It's tough to compare the two. A better comparison would ofcourse be the Recon/Rancher 2x4. The 2x4 Rancher is fun to ride. Not as agile as the recon but close to it. When I put a pair of 27x12x12 tri-claws on the back, I can do some serious mudding. I don't mean a little mud but keeping up with 4x4 mud. However on the Rancher, id had to do all over i'd get a 4x4.

 

Yes.The rancher will fit in a S10 perfect.Its like there made for each other.When you shut the tail gate you compress the back tires just abit.

 

Go with the rancher, a lot more power and its a really really fun quad. Its allways nice to know that you have the power to do anything (there are serious trails around me and i can do everything that they have) and on the recon i bet you find yourself flooring the throttle a little too often, i wouldnt know for sure though, never drove one.
Bolth are built really strong and clean, hey, its a honda.

 

I own both a Recon and Rancher 4X4. Go with the Rancher, unless you are a really small person. Both are outstanding trail machines, but eventually you will wish you had the 4X4. The Rancher plows a little in the turns, but you quickly adapt to this. You just turn a bit early and give the gas a goose and the front wheels pull the front end through the turn.

 

hey rancher2000, i have a 1998 s-10 with the regular bed and my rancher will not fit lengthwise. i have to leave my tailgate down. the quad seems to be about three inches to long. do you have the long bed or an older model??

the rancher does however slide nicely between the fenderwells for now....that is until i get some new skins

 

Greetings,

A Rancher 2X4 has a very light touch to its steering -- I found almost no difference between it and the Recon. But you do notice the lightness of the Recon on the trail, it has a more zippy, bouncy ride to it and, as said above, is "looser" in the turns.

I would check the fit in your truck very carefully. I couldn't fit my 450ES in a Tacoma without leaving the tailgate down and the Rancher is actually a few inches longer than the Foreman 450. A lot has to do with how the bumpers and tires hit the bed rails etc., so pure "inches to inches" comparisons may not be reliable. I know a lot of guys haul their quads with the tailgate down, but I don't like it.

 

I have an 87 S10 long wheel base pickup. I dont like trailers so i bought an old truck instead. I just test rode a Rancher 4x4 es in the parkinglot and it seemed to turn pretty well on asphault. Im not sure how different it would feel in the trails. Thanks for all the help !!!!!!!!!!

 

I don't know if the Rancher will fit in a chevy S-10 pickup. I have a full size Ford with a 6 1/2' bed. I put a used motorcycle tire in front of the bash plate on the Rancher & have to compress the rear tires alittle to get the tail gate to close. The used tire is only 3-4 wide.

 

Go Rancher all the way!

 

Cartman,I just went out and measured my truck bed its 6'1".Its a 87 GMC S15.I wasnt aware they changed the size of the bed.I put mine in front first.The front head light gards are just over the front of the bed.They allmost touch the rear window.Still get the tail gate shut.

Good riding to you.
Rancher4x4es /2000 recon