Just how hard would it be for Honda to put a clutch that provides engine braking on this thing (a huge SAFETY ISSUE, and not a small liability issue for Honda!)??? Until they do, buyers need to boycot the product, and we need to shame Honda's R&D until it gets its act together.
>>>>>>>>>

Nonsense, Honda took the brunt end of the 3 wheeler lawsuits.....I'm sure IF the R&D could develop it they would but as many have stated, it's not an absolute necessity and if it is there are MANY options for buyers.

My "live and let live " point is that your responses are borderline insulting to some and they are your OPINION (but presented as facts) the Rincon is marketed as exactly what it is.

The place I've ridden the past few weeks has one access trial, two miles straight up to get out and straight down to get back.....I'd say this trail is about as steep as I'd ride ANY quad up or down, it's a borderline dirtbike only trail IMO. Engine braking might make it a bit easier but not once did I not feel safe or as if the quad would spin out of control.

Dog eat dog? Come on man, this is an informational forum......Feel free to express your opinion but the "death trap" etc. comments are BS if you ask me. Yes, the Rincon lacks engine braking, it also lacks a low gear. IF those things are top priorities for a rider then DON'T buy this machine, you will be disappointed. IF however those features are not ultimately a major factor then there is no reason not to recommend this ATV.

I actually bought the Rincon as a backup to my DS650 but I find myself riding it most of the time now.

 

We dont NEED EBS on a machine. I live in PA so we have ALOT of steep nasty hills plus I go to Paragon alot. I have never felt the need for EBS. Thats why we have brakes. >>>>>>>>

I actually took that ATV safety course the manufacturers pay for and the issue of engine braking came up and the instructor repeated over and over again to NEVER rely on anything other then your brakes, besides, brakes are easier/cheaper to replace then a transmission. I'm not saying it's not needed or not important, it would be a nice feature to have but in 4WD going downhill the EBS holds at about 12 MPH but it just takes a tap on the brakes to nearly come to a stop.

 

Though it can be argued that the Rincon wasn't designed for extreme or technical stuff, or at least that it wasn't designed exclusively for nasty technical terrain, I can tell you first hand that the Rincon can go some very nasty places.

>>>>>>>>>>>&gt ;

The past few weeks we've ridden up at Stonyford CA, about 20 miles east of I-5 north of Clear Lake.....anyway, this is about as extreme of terrain as I've ridden yet. On our first trip up there last year we turned around on a number of trails, they just seemed to extreme. This year, with a few years more of experience and better ATV's we only had to turn around once and only cause my got stuck in deep powder/dirt on a hill and couldn't get enough grip, just kept spinning wheels. We hit some stuff that I didn't think we'd make it up or back...we hit one portion of a trail where it was just one long, giant rut...first try up I couldn't keep the front down, made it halfway back down then just got sideways in the rut and rode the plastic all the way up (arghhh) was the only way cause we weren't going back.

 

Yeah, the Rincon is different than other machines, and seems to generate strong feelings. Some people seem to think it isn't safe to ride on a real trail, and some people seem to think that it's God's gift to ATV's and has no room for improvement. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

The last trip I took with my buddy who has the Rincon we camped next to a husband and wife who both had sport quads, in a mountain forest trail type riding area. The guy wanted to take some of the steeper trails that his wife didn't want to ride, so he tagged along with us riding his wife's 2 stroke sport machine.

He hadn't been around utes much, and commented about how we could really move out on the rocky stuff, and were much faster than he figured. We got to an open section where the trail was bigger than a bread loaf type pointy edged pieces of shale everywhere, and the Rincon easily walked away from both of us.

In the right situation, and in the right hands, the Rincon can fly. Like I said earlier, I like how my Foreman slides around sweepers better, and I like my low gear, but on the really bone jarring rough stuff (where it isn't tehnical enough to cause you to slow down) the Rincon will just plain outrun my machine.

BTW, I got to take the 2 stroke sport machine for a brief spin- Talk about non-existant compression braking!

Steepish climbing seemed to be an excercise in picking a speed between where you'd get pitched off by roots/rocks, and where you wouldn't have enough momentium to make the top, while trying to balance between having the front end want to come up and having the rear loose traction. I can see where it'd be a blast in open or smooth areas (ie dunes) but I found it spooky in the rough, steep woods.

Last year a buddy with an Eiger (roughly Suzuki's equivelent of a Rancher) rode with my friend with his Rincon. They came across a hill of bottomless loose volcanic rock in a play area, and the Rincon made the climb where the Eiger started to bog down and didn't make the hill.

My friend with the Eiger told me that a day later they were a ways from camp, and he thought he'd take off first, ride hard, and get there first. He said he rode as fast as he could, on the edge of control for the terrain and he figured he'd have several minutes to wait around in camp- but was surprised when he looked back to find the Rincon right off his back bumper. My friend with the Rincon didn't know it was a race, he just sucked up close to stay out of the dust.

This year I went to the same riding area. The loose volcanic rock hill isn't super-dooper-flip over backwards-steep, but you can hardly walk on it as the rock just sluffs off and it burries your shins every time you try to take a step. My buddy on his Rincon didn't make the climb this time, but I think that was due in part to my having churned big ruts and holes trying to climb it with my Foreman (that didn't make it) and his Rincon now having pretty worn out stock tires...

Sorry this got long, but I thought I'd share some Rincon stories beyond just comments on the machine's strengths and weaknesses...

 

Yeah but Dude, you never let it go. You continue to tell someone they made a bad purchase of their "heavy" quad even after the sale is complete. What is good for you isn't necessarily good for the rest of us. I can sit here and slam sport bikes all day too but I have better things to do. Just because most people will tend to roll sport bikes more times in a day than a ute is their business. Seriously, every sport bike I come across on the trail has bent handlebars, broken headlights, bent foot pegs, and split seats. Tell me they haven't been rolled! I see more sport bikes come tumbling down steep hills where I ride than utes. This is not to say I haven't seen any utes do it, however. Those things are so light in the front that they can't help but roll backward.

Oh, and by the way... Automatics rock. Keep your manual shift. It's not my choice.

 

<edited by ATV Connection Moderator>

 

imconstipated.

We will not tollerate this kind of foolishness in this forum. You are disrespectful and will be reported to a moderator. If you wish to be a part of this forum I suggest you clean up your act or you will be banned!!!

 

Yeah but Dude, you never let it go. You continue to tell someone they made a bad purchase of their "heavy" quad even after the sale is complete. What is good for you isn't necessarily good for the rest of us. I can sit here and slam sport bikes all day too but I have better things to do>>>>>>>>>>>&gt ;

It would be one thing if Reconranger came here and stated as OPINION that for HIS preference the Rincon is too heavy and lacks EBS because it conflicts or doesn't compliment his type of riding and/or style of riding. It doesn't stop with the Rincon, he then labels anyone who rides one as fat, bald, middle aged, out of shape men. This IMO crosses the line from opinion to borderline insulting.

 

Could someone PM me on what constipated said? I missed it, and want to know!!!! (im like a kid!)

 

Did any of you notice that Honda actually claims to have IMPROVED THE EBS ON THE RECENT MODELS? What is this except Honda actually admitting that the EBS was deficient to start with? But, if you read the posts of the owners of the newer models, none of them claim that even these have much.

Ride whatever you all want folks! Just educate yourself about what you are going to get (or NOT get in this case) before you make your purchase. But somebody has to play devil's advocate and warn folks that they may not necessarily be getting the peach that they imagine they are getting!