ENIGMA206, What didn't you like about the rancher at? We are considering one for my wife, but from threads I've read they sound like they're geared high and lack power.

 

Man I love the new Foreman.
Would love to get rid om my '03 and get a new one.
Sweet machines that is for sure.

 

Zman, I must first warn you that I am very AR. I can find flaws that would drive me nuts and never bother another soul. So, like so many other things said on this forum, these are only my opinions.

I had a few hang-ups with the AT although they may be trivial to other riders. First off, I would like to mention that the AT is very fun to drive. It is a great trail machine. But that was one of the issues. It is not meant for work. I use the same trailer for ATV hauling that I use for yard work. The AT seemed to have a really hard time moving it around. I only had 48 miles on the AT when a small oil leak developed at the rear of the engine/tranny. I had a funny feeling it was because of pulling the trailer.

The other thing about the AT was that it wasn't holding up very well considering the cost of the ATV. If you get a chance to check out a 2002 or earlier Rancher or Recon, check out the rack welds and paint. The welds are completely closed in (or at least they were on mine) and the paint has complete coverage. The newer Rancher and Recon racks are only welded on top and the paint coverage is poor. It just seems Honda was doing some serious cost cutting on quality. Every time I washed the AT there would be orange rust stains in my driveway and running down the rear fenders. There are drain holes on the bottom of the racks. I was actually able to break off good-sized chips of rust from inside the frame tubing at the rear of the machine. I know this may not seem like much to some folks, but I expected more from a machine less than 6 months old. I contacted Honda about the rust and they considered rust to be cosmetic and therefore not covered by warranty. I took it to the dealer for them to see it. The dealer had the local regional sales manager for Honda stop by to check it out. He gave the impression that he was surprised and said Honda would have the last word on this. They did...I sold it.

The upper level Hondas (Foreman, Rubicon, Rincon) have much better paint coverage and complete welds where water cannot enter the tubing. My '05 Foreman is built like a tank. Just looking under the front fenders you can see how heavily the framing and supports are reinforced.

The AT is a great machine for cruising trails and even being sporty in the dirt and mud. I just didn't find it capable of doing grunt-type work like pulling trailers, stumps or deer from deep hollers. I hope this answers your question.

 

Yes it does, thanks for the response. Maybe we'll look into a Rubicon for her.

 

One thing I would like to mention about the new Foreman if anyone is considering buying one. They are BIG! At least compared to the older models. As I mentioned earlier, I also have an '04.5 500 HO. I've always thought that the HO was big for a 500 cc machine. When the HO and Foreman are on the trailer together, the Foreman sits about two inches higher at the gas tank that the HO. Yet, the rear rack sits about two inches lower on the Foreman. We have 3 older Foremans on the ranch where I hunt. My '05 sitting next to them dwarfs the older ones in size. If you are thinking about an '05 Foreman, consider trailer or truck-bed space when shopping around.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] The new 500s sounds promising , can't wait to see one with after market tires
and wheels. pics ----- where are the pics?

 

i bought a 05 rancher AT last month have about 14 hours on it and about 95 miles. i think that it is a great wheeler but just not quite what i thought it should be. i really miss the instant power at the throttle that i have with my old 97 300 2wd. there seems to be too much hesation before the power band kicks in. it could really use some more bottom end power also. i opted for the AT b\c of the auto traxlock mainly but also the wife could ride in auto mode. i really miss the feeling of my right thumb being hooked directly to the rear tires and banging gears!!!!!!!!!

 

Enigma, when did you buy your Rancher 400at? If it was one of the first off the assembly line there is a good chance that you just had one out of a bad batch of ATV's. There are always adjustments to be made when something new comes down the assembly line. I would be curious if you looked at a new one in the showroom if the welds are the same way. I've noticed a little rust coming out of our '01 Honda Rubicon's rear rack and going on the rear fender but it also has over 2000 miles on it. But I don't think you're extra picky about quality issues, I just think that a lot of other people don't care, as long as it moves forward and back they don't care about anything else. You are looking for excellent attention to detail. That is something I look for also. rooster

 

I like the looks of the new foreman but I like the racks on the 450s better because they have lips on the rear of the rack and on the fr.ont rack to.It makes it easyer to carry coolers and other stuff without it slipping off the back.Its a good time to buy the 2004s there letting them go for good prices

 

I agree with a lot of the comments about the rack quality on the newer Hondas. I remember looking at a 400 AT someone was selling tickets on, and I was thinking the racks were less than impressive. A lot of space between the rails and not much strength to what there was.
I carry a variety of items when I use the quad, from chainsaws to cable come-alongs, axes, bowsaws, occasionally a rifle case, gas cans, etc, and it's nice to have everything lashed down and secure when you get where you're going. Also, maybe its just me, but the racks occasionally act as a bumper when a tree gets too close, so they'd better be solidly built.
In my opinion the 400 really doesn't have the power to drive an auto transmission with any kind of authority, it'll get you where you're going, but it's not going to be snappy doing it.
We tow the same trailer the ATV rides on with the 400 Foreman, usually loaded with some fence posts, rails, shovels, barbed wire, crowbars, etc. No problems with it at all, even over some fairly soft or rough ground (horse pasture) The trailer weight would be around 600-700 lbs loaded, and carrying two-up on the quad as well. You can tell it's working on an uphill, but nowhere close to overloaded.. snap the throttle open a little, and you get instant acceleration in the lower gears.
Instant response is one of the things I like about the manual tranny, no mushy feeling as you get from a belt system or an automatic.