I have a rancher At and really liked the hondamatic for trail ride with family. Now when it comes to packing out elk & deer or riding in the really steep mountains or climbing in snow around here i need more. The tranny just won't pull me through when i need it. In esp it is ok, but alot of times where we ride you have to creep along a side hill ( hanging off the side so ya don't roll) and then punch it to climb out top of revine. So foot shifter or esp does not work for me. I wish it had a low range. So now wife is taking over the 400 AT, and i going to buy something more suited for my style of riding.

How is the ride on the 05 rubicon? Do they have alot more power then 400 AT? I was also looking at mabye kodiak 450, but doent know if irs will work well on steep side hills. I'm 6'4' 240lbs, but like mid sized atv's so i can get around in all the tight spots we ride. We ride are atv just like are mtn sleds. We side hill from point to point. Would like more ground clearence, but knoe if irs is the answer.

Was thinking rubicon with 26" Atr's on stock rims might be the way to go. If a little more umf was needed mabye a pipe. I have not got to ride new rubion or kodiak yet because dealer does not have them set up yet. Still to much snow up where dealers at.

Any advice you could give would be great.

 

How would the kodiak 450 handle 26" atrs? Would it be able to pack elk out of the nasty stuff? How is it's stability on the side hills and really uneven ground. I'm open to what atv would do what i need best.

Thanks for your time
Zed

 

yamaha u come into a yamaha site so ur gunna get a yamaha anwser..... hondas suck.. my opinion but i beilive this alot.. ther brakes suck... and plus i think the rubicon weighs more... and havin a heavy machine is bi*ch

 

I have a Kodiak and bought my ATV mostly for hunting. I am confident it will do what you are asking for. I would not hesitate to load a quarterd Elk on it. I really like the IRS for on the trails. And the low range and locking diff on the Kodiak will take you up or down anything. Therubicon was my second choice when I bought the Kodiak. I really like the size of the Kodiak and how it handles in tight areas. For rocky terrain the IRS will shine. I have riden side hills and feklt in control. Some feel the bike is tippy but I have not noticed that during my riding.

 

tracker12

Thanks for the USEFULL information. How steep of side hills have you been on? How hard is it to stiffen springs on IRS. Can it be done on the mountian? Thanks for your input.

ZED

 

Rubicon is in my opinion Honda's best machine. For hauling something heavy out of someplace, that would be my pick. Its transmission is awesome. I take it over the Kodiak simply because I never thought the auto tranny on my Grizzly utilized the full power of the engine very well, and Kodiak has the same basic transmission. The Rubicon is solid. Plus not being IRS, would hold up better under weight. In any other scenario, I'd rather have the Kodiak. The ride will be better and it will steer better than the Rubicon. Have no idea how they stack up in power between them, or which is faster. I will say that a stock Grizzly absolutely destroys a stock Rubicon in a drag race to the point that its laughable. Kodiak could probably hold its own.

 

suzuki vinson

 

I have to agree with Andy in that the Rubicon is one of the best work ATV's on the market. It all boils down to what you are most looking for in a vehicle. As far as I know you can not stiffen any springs in the Kodiak. Nor sue if IRS can be adjusted. You can adjust the stiffness on the shocks with a turn of the hand very easily. One of my best friends has a Vinson and I have driven it numerous times. Nice vehicle. I still prefer the kodiak for its handling capabilities and locking front diff. Power was not a issue with me since I rarley travel faster than 30mph. For hauling I can put two deer on it or a qrt elk no problem