into ESP and leave it alone. But shifting with a button on the right side of the handlebars is one of the most annoying things I've ever experienced on any motorized machine. If you've got gloves on, it's even more awkward and cumbersome. What is wrong with shifting with your foot like everything else?