Hello all,
i was just wondering if anybody had an older quad like this,as i was looking at buying one used.It has the switchable warn 4x4 kit installed,plus a 2in kift kit installed already and the bike looks really clean.It has push button shifting,plus on the handlebars it has a **** that says d1,d2 or drive.Just wondering what the heck it all means.I don't want to buy a new quad because i can't afford it so this looked interesting.Just would like to know if this year quad is dependable.Any help is appreicieated and info.thanks,cedarbush.

 

What you have is a Rubicon. It has a very unique "hydrodinamic" automatic transmission, that can either be left on automatic or shifted manually. It has a pretty good reputation. Im no big fan of automatic transmissions, so I can't speak from personal experience with this machine. You might want to change your title, to atract more Rubicon owners for advice.

 

Yes the tranny reconranger is referring to is an old tried and true transmission , Honda even used for a year or two in their street bike's in the late 70's or early 80's not sure of the date but i had a cousin who owned one for awhile before trading back to the old manual's ; as for as i know the only reason they discontiued them in their street bike's is that most bike rider's liked the hand clutch and liked shifting the gears manually ! That was a big part of the apeal of riding the big street machine's ! They started using it in the rubi because more people wanted a good automatic that didn't require the rider to manually shift , and Honda's determination not to use an engine with a belt driven clutch in their ATV's ; so it's not just some untested auto new to the market ! williebee

 

hey all,
thanks for the response,i did go check it out and it seemed a bit rough for 3000.00.And also i did not like drum brakes all the way around.So i'm going to keep looking,thanks cedarbush.

 

I don't blame you cedarbush that's alot of money for something you're not sure of or sure you'll like it enough to keep it long enough to get your money's worth out of it in the end ! If i were you i'd go around and test drive all of the brand's you might like , and if you find the right one that suit's you best ; you might even find a good one someone just traded in for a bigger quad ! If you hang around enough you might just run into someone who is looking for a new one , and doesn't want to lose so much money on tradin' with the dealer and ask what you would give for a good used ATV , you just might be able to buy one that way ; you never can tell with the gas prices so high ! You never know when you might run into someone who need some cash fast and doesn't have the time to wait on a better offer and need's cash right away so bad they're almost giving it away ! So anyway welcome to the forums , and good luck shopping ! williebee

 

hey williebee,
just wanted to say thanks for the advice and kind words.I'm really not a big honda fan,just trying to find a used 500 or bigger 4x4.If i have to buy new i will,but i'm not in any hurry.Although i do think all the makes are pretty good.But i don't want no stink'in drum brakes all the way around,you know what i mean!What year did honda finally put disc on the fronts??I could probably live with back drums,but not all the way around.Ok,my brother take it easy,cedarbush.

 

drums do have more labor in their maintenance, and if you do not do the maintenance (or if you pressure wash the grease out of the drum seals) they can be expensive to fix. I'd rather have the discs, but the drum parking brake on the back is nice to have.

if you buy a Rubicon, go for an 05 or up. They have discs on the front. The regular Foreman (S or ES) might be worth a look too, if you don't mind shifting.

The thing with the Rubicon is if you abuse it, it can cost more and be much tougher to diagnose problems for a newbie. Buy a low mileage machine that has been well maintained (documented oil changes, etc), kept inside, and has not been swimming most of it's life (no snorkel kit, lift kit, aftermarket pipe/jet kit, etc)

The transmission is either an automatic with two shift points (D1 max HP or D2 max torque) or a push button simulated manual (ESP) that is as smooth as glass.