I think it will be a good quad when it gets out, but I don't think its for me.
Everytime I go on a camping trip in the smokey mountains, whether I have the quad or the mountain bike with me, I always see the same thing. There are always these richy people there, riding the best stuff, but not putting it to use. Especially true with Mt. Bikes, you see these rich city slickers riding the big $6,000 dollar bikes, but doing there best to stay on paved roads. Thats what I think the Rubicon will be aimed at. Getting these richy people to buy their 4-wheeler because it has an automatic, and is "top of the line." That way they could go around riding them in the parks that allow them, thinking they are better than everyone because they have "the best."
The Rubicon doesn't really appeal to me, as of right now I'm highly considering a Polaris as my next quad, I love my Honda and all, but the thing is gonna get me killed. The drum brakes aren't enough of what I need. I love to go camping, and since I live in the foothills of the appalachian mountains in East KY, all I have to do is load the stuff on the 4-wheeler or trailer, depends on how many are going, and take off. The other day I came an ACE of putting the quad over a hill because it didn't have the stopping power I needed, and the bad thing was that it was no were near being overloaded. A cooler, tent, lantern, some cool little folding chairs, and my sleeping bag was it. Before you go accusing me of something, I keep the brakes adjusted properly, they just don't have the stopping power to slow down quick enough.
So the Rubicon will probably be a good quad, but not for people who will actually ride them and put them to the test, don't think the electronic do hickeys would last long with me.

 

Well Knott you could be right though in fair honesty the Sportsman is pretty close in comparison of price and there is not a real lot of them around here but what ones you do see they are putting them in the rough. Hopefully it will not be this way with the Rubicon, hopefully one of the guys on here will get one and put it through the test so we can see what it will really do. I am not much on drum brakes either but did you consider that you may be overloading the 300cc 4 wheeler maybe you need to move up to a bigger bike but then again drum brakes are drum brakes and they could work even worse with a heavier bike. Where exactly do you ride in eastern KY I am from SE WV about 90 miles from pikeville I saw where you mentioned you might be interested in a Polaris maybe we could get together and ride sometime so you could try this Sportsman out to see if it may be the next bike for you...

 

Thats your view. I like new technology (own a 450 es, got it when they where the new thing), and I DO PUT MY ATV's TO THE TEST !!! I live in the pacific NW. We do have alot of steep, rocky and high terrain. Thats where I like to ride. I have a rubicon on order and I'm looking forward to giving it a good thrashing on the first ride to see how it performs compared to the other 4wd's I've had. I've owned 2 Big Bears, 2 Kodiaks, and 1 450 ES. I think Honda has a better product, but my wife just got a '00 Kodiak and its a nice machine.

 

I'm from Knott county in Southeastern Kentucky, hence the name KNOTTrider, its corny I know but I had to think of something. I live about an hour from pikeville, little less than 60 miles. If you look on a map of kentucky knott county is down and to the left of pike county. We might have to get a ride going sometime during the summer, I need somewhere new to ride, I'll have to come to your territory and see what thats like.

 

Knott;hope what ever you buy makes you happy I'm more than happy with my 500SP fit's my needs as I ride the steep and deep (MOUTAINS).I'm really interested in what the RUBY has to offer hope it turns out to be a good one.You get a chance go ride,I have been lucky to meet and ride with several people from the FORUMS it's neat.CM