maddog-I didn't just make it up man. My comments about the hondamatic not being suitable for larger engines is straight from Honda! This issue was addressed in one of the early articles when the Rincon first came out. They asked Honda way not use the hondamatic in the Rincon, and that was their answer...........

Again, ask yourself why they wouldn't use it in the Rincon if they could. If they had, maybe the Rincon would have some much needed engine brakeing!

 

Well I didnt just make it up either, you can find the hondamatic is machines much more powerful than the rincon and it performs without issues. Its not enough to repeat what you have heard, you should analyze it before you convey it.

 

But those others aren't the HONDA ATV tramsmission, are they!

Do a little analysis yourself! Imagine you are an engineer designing a new Rincon. You have a Rubicon transmission on the shelf. It just makes good business sense to use something you already have, rather than waste R&D time and money on a totally new design. But you can't, because it won't work!

Yet a year later, you are designing a new Rancher 400AT (but with a smaller powerplant!), and there you CAN use your off the shelf hondamatic transmission.

It's so obvious!

 

The others, most notably the old 750, IS the same hondamatic transmission not just a mechanical cvt by the same name. Or, honda just realized they screwed up on the Rincon's AT trans and decided to go back to what worked in the first place...

 

I believe I saw this not only in a magazine article, but in some of Honda's own literature! I'll try to dig it up and quote it "for you who are of little faith". But, it has been a long time ago, and I doubt I kept the material seeing automatic transmissions are of little interest to me.

My point for RedGoblin, is that your idea will never work! And I bet you that if we see another Honda big bore in the future, it isn't going to be a hondamatic...........

 

I have also read somewhere that the Hondamatic would not work in the Rincon. But I think that was the Hondamatic in its current form. It was designed for a certain max torque and HP, which the Rincon exceeded and the 400 did not.

However, I did not see any reason given why a heavier duty unit could not be made for the Rincon, other than the intent of the machine might not fit a 5 speed (which I struggle to see, but I have not driven the Rincon - as it was intended to be used).

I doubt other companies will ever attempt such true innovation as long as they are selling units. Why should they if their customers aren't aware, deny, or ignore the benefit in operation and reliability?

You can't really compare replacement cost of the tranny to a belt. The Hondamatic wears at the same rate as the engine. One guy knew someone that had to replace it, it's not as common as maintenance to a belt drive. I compare that issue to an engine problem. Rare and expensive. Change your oil regularly.

 

I hope so. I have a love affair with the 3 speed on the Rincon. Add low range and you have the single best transmission on the market. I much prefer the Rincon tranny to the Hondamatic.

 

I don't know why Honda dosen't put it in whatever; but I can tell you a story about the Hondamatic.
Back in my time the Honda 750 and the Kawasaki 900 was the fastest bikes out on the market. Some kid that I went to school with won a "law suit lotto"[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]. He went out and bought a brand new Hondamatic 750. He was all proud of his new toy. Well this kid was an arrogant little bastard and even more so with his state of the art bike. Until that is, a friend of mine with a stock 750 got tired of his bragging and asked for a race. To make a long story short the race was not even close. It was like a Pinto racing a big block Corvette. I could not believe how slow that bike was!!!!! Same everything, just a different type of tranny.
I came to the conclusion right then and there the Hondamatic was not for me. Those things gobble some power!!!! Now to long after that Honda dropped the Hondamatic line-up.
Honda was kicking some serious butt with their Elsinor dirt bikes at the time and I don't think they wanted this turd out on the market giving their fast bikes a bad name.
Elsinor cound not be touched at the time, that is, until the RM mono shock came out; but that is a different story.........................[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I would never be able to find it, but I really do remember seeing somewhere that vs. today's belt-drive system in "modern" ATVs, the Hondamatic is more power-efficient.

 

as far as im concerned anything from honda is better than the rest so it doesnt really matter if the hondamatic is better or worse than the rincon tranny. they are both better than beltstrannys.