My Rancher 4x4 ES sometimes shifts hard from neutral to 1st gear. Sometimes not. This occurs at idle speed.
I warmed mine up good, and adjusted the idle speed down just a little. This seemed to help some but upon occasion, it will still shift hard.
The dealer said this is normal, when I showed him this.

 

I dont think that is normal. Mine does not do it. I did not think about the idle speed, that sounds like it should work.

 

My rancher jumps when you go from N to 1st. Tonight I will try to adjust the idle down a little & see what happens.

 

I have a 00 Rancher with ES. I adjusted my clutch
at about 600 mi and it shifts both quieter and smoother now. Hondas maintenance schedule calls for clutch service at 100 mi inital 600 1200 mi
regular intervals. It is very simple and only takes minutes to do.

00 RANCHER
99 KAWASAKI 220

 

i didn't get a manual with mine and I haven't ordered one yet. Could you explain the procedure for adjusting it. My ES shifts fine. It's still funny when someone who has never seen a Honda ES and they hear the shift clank.

 

yeah I knew you meant ES. Let us know what you figure out.

 

TEXAS WARRIOR Look for your owner's manual in the storage compartment. It will be on top in it's own compartment that unsnaps and hinges down.


00 RANCHER 4x4 ES

 

excellent! i did not know that... thanks...

 

I would say it is not the clutch, but the idle or choke being on. The clutch would have NOTHING to do with the lurching ahead from nuetral to 1st. if it happened in other gears, possible. But i'll bet it is the idle speed, or choke out of adjustment setting the idle to fast, yet low enough it will still engage into gear.

 

You guys are worrying about nothing, believe me. I have a 00 Rancher ES 4x2, it does the same thing "sometimes". Only shifting it from neutral to reverse, or neutral to 1st, "sometimes". If you ever had any other manual shift, automatic clutch quad, they all do it on occasion. I've owned a Yamaha Beartracker, Kawasaki Bayou, Kawasaki Lakoda, and still do own a Honda Recon, all auot clutch -manual shift, and every one of those do and did the same thing, "sometimes" one time or another. It's normal. I just had my Rancher in for the initual checkup, and everthing was gone over, including the clutch adjustment and idle speed, but just for my own curiousity I went out yesterday after reading this post and lowered my idle speed a little, NO difference! It's normal, live with it, or buy a maual clutch. Jeff 00 Rancher ES 4x2, 97 Recon