I very much enjoy reading the posts in the 300 and 450 topics and felt it was time to start one on the soon to be released Rubicon. Honda fan or not, the excitment is building pending the release of this 4by of the millinium. The first non-belt auto tranny is something to brag about. With long travel suspension, higher ground clearance, and the largest engine ever in a honda atv. I think that we are all in for a treat. So what does everyone think about this new machine?

Chris "00" 300EX

I would love to have one.. but i do alot of super tight woods rideing and the hugeness would be a problem..on the other hand i like to pack up and head to the dessart so the top speed (any ideas?) would be nice. If they are below $6,500 I will pick one up. If they are abouve that Rancher here I come :)

The Rubicon is nearly everything that I wish Kawasaki, laggard that they are in the heavyweight 4x4 arena, would build (see my post under "Bigger Kawasaki Prairies" for my detailed wish list).

Pending field tests and shootouts that accurately report on its performance, the Rubicon just may be enough for me to consider switching my allegiance.

Army Man

Speaking of woods riding...I am real interested in all around performance of a Quad with little need to go to the "big block" 500's. I recently tested the King Quad against the Rancher.
I like the gear versatility of the King but was shocked at turning radius.
The king on groomed grass was about 2.5 feet wider in a 180 degree left turn than the Rancher, about 3.5 feet wider in 4wd. I then tested them in gravel and the king was about 14" wider in 2wd than the Rancher. This was a big deal to me.
I then decided to see what the gravel would look like if I gunned it from a stop, ALL FOUR WHEELS SPUN EVENLY.
I put money down on the Nov. 16th delivery of the Rancher.
I'd say Honda might have something with this "AP" drive. With the Rubicon you will probably see similar results with bigger BAM!
I'm sure the proof will be in many future great rides.

By the way all you KQ owners, you have a great bike and I'm sure once Suzuki announces its' replacement you'll have a choice to make on whether to keep the older model or trade up!

I do have a Yamaha timberwolf..That’s all I want to say about that!


[This message has been edited by gohl (edited 11-12-1999).]

Get one wheel up and I don`t think the other one will spin... I`m not sure but don`t think it has auto-loking front diff.

The way i tested my friends kodiak was to jack up the rear under the hitch then put another jack uner the right frount A arm. His quad tryed to move due to the limited slip but sure want a true locker :(

After reading it's specs in the latest issue of Honda Lover Action (4WA). I believe that Honda was a little off the mark by naming it the Rubicon. They should have named it the Honda Foreman Rube Goldberg edition. For all of you who don't know who Rube Goldberg was, he was a 19th century inventor who made his inventions needlessly complex.

I feel that this name applies to the latest edition of the Foreman. The possibilities are endless as to the amount of forward drive options you have. You'll spend half a day just playing with them, and this is before you move the quad! They could have made it a little a little easier by ditching the D1, D2, and ESP lever. There is NO reason for ESP on this quad in the first place if the transmission works as it should by giving compression braking. As far as the D1 & D2, this would have been easier if they would have linked it to the shifter that controls the High, Low, Neutral and Reverse.

I will admit a liking to the automatic transmission, that uses lubricating oil as a type of hydraulic fluid. However, what happens if it breaks down? Or gets cold out? You'll need a Honda dealer or a rocket scientist to fix it. The last time I checked, neither are cheap.

Hey, how about that liquid cooling! It seems none of the other Honda work horses needed it, so why bother now? The drum brakes have got to go. Come on Honda! I've personally seen drum brakes freeze tight in the winter. Granted the same can happen to disc brakes, but a minute with a propane torch will free them up. Long travel suspension should have been put on ALL of the new Honda quads! Why should only the top of the line quad get it?

In conclusion, I think that it will be the best quad that Honda Lovers Action has ever tested (except for the much hyped 400EX). I'm sure that the Rubicon will walk on water, feed the masses with loaves and fishes, heal the sick and raise the dead. The only good thing about it being the "best" is that it might get the 400EX off the cover for one whole issue.



------------------
Mike Chero 97 Polaris Sport 400L/ 97 Polaris Trailblazer 250ES

<A HREF="http://users.penn.com/~hal9000/mikeetta.html">MIKE & CELESTE'S ATV PAGE </A>

Mike,
What is wrong with being able to shift when you want? This is the reason I like this quad so much. When you want to work or rock climb just switch it to ESP put it in 1st gear and crawl.

You want to know why Honda put liquid cooling on this quad? It's the same reason the finaly put a long travel suspension and an automatic trans on it, the demand is very high now(look at the 2000 kodiak).

One Wheel Up? I don't encounter that situation as I mostly mud ride. But, if you encounter this, that wheel should have its power transferred to the wheel with traction. I have a 300 4 x 4 now and I have never had this 3 WD phenomenon occur. When I am on the gas, all four tires are slinging mud. I think this may be occurring with limited slips that have not been maintained or have been damaged. I would be curious to see what Tree Farmer thinks.

I could be wrong but from what I've read the differential on the new Hondas is torque sensing. This would mean it is simular to what Bombardair is useing on thier traxter. This system gives power to the wheel that has the most traction, unlike conventional limited slip diff's, which give power to the wheel with the least amount of traction. Seems to me if the wheel with the most traction is pulling who cares what the other one is doing!