Hi, I purchased a 2001 rancher ES - what a great machine!

Although the multitasking and the awkwardness of the the simultaneous (3) activitites with one hand is a bummer.

Was planning on a snow plow so we could do our driveway. I have a hard enough time getting it into reverse myself, my wife just flat out gave up - and yeah the new plow needed her buy in as well.

She was excited about the 4wd until the reverse on this thing, plowing requires alot of fwd to reverse repeatedly.

Here is the drill with the left hand.

1. Reach up and push the red button down AND HOLD IT it because it's spring loaded. - ring finger
2. Pull the brake Hard AND HOLD IT in with index and middle finger - it better be hard - kinda tuff for wife fingers.
3. The ES down-shift arrow, - YEP THE ONLY THING LEFT IS THE THUMB

I found it's slightly easier if you have a long hand because you need to really stretch those fingers or one of the simultaneous requirements bounces right back to it's original state and you need to go thru the excersize once again...

Anyway, you get the just of it - I did infact adjust the nrake lever cable to see if it would ease the awkwardness and it made it just a wee bit easier process.

Question - Can I buypass or fool that brake lever cable into thinking it's being pulled at all times? I could deal w/the red button and the Down-shift button but the brake is a Poor design.

Help!

Question - Can I bypass or fool that brake lever cable into thinking it's being pulled at all times, I could deal w/the red button and the Down-shift button but the brake is a Poor design.

Thank you,

Phil

 

Yep, the lever can be wire tied back, at the other end(not the brake lever end). But you may not want to do that. The design is such, that if reverse is selected, while moving, there could be lots of expensive tranny trashing going on. Its as much a saftey feature for the rider as it is a preventive measure for the tranny.
Just remember, and the wife needs to know this too...dont select reverse if the wheels are moving, it needs to be dead stopped. And even though you both would know this...theres a posibility that someone else, or you...could accidentally select reverse at the wrong time, and end up hurt . The brake lever needing to be pulled, is a saftey feature to prevent accidental reverses. You have to know how to get to reverse, and consiously select it ...for it to happen, and that keeps it from accidentally happening.

With a bit of use, it gets easier to select reverse. I just use the left hand for everything. Index finger to press the red button, other three fingers pull the brake lever, and once the brake lever starts to move, its no longer necesary to hold the red button..itll stay down by itself at this point (and for people with small hands, like my daughter, they can just slide their hand down the brake lever far enough for the thumb to reach the down button). Then left thumb the down button.

 

Hondabuster - thanks again!

I found a link on this modification the reverse button fix on rancher there is a picture on pg 2

I do agree w/you - is there a way to still use the red button but scrap the brake handle step?

Thanks,

Phil

 

Not really. If you look at what the red button does...it only links the smaller lever, to the brake handle. The red button goes into the smaller lever, and then pulling the brake lever, moves that smaller lever, which moves a blocker on the tranny .
If you look at the underside of the brake lever, while doing this, youll see how it works.

 

I have had my reverse button bypassed with the cable tie for almost 2 years now with no ill effects, one of the best mods I have done. I do not plow with mine, but it's a pain when you are stuck and pushing to have to pull brake and red button.

 

I bypassed the switch on my old 2000 Foreman, ran it for 2 years, and had no problems. Didn't even have to push the red button.

 

I used the adjusting ring at the brake lever cable end by the red button to make it so all I have to do is shift down past neutral. There is a safety that won't let you shift above a certain rpm. Safe and essential for plowing. I've been plowing alot this year. Paid for the plow already, says my wife. I work, she counts [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Never found getting into reverse on any Honda (except maybe the 300EX) to be the slightest problem. Guess you all just have trouble multi-tasking!

 

I bypassed my 450ES reverse button 6 years ago, really works well when plowing snow, I have my winch toggle switch right by the ES buttons and never have to take my hands off the bars when plowing.