DieselPro,

Appreciate the insight and have one more question if you have the time. Your quote below:

"...Engine braking below 8 mph is nonexistent on the Rincon, but that's what brakes are for!

The engine braking is same in 2wd or 4wd. The only difference is that if you downshift hard, the rear tires will skid in 2wd and in 4wd, you had better hang on if you downshift hard!".........

Two situations: I'm 'leaning back' on some W.V. mountainside so much that I barely have my hands on the brakes..........If I let up a little to keep the fluid from boiling....I'm pretty much 'freewheeling' on the Rincon with up front drums and single rear discs that I better get 'right back on'?

2nd situation: ripping down the trail (in 4WD; 'automatic') at a pretty good rate when we come to a decent downgrade that you approach with more momentum than you probably should. Does this transmission 'sense' this engine braking and automatically 'downshift hard', as you described manually above, while producing the same 'better hang on' results?

Thanks again,

John

 

Hey MR. i read a post earlier of your and you said that the rincon drum brakes are a maintenance nightmare. You drive a polaris, right???

 

I love my rincon, It can pull just as much as the Rubicon, if maybe a little less, and it has more might then a praire, It has no need for a low gear, just like a truck doesnt need a low gear, its all about the gear ratios. First is essentially the low gear, for below ten mph. It provides the power you need. And it has no need for a locking differential, you will never need it....depending on where you live. I am incredibly happy with my rincon, it is incredible. The machine takes off like a bullet, and the radial tires provide incredible traction, it is the ultimate ATV. And there is no way in hell a polaris can turn in 6 feet, ten feet is not alot for a 650, and on top of that, it only weighs 600 pounds, which is amazing!

 

These guys don't know what they're talking about as far as turning radius. I sold my Sportsman for the Rincon and can speak from experience. Not qouting from a friend's friend or what I've heard. Turning radius also is affected by the dealer's set-up of toe-out. If it's a little off it will affect turning radius quite a bit. Mine was off initialy and has been corrected. The difference is not as dramatic as these people say, they're pretty close. The engine braking is a little stronger in 4 wheel drive on the Rincon vs. 2 wheel drive. I respect DieselPro's different point on this, I think it might be a matter of where we're riding being the difference. I've gone down the same trails with my Rincon as I did with my Sportsman. Very steep and slow. The Sportsman in low range and 4 wheel you would tap the brakes once and a while. The Rincon, in ESP, 4 wheel, and 1st gear, you are on the brakes the whole time. This is at about 4-5 mph. The Rincon just doesn't have any engine braking at that speed. Above 8mph and on not so steep trails the engine braking is just fine.
Now I'm talking about some steep terrain here . I was riding with a co-worker, he rides a Rubicon, and he never touched his brakes. I don't see a real difference in handling, or turning effort, when the Rincon is in 4 wheel vs. 2 wheeldrive. It may take a little more room to complete the turn but I can't say for sure as I've not tested that. Michmaniac, you should try the Rincon out for yourself and make up your own mind. Don't let other people's opinions sway you. There are only a few people here that are giving you true and un-biased opinions. The others, and you can see for yourself, are talking crap (ie. turning radius 6 1/2 feet). Personally, the only thing the Sportsman has is better engine braking. I'm still extremey happy with the Rincon and would never go back. Plus you get Honda's reliability, what a plus. I hope this helps. Go out and test ride.

 

Skipshot you're a funny guy.

The others, and you can see for yourself, are talking crap (ie. turning radius 6 1/2 feet)

That's an ENGINEERING FACT. Now you must know what is meant by radius don't you? Go to polaris site and look up the turning raduis for an HO. This is usually measured on pavement and a properly aligned machine. THEN go look at the RINCON specs on the honda site. These are the best numbers each manufactur could get there machines to do. SINCE , the polaris and Honda readily admit what their machines can do, only an idiot would argue that's wrong..LOL It's plain to see.

BTW, we tested a number of hondas and yamahas and polaris's. Yamaha and honda turn about the same with polaris making the tightest turn, so the informations readily claimed by the manufactor seems to be correct.

Now originally this wasn't a buy a polaris post. I was making the purchaser aware that the RINCON ain't making no tight turns on a trail like his sportsman did. Something that is VERY apparent was overlooked by many. IN the mountains and tight trails I ride on turning RADIUS is very important. Maybe not so to some.


Sportsman turning radius

Rincon specs. Click on specifications link

I think you should write honda and polaris and tell them they are talking crap, because YOU know better.

 

Good one. I've owned and ridden both. Have you? Also, ATV4-WHEEL ACTION has given the Honda Rincon a 5 star rating on downhilling. I've contacted them regarding this B.S. No need to go back into the lack of engine braking on the Rincon. If you would like, I'll e-mail you they're response letter and you can see the obvious appeasment to the manufactuter. But, my question to them was how can you possibly give a 5 star rating on something that has an inferior attribute? Do you believe EVERYTHING you read and then spout off or do you actually try to find out for yourself what's really going on? Maybe some manufactureres are a little more truthful on REAL riding conditions than others and aren't just hyping for sales. Some also tweak they're engines to the point of reduced reliability for testing/review to get the most out of their machine. Great reviews are what sells. What do you think?

 

Maniac7599 Quote

"I own a Rincon, to sum it up, it has the best combination of everything, it is quite literally the SUV of ATVs, I would never buy anything else. It has the peppy ness of the Prarie the pulling power of the 700, or atleast close to that, And comfort matched by no fourwheeler, the radial tires give it incredible traction, and it has the smoothes ride of anything with four wheels. It continues to impress me, and I imagine will for quite a while."

You say the Rincon has close to the pulling power of a sp700, but by looks of these atv pull results, I would have to dissagree with you.

"Hi everyone, Iwent to a atv pull last week at the local fair. Polaris domonated the competion. They won the 400,500 and unlimted class. The unlimted class startd out at 2700lb and a 500ho with extra weight and clutching mods pulled it a full run with out any problem. The weight was jacked up to 3100 pounds kepping that from happing again. Not all of the quads made it through the 3100lb pull.
There where 5-sp500hos,5-sp700, 2-grizzly660s and 1 praire 650 left. The weight up to 3600lb and the only two to make it to the next round was a dealer owned sp700 and the praire 650. The only mods the 700 had was a differn't clutch, a supenion(sp) mod and added weight. The praire on the other hand was built for pulling only. It after market exhaust, wheel spacers, small and wide tires(it was the widest quad there), and cluthing mods, I cain't remeber what it had. But any way now to the pull off. The pull(winner take all) started at 4100lb the praire was frist to pull and pulled 120 feet out of 160 feet (tack length). It just ran out of power and stoped moving. Next was the sp700 turn and it started off kinda slow then power kicked in. At 90(weight reached the top ot the trasfer sled) feet the 700 started to boogg down and then the clutch down shifted and the 700 took off and turned in a full pullwith no problem. The crowed was going nuts. There was one Honda Rincon it is a horrible puller, it was out pulled by a sp400, explorer 400, kodiack(sp)400 and a formen 450es. It pulled 3100lb 60 feet."

This was from another pull

"There were 2 Rincons and after the second one saw the first one get it only 8' he put his back on the trailer. He just couldn't get it moving."

I don't doubt the Rincon is fast, but what I've read on the forums, the Rincon is not a utility type atv, it's made for trail riding.

 

Creepster,
One more thing. You do know how to increase or decrease the turning radius of your machine? This is a simple adjustment. A manufacturer can make this simple adjustment to tighten their turning radius but it wouldn't be something you would want to ride on the trails. Understand? Numbers sell machines!

 

GE4X4,
I'd have to agree with you. I believe my Sportsman would have outpulled my Rincon. The Rincon seems to be set up for more of a sport ride than utility. On that note however, I can't remember the last time my wife and I pulled a advancing weighted sled behind us when we went trail riding. That's meant to be funny. I kill me sometimes.

 

Creepster,
Do you know if Honda measures their turning radius by the outside or inside wheels? I know that Polaris goes by the inside. This might explain the 4 foot difference since the Rincon is about 4ft. wide. I know that they're close as having ridden both.