I have a Rancher 350 -2X4 now and am thinking about moving up to a 450 4X4 bike. From what I have read here there are a lot of folks who have issues with the speed of a 450. They like the torque but complain that the 450 is slow. I ride trails mostly, do some work and hunting with the bike but I do like to go when I hit the throttle. The 350 Rancher is plenty fast for me. Is the 450 slower than the 350? How does the bigger bike (85 lbs heavier) handle in the woods? Is the greater turning radius a big factor?

Thanks for your help

SSSSSSSSssssnake and the throttle

 

I've heard the 450 Foreman is very sluggish, although it has great torque. I think you're Rancher might not have better top end, but it probably gets there a lot quicker. I've heard the handling on the Rancher is very sporty as well. I would advise you to check out the Suzuki Eiger. This is a great bike for the money. Sporty handling, peppy 400cc engine, switchable 2x4/4x4, shaft drive, pre-wired for a winch, great price, and good torque for snow and mud as well too. Although you sound like a Honda man, I've heard no bad reports on the Eiger as far as relability. You can also choose from 5-speed auto clutch or Automatic. Neither version is belt-drive either so you can have more fun getting it wet.

 

You want to talk to Coyotechaser.

 

From what I've gleaned from different forums, the rancher's top end is around 52mph, while the Foreman is 48. So, there's little difference in that regard. I bought an 04 Foreman myself and I'm not quite done breaking it in yet, but I can tell you that it has pretty decent throttle response.

 

I've had too much good luck with Hondas, over too many years, both two wheels and four, to even think about swapping brands. My quandry is 350 or 450. I can get a Foreman for about $800 more than the Rancher and that price is not a problem. My concerns is pick-up and handling in heavy cover. Prong says that the pick-up is fine and there is little difference between 48 vs 52 MPH. Does the heavier bike handle more sluggishly? Is the slightly increased turning radius (3 foot) a big time problem when the going gets thick?

SSSSSSSSSsssnake and the angles

 

The 450 is a bit "old school". It has the older (taller!) wet-sump engine which isn't seen on any of the newer bikes. They did upgrade it with the new differential and selectable 2wd/4wd. I will bet we see the 450 disapear from the lineup within a few years. They have a 400 Rancher AT and the 500 Rubicon, so they have their bases covered. Unfortunately, the linup is left with nothig but automatics on the high end.

 

Your 2 wheel drive Rancher is going to feel different than any 4x4. It's lighter and doesn't have the 4x4 components in the front. When I went from a 2 wheel drive Recon to a 4x4 450. I had to get used to a little wider turning radius. Now I don't even think about it while riding. (I'm not sure if there's a big difference between the 350 4x4 and 450 4x4.) I was happy with the extra power for climbing hills. The 450 also holds back nicely on the hills. I don't use my brakes all that much.

I think the top speed varies with any quad. It depends on where you are riding. How far you have to reach the top speed. If the wind is against you or behind you. The weather even changes the top speed some depending how hot or cold it is out. I think the 350 and 450 have comparable top speeds.
The fastest I've driven my 450 is 53 mph. This does not mean that it will do 53 mph everytime I drive it.
The average top speed is around 50/51 mph. It seems to reach the top speed pretty fast. I guess gearing and/or limiters hold it back some. So, I think the 450 is probably about the same as the 350. I think Honda might like it this way. I also think that the Foreman 450 is slower than quads like the Kodiak 450 or Outlander 400. (Slower in top speed.) Most utility drivers don't buy a utility for top speed.

I was surprised to see that DW wrote that the Rancher AT did 57 mph in a shootout with the manual Eiger. They wrote that the Eiger did 62 mph. Do these numbers seem right? They seem a little high to me.

 

You are right Coyote...I am not nearly as interested in top end speed as I am peppy throttle response and handling in the woods...and my Rancher has that. I'm too old to slide more than a 30 or 40 feet down a dirt road! I guess I wanted the extra power to pull a little plow or drag my buddy out of a boggin hole without giving up the ease of handling that I have been used to with the 2X4. Bottom line is that the front pulling wheels would be usefull to me only very rarely. I suspect that I better stay with the Rancher 2X4...I may still get a new one just because I want a new one...something about a new ride:-)

Thanks for your help

SSSSSSsssssnake and the trails

 

Maybe you should ride a couple models to see if you'd like a 4x4. Will your local atv shop let you test ride a couple models?

The dealership I've been going to lately offered to let me test ride some models without me even asking. That's nice of them considering most dealerships won't let people test drive.

 

I actually did test ride both a new 350 and a 450 but...as you would imagine the ride was pretty limited. They had a paved parking lot and a small dirt parking lot behind that. I was able to put it in 4WD and compare the turning radius to the same machine in 2WD. Not enough room to get a feel for it. No trees/ditches/mud holes/etc. The 350 felt just like mine and the 450 simply felt a little heavy. I never got a real feel for the difference. Our hunting club rides a lot of bikes but the only problem is that most of them are either very old bikes or....my old bikes that I have outgrown.

SSSSSSSSSsssnake and the testrides