Hey,

these Odyssey/Pilot things you guys have just look like a blast. like a go cart, with a 4wheeler suspension and motor. why don't they make these any more??

all my friends have 4wheelers and so i want something so that i can ride with them. and my little mind is always toying with different ideas. so out of curiosity, how well does a Odyssey/Pilot compare to a 4wheeler on trails in the woods? you know the basic stuff you go through in the woods, like mud, some hills/ditches, open speed areas, tight stuff, etc. can you keep up with a quad? (and for comparison sake, lets compare the Odyssey/Pilot's that have rear suspension)

thanks,
bigmac

 

Honda does not make anything similar anymore although they have reused both names to many people's disgust.

Drakart makes similar machines. The 2002 Sport has more suspension travel and is faster than the Pilot or 350 Odyssey and at $9750 is probably less than Honda would sell a Pilot for today. The Drakart Formula Cross has more suspension travel than a Pilot with aftermarket long travel suspension and more power than a big bore 500cc Pilot. I have seen used long travel Pilots (modded, but still a 400) selling used for more than the price of a new Formula Cross. My Formula Cross is a 2000. A 2002 has 110 HP and 16" of travel. A new four stroke EFI version will be available soon.

Now the the woods question: These machines are wider than a quad. If you are riding trails that a quad barely fits through, they won't fit. If you are talking fire roads that you want to ride fast, they are a great ride. The Pilot and FL350 have a fairly large turning radius so they don't make hairpin turns well. On loose terrain, you can slide the rear end. You can also slide the rear end on harder terrain with typical two stroke mods (pipe, reeds, ...). Think of the FL350 motor as a big bore 250R and you can imagine the power possible. The Drakarts have much more responsive steering than the Pilot or FL350. The extra power also helps with power slides. I have been told the 2002 Sport will do donuts on asphalt. I'm sure the Formula Cross will, but I have no urge to destroy my tires.

There are trails on the one side of the dunes at Silver Lake in MI and also at Little Sahara in MI. I ride these with a large group of Pilot and Odyssey owners. I was the first in the group to have a Formula Cross, but two more bought them this year and sold their Odysseys. The trails were cut by quads. We fit, but in some places our tires ride on the upward curve on the edges of the trails. With straight paddles, I have snagged a couple small trees with my 350 when I could not turn. With V-paddles, I can turn better than I can on dirt with knobbies and have no trouble in the sand trails.