thunder- If you are running stock tires, the 2wd Rancher will do much better than the 4wd. First, the 2wd has a weight advantage (and the extra weight of the 4wd is up front where it does the most harm) and those balooney stock back tires float you pretty well when they are aired down some. If you don't have the stock tires, all bets are off though. My aftermarket Holeshot ATR's tires are very poor treads for the dunes, although they are passable in sand washes.

Scooter- I guess the post just got sidetracked. A lot of folks know I ride, and so they ask me about bike purchases. I am surprised at how many of them think that a big bore ute is a "do anything machine", especially here is So. Calif. which is SPORT QUAD COUNTRY (and dirt bike country even more)! "Hey, it has 4wd so it can go anywhere, right?" They forget that it's a big heavy monster that is out of its element 98% of the time. So, I can't help taking a jab at a machine in this class that is supposed to be state of the art (800 cc EFI!), but has failed miserably where I ride.

Take a lesson from dune buggies! How many big heavy, 4wd dune buggies do you see? Absolutely none. They are all light little 2wd's!

 

Ranger come ride with me up here in N Idaho.....we will see if you can follow in the 2% of the elements.
Your a fool for making that statement.

 

Now Kodiak, I think it is clear that THE 98% is refering to WHERE I RIDE, not where ANYBODY ELSE rides! But, off-road is huge here in So. Calif., so that's a whole lot of other peope who do ride where I ride (more than the whole population of Idaho!).

Two different tools, for two different jobs (light little 2wd vs big heavy ute)! You come down here and see how you like busting big desert whoops at 70 mph all day on a big heavy machine with minimal suspension, eating dust in the back of the pack.

I don't try to go rock crawling on a sport bike because it's the wrong tool, and a ute isn't the best choice for the dunes for the same reason...........

 

Ranger I live in the desert on washingtons east side....so I know all about desert.
And you keep talking about racing and not riding.......big difference.
I doubt you have any real seat time on a "big heavy ute" as you call them.
The riders that ran the Rincons to a 1st and third finish a few years back in the baja were amazed at how smooth the ride was.
I know this for a fact because I rode with the guy who put it all together(Rocky.....owner of Goldenwest cycle and cycle parts west) Have you heard of him?
Ride with someone who knows how to ride a big ute....ride in your backyard and theirs....then comeback and tell us about it.

 

Sorry we hijacked your topic.........I myself would have more fun on the 4x4 rancher........250ex is too small for me.

 

Ranger I live in the desert on washingtons east side....so I know all about desert.
And you keep talking about racing and not riding.......big difference.
>>>>>>>>

He just has a problem with the larger utilities. To each their own I guess, IMO there is no replacement for the comfort of riding on an IRS utility regardless of the terrain. I'm not a racer, so my only concern is getting from point A to point B and back to point A without any problems. If most of your riding is desert racing then a utility quad probably isn't the right choice, I live 5 hrs from the closest desert.

 

I have lots of friends who have big utes, and we trade off rides all the time. So, at some point I think I have ridden most every machine there is. But, these are guys who live in the mountains where it snows, and they all have a sport bike too, for riding the dunes. Two different tools, for two different jobs!

Just one more comment, then I'll let this post die a natural death. The two teams that rode those Rincons at Baja were the two best teams out there. Think about it: Honda hires their best competition, so they are riding FOR Honda NOT AGAINST Honda. Kind of stacks the deck in Honda's favor right from the get go, huh! Like I said, that ride was a publicity stunt, nothing more..........

 

Think about it: Honda hires their best competition, so they are riding FOR Honda NOT AGAINST Honda. Kind of stacks the deck in Honda's favor right from the get go, huh! Like I said, that ride was a publicity stunt, nothing more..........
>>>>>>>>>

Yeah, but it not only finished but won it's class as it should have all things considered. Just the fact it finished says something IMO. While winning a 1,000 mile race is pretty impressive I just think being able to finish period would be an accomplishment in it's own regardless of the quad.