Thats why the Sportsman is the King when it comes to mudd! Has the most ground clearance and 4 wheels pulling instead of 3.Just listen to Bill he will tell it like it is! Polaris rules in the mudd!!

 

TEXMud,
at my local riding area,4x4 trucks have the mudpits SO RUTTED up,it is very common to see a 4x4 ATV with one tire in the air coming over a rutt.

Climbing a very rutted hill will do the same thing.I once recall [this yr]when a friend on a newer 450s was riding with me.I climbed out of this mud hole to encounter a small,but very rutted up hill,I made it the first time,however,the 450s,because of his limited slip failed every attempt.This is only ONE circumstance of very many I have witnessed.I remember back in September of 1986 when the Suzuki Quad Runner was the only true 4x4 quad,it only had a 250cc engine.I picked it over the larger 350cc limited slip Honda Foreman because having a true 4x4 was more important to me than an extra 100cc back than.Today,im still a firm beleiver in true 4x4.I've just seen to many limited slips fail in the traction department before,

Bill

 

Bill, when I ride with Greg, it is all ruts. It is a place where sp500s rule because of ground clearance. I dont feel that 4 wheels over 3 would help much here. All that will help is ground clearance.

 

Can you tell me exactly how a locker works? I have a Rancher and would maybe be interested. Is it like positive traction on all four wheels? Can it be locked and unlocked? I would like to know more....Thanks....

Exmxer

 

TEXMud,
your correct,ground clearance plays a huge role when riding in that type of terrain,but so does true 4wd or a working AP Diff.

Instead of the wheel in the air doing nothing except spinning and sucking air and the one that needs traction is doing nothing at all,now the wheel on the ground is the one getting the traction.So in that respect,a locker or working AP Differential would certainly be helpful,
Bill

 

Did anybody see ATV television this week? They were riding in Moab on a sportsman 500, and a
Kawasaki prairie. Seems they were having trouble with one section of a stream with a rock ledge in it. After several failed attempts on both machines they decided to try the camera man's Honda Rancher to try it's new differential. They were impressed when it made it through on the first attempt.

Dan B.

 

I haven't high centered my rancher in mud or anything else, yet. I have done the test coming out of ditch where one front wheel is in the air & the other on the ground. The wheel with no traction did spin some, but you could see the wheel with the traction pulling.

Who carries the ATV show? What network? I have never seen it. I would have loved to see the Rancher go through the mud.

 

I have not seen that particular episode, but I did see an episode where they tested the front differntial on a Rancher. They were going up a rock ravine very slowly. There was a point where one of the front wheels was off the ground and it appeared that the other wheel may have been pulling; however, it was hard to tell. They were on solid rock and the back wheels were not spinning. They felt this was a test of the front differential, but I am not so sure it showed anything. If the rear wheels were not spinning, how are we to know that the wheel on the ground had power. I think there has been a misunderstanding or miscommunication about what I am referring too. I explained what I meant earlier in this thread, but people still describe situations not related to the topic we are discussing. I am sure you have seen all four wheels pull when all four wheels are on the ground, but, once again that is not at all what I am referring to.

Greg

 

Read your thread. The last post applies in that it shows in DIFFERENT situation from the one you described that the AP differentail worked. Does it work all the time? I don't know but never been stuck but it did pass the ditch test.

 

Bill and Greg: In what way did I respond to you. The truth about a quad I own and drive daily. If you don't like my opinion then don't read it, that simple. Anyone that has any brain doesn't expect a LOCKER type performance out of the AP diff. However compared to old limited slips and other Honda atvs there is a clear improvment in the AP. Sorry you guys can't deal with that fact. They are NOT as good as the Polaris system, never said they were. But how long is the authority of ATV's Greg going to say how unhappy everyone is with the AP. IF that is true then Alaska must just have different riders, I ride with Yamahas, Polaris, Traxters, and AC's. Not one of them have come typing up here "news alert, riding today and AP on Rubicon let wheel in air spin".. Who cares, it pulls better than the old diff, that was all I was stating. If people disagree in Texas or around Greg so be it, that fact is he probably tells it how it is there, however I do the same from what we experience here. Just one note Bill, you probably did see only 3 wheels spinning if you haven't seen the Ruby or Rancher in action. They are the only two that have the AP Bill. So what was your point about 3 wheels? The irony here is that you two have the attitude here that you have been attacked by my stating the obvious, the AP is better. However I know from being on the Polaris forum you guys would never take anything the wrong way! You guys are so sensitive to any IRS knock or reliability thing over there, that is why I don't bother. It is a pi## and mone session over there. I respect Gregs opinion, but that is all it is, just like mine. Mine stands that the AP is better(to clear this up for you two,An IMPROVEMENT OVER LIMITED SLIP) and Greg should stick to Polaris, I agree he knows his info, but ask most Honda people and the AP is an improvment over the older diff's on Hondas that is what I guess we agree to disagree on. I was just dissapointed Greg with all his atv smarts can't notice a clear improvment for Honda here, especially after riding them as much as he does.