Dear ATVtech1,

Yes, I don't own a Rincon because I did research on the bike like ridinhigh is smarthly doing. And I have driving the Rincon on many occassion on a,' I'll try your bike and you can try my bike for a while, so, we can compare both machine'. False information? Just for fun, even on this forum do a search on 'Rincon problems', and don't even type transmission and see what problems can just appear?. Doe more research and you will find more on the internet. I known from knowledge of past and present Rincon owners to have had problems with their transmission, even our dealer will tell you openly that they are still once and a while repairing Rincon Transmission!!

You must accept not only Pros, but also the cons sometimes. Why trying to denied or bullsh!t information? If someone ask me, if I had had problems with my Prairie, the answer would be, yes, I had problems with the decompressor failing (after I changed my cams), one belt that was totally destroyed (test driving it after extensive engine and transmission modification on a quest for my top speed) and the engine heating (with the stock cdi limiting the timing in the top end power, changing my cdi for a dyna fs cdi solved the problem).

And your name suits you well..., I'm getting a little to old for that childish nameplaying. Littleboy is has been my nickname for many years. And still is today, that you like it or not!

 

There has been exactly one known Rincon transmission problem, period. The fact that the Rincon transmission takes a while to warm up does not qualify as a problem. The fact that the Rincon transmission does not have low range does not qualify as a problem. The fact that the Rincon transmission makes a whirring noise while it's warming up does not qualify as a problem. The fact that people use the wrong type of oil in the Rincon transmission does not qualify as a problem.

The one issue with the Rincon transmission, only applied to 03 and early 04 models. All newer models do not have any transmission problems. The issue was that the oil pump o-rings were not strong enough to withstand the high oil pressure coming from the oil pump. This caused some of the o-rings to burst and lower the oil pressure in the transmission, causing a slipping effect and a loss of top speed in third gear. It happened on my Rincon and is a very simple fix. Honda is repairing all affected units for free even after the warranty has expired. Problem solved.

There have been no known problems with the torque converter, clutch packs, or the main valve body. Those are the facts. People have not been demanding their transmissions be "reconditioned" either. It's not like you can just unbolt the transmission from the engine like you do on a car or truck. The transmission is integral with the engine.

I hate it when people give false information on these forums.

Here is some real information regarding the Suzuki Twin Peaks (Kawasaki Prairie). The local Suzuki sales rep said he was glad Suzuki came out with their own big bore ATV, because the Kawasaki CVT is the most troublesome, unreliable transmission he has ever seen. This came straight from the Suzuki sales rep...

 

from real people who ride hard, I've not heard anything but positive feedback about the KAWI. the suzuki rep trashed the Kawi?? hmmm, i wouldn't expect anything different!!

 

ATVtech1,

Glad to see you did some research and learned something. That one problem like you said effect many other Rincon owners, and you said even yourself. Like I said there aren't no perfect atvs, they all have pros and cons.

 

Ain't that the truth. No ATV is perfect and they all have something good to offer. I was just setting the record straight about the Rincon's reliability. You made it seem like the Rincon has been plagued by transmission problems, when that is not the case at all. It has only been one minor problem and Honda is footing the bill for the entire repair. You can't ask for better customer service than that...

By the way, I much prefer the Rincon transmission to the Hondamatic on the Rubicon.

 

okay, i'm stupid. I thot the rincon had that new design/technology auto tranny, kinda like a car tranny. i was gonna post maybe the rincon owners aren't used to how it's supposed to work. I spoke to a guy who has the Rubicon and he said it's really hard to get used to, because you're so familiar with the old technology, and you think there's something wrong. He's finally used to it, and says it works great.

 

I own an 04 honda rincon and absolutely love it i have exhaust and K n N airfilter. I have a buddy who has a grizzy and always has problems with it. I can also beat him in a race. My GPScape has gotten us through some pretty nasty terrain in kentucky i see no yamaslow doing that one. I have drove hondas clear from my first 1985 250. Will always drive honda always.

O4 rincon
85 f250 cummins diesel fully restored
00 f150 (daily driver)

 

We used to have a 85 250 also. We put it through living hell and it still keep going. Even damn near got for trade in what we paid for it, they hold there value. So the Rincon will keep up with the Grizz heh? Still doin some comparison's yet. Thanks

 

ATVtech1, thanks for setting the record straight on the Rincon's transmission. The only problem they had that I know of is the 0-ring thing and that could have been a supplier problem and has been solved.

ATVtech, I am curious, what do you like more about the Rincon's tranny over the Rubicon's?

Back to the original topic, the Rincon has enough power for what I need it for. Last weekend I was in the woods with it cutting firewood and I needed to cut a trail through the snow on the outside of the woods so it would be easier to get to the truck. The Rincon was spinning all 4 in 2nd gear with snow rolling in front of the bumper. After a couple attempts of backing up and going forward I got through the deep drift and then it was easy going after that. I have no clue how people say a Rincon can't spin the tires in thick mud. I can see in 2nd gear, but first? I like the Traxloc system they have developed, they made it pretty much idiot proof for people wanting to engage the front wheels with the rears spinning. It won't let you. But if you are just cruising and the front and back tires are going the same speed, you can engage it on the fly. And the part I like is you can leave it engaged and it will be like a full time 4x4 as it will stay in 4x4 until you take it out. Polaris' system automatically takes it out of 4x4 whenever it does not need the front wheels pulling regardless of where the 2wd/4wd switch is. The suspension is great, attention to detail is excellent, comfortable riding position, nice digital display, easy steering, great handling, that pretty much sums it up. rooster

 

I feel that for fast and furious trail riding, the three speed tranny (operated in ESP mode) is far better than the five speed Hondamatic (again, in ESP mode). I generally don't like a fully automatic tranny (I never use Auto mode on my Rincon), as I prefer to have some control over what gear I'm in, which is why I always use ESP mode on my Rinny or when I drive a Rubicon. I just prefer shifting through three gears instead of five. With the Rincon's torque converter (once you know how to use it), first gear is more than enough to climb up the steepest of hills or crawl through really technical sections. As soon as the trail opens up, the Rincon lets you floor the gas in first and almost instantly you're up into third gear. The Rubicon requires you to be in first gear (often low range) to climb the same hills, and when the trail opens up, you're forced to stop to shift into high range, and then go through all five gears to attain top speed. Again, for aggressive trail riding, the three speed can't be beat. That's why I disagree when people ask for a fourth gear on the Rincon. I love the fact that the Rincon tranny only has three speeds. I think Honda should just add a low range selection to have three gears in low and in high.

Now, for pulling heavy loads or turning big mud tires, the Rubicon transmission is far superior...