Few things.....

Like Gimpster has noted,...only Honda Powerhouse Dealers will have the side by side. At least in the early going. Nothing unusual about this with Honda. They did something very similar when they first entered the watercraft segment several years ago.

The side by side that appeared at the show was NOT in its final stage of design. In fact, the unit at the show had all of it's bodywork made in fiberglass. Honda said that this is essentially a rough guesstimate of what it will closely RESEMBLE when it hits showrooms in the summer of 2008. It could end up looking identical and then maybe not. Also, it WILL be equipped with doors. (So will the new Kawie Teryx and all Polaris side by sides for next year by the way)

Honda reps made no bones about it and flat out all but said that this unit fits into the "Mule" category of the side by side market.

Also mentioned were several hints that this may not be the only thing in the pipeline.

 

honda has the reliabilty, but 700vtwinman said it best, they are not being inovative enough with the competition, they are relying on the past.

 

I would like to see the 500 rubicon with IRS and a front diff locker. That would be an awesome mid class machine with it's tranny. Personally, I think that tranny is the best that honda has made b/c you can doe the ESP mode or used the auto D1 or D2 mode, which one is a low range. If they added the rincon IRS and made a front diff locker, that quad would be hard to beat. For their 680 rincon, if they added the rubicon's tranny and a front diff locker, that would be a great machine. Just food for thought. Back on the side by side, does it have IRS?

 

i deffenitly like the way you think. i have been saing that for about a year now, if my rubi had IRS and a locker it would be the ultimate machine in my eyes.