FI and great suspension. Agile, light, stable, and a low center of gravity. A real peach!

Did this trail yesterday: http://jeep.off-road.com/jeep/articl....jsp?id=330535

WE SHOWED THE JEEPERS A THING OR TWO ABOUT QUADS! Handled everything easily. Rode circles around lots of very $$$$$ rock crawlers.

 

looks like a good time! i wish i had all the places you had to ride out there!! you get the desert, mountains, snow, rocks,heat, hell its probly still warm enough for night rides! you suck!! just kidding! i would love to have a 420! did you say the gearing is about the same? low end? top end?

 

Gearing is similar. Has more low end and top end than the 350. Real snappy throtle response! When I am in 5th, I keep looking for a 6th........

Very sporty ride. Very impressive at high speed! Out on the open trails the faster I went the better it felt. Even did a descent job in the big desert whoops. I am use to riding desert prepped sport quads with aftermarket suspensions, so that's saying something!

Honda needs to come out with a lightened version of this machine! It would easily out compete the Wolverine!

 

You're setting the bar mighty low by comparing it to the 06-07 Wolverine. It really isn't difficult to out compete the "new and improved" 06+ Wolvy. Taking an old SRA Kodiak utility chassis and wrapping it in Raptor-wannabe plastic doesn't make for a very sporty 4x4. Yamaha must be doing a pretty good job of marketing it though, because the people who buy them actually think they're riding something sporty...

My current plan is to buy a Rancher 420 4x4 in April. I'm keeping my 04 Wolverine though, I'll never sell it...

 

My point exactly. The Wolverine is pretty pathetic, so it wouldn't take any other manufacturer squat to make something that will best it!

This is a whole new class of quads! Why do you think the lowly little Rancher 350 is the best selling quad of all time???? Because most folks are just trail riders, who don't need or want a "work" ute, a rock crawler, or a fully larded 700 pound IRS big bore(ing) monster. But, they do want 4wd available just in case they get into trouble out there on the trail. A true hybrid.....and the best of both worlds! The 420 already comes pretty close!

I am seeing a surprising number of Wolverines out on the trail, so this is a concept that isn't totally lost on the general public........

 

Yeah, I'm really impressed with the job Honda has done with the new Rancher. They improved it dramatically without losing sight of the original concept. I'm doubly impressed that they did it and kept the price so reasonable. I have been in the market for a second quad for some time now (I'm in no hurry), and when I saw the 07 Ranchers in person I knew I'd found my next quad. I plan to use it for work, hunting & fishing, and the occasional flogging through the mud holes. I have no doubt it will perform up to my expectations and probably exceed them. I plan to move my Warn 1.5 winch to the Rancher, it's kinda on the light side considering the Rancher's weight, but that's why God made ****** blocks. The fact that the Rancher shares the same bolt pattern and wheel offset as my Wolverine is a big plus as well. I have three complete sets of tires and wheels for my Wolverine, and I can move any one of them to the Rancher whenever I choose. I'm in the process of rounding up the few remaining dollars to seal the deal (paying cash-don't want to finance) and then she is mine. I'll still be reaching for the keys to my Wolverine the majority of the time when the work is done and it's time to play, but that is just my preference. I'm buying the Rancher to complement my Wolverine, not replace it.

I'll also add that I completely agree with you about the big bores. I have no need or desire to own one (for a variety of reasons). On the majority of trails that I ride (tight/technical), 40 mph is considered warp speed. The additional power of a big bore is wasted on the terrain I ride on, and the added weight of one is a huge negative.

 

I'm curious how much does a Wolverine weigh? I thought that I read somewhere they were in the upper 500lbs?

 

List weight on the new Wolverine is 516 pounds, which is 50 pounds to heavy IMO. The older one was somewhat lighter.

My only criticism of the Rancher 420 is that it is very much overweight at around 560 pounds. Obviously, Honda had to keep the price reasonable (which they did!), so they just didn't put many expensive alloy parts on it. It could be lightened up considerably.....I mean they kept the Rincon and Rubicon at 600 pounds, so it can obviously be done!

I know some people think I am obsessive about weight, but when you think about it you can either make the displacement bigger or make the machine lighter......the end result is the same. I say keeping the power/weight ratio very favorable, makes the most sense! I would gladly have payed hundreds of dollars extra for a lighter machine.

If you are riding on a 700 pound machine, you probably do need 800cc's of displacement to haul all that weight around!

 

I was just curious about the weight. I too would love to lose a couple of hundred pounds from my Rincon. But the only way that will happen is if I fall off.

 

Stopped by the local Honda dealers tonight after reading your post. Looked at a new Rancher 420 and a Rincon 680. Both very nice rides, congrats on your new purchase. The dealer wouldn't let me try them out in the 6 inches of snow we just got. I promised to be gentle but he still wasn't biting.