The winch I got (and returned!) was bigger, a 2.5 or 3.0 or something like that. The advertising stressed that it was light weight, but with all the hardware added in (plate, fairlead, etc), it was going to end up 35 pounds, which was more weight than I wanted to saddle my little quad with (especially becasue that weight is in front of the front axle).

One thing I really like about the Rancher is that it is still light enough that I can muscle it around if I got it stuck, so I really feel like it is the ideal size machine! I did carry a BlackMax hand winch for a while but never used it, so I have even been leaving that home for a couple of years now.

I'm headed out for some nasty terrain today (http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/articl....jsp?id=330535), so we will see how it goes. Really, the Rancher is just intended to be a nice little trail machine, that has 4wd to bail you out in case you get into trouble out there somewhere, so I'm not expecting it to be some rock crawling sensation (although my 350 has done some incredible stuff!).

 

Did this trail yesterday: http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/articl....jsp?id=330535

Great day and a sensational place to ride! The little quads can handle it so much easier than the Jeeps and trucks, and the light little Ranchers with their low center of gravity handle it much better than the big heavy tall monster utes ever could! WE SHOWED ALL THE JEEPERS A THING OR TWO!

We had 3 generations of Hondas along: an old vintage 300, the Rancher 350, and the new 420. All of them handled the trail superbly....without any serious clearance issues! I only wacked the rear of the 420 one time (at speed on a wide open trail), and that was my fault because I picked a bad line. Skinned it up a little in the front as well. I am definitely going to want an aftermarket skid plate.........

 

Hey reconranger,

I noticed you have the new 420 and the 250ex. If you had to pick one for trail riding (no mud, few hills) whats your pick? The 420 is a whopping 180lbs heavier (50% heavier) which I think would be much less agile so therefore less fun. Can you pop the front end up, do donuts, or small jumps with the 420?

My wife and I want to buy two, but are having a hard time choosing. We are considering one 250 and one 420, so we can have the best of both worlds. But could these two quads be compatable with each other on the trails

 

The little 250 is a peach, just like the 420. The two make a good combination out on the trail. My boys ride their 250 everywhere we go on the Ranchers. Because it is shaft drive, the 250 has fairly high ground clearance for a sport quad. Sure, we have to stop and help them through the highly technical stuff, but doesn't happen all that often.

The 250 is a superb trail quad, becasue its medium size and very agile easy handling. The only thing about the 250 is it shows its utility (based on the Recon) heritage in its suspension. The suspension is good, but has limited travel and is tight. This is where the pure sports quads like the 300 and 400EX have it over the 250. And, the 250's stock tires are lame and need to be replaced first thing.

The 420 is "sporty" for a ute. It is fairly torquey and you can wheelie it, but it takes a fair bit of effort. Small jumps are possible, but the extra weight of the 4wd is up front, where it does the most harm.

 

Ryeguy1,

I know I'll take a lot of cr*& for this on a Honda forum, but instead of the Recon have you considered an Ozark? Yesterday at a Suzuki shop they must have been really bored because they let me run an Ozark around in the back. I had just come from a Honda shop(that actually has a little course set up behind the shop) where I had done the same thing on the Recon and the Ozark seemed a bit snappier. It also has a little extra ground clearance. I mention this because I have been looking at the new 420 and the Eiger but I can't seem to rule out the Ozark. I'm moving from CA in 6 weeks but if I found either an Ozark or a Recon at a good price I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

 

ryeguy-Where exactly are you going to be riding, because that makes all the difference in what kind of machine you will want to be on!

For the open desert you absolutely want to be on a sport quad, and a high end one with great suspension if possible. I only use my utilities when I am riding in the Sierras or SB Mountains, or if I am out in the desert deliberately looking for terrifying terrain. Everywhere else being on a ute will just hold me back! So, keep in mind that even the very sporty 420 isn't the ultimate "do everything" machine in the arid southwest.......but it comes closer than any other utility out there! On the other hand, we ride around Bishop a lot and I know if I lived there I would probably be on the Rancher most of the time, but in that case I would still have a 450R for ripping around in the valley.

As for the Ozark/Recon comments, I think the Ozark is inferior to the Recon. And, the 250EX is basically a Recon with the racks removed, so it is 50 pounds lighter! If you don't absolutely need the racks and big fenders for water/mud protection, it doesn't make much sense to haul around 50 pounds of useless extra metal.........

 

Reconranger,

I have some questions for you about why you think the Recon is superior to the Ozark. If I could have sent a PM to you I would have, but I don't think I can do that on this forum. I'm also not trying to flame you or start a Honda vs. Suzuki war or hi jack this thread. Having said that, here goes.

When you compare the specs for the two bikes, the Ozark has 2.3 inches more ground clearance, .4 inches more travel on the front suspension, .6 on the rear, a 17cc advantage(which may be offset by the Recon crank shaft being fore and aft on the bike, losing less power), and disc brakes up front compared to the Recon drums. The Ozark gas tank is .4 gallons bigger.

I have read the reviews on both and they both get high remarks, but in the 250 cc sport/ute shootout the Ozark came in first. The Z250 also beat the 250ex in another comparo that I read. In all the reviews the Ozark and Z250 suspensions were noted as very good for sport riding and even small jumping. One of the Honda review said the smaller engine was "groaning" at higher rpms and did not seem to have as much power.

On the plus side for the Recon, there are a lot of them out there and more aftermarket support that there is for the Ozark/Z250.

I would like to know if you have ridden both (remember that my experience with both was basically the dealership parking lot and test lot) and why you think the Recon is a better quad. Your input is going to go towards my decision on which kind of quad to buy. I have a couple of reasons why I keep coming back to the Ozark, price, reliability and a limited amount of time to ride. I can also easily fit one into the bed of my small pickup without needing a trailer or a bigger truck. My time to ride is limited because I also kayak, have a street bike, mountain and road bike, fish, hunt, hike, etc.

Thanks,
Don

 

dm-Call it personal preference if you want, I don't really care.....

I wouldn't own either one seeing I can have a 250EX instead! (Sold my 10 year old Recon last year, and got another nice new 250EX!)

 

Recon- Our riding location will be similar to yours... Sometimes valley and foothills and other times the sierras. But we wont have the luxury of buying 2 quads each for the different terrain so are trying to pick the better all around quad between the 420 and 250. Keep in mind, pretty much trail riding and not too technical. Kind of leaning towards one of each instead of two of the same so that if we go solo we can have options. What are your thoughts?

Also, the recon looks so different to me than the 250ex(I believe you though). The 250 seems like it is lighter, and much sportier compared to the more utilitarian looking recon. I guess the plastic gives me a false impression!

 

dm-

Thanks for the info. My previous research also showed that the ozark got great magazine rider reviews. But when I sat on it in the showroom, I wasnt impressed. It felt really small, like a kid's quad. I realize the honda 250ex is small too, but it looked much sportier and felt like you were going to have more control go faster, and jump higher. I know looks dont equate to performance, but if you read rider reviews on power sports network, the 250ex gets rave reviews from actual owners. In fact, this machine yields few complaints and people constantly say it is a wheely machine without effort. I place much more credit to these owners compared to a one ride review from a magazine guy.

Nevertheless, Im sure both machines are good and it comes down to preference.