Alright, dumb question of the night. First person who answers wins 10 points!

Is learning manual for a Honda Foreman easy, and are they really the best bet for someone owning a machine for many years to come?

I am going to get an '08 Foreman, and I am 100% set on the manual because I worry about the ES going down hill, and being another thing to go wrong. Will I be happy with a manual over an ES several years from now?

Again, dumb question! Want an honest answer for a new rider.

Thank you!!!

 

There are some advantages for the manual over the ES. And you wouldn't be alone for wanting a manual because its more reliable. Some of it is hype, and some is reality. But if it was truly that bad, Honda would have dumped it from the line up years ago.
I have an 03 ES, and it still works as well as the day i bought it, 5 years ago.
Either way, both are manual shift machines...one uses a button, and the other uses a lever, but its the same learning curve for both.

 

Learnging how to shift a foot shift Foreman is not difficult. The clutch is still automatic. If Burt Renolds can train a chimp to signal a right turn, you can learn to operate the machine.

Later ES quads seem to be more reliable than earlier ones, but they are still more complicated than the foot shift and you hear of a bad shift motor or sensor on an ES from time to time.

I'm very happy with my foot shift Foreman, and IMHO I feel it is among the most likely to be trouble free for long term.

Also, I prefer the foot shift to ES anyway, which is just my personal preference. If ES was what I really wanted, though, I'd have gotten it, and if years down the road I had to diagnose a flashing light on the dash and replace a sensor or something I'd consider that a reasonable cost to ride what I want.

In the end, there is no substitute for a test ride. Go ride a manual and an ES Foreman, and a few other machines, then decide.

 

The thing I really like about the foot shift honda, is the ability to blip the throttle on down shifting, to better match the rpms , to the gear and ground speed. The ES doesnt allow that, and the downshift are sometimes too abrupt, especially when going downhill.

 

I purchased A foot shift atv this summer. I never rode one before. I learned in one day. I had someone show me, but it wasn't that hard. I find it really fun now

 

What I liked about my old 450 foreman E.S was ,if i committed a gear choice through a long deep mud run and decided it was to low of a gear or to tall I could re select a gear without putting my foot back in the deep wet goo.

 

Awesome, thanks guys! I really appreciate your help.

The thing is this, I bought the ATV last week, but I am going to be picking it up in about a month. I need to find a storage locker because I live in a condo, and no safe place to leave my ATV outside here. So, I have a Red 2008 Foreman Manual, and I have been kinda kicking myself not getting the ES. And I think the dealer is friendly enough to let me switch to an ES if I really wanted too. So I appreciate the help!

 

Do you get full floorboards if you choice a no ES model? I know on the old 350 Ranchers they had foot begs instead of floor boards if you did not get a E.S. Floorboards were in the way of up shifting by foot, I think was the reasoning.

 

When they went to the 500, the foot shift one does come with floorboards.

Also, I agree with you that being able to change gears w/o dunking your foot when you are in deep mud is an advantage to ES.

There really ins't much for deep mud in my area, so for me it isn't an issue, but when I do cross a big hole I run it in 2nd and generally find I have enough power for most anything.

Personally, I'm happy with my choice of foot shift, but I can see where reasonable minds could differ on the issue... which I suppose is why more than one option is offered.

 

My wife and I rented a foot shifter in Mexico while on vacation. She had never driven a shifting Quad but had it down before leaving the rental yard, very easy.