Just got a new 2003 Rubicon from Abernathy's for 5399.00 what a deal! Is there anything I need to watch out for? There seems to be some kind of cover over the radiator, should this be removed? Any over-heating problems with this atv? Should I add water wetter or similar coolant additive? So far, I love it. I usually ride double and the suspension is very smooth with two people. Should I get an extended warranty, and if so, is there a placeI can get a discounted warranty? Thanks for all your help honda friends and have a great Thanksgiving!

Bruce403
2004 V Force
2003 Rubicon
2002 Prarie 650
2000 Banshee (for sale)

 

I'd just make my first mod the Warn 424 Kit. Banshee, Prairie, V-Force and now Rubicon. My question is, where do you get the money man!?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Yea order a Warn 424 and an exhaust while you're at it. Congrats the Rubicon is a great machine.

 

You bought a great quad,I know I love my Rubi.You now own the quad with the best engine(Praire)and the quad with the best tranny.(Rubicon) Never had mine overheat,you sure did get a great price.When you get more seat time on the Rubi would you tell us how it compares to the Praire.

 

A friend of mine has one with over 2000 miles on it and it’s been a pretty good quad. So far it’s only needed routine oil changes, a front end alignment, a set of tires (switched to 25” ITP Mudlites), a CV boot replacement, a new shifter **** (the screws came loose on the original and it fell off and was lost) and some lubrication in the steering stem (it was getting squeaky and harder to turn). Most of that is considered routine quad maintenance and the same could apply to any quad.

I borrowed it once to see how it handled my 628 lb trail mower on the farm and it did a superb job as it cut for several hours in cool weather with speeds averaging around 3 mph (a limitation imposed by the mower) and there were no overheating issues. It pulled the mower up hills with ease.

On 7 trips to the Hatfield McCoy trail system where each trip involved 3 or more days of trail riding for ½ day or better, there were overheating issues with the Rubicon twice that I can remember. Both times this occurred late in the day on the ride and was caused by mud in the radiator. Once this situation was apparent we’d stop for 5 minutes or more to let it cool down, then ride again until the over temp light came back on, then repeat the stop and wait process. This continued until we got back to the trail head. Problem was resolved by thoroughly cleaning the radiator with a garden hose from the front and especially the back (this has to be done by “feel” since you can’t see the entire back of the radiator without taking parts off). All you have to do is keep delivering a stream of water to the back of the radiator at various points until you see no more mud coming out.

In comparison with other quads, a Prairie 650 was with us for the last 2 of the 7 trips and had overheating issues both times (just mud collecting in the radiator and it was fine once it was thoroughly rinsed out). The Rubicon didn’t have an overheating issue on the two trips that the Prairie was on. My Grizzly has never had an overheating issue (it’s radiator seems to be more exposed and may self-rinse via splashing through puddles more than the other two) and it has been on all the same trips as the Rubicon. The V-Force has been along on two trips (same as the Prairie) and also didn’t have overheating issues (I’d ride the V-Force one day, then ride the Grizzly the next). We routinely washed off all machines at the end of each day (we always found ourselves going through mud at some point on the trail, no matter what time of year we went). Note that on both the Rubicon and the Prairie, the radiators appeared to be clean when viewed from the front grille, however mud in the back of the radiator hidden from view because of cover panels still would cause an overheating situation (in short order) until it was thoroughly cleaned out.

On a side note, all of the Hatfield McCoy trips our group has gone on I am the lead ATV and generally run faster than the rest. I also tend to hit the water faster than the others (perhaps more cleansing effect) and with the Grizzly I’m more apt to go through the middle of a puddle when the others will go around it. When we trail ride we line up in the order of fastest to slowest so everyone can ride the way they want to and have fun. The rider ahead stops to wait for the rider behind at every trail junction or trail hazard so nobody gets lost and we signal to riders we meet going the other way as to how many are following. Also the Prairie and Rubicon (riders 2 and 3 of the group) would sometimes switch positions and generally stay pretty close to each other so whoever was rider 3 was sometimes getting a dose of dust mixed in with the mud in the radiator which probably added to the air circulation problem.

I’d recommend getting the extended warranty because of the transmission more than anything else (the rest of the quad is pretty basic and solid). The transmission is good too, but when something does go wrong with it (there have been cases), they seem to want to replace the whole transmission and that is expensive. There have been no transmission issues with my friend’s Rubicon.

 

Congrats on the new ATV. Follow the maint. schedule and let it warm up before riding.

 

Dude, I got mine for 4800 and change... sorry... but I have spent almost 60K at the same dealer over the past 8 or 9 years... so they take care of me. Honda is lowering prices right now due to a glut of machines in the warehouses... If any of you were considering a new purchase... now is the time to do it.