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Quick Reverse

 

I've plowed with the rancher ES before, and honestly I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. Is it really that annoying or difficult? Is that someone is lazy, or is it just because it's unecessary in your mind? My baby sister, who was 9 at the time, had no problem using the little red button.

Personally I think locking the reverse cable in the engaged position is foolish. There's not an atv out there that doesnt require some type of manual input to engage reverse. Yes there's a gear readout, but it's not uncommon, especially with riders not experienced with the ES system, to hit the wrong button and downshift when they should be going up. Slamming into 1st is rough when you're not expecting it, I can't imagine what slamming into reverse is like. Yes the engine revs need to be down to get into 1st, but that's not much of a safeguard.

The only justification I personally would have for disabling these safegaurds would be for plowing a short driveway, otherwise I'd prefer to leave it as is, or just disable the button itself.

 

If the rider is inexperienced as you put it it takes 2 seconds to put it on or take it off, so an inexperienced rider should not have it at all I agree! As far as someone being lazy to have the quick reverse would be like calling someone lazy who bought an automatic vehicle over a manual, ludicrous!
I was riding with a buddy of mine who is a great rider and came up on 2 rotwielers on a narrow trail in the woods, we both had to use reverse and he unfortunately was bit on the calf needing 6 stitches and rabies shot...he said had he had the quick reverse he would not have fumbled with his glove and reverse button so long and got out of there!
I'm not saying this is an everday occurance or even a reason to get this thing, but jeez it sounds like you just want to rag on others interests. With that said, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, but you should not assume.

 

I was asking for an explanation, because I cannot see the grave problem with the system as it ships from the factory. It seems rather easy IMO, so I wanted to hear what others thought was the justification for removing safeguards.

So if running into a pack of rotwielers on the trail isn't your reason for removing the safeguards, I only ask what your reason is. Enlighten me so that I may better understand your point of view; so that I can respect it even if I do not agree with it. Is it simply preference, or is there a point?

 

Overall I would have to say it's a speed thing, another example; my driveway is long and steep, when its 28 degrees out I take the ATV to get my mail, in TN they only allow mailboxes on ONE side of the road, mines on the other side from my house, the way I pull up to the box its most convenient to use reverse to turn around, one time a car was flying by without looking and the several seconds delay in me not having to push and holding the button while holding the brake helped me to get out of harms way that much quicker.
But you did bring up a good point Mike, I guess if there was a reverse safety like this built into cars, we all would have gotten used to it and probably would'nt think twice about disabling it, I found it to be a royal pain in the _ _ _ from day one and never gave myself a chance to get used to it before buying an $11.00 piece of plastic. Had I thought for just a second that I can screw things up using this I would have taken it off in a heartbeat. And lastly, I'm one of those guys that likes simplifying things even if it's more work to do so, as when my daughter was born, instead of putting those safety lock things on all the cabinets, I moved dangerous items in the cabinets out of her reach....I hope I have enlightened you.

 

I see that the link does not show what it looks like.
I like my setup better. You still have to apply the brake on mine.

 

TNrider I understand your point and appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the matter with me. Your comment about removing the dangerous things instead of trying to secure them is a very smart one. I can see that there are situations where it would be beneficial to have the mechanism disabled, even if those situations are sometimes avoidable they will inevitably come up.

 

The simple answer is convenience. Let your imagination consider all of the possibilities. But, to list a couple, when your blazing trails, requiring alot of back and forth driving over saplings etc, it is invaluable. Obviously, as mentioned, when getting out of the way of traffic, dogs, cows etc., it is nice. There are so many times that a quick reverse comes in handy - at least if you really use your bike.

No, it's not necessary - just nice. It is certainly not "foolish"- that's a bit excessive and dramatic, dont you think? In that vein, I suppose that anyone not handicapped that rides an atv is lazy. Otherwise, they would just walk, no?

I seems to me that if one cant handle a bypassed reverse lock-out then one really have no business on an atv anyway.

Rodney

 

well put Rodney.

 

I spent a lot of time on our 01 Rancher. Having grown up on quite a few hondas in my life, the reverse mechanism is second nature to me. After spending a few years on our 04 Prairie and having to move a shift lever, the Honda mechanism is downright expedient. Try throwing that into reverse in a hurry.

No I don't think it's out of line or overly dramatic to call the complete removal of safeguards foolish. It may not be for a seasoned rider with extensive experience, but anytime you remove safety features it puts more burden on the operator to make up those safety shortcuts with their own judgement. Human judgement is very good, and excellent on experienced riders, but it's less reliable than a physical mechanism.

I don't think any of us would want to disable such a reverse cable on a foot shift manual, but listening to the opinions and experiences shared in this thread I can at least see some merit to the disabling on the ES type machines.