Andrew, I notice you keep saying the 400EX is way overpriced, did you ever see the price tag of the Bombardier DS650? I would take the Honda before that, $7000 is just too much for a two wheel drive machine. What did you pay for your Scrambler? You have a liquid cooled two stroke, plus Polaris quads are known to have some of the best performance for the money. How about I ask you the results of your Scrambler and the 400EX in a drag race in like 5 years? Maybe then the results will be different.
Back on the Rancher subject, I guess I'll wait for the magazines to put the ranchers in shootouts against other machines, they're the only people that can compare them head to head. Next you're gonna say they're biased, but that's also not true, cause the Sportsman 500 is undefeated in shootouts so far. A lot of times the shootouts will be so close, that one thing like price will make the difference of who won, or reliability can also. I'm waiting for the upcoming shootout: Rancher 4x4 vs. Polaris Xplorer 325 vs. Yamaha Big Bear 400. I wish they would have one of those monster shootouts like they use to have, those are fun to read and the pictures are cool also. How about throw in the AC 3004x4, Polaris Xpedition 325, Kawasaki Bayou 300 or Prairie, and Suzuki King Quad 300. But they usually can't get them all at the same time, that's why you don't see many big shootouts like that anymore.

 

Rooster,
The DS650 is overpriced. Those damn magazines can say what they want about how cool it is. It's too damn much. I paid $4850 for my Scrambler. Where my brother paid I think $5600. I have reverse, 4WD, in my opinion a more comfortable quad, & a motor that has way more potential than the EX's. Hopefully Polaris will build a lightweight quad soon and I won't need to keep mine 5 years
As far your shootouts they sound like a great idea. The Rubicon vs Sportsman vs AutoCat would be a good one. But not if Dirtwheels does it because then the Sportsman & Cat don't stand a chance. The handlebars of the Rubicon could come off in your hands, and Dirtwheels would say how light the steering on the Honda was!


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Andrew Thomas

'99 Scrambler 400 & '99 Trailblazer, both with RCR mods.

 

Andrew, lol. But if you've noticed, Honda isn't the only one that wins shootouts. I could find many many shootouts for you that they didn't win. Especially the ones with the Foreman in it. So far, the Sportsman 500 has won every shootout its been in. But when the Recon came out, it's undefeated so far, as is the 400EX. The company that updates or comes out with new machines every once in a while is gonna win the shootouts. The banshee is just too old and needs updates, but their new sport quad is coming in 2001, so we might have a new winner? Also Suzuki in 2001 will have a competitor, so the shootouts will get even better. But I really think the Honda Rancher is gonna win a lot of shootouts. They sure don't put the Arctic Cats in many shootouts though. Must be because each one is basically the same as the first one they tested, the Bearcat 454, until now. Now they need a big bore shootout, with the new AC 500 automatic in. Honda's are known for many things, and one is handling, and handling when in a shootout contributes greatly to winning the shootout. Enough said.