Just heard from my local Honda dealer today that the '06 Rancher will
come with the switchable 2WD/4WD system. 'Bout time.

 

think the other 4x4's ill have it if its true ?

 

The Honda dealer who told me this said he has already seen one, I'm not sure if
he saw the bike or the brochure for 2006 but I believe him. I was not there to
look at the Rancher so I don't feel he was lying to me, I was there to
look at the Foreman 500. As for the other bikes having the 2/4wd, the 400AT, Foreman
and Rubicon already have it, I did not ask him about the Rincon however.

 

Brain fart, the Rincon already has it as well. Getting old sucks.

 

lol awsome !

 

I love the Rancher, because it isn't a huge, heavy, hulking beast, like all those big bore utes. Selectable 2wd/4wd, makes the bike darn near perfect! I will soon be in the market for another 4X4. I will wait and see, before I make any purchases. Wish they would make the 400 with a manual transmission.

 

Reconranger, when I was talking to the dealer today he told me that he has called Honda numerous
times to talk about options the public wants and they said they are more utiltity oriented than
sport oriented (ute bikes of course, their 400/450's kick ***). Honda had admitted they
were going to "come around" and start to offer options the sporting/ute customers want. Offering
a 2/4wd on the Rancher is a start. I don't think they ever will become 'just another AVT' company
by buying elastics for their trannies and making overweight top heavy POS. To me, this becomes
one of those "better watch what you wish for because it just may become true" things, the utiilty
aspects of these machines is what makes them so reliable. I think Honda is starting to realize that
these machines play a duel role and that Warn is making a killing off of them. I admire Honda for
not jumping onto the newest/latest/greatest bandwagon, this is what makes them the best.

 

I really think what would serve most riders best would be something along the lines of the Wolverine, but taken a step further (lighter and more sporty). In a sense a true sport/ute. Basically a sport bike with selectable 2wd/4wd. The utilities really show their farm work tractor heritage. This results in a machine that is heavy and most likely cumbersome. That is ok for someone who wants a work quad, or just wants to haul an elk out of the woods, but for 90% of the people, what would fit their need best would be a light bike that has selectable 4wd available just in case they happen to get into trouble out there.

We ride our utes like "go anywhere sport bikes". When the rocks get to big, or the streams get to deep, they are the bikes we choose.They are not at all used as "utilities" in the classic sense.

 

It is realy sad that almost all the magazines out there down Honda for not having the best capacity numbers on paper ( rack, towing capacitiy) but people continue to buy Honda's, not because they go the fastest or got the most features but because they are well built machines that will last a very long time without having to be in the shop all the time, so that is why you can't always trust the magazines.

Go Honda!!