First one to post on the Big Red platform.

Don't have much to say about them, other than they look really beefy. The 4-wheel drive options look really nice as well.

 

Heck, I'm still waiting to hear from somebody that owns one but if it's a Honda, you know it's solid.

 

I own 2 honda's and was wondering the same thing. I want to know some of the real world applications for this thing.

 

I think in a frame that big the Rincon motor may be taxed a little bit. But it's all speculation until someone on here buys one, and gives us a report.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Even more so the gearing of the transmission. I own an 09 Rincon and think its great, but I can't imagine it with another 1000lbs on it. I would think they would have had to gear it down to get the loads they are talking about.

 

I have a friend who has one of these new Big Red's. He has had it now for a few months, and I have driven it twice.

First off, before I get to what I thought when I drove it. The FIRST weekend he owned it, he took it out to the deer lease in Louisiana and promptly sank it. Now, they were smart about it, didn't run it again until many, many flushes of the engine. Eventually they got the oil to come out just oil, and fired it back up again. No problems since. It is snorkeled now. The air intake is under the passenger seat from the factory btw.

Mods he has:
26" Swamplites
Double pane front windshield
Beefy speakers in the roof along with stereo
CB
added some diamond plating on it (no accounting for taste)

Anyways... So I drove it twice, the first time was down some gravel/dirt road trails. The big bore single cylinder is loud, probably louder than I would prefer. The transmission though is apparently a Honda Civic transmission. It does shift like a car. It sounds funny to be driving it down the road and here it upshift. Its a smooth shift too, not clunky at all. Just LOUD.

It handles well, taking turns at decent speeds without feeling overly top heavy. Very rarely do you feel like you could tip it. 4WD is selectable and the transition is as seamless as I expect from a Honda. On the road its a smooth ride even with the Swamplite tires. The suspension (4 wheel independent) is not overly bouncy, nor is it too stiff for the weight of the vehicle.

The second time I drove it was on trails (I did not drive it in swampy areas, but I was with it when it was driven in swampy areas). Even on bouncy trails the suspension is still very even, never throwing you around. I find I don't much care for side by sides because I feel like you have less control. I have been in other side by sides where the trail drives you (not sure how else to word that, just referring to the feeling of having less control over the vehicle vs an ATV), this was not the feeling in the Big Honda.

With the Swamplites it went most places that any Honda ATV can go. It still got stuck on occasion. Its weight makes it harder to winch out, but thats with any side by side. Sloshing through the mud, it still handles well and it leaves you with the feeling that you are in control. I don't know if it has power steering, but being that the newer model ATV's do, and judging by how it handles I think it does.

Even though I am not much of a side by side fan, I thought it was a pretty good ride. I can maybe see owning one if I had a farm and needed a powerful utility vehicle to ride around the farm in. The dump bed is nice for stuff like that. As far as trails go some of the other manufacturers have smaller more trail ready side by sides (read Polaris Ranger) that can fit in tighter places, but it holds its own. The biggest drawback, noise. The engine is obnoxiously loud after a little while. Driving behind it still sounds like you are riding in it.

I think its place is not in the play world but in the utility work world. I haven't seen much that would challenge it there (short of an actual truck). In the world of SxS I generally like it better than most of what I have seen.

 

Nice run down. Thanks

 

Need some pictures

 

I still wish they would've put something more like the Rubicon's tranny in it so it's got some more grunt. Not really a fan of a styling, but everything else I've seen so far seems pretty good actually.

 

my buddies big read. It was over at my uncles shop the other day. Only had my phone with me, so only took one picture of it.