Some background on me...I have owned one ATV, still have it technically but it has been sold to friend under a payment plan...it is/was a 2003 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO, I bought it new in late 2002, its been a pretty good machine for hunting but the CVT has given me some grief over the years (wet belt) ...my primary use for an ATV is hunting, but I am looking to do some mowing with this new one as well.

I have some questions I can't seem to find the answers to...

1- Whats the top speed in low range 5th gear on the DCT equipped model? What I'm wondering here is how it'll be cruising across the open field then coming up on a steep hill...with the CVT, unless I want to hit the hill at a pretty good speed I have to stop and shift into low range to climb the hill nice and easy...otherwise its hard on the belt....wondering if the DCT will suffice at buzzing around through the hills and hollers in low range, without being too slow.

2- Am I right to believe the manual transmission will do better at mowing steep hills with a pull behind finish mower than the DCT?

3- Are there any known bugs in the new Rubicon design and if so, what are they?

That said, I'm probably gonna get the manual shift model (FM5)...but I'm not buying anything until about March, I'm just doing my homework.

The ATV will remain bone stock...I'm not interested in any modifications of any kind, except maybe a winch and a 2" reciever...maybe....I'm in need of a tool, not a toy.

Thank You

 

1 There is no dual range sub trans. You get 5 forward and 1 reverse gear regardless of the dct or manual. Yes, there will be a gear that will work well for cruising at whatever speed you wish, and you switch on the fly if you need more speed or power (or let the dct do it.)

2 I am pretty sure you can lock the dct into a gear and have it hold that gear. In that case, they should perform pretty comparably towing a mower.

3 haven't personally heard of any issues, but these are newer models.

 

All due respect...I'm pretty sure you're wrong about that...the DCT does have a dual range sub transmission....check out the video at 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

 

I would think that the low range would only be needed for very slow speeds such as mowing and pushing a plow. For just basic trail riding or simply getting from point A to point B, just use the high range in the transmission. You still have 5 gears to choose from. First gear in high range should still be plenty low enough to climb most anything. Even high range 2nd gear would probably make it up some pretty steep hills. I think the Rubicon could be the best utility quad out there if it had more power. That 475cc engine is ok but a more powerful option should be available. With the new Pioneer 1000, Honda is showing the willingness to up their performance. I think a slightly smaller v-twin engine in the 800cc range along with the 6 speed dual clutch transmission would be great in the Rubicon. I realize that's not a big concern for you but many would consider the Rubicon an option if it had more power. I like the dual clutch belt-less transmission. I wish all quads had that. Belts are fine but they cause power loss and they wear out and as you have experienced, they can get wet and slip. You probably had a bad seal somewhere on your Polaris though, water shouldn't get into the cvt system unless you're going through very deep water.

 

Ridgerunner, I apologize, you are correct. Oddly enough, I pulled up the Honda specs page before commenting, and the dual range transmission is not mentioned. Even weirder (to me) is that the Pioneer 500 which shares this drive train doesn't have the dual range option to my knowledge, and it probably needs it more.

I actually have some experience with dual range Suzuki atvs from the 80s. You can do a LOT with a smaller motor, as you are multiplying the torque like crazy. We worked that little 229cc Suzuki like a dog hauling wood, plowing snow, etc. In low range, you run out of traction before you run out of hp, even on that little 10 or 11 horse motor. My feeling is that for general trail riding, you will still be in high range. First should still be a lower overall top speed than low on your old Polaris. I can climb some stupid stuff on the kids' honda 90 in first, and that has no low range.

 

You can still put the Rubicon in auto mode and let it shift for you. I have seen most testers agree that the computer does a good job of picking the right gear. I'm sure there are some situations where it might get a little confused, that's the only concern I would have about this type of automatic transmission. I assume if you give it throttle in approaching something like a hill, it would downshift to give you more power but that might not always be the case. In lower speed, more technical riding, it might be best to leave it in ES mode to give yourself more control. You'd hate to have it upshift at just the wrong moment to cause you to lose momentum. Or keep upshifting and downshifting constantly as it struggles to find the right gear.

 

Regarding horsepower...

I look at that based on power to weight ratio...some comparisons below.

The base model Rubicon has a power to weight ratio of .04, that is .04 HP per pound....28.7 hp and 677 lbs.

The Polaris 570's have a power to weight ratio of .06...44 hp and 702 lbs.

The Polaris Ranger 900 Crew has a power to weight ratio of .04...68 hp and 1,587 lbs.

The regular Polaris 900 Ranger power to weight ratio is .05...68 hp and 1,318 lbs.



My Nissan Frontier 4x4 Crew Cab has a power to weight ratio of .05.....261 hp and 4,500 lbs....every example there, including my truck, has way more power than it can actually keep hooked up (traction).

I believe Honda is right to keep the power down around 30 HP...because its more than enough to do the work with the proper gearing...and its less stress on the parts that are most likely to break (powertrain).

Another analogy of sorts...I'm a truck driver and its much easier to break stuff with a 600 hp Caterpillar than it is with a 470 hp Detroit....and EVERY major company out there buys those trucks with those 470 HP Detroit engines because they will reliably do the same work with less maintenance.

Honda is operating on the same principle as Freightliner in that regard...

The difference between tools and toys.

 

Also...

I now understand that both transmissions will do the same job, but I'm still leaning towards the old standby version...simpler, lighter, well proven.

 

A quad that can do both is better in my opinion. Work when it is needed and have enough performance to be exciting to ride when you want to hit the trail. The Rubicon 500 isn't bad but my Grizzly 660 has more power and its 2002 technology. There is some power loss with the cvt but it still would be noticeably more powerful. A Rubicon 800 sounds good to me, if it existed. Give it a 6 speed dual clutch transmission with high and low range. It can pull a trailer or push a snow plow at 5 mph in low range but it could rip on a wide open fire road at 60 mph if you wanted to do that. I just don't see the point of spending that much money on a machine that is slow and boring to ride.