I was looking in the back of the Rancher owners manual last night, and I noticed the table of gear ratios. The rear is geared slightly higher (smaller ratio number) than the front on the 4X4. This kind of makes sense from a handling perspective. With the rear pushing a little harder, you shouldn't have to fight the steering as much as if they were equally matched. Does Honda do this with all their machines?

Also, the 4X4 has an INTERMEDIATE REDUCTION gear (around 1.9), that the 2X4 doesn't have. If you have ridden both these bikes, it is obvious that the 2X4 is geared WAY higher than the 4X4. The 2X4 also has taller tires, which also effectively raises the gearing. The 2X4 is actually a pretty fast bike for a utility.