I have a 2001 green Rancher with 30 miles on it so far. After riding it the last time I washed it off with the garden hose and dried it with a regular bath towel. When I pulled it into the garage I noticed the plastic now has swirl marks all over it. I had a 1996 green Foreman 400 and did the same procedure many times without leaving a trace. Seems that the plastic on the new one is extremely soft. Anyone else noticed this?

 

I have also noticed the softness of the plastic. I however like the softness. I have rolled the Recon several times, run into various things and the plastic has yet to crack. The plastic on the Beartracker is much harder and does hold a better shine, but its cracks very easily. We just replaced the front plastic on it today and the rear plastic is cracking and will probably not survive much more abuse. I'll take dull and in one piece over shiny and in pieces anyday

 

if you think that is bad you should see the blue banshee plastic, If it gets bent or folded the slightest bit it makes white crease marks in it.

 

If you want dissapointment, look at a set of Maier plastics!

 

i have noticed it to on my orange rancher my plasctic looks like total ****!

 

I had an atc125m and the plastic was very stiff and got brittal in the winter, needless to say pop rivets can into play.

2000 SCRAMBLER 400 2X4

SCRAMDADDY400

 

I waxed the plastic the second i drove my rubicon out of my truck, The carnubia past wax helped put a shield over the plastic but dust ended up putting swerl markes in it too. Totall bummer.
Honda Spray cleaner and polish does well too

 

Honda plastics are very soft. All of my 300ex plastics are scuffed and scratched. Thats the main reason i race cut the plastic, The fronts had cut and scratches all over them.

The backs are pretty scrapped up to.

I wish someone made good plastic. Maier is the only company out there, besides fullbore. But 400 for a set of plastic is a bit steep?

 

I've noticed the same thing with our two new ranchers. I thought I'd done something wrong when cleaning until I read this post. The plastic is soft and it scratches easily. It's too bad Honda doesn't apply a scratch resistant coating to the plastic like that found on eye glasses. That stuff is hard, even to the point of resisting steel wool. I'm not sure how the coating would hold up to the bending and flexing that the ATV plastics have to take. But it's an idea.

I figure I'll ride and not worry about it and just let it get ugly (to a point). When it comes time to trade up or when I just get tired of it looking like junk, I'll buy new plastic. Does anyone know what Honda plastic cost?

 

I don't know about much of the plastics, but after my last accident I took my Recon in for a repair quote (racks, front carry pipe, handlebars and some other stuff were all trashed) and the price on just the front fender assembly was $268.
Just for a comparision the front fender on the Beartracker was only $80.