the Rincon has no more bugs than any other quad that's been out for years. Less than most as a matter of fact. It was in R&D for 3 years before they released it last year. Oh yeah, one other thing, you can never have too much power.

 

I wouldn't worry about the Rincon being first year production. We have a very early 01 Rubicon, 3200 miles and ZERO problems. It runs like a million bucks and has never had any type of transmission problems or any other troubles for that matter. The transmission is more sophisticated than anything any other manufacture has or probably ever will put on the market. There are other ATV manufactures that I would never buy their first year production ATV.

 

Hunting. Trail riding. Reliability. Durability. Comfort. Problem back, old(er) joints.

You want a Honda. Got that right.
Never (almost never) the Latest-Greatest-Fastest-Coolest,
BUT
Hondas have the best blend of sensible engineering and quality construction. You're 50 -- you know something about going the extra mile or three, and about value over time. So it's Honda.

Rincon is probably too new, arguably needs a few model years to get the few remaining design bugs out.
Rubicon is a wondeful machine, though several hunters I know complain that the bulletproof auto-tranny is a bit noisy (whines?), especially if you're a hunter who can't resist the Stealth (shhh!!) aftermarket exhaust system.

I'm a bit older than you. Sometimes bad back. Rehabbing a 'scoped knee. Two coffees and a bunch of stretching 'fore I'm rolling in the morning.

My wife and I bought 2002 Hondas last year.
Mine is a 450 ES Foreman -- manual tranny w/electric-actuated thumbshifter (on left handlebar grip), full footbeds ( = comfort, trail-trash safety, lots of weight-shifting control). It's comfortable enough, very stable, climbs & muds & stream crosses & trail rides in the top 10% of the Utility ATV's. It is a torque-monster, stump-puller, rides & handles a bit like a work truck, yet is smooth enough on the trails and can pull a fully loaded ATV trailer without even noticing it (meaning: haul out a couple of elk, three stranded Polaris riders, whatever. . .)

My wife is on the 4x4 Rancher 350 ES. Same shifting setup, full-time 4WD (with a aftermarket selectable Warn 424 in our plans). That is simply the sweetest ride you're going to find in a mid-weight ATV. It's a very well established model, extremely reliable, and it rides and handles as well as most any type of vehicle I've driven, including quite a few pricey sports cars. Honda just got it right. The "numbers" aren't terribly impressive, but their "low center of mass" design makes that "little" quad remarkably stable and comfortable. The engine is extremely smooth and "sweet" -- you'll be surprised it's only a 350. Oh yeah -- it's also quiet, and barely "sips" gas.

Unless you're hunting something larger than deer, the Rancher would be my choice. Unless you really have to have an auto-trans, but absolutely do need a stronger load-carrier, I'd go with the Foreman. The two "big brothers" are both good machines, but imho they aren't worth MY extra money for general trail riding and some hunting.

Both the Rancher and Foreman are air-cooled with radiators to cool the engine oil. They are thus lighter than a water-cooled system, but have extra cooling (of the oil) to provide a more stable engine temperature. The larger Foreman also has a thermostatically actuated radiator fan, to offset the bigger engine's heat output.

Honda. Rancher. Foreman.
Ride 'till you're my age, change the tires, go another 10 years or so!

Macon, huh? My parents met in Macon, and married while teaching at Tifton H.S. I've always wondered what riding in those red Georgia hills is like . . . but I just can't seem to get out of these darned Idaho mountains !

 

well, I'll trade you for a while, I want to know what riding in the Idaho mountains is like. The ga hills are mostly lots of red clay ruts and when it rains is the most fun because everybody slides everywhere and it's really tough to get traction. If you like huge mud pits and long sandy dirt roads then GA is the place for you. My in-laws live just outside of Polson Montana. That's only an hour or two from Idaho.

 

Polson? About 150 miles (as the Osprey flies) east of here. We're in the Coeur d'Alene area, at the NW corner of the big lake that abuts the south side of I-90, on the Washington side of the Idaho panhandle. Polson is in a beautiful area, lots of wild country 'round there. Not sure of the riding rules there, but along the Idaho-Montana border you can pretty much ride anywhere. Bring your Rinny, c'mon up!

You aren't going to get a lot of mud-pit type riding here, except for the big pit at the annual ATV Jamboree in Wallace, ID, between us and Montana line every July ( http://www.imbris.net/~hmatvi//jamboree.html ). I moved up here from South Louisiana, so I pretty well know the mud side of ATV-ing. It's fun for the challenge, but I don't really miss the time spent digging out, towing out, cleaning up, etc.

Most of the riding in this area is trail riding -- Idaho has more than 6000 mountains, is 75% public lands, and most of that land is criss-crossed with logging roads, ATV trails, . . . and hiking trails where you're NOT welcome.

It's so scenic and spectacular that most of us ride for the sheer being-out-there pleasure of it, sightseeing in the middle of nowhere. I'll never tire of cruising up some sandy single-track past piles of elk scat and steaming black globs of fresh bear poop (it's measured in "globs" <g&gt[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img], cresting a ridge, and getting a 75-mile vista of snow-capped mountain tops. You want a challenge? Put on some good "mud/SNOW" tires and head out in April or early May! Take plenty of food, don't ride alone -- stuck is definitely possible during Spring break-up.

Back on-topic: Rinny's are wonderful. Besides the "too new to know" concerns, I've heard a few complaints about their stability when crossing off-camber slopes. This is a concern for all IRS ATV's, and Rincon riders claim their stability feels safer than the Polaris Sportsman's -- not sure if this is brand-hype, but either way I've never had the same worries with the straight-axle rear end of the Rancher-Foreman-Rubicon models. For now I'll vote for the relative simplicity and durability of the straight axle, gear-transmission, drum brake, proven-durable traditional design of the "older" models.

With these mountains and the possibility of spending a whole day on excellent trails and not seeing anybody, I figure I need a level of reliability that stacks the deck against me having to tow my ATV back to the truck, or having an unplanned overnight camp-out while my riding buddy goes back for parts. I've ridden more than 75 miles (one-way) from my truck many times, and that's no place you want to break down with an any-day possibility of fresh snow, another dumb moose, and bears the size of a Buick. So I'll wait until the "newest" ride proves itself, and see ya down the trail.

btw, Ramblin' Man -- nice screen name! A tip of the hat to Macon and Dickie "Magic Fingers" Betts !

 

hey firsttime, Just wanted to get my 2 cents in! I'm almost 50 & have ridden most of my life. With all the good rides out there it's a hard choise. I'd recomend trying a few out before you buy one. I rode several different ones and picked the rincon. I usually have a lot of lower back pain from riding, but not from the rincon. It's not as fast as some of the others but it's smooth on rough ground. My dad's 72 , rode my rincon and bought one also. He kept his 400 foreman but doesn't ride it much. I also have a 03 prairie with a few mods my son rides some. It's very fast and fun to ride but doesn't take the bumps like the rincon. Try to ride different ones and you'll see what you like & don't like about each one. I have a great dealer in town and thats worth a lot!

Happy riding,

Rinrider

 

go with the 350 rancher i have one and it is the bomb!

 

HighRider, we are going to be up to Henry's Lake next week, close to you at all? Great trails. We like the ride from Big Springs, ID to West Yellowstone, MT, great scenery. Also some great trails up by Pony, Montana.

One of the things I like about our Rancher is that you can ride it all day everywhere, front words, back words, up hills, down hills, wherever and never take your hands off the handlebars. All five gears are there and reverse. No letting go to shift into low range or reverse. It handles great, climbs anything, and is just plain fun to ride.

Simple and inexpensive to maintain. Good gas mileage. Has enough power to concur anything and is very dependable. It’s a great ATV.

Have fun.

 

I concur about the Rancher 350. A nimble and easy to use machine. Very high fun factor, too. Get the 4WD model, and I don't think you would miss 2WD. The Rincon has such a comfortable ride it's hard to dismiss it, considering the situation with your back. I just think the Rancher is more appropriate for a new rider. In regards to the 400AT, I wouldn't be afraid to buy an early production model, but don't be surprised to see one or two little things come up that require a trip to the dealer. With either the Rincon or 400AT, I would buy the extended warranty. There could be some real nice bargains on the 350 since the new one is nearly out. Let your dealer know you are serious about your purchase and see if they can arrange a short ride for you to compare.