Check out www.hondanews.com---pretty interesting sounding new Rancher AT (IRS and disc brakes with the 420 engine)!

 

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1074


I missed the IRS thing at my first look....and that now explains why it has such a ridiculously high weight!

 

It's only 35 or 40 lbs. heavier---that shouldn't make a huge difference, should it? I'm interested about the tranny---it sounds like a version of the rubicon like the old AT but with 5 speeds on the esp mode. Hope they put out some more info soon. I'll be looking at one of these as soon as the dealers get them---it will still be a huge step up from the old 3004x4!

 

The transmission is more like the Rincon ...

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The power steering on the 2009 Rubicon might be nice but you have to buy the GPS model to get it (lame). And where the heck is the EFI? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Oh, and essentially no changes to the Rincon?

My next quad will definitely be a Grizzly.

 

on the 420: I like the disc brakes could do without the IRS and powersteering on this one. looks like im going to have get an 08 before they are gone, if they dont continue to produce the 'regular' , non ESP 4x4 version they have now.

my problem with it is i think they are loading it down too much with unecessary stuff now. it was a great bargain atv and feature packed, but to load it down with too much stuff may not be good for price point or performance expectations.

i wonder how much more its going to cost? was there a price list somehwere?

i think recon made a seperate post on this, but how about that EFI on the CRF450?!!! 50mm injector; seems pretty big for that engine.
For 2010, EFI probably will be in the trx450R! and yamaha is sure to have it (efi) on the YFZ by then.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: twentycharacters

on the 420: I like the disc brakes could do without the IRS and powersteering on this one. looks like im going to have get an 08 before they are gone, if they dont continue to produce the 'regular' , non ESP 4x4 version they have now. <div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>

No way are they going to stop making the basic foot shift model! It is Honda's bread and butter machine, and has always been their best selling model....a lot of machine for a reasonable price.

 

http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1074


More updates all the time! The 450R, 400EX, and 300EX seem to be returning unchanged....

I had hoped for efi for the 450, but it has the best carb in the industry anyway, so no big deal really.

 

Well the CRF450 dirtbike is waaaay different than the 08 model, including the engine...which also gets the EFI,.... so to me,... Honda has the EFI engine for the TRX450R waiting in the wings.
They are likely playing a cat and mouse game at this point with Yamaha because Bill Ballance himself has claimed that the EFI YFZ does exist and is totally new from ground up.
So it's my thinking that Honda is going to put this new CRF engine in the TRX 450R when Yamaha shows it's cards...not a minute before. Which being that the 09 YFZs are already on the dealer floors,...probably wont happen till Spring of 2009.

As for the new Honda utility lineup,... I think they have lost their minds.

 

Selectable drive modes include: 2WD with open rear differential for sensitive terrain/lawns, 4WD with rear differential lock and 4WD with all differential lock

Wow! Honda put an actual differential lock in the Big Red. Hopefully a preview of things to come.