Hi Honda People,
I ride an 03 P650 and my hunting partner rides the Rincon. I like both machines. After riding with him for many months he finally had a complaint and asked me to post about a noise his makes when braking on slow down hills. I rode it myself to get a first hand feel and listen. We went to a steep hard packed road coasting at about 10 to 12 mph and used the rear brake only to make it repeat.
While descending as slow as possible down steepish hills using the brakes (rear) to the point just before locking the wheels it makes a horrid grinding type of racket sounding like it is coming from the rear area of the tranny. It will do this with or without the fronts being applied at the same time.
It bugs the crap out of him and he says Honda put a bulletin out on it, saying not to worry about it. I don't know about that. Who's to say Honda and my partner are hearing the same thing?
It is my opinion that it may be the rear brake pads vibrating in the caliper. I suggested removing and cleaning them up and putting a squeak stopping compound behind the pads. But he wanted me to ask you folks first. Anyone here addressed this yet?

Just a note on tires. We both put ATR's on and find them fantastic. We have a deep mountain hollow we call Death Valley. Loose top soil with scattered golf ball to softball sized stones mixed with flat rock as well. All topped with deep layers of leaves. We call it death Valley because when 2 or more ATV's go in, there is always one or more that needs help getting out. Just getting down there is hair raising because of the rocks and leaves make it feel like it is greased. We found the ATR's to work very good going in and out. Nice tires.

Don't Forget My Question Above!

 

My Bro, has a Rincon and his does the same thing..........It is the backlash in the drive line when you hit the brakes just before the tire's lockup.....You here that sound on any honda shaft drive bike......It is just louder on the Rincon because the disk drake is on the driveline rather than at the wheels, so it is stopping the bike with the gears in the rear end and 2 cv axles.......Basically it is just the parts that mak up the rear drive line, and are clacking together......We asked the dealer about it because it just seems that the (clacking) sound could do damage, And they said that they have had 0 Rincons come in for a problem....But they have heard of the noise though.......

 

Completely normal. Any quad with a shaft mounted disc brake is going to make this sound. There are little "spacer" type things in between the disc and driveshaft. When you lock up the brake, the shaft is still spinning inside a little due to the rear wheels skidding across the surface. Nothings wrong with it.