dear sirs..and gal's..
im going home to missouri here in a few day's...three !! yea !! im over here in kuwait,working for uncle sam..
im buying a rancher 350 4x4 for my farm,and for my daughter and I ..shes 20 years old n' still loves 4-wheelers !..to just check cows play around on.
i have a few questions..does the rancher ? [i get confused on rancher AT, ECT .] ANYHOO.....
the one im wanting is a 350 rancher,4x4. does it have ?
super low range ? granny gears ?
and then low
and then a high side gears ?
also ?? im not shure on the spec's....but is this model oil cooled ? i read somewhere on here that they have an oil cooler ? with a fan ?
im looking for an 2004 model. my buddy walter back home say's dell's honda in blue springs have them for sale for 4.400.00 $$ .. imathinking ? this would be a good price.
im a big guy..6'1' 270 lb's my daughter is around 130....[she wont tell me]..ha !
mostly we just looking for trail riding. slop around in the creek,playing in the mud..riding the pastures.ck'ing cows..fix a few fences...ride the gravel roads. ect...
one more thing..... [ES]....... yep, i've heard good n' bad...but ?? i like the ideal of that ..because my pop who's got bad back problem's .[caint feel his legg's] .. i was just thinking that it would be better for him
what's ya'll think ?
buckweet

2002 goldwing GL 1800
1976 honda supersport cb750
72 triumph bonny chopper [hard tail !]

as you can tell im a honda fan !!!!!

 

The Rancher is the just enough, but not to much machine! I am very happy with both of mine! It got a body style change in 04. If you don't have to have the new styling, look around and you might find a new 03 sitting around a dealership somewhere??? You should be able to get something like $1,000 off MSRP!

No low range. 1st gear is a granny gear, and plenty low enough. Honda's philosophy is no transfer case, means no extra weight! If you need more power than the Rancher has in 1st, you need a bigger machine.

High gear is plenty high. ~50 mph. More than fast enough on a machine with utility suspension.

Has an oil cooler and a fan. My fan comes on only rarely, even here in So. Calif.

The bike will probably be a little small for you, and a little big for her. Go to the dealer, and sit on one to be sure you can both live with it.

As far as ES, I personally avoid it. Why pay $200 extra for something that adds complexity and the risk of failure out on the trail. There are at least a couple of posts every month, about ES problems. On the other hand, there are folks in here who will swear they love it and have never had a problem.

 

Text reconranger...thanks...
my daughter is almost 5'10'' i think.. shes stout as a horse.
im glad to hear that the rancher has a super low 1st gear...
now ? one more question ! ha !
how or what ? is the proper way to shift one of these machines?
just back off the throttel n' shift ?
or ? hold throttel steady n' bang away ?
again thank's..
anyone else wanna thro there two cent's worth in ?
buckweet

 

Yeah, just let off the throtle and shift, then get back on the throtle once the shift is completed. When you pull/push up or down on the shifter, that engages the clutch and then shifts the gears. When you let off the shifter, the clutch engages again. And, there is also a centrifugal clutch, so you can sit and idle while it is in gear. It's a great system, especially for slow and technical riding.

I have played around with slowly letting off the shifter, to engage the clutch slowly while gradually adding power (just like with a full manual hand clutch), but it's not at all necessary, and most people don't bother.

The engine can be modded up some, if you want some more power.

 

OK.........i'll bite..
how ? or what would a person have to do ? simple mod's ? cost ?
cost is a very real concern here...
but ? on the other hand..i want the best.
new as i can buy. my goldwing has given me ''zero'' problem's...
the last honda atv i rode was a three wheeler, big red 200 ? i think..
that thing was bullet proof. i hope this rancher will be the same.
my buddy mikey has a foreman.. i thought it was a little too big.
oh ! b4 i fergit's.... i should ? have a winch ? putt on when i buy this bike ?
and also ? this 424 kit ? im hearing about ?
might as well do it all !
buckweet

 

For my purposes I don't want to add any extra weight, especially on the front end of the bike where it can do the most harm. So, I passed up the winch idea. I'm in the desert, so we don't have the mud that some areas have, and it only snows at high altitude. I have never been stuck where I couldn't just pick the bike up and lift it out.

I bought a 424, and I have to confess that it is still sitting in a box in my garage. The thing just seems so heavy every time I pick it up!

 

Recon has given some great advice, and I agree with all of it.

The only thing we seem to disagree on is the ES. We've had it on 2 ranchers that are always worked hard and never had any problems. Even after a big foot kit, plow and winch the rancher still took all I could dish out. IMO, the ES is one of the best parts of the rancher, and definately a plus for less experienced riders or those uncomfortable with shifting.

But as long as you are on a rancher, you will be happy; ES or not.

 

We have two rancher ES 4x4's and have had no trouble with the ES. Novice drivers really like the ES system because it's simple to change gears and the Rancher's display tells them what gear they are in. I have found it really easy to hold up fingers telling novices what gear they should be in when they are learning and following me on trails. It seems they never remember how many times they shifted with manual trannys.

The real reason I replied is to comment about the winch. If money is tight, then don't worry about a winch and 4-2-4 kit. A stock rancher will meet your needs until you have the cash to add the mods. Since I live in the middle of the prairie where a mountain might be 50 feet, I haven't seen the need for a winch. When I get stuck in a mud hole or in a creek there is generally no tree or rock within sight to hook a winch cable to anyway. When we ride in challenging conditions where we might get stuck, we generally have two or more machines in a group. Our group carries a twenty foot tow strap for cars. Just hook the tow strap up and have a buddy pull you out. That happened this past weekend when a buddy's wife buried his Kodiak. You can roll it up and put it in the tool box. Twenty five bucks for a tow strap is a lot cheaper than a $300 to $500 winch.



Thanks for serving our country, welcome home and have fun.

 

love my es rancher its an 04. I really dont think the 424 adds much weight, the front drive shaft is solid and has mass to it so your not adding as much weight. Def. worth it to get the better (easier)turning and sport feel.

 

We have a new Rancher ES in the family. My sixteen year old son rides it most of the time but I do get on it occaisionally. We really like it. The ES transmission model comes with an emergency shifter arm to get you home. It is stored in the little storage compartment and slips over the shift shaft. I will allow you to manually shift the transmission enough to get home. That in conjunction with the rope/recoil starter can get you home in the event of a total failure.

As stated above, the Rancher is just enough but not too much. It's pleanty for my sone and my 5'9" 205lbs. has not been disappointed with its performance or capabilities.