450's in general (again)
Jan 11, 2000 | 01:35 PM
#52
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Back to the top, again.
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Ride the "WILD COUNTRY" , South Gillies, Ontario, Canada.
Y2K Honda 450ES <a><marquee>The "BIGGER BIG RED"</marquee></a> <a>JJTH</a>
[This message has been edited by BigRed450 (edited 01-12-2000).]
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Ride the "WILD COUNTRY" , South Gillies, Ontario, Canada.
Y2K Honda 450ES <a><marquee>The "BIGGER BIG RED"</marquee></a> <a>JJTH</a>
[This message has been edited by BigRed450 (edited 01-12-2000).]
Mar 1, 2000 | 11:16 AM
#54
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Its cool to see this topic up again.
To answer your question 450... Mine has held up great, over rocks, stumps, logs, trees, you name it its been over it. I checked it about a week ago and there is a few nicks/scratches, but for the $45 bucks its has held up AWSOME!! I am very happy with it, and it mounts up great with the aluminum products bash plate
To answer your question 450... Mine has held up great, over rocks, stumps, logs, trees, you name it its been over it. I checked it about a week ago and there is a few nicks/scratches, but for the $45 bucks its has held up AWSOME!! I am very happy with it, and it mounts up great with the aluminum products bash plate
Mar 30, 2000 | 04:53 AM
#57
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I have tryed several different tire combos. Right now I am running 26x12x12 on all four wheels with Mud sharks on the front and Bear claws on the rear. It works pretty well! I have also had the MAXXIS before and liked them too. They all fit no problem without a lift kit. Although I do have a lift I dont need it for the tires. If you are looking for a good ALL AROUND combo I recomend the Mudshark Bearclaw combo. The Mudsharks are lighter than most every tire out there but may be vulnerable to puncture slightly more than the bearclaws, but being a softer rubber compound they "wrap around" most anything they get a hold of. The bearclaws are very tough and I run them pretty low on air and they work well in most any situation. I ride a lot and they have held up well. (2400 miles on my 99 450s in 9 months) Still have never had a breakdown yet in 24 years of ATV ownership but of course They all were Hondas...
Oct 5, 2000 | 05:10 PM
#58
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For the benefit of those without the aid of photographic memories... here it is again.
ATV of the year in 1998, yet it seems all of the owners have gone "underground". Why is that?
Probably because they love the 450 and don't have any reliability issues to beef about and like the tires that they are using. Could that be it?
ATV of the year in 1998, yet it seems all of the owners have gone "underground". Why is that?
Probably because they love the 450 and don't have any reliability issues to beef about and like the tires that they are using. Could that be it?
Oct 6, 2000 | 10:20 AM
#59
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Greetings,
Interesting that you bring this up. I was recently thinking of how the 450 has become the forgotten quad. The Rancher meets most people's needs for a solid all-around ATV. If you want to go with the biggest and baddest, you get a Rubicon. Given the pricing increments along the scale, it doesn't make much sense to spend the extra on a 450 and, once over the $6K hump, it doesn't make much sense to not spend the extra on a Rubicon. And there are now lots of alternatives, even at Honda, if you don't want to shift.
While I love mine, I think there is a bit of a negative aura around it. First the recall made the ES suspect (althought the Rancher hasn't shared in this problem). Second, a lot of people complained about the ride -- which can be harsh at first, but has been shown to soften up after breakin (and actually, I really like the ride just as it is -- if its too soft, it doesn't feel stable in the woods). Third, it isn't a very nimble machine -- the turning radius is a bit wide and its a little heavy in the steering, especially when compared to a Rancher.
Where I ride, everyone who lives in the valley has an ATV and most are either Polaris or older Yamahas (the place looks like a Moto-4 convention sometimes). Whenever someone comes over to check it out at (like when I'm at the store or while working it), they always say its about the best thing they've seen. And if you let them ride it, they want it -- they love the instrument pod, the shifting, the ride and the power.
And for me, its just right. I wouldn't want any less engine for the towing I do (carts and mowers are no problem, starting logs is the issue), but I'm not sure what I would do with any more power either. And I still like the yellow. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Interesting that you bring this up. I was recently thinking of how the 450 has become the forgotten quad. The Rancher meets most people's needs for a solid all-around ATV. If you want to go with the biggest and baddest, you get a Rubicon. Given the pricing increments along the scale, it doesn't make much sense to spend the extra on a 450 and, once over the $6K hump, it doesn't make much sense to not spend the extra on a Rubicon. And there are now lots of alternatives, even at Honda, if you don't want to shift.
While I love mine, I think there is a bit of a negative aura around it. First the recall made the ES suspect (althought the Rancher hasn't shared in this problem). Second, a lot of people complained about the ride -- which can be harsh at first, but has been shown to soften up after breakin (and actually, I really like the ride just as it is -- if its too soft, it doesn't feel stable in the woods). Third, it isn't a very nimble machine -- the turning radius is a bit wide and its a little heavy in the steering, especially when compared to a Rancher.
Where I ride, everyone who lives in the valley has an ATV and most are either Polaris or older Yamahas (the place looks like a Moto-4 convention sometimes). Whenever someone comes over to check it out at (like when I'm at the store or while working it), they always say its about the best thing they've seen. And if you let them ride it, they want it -- they love the instrument pod, the shifting, the ride and the power.
And for me, its just right. I wouldn't want any less engine for the towing I do (carts and mowers are no problem, starting logs is the issue), but I'm not sure what I would do with any more power either. And I still like the yellow. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Oct 6, 2000 | 11:25 AM
#60
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DrRod
I must agree with you on all points. One of the things that disappointed me with both the Rubicon and Rancher is the front bumpers. They are not near as heavily built as the 450 and would require an aftermarket bumper for going through the bush like I do at times. As yoou ststed the 450 has more then enough power and the ride does get better with age. I also use my 450 to do chores on the ranch. Everything from plowing snow and gravel to pulling hay wagons as well as the daily chores. This is something I had taken into consideration during research before buying and I beleive neither the Polaris, the Grizzly or the Rubicon would handle that type of work in the "long run". The Rancher on the other hand, may have been a little small for the jobs at hand.
This of course, is just my opinion. The 450 fits the bill for me.
I must agree with you on all points. One of the things that disappointed me with both the Rubicon and Rancher is the front bumpers. They are not near as heavily built as the 450 and would require an aftermarket bumper for going through the bush like I do at times. As yoou ststed the 450 has more then enough power and the ride does get better with age. I also use my 450 to do chores on the ranch. Everything from plowing snow and gravel to pulling hay wagons as well as the daily chores. This is something I had taken into consideration during research before buying and I beleive neither the Polaris, the Grizzly or the Rubicon would handle that type of work in the "long run". The Rancher on the other hand, may have been a little small for the jobs at hand.
This of course, is just my opinion. The 450 fits the bill for me.