Being a novice and a wanabe owner of a Rancher what is the (dumb question I know) between the so called manual shift and electric shift? I assume the tranny is not auto and requires shifting from the foot petal or the ES via a thumb switch? I have not viewed a real Rancher other than on the Internet as there are no local dealers.

 

You're right, the tranny is not auto - but the clutch is. The so-called manual shift uses a foot shifter. You just let off of the throttle and shift (clutch engages automatically during shift). The ES uses buttons on the left handle bar.

As I see it, the big advantage to the ES is that you don't have to put your feet in the slop to shift.

RSeb

 

RSeb, thanks! Trying to get all the info I can as I know a lot of dealers on any piece of equipment are usually not totaly informed correctly on what is what.

 

Though I am generally a keep-it-simple kind of guy and prefer mechanical things to electric, electronic and the like I went with the ES for several reasons.

1. Full, really nice floorboards.
2. You can operate the maching with heavy, cold weather hunting boots on.
3. If the ES were to ever screw up and become INOP, they provide you with a foot shifter for emegency, get-home use.

 

Good point. I have a brother who is interested but has some thumb problems and would perfer a floor shift. I have heard you can get full floorboards put in and the shifter changed to remove the toe shift to a rocker shift to reverse?? Am I on the right track? Thanks for the info.

 

See these posts-

http://forums.atvconnection.com/mess...did/426944.cfm

http://forums.atvconnection.com/mess...did/400925.cfm (Another magazine had two ES failures!)

I wouldn't have an ES, but every time I post that, the same handfull of ES owners come out of the woodwork and say it's the greatest thing. But, there are lots of ES PROBLEM posts (average 2 a month), so beware, no matter what they say.

 

Reconranger! I am one that likes the KISS method. I plan on going for the foot shift. Not a young buck anymore so don't plan (don't plan) on hot roding. I have looked thru the posts and do not wish to participate in the Electric Shift. I have ridden Crotch Rockets and the shift with the foot never bother me.

 

You are only going to hear about the happy ES owners when people come out against it. People with problems start threads, not people happy with thier machine.

Rancher is a great bike either way, but I'd never buy another without ES. I had an 01, and others in my family have an 02 and an 03 along with an 02 recon ES. Not one problem with the ES on any of these bikes. Mine was beat to hell all of the time, and the other three are ridden in the smoky mountains of TN by kids and a crazy father.

Just get a rancher, I dont really care which trans setup you end up with. It's just too bad they dont offer the 400 with an auto clutch or auto clutch ES.

I may have asked this before, but perhaps you can indulge me again. Recon, have you ever owned an ES equipped honda? Not trying to pick a fight, just wondering if you had a horrible experience with one and perhaps put a reasoning behind your continual discrediting of the ES system, instead of just drawing conclusions from forum talk.