How good is my Honda????

[IslandMan24]

I just got a New 04 model of a Honda Forman rubicon with GPS cape. (500cc) How will it compare to other 500cc models?

[ice_shack]

Does the fact that I bought a new Polaris 500 answer your question?

[CHOPPERTHEDOG]

Your Rubicon will be just fine. I have heard that the GPS on them has reallly limited capabilities, but I don't have any actual experience with them. Don't worry about those Polaris guys, they'll change their tune as soon as they need that tow out of the woods. LOL Polaris...."The Way Out" Honda..."The Way Out and The Way Back"

[RussDaBuss]

You will love it. I have a 2003... Great machine... Very dependable, low maintenance... Good riding

[Dave]

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*onda..."The Way Out and The Way Back"

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OK, Chopper, contact me about using that H word in here

[ice_shack]

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Don't worry about those Polaris guys, they'll change their tune as soon as they need that tow out of the woods

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I knew I would get somebody fired up. All I ride with is a bunch of Honda chearleaders. LOL

Funny thing though last weekend I seemed to be on the wrong end of that tow rope. I was doing the pullin!!

Wasn't nothing serious though he just ran out of rice.

[IslandMan24]

No, the fact that you just got a polaris means that you are a fool. i see that most ppl think that honda atv's rule over all other atv's. Thanks for letting me know that!

[Dave]

IslandMan,

I see you're relatively new here. Anybody that owns ANY BRAND of ATV is no fool.

[sparkyaber]

You just purchaced one of the most reliable machines on earth- those hondas run forever. BUT..... the down side of this is the limited features of that honda. It has full time four wheel drive and is a pretty basic machine. If you plan on using it as a utility machine you made a great choice, but if you plan on doing a lot of trail riding, you may have bought the wrong machine.

I actually looked at buying that same model, but "upon further review" I decided that I needed some thing a little more trail friendly and chose to go with a kawasaki prairie because of all of the added features that it offered.

good luck

[sledhead]

Not that great. I wouldn't buy a honda now if my life depended on it. Put it plain and simple, I replaced 3 transmissions in Rubicon this year alone, Not to mention the other 12 I or another tech has done since it inception. And these wern't hard beat machines either. One was an 04 with less than 10 hrs on it. Id buy a polaris before I'd buy a honda and that's pretty bad for me

[pikechaser]

I dont think Honda did their homework on the Rincons, sure doesnt stack up to the competition. But to say a Polaris would be more reliable than a Honda??? Thats a bit of a stretch there, they have come a long way on their reliability issues over the last few years but they still have a ways to go, and really need to learn how to build a 600lb wheeler before I'd ever consider one

[Kodiak]

Polaris atv's are junk from what i can tell, go back and count up all the polaris threads started with polaris problems....proof is in the pudding. Chopperdog has got it right honda is the way to go, that is what i would get if i didnt have a yamaha.

[jltimm]

I owned a polaris once,as did several friends,and NONE of us will ever own one again!The April edition of Dirtwheels magazine has a interesting arcticle comparing the Yamaha Rhino to the polaris ranger,and lets just say that the polaris came with a "few" flaws!

[Macgyver55]

For every Rincon you find with a problem there are probably 100 Foremans or Ranchers out there with none. All of the brands out there have their problems with one thing or another. For now the Rincon might be Hondas, but my bet is those that had tranny problems more than likely ran something other than the proper oil through the tranny. (ie water)

Polaris has come a long way with their quality in the recent years, but what got them the reputation in the past of being undependable? They were! Honda didn't build their reputation by being undependable, they built it on quality that lasts.

Maybe I'm just one of the "lucky" ones, but the people on this forum who know me also know that I don't "baby" my wheeler. In nearly 30 years of riding on a dozen different models and in excess of 70,000 miles I've never once been towed, and never had to bring one back for warranty. I think that says a lot.

That being said, If my life ever really did depend on a wheeler, it definitely would be a Honda.

[wisconsinfish]

I have to laugh at all you die hard atv brand guys out there. I could take 5 atv's in each engine class (300cc, 350cc, 400cc, 500cc, 600cc and over 600cc) and I guarantee you I wouldn't pick the same brand in every class. Every class in my mind has a different one that stands out. First thing you need to decide is what you are going to use it for. That will tell you if it's a good quad for you.

I would say that you have yourself a very nice utility quad, decent power, easy to drive, relatively low maintinance . A so-so trail machine and off-road quad. Because in my book you need a front locking differential and at least 10" of minimum ground clearance to make a good off road quad.

Then again, that is just my opinion.

I guess the only person that you have to ask if it's a good quad is yourself. If you answer no, then you bought the wrong one.

Good luck with the honda.

[greenhorn]

sledhead

hey, could you let us know what you found out with the honda tranny's? What was wrong with them? I would appreciate your help. I own a 04 Rubicon and am just curious as to what the problem seems to be.. thanks

[Dave]

Mac, Mac, Mac, WHAT are we gonna do with you

I think the real sore spot (reputation) that Polaris had in the earlier years was the belt drive. People still bring that up. Riders were, and still do, riding the machines in the wrong range plus subjected the belt to conditions the belt drive was not intended for. Improvements have been made over the years.

And, true, if you have a suspension that doesn't move much, like on most Honda's, you wouldn't see much high speed trail riding that stresses the machine, so, you won't see many problems

And, Mac, the day you would allow yourself to be towed will be the day you're in a coffin. You would rather tow your machine behind your back rather than be towed behind any other wheeler...LOL

[Macgyver55]

I personally have no sore spot for Polaris. Like you said in an earlier post, any of the brands are good. First off, I will admit that I am slightly brand loyal to Honda. LOL

The reason for that IS because I have subject them to every kind of abuse including those it wasn't intended for, and still had no complaints. I've also run the gammut of different models from sport to utility and had similar results. Yes there are brands with different and sometimes even better options, but for my use and preferences, Honda works!

"Improvements have been made over the years.

I agree and also said that, but it still was an old Honda that had to haul that newer thing of yours back to the shack when it wouldn't run wasn't it. You cannot imagine the pleasure that gave me. I'm sure you can also agree high speed trail riding is not the only way to stress a machine. There are many ways to do that.

Mac, the day you would allow yourself to be towed will be the day you're in a coffin. You would rather tow your machine behind your back rather than be towed behind any other wheeler

That may be true, but to this point I've never had to be in that situation. A lot of guys cannot make that claim. With the amount of hard miles behind me I think that speaks volumes about quality.

[sledhead]

Ok I'm not against, anyone buying a honda. But in the past few years, I have seen their quality management go right down the toilet. Just look at the amount of money they are spending right know for the frame CRACKING update on the GL1800, ECM's and bikes and wheelers being recalled, the stupid VOO-DOO magic you have to perform on the wheelers to get them initialized, speed sensors poppin left and right, angle sensors going bad and won't shift. Speedo meter assemblies doing funky things, trannies going bad, pistons and rings wearing out at excessive rates. Most of honda's atv line is ok, but not all of them. Rincon's have been one of the most reliable I've seen, though they have a 3 speed automotive style trans in them. The biggest complaint I here is: WHY WON"T MY RINCON MOVE WHEN I START IT UP? Answer: With a 3 speed trans it has a tourque converter in it, if the machine sits for any length of time it needs to pump the converter back up because the oil drains out of it.

As for you answer to Rubicon trans going bad, Every single one I have rebuilt all had proper oil in them. These machines were maintained not beaten into the dirt, Then other half is they either had an oil pump failure of some kind or the machine was not used properly, seems to me if your doing anything hard on it aka: pulling a trailer deer what have you, or going up steep surfaces it needs to be in low to get the oil pressure up, or have it in ESP and use 1st or 2nd gear. High is basically just for cruisin.

Mac,

You should have waited to get an 05, they finally all have disc brakes on the front, and most have 2x4, 4x4 shift selection. Now I have seen rubs go for thousands of miles with no problems to not to say yours won't. I just wouldn't by a honda.

NORE WOULD I EVER BUY A POLARIS ATV!! all though the 800 is kinda trick.

YAMAHA Nuff said. Yeah I have a brand preferance Doesn't mean I don't like some of the other ones.

Push

Off

Ledge

And

Report

It

Stolen

LOL

[Macgyver55]

Sledhead, just to be clear, I don't have a Rubicon or a Rincon. I like to keep it real simple. I have a 2002 450 Foreman S. My 1999 Foreman had 4900 trouble free miles on it when I sold it to a friend...without hesitation. He is well over 5800 miles without a problem. I'm not saying that none of the Rubys or Rinnys ever broke down for no reason, but a large part of many of the problems we see as techs are customer caused, just like Dave said about the Polaris'. Its not hard to cover up improper oil, running it low or getting dirt in the oil with a dirty funnel etc.

The VOO-DOO magic you talk about has become common place in most all types of vehicles, of late(cars and trucks included) and will only get worse. My personal opinion is that a lot of the models (all brands) have become "yuppiefied" with all of their SUV-like amenities. The addition of all these things only adds to the likelyhood that a problem will occur.

[sledhead]

Mac, I meant the rubi stuff for island man, didn't pay enough attention to who i was posting to.

[ChuckN]

Mac had to pull Dave's wheeler back to the shack?? LOL

No doubt, my Foreman S has been an incredible machine. Just a couple weeks ago the Honda had to pull the F150 off a rock hard snow drift, completely hung up. It took a lot of attempts, but it did it!!

You name it...I've pulled it, pushed it, hauled it, forced it, destroyed it and finessed it... It does everything.

[Dave]

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Mac had to pull Dave's wheeler back to the shack?? LOL

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Chuck, technically, no. I don't recall Mac pulling me back. We did limp it back to the shack though. And, it was a factory loaner, that's been abused...LOL There, I feel better now.

[ChuckN]

Excuses now? Blame it on the factory loaner? They can't take abuse?

I rest my case. LOL

[Dave]

I wouldn't own a factory loaner after it's done with...LOL