I often do ride over 100 miles a day while on the trapline in the fall and early winter. I set my odometer when I fill up and I know that around the 120-130 mile mark I will hit my reserve. My father has a new 450 ES and I can say that he definetely stops long before that to fill up and then fills up again when I do. Now if his consumption is less overall I am not sure but if it is its real damm close. But wouldn't everyone agree that Honda should put on bigger tanks??? When I had my 250 Big Red they had a huge tank and gas just was not an issue. Maybe they are worried about their wet weight figures in som silly magazine write up. This was one of the things that swung my opinion when purchasing a new atv after owning honda atv's and bikes all my life. Where I live and travel it is essential that you have enough to make it back because the nearest gas station is a very long walk. Just my 5 cents worth.

 

You never said but I can assume that you are riding a Sportsman 500. In my 99 SP500 I can also achieve that kind of mileage and range that you claim. On hard pack, using high range, the machine will use very little fuel. There is no Honda 4 X 4 made that can get the range that the SP500 can.

 

Well I for one do not think the Sportsman holds 5 ¼ gallons of fuel. When ours would hit reserve, a 2½ gallon can would almost fill it right up. Reserve+2½ gal. does not equal over 5 gallons.

 

Sorry to bust your bubble ROOSTER but mine will hold it all.If it aint I'm getting aroung 50 something MPG.Polaris has no reason to advertise 5 1/4 and put 2 1/2 gallon tank on. CM

 

Walexa, not to disappoint you, but from everything I've read about the Rubicon transmission, it's "sealed," as in SEALED! That is, nothing gets in, nothing gets out. My understanding; could be wrong.

As to breather hoses, carburetor slide cylinder, crankcase, differential, and rear final drive case breather hoses are all carried to an elevation about the air intake on my quad with a "U" bend; theoretically at least the entire quad could be submerged without water penetrating the protected spaces. I don't know how the Rubicon is set up, but I doubt its transmission is subject to compromise from dunking, as maybe so on some un-named ATVs.

Tree Farmer

 

Maybe Polarises owe their gas mileage to a high final drive ratio possible from their continuously-variable belt drive.

Now, how many customers will reject the Rubicon because they consider the ATV's range on a single tank of gas too short? How important, how much of a buying decision driver, is a utility ATV's range on a tank of gas? Just askin'!

Tree Farmer

 

I have had my SP500 mpt at 150. Yes i am just on my 8th full tank of gas. i can get a good 15 miles on reserve. and usually 120 miles on ON. My friend has a Prarie 300 4x4. He went through 2 full tanks of gas before i was on reserve. The ruby will get a lot better mpg in the ESP & Drive range. But by the time you choose all of that and hit the butto to be in 1st gear i will already be a full gallon away ( 25 miles). HaHa.

Ride what you can. But get used to coming in 2nd (behind me) Polaris: The ONLY Way Out

 

Tree Farmer,
If you will look at a brochure on all Honda bikes, they claim that the engine is sealed to prevent oil contamination. However, this is not entirely true. The crankcase no longer vents down toward the ground with a duckbill valve at the end, but now is routed up into the air filter box. If the bike is submerged, water will enter the air box, thus also enter the engine via the vent hose. I am almost 100% sure that this is the same system as found on the Rubicon. If water can get into the engine oil, which is what the new transmission uses, water gets into the transmission. As for the u-bends you're referring to on all the vent hoses for the carb, rear end, final drive, and front diff, that is a good idea. However, it doesn't always work. As you run the bike, all of those components get warm. If the bike is submerged in a creek with a cooler temperature than say the rear end, the rear end is cooled, as is the air in the rear end, and this creates a vacuum that will suck some water past the u-bend and into the rear end. If you don't believe me, just try it. Arctic cat is the only manufacturer that has the front diff and the rear end completely sealed, and they accomplish this by using an acordian-style boot that expands and contracts with the air that is heating up and cooling.

 

You make some good points, walexa.

I, on the other hand, failed to communicate mine. My discussion of the vulnerability/survivability of a totally-immersed (e.g., Baptist-style baptized) quad sought to focus on any unique vulnerability of the Rubicon.

My understanding is the Rubicon's transmission uses a separate and sealed supply of liquid, exclusive of the crankcase; in this one regard, not unlike the automatic transmission in your automobile--the fluid in the automatic transmission being sealed and separate from the crankcase oil (although the Rubicon uses the same TYPE oil in both transmission and crankcase).

If my understanding/assumption is correct, I see no particular vulnerability of the Rubicon's transmission to water contamination.

I don't know enough about the Rubicon drivetrain to argue; you may be correct, the Rubicon's transmission is just as vulnerable to water contamination and compromise as . . ., as . . . BTW, what brand of quad do you ride, walexa? (hey, I'm joking--thanks for a civil and interesting discussion!)

Tree Farmer

 

Hondas easy on gas?

My TRX250 Sucked gas!

I couldn't ride an hour without having to fill up. After an hour it was all gone....tank empty