[kybmu]

Hi,

I have a 2006 Honda Rubicon and I have to say I'm disappointed in this quad. The two reason I got the bike was the low end power and reliability. I'm a big Honda fan, but I think Honda will have to get on the competive bandwagon with their utility line. They need a marketing team overall. They need a 500cc machine that will compete in the 500cc class. The Rubicon doesn't have the power of a 400 outlander, 450 polaris,450 kodiac, or any 500 cc machine around. If it didn't have reliability going for it, it would be worthless. Well let me tell you that the low end power or grunt power,if you will, is just a fable. It's Honda or Honda owns that boast up their machine to me more than it really is. At best it will turn the tires with a Suzuki eiger or artic cat 400, but definitly out powered, out handled, and overall out performed by a 400 Can-Am, any 450 and any and all 500cc quads. I run 26 inch mudbugs and low d1 or low ESP 1 it is useless. It doesn't have the speed (which isn't a big deal to me) and the low end power that people on these forms boast about. The SRA is terrible in mud, trail riding or going over dead fall ( large trees).

The best mod for this bike is for the Honda's marketing team to put down their cell phones and blackberries and to go for a ride with other ATV's out there. I believe that Honda can make a better ATV, but they are not competing on the same level as everyone else. The reliability is there, but very little focus is on performance (except of the Rincon).

Report this to a Moderator

 

[Yooperforeman]

I'm sorry you feel that way.I purchased a Foreman 500 because I wanted a manual shift,but the power and torque is amazing.I use it in the woods for logging and it works hard all day without a problem.I agree about the top speed,mines slower than my bro-inlaw's 500 AC,but his is always broke down.I have to dis-agree about the SRA.I haven't seen where it creates a problem.I've followed my cousin on his Grizzly and went over everything he did,I also pulled a log on the beach and his Grizzly couldn't even get it moving.Well,hope you don't get rid of the Rubicon.Good luck.

 

[Bigvick]

First off, your comparing the rubicon to a polaris, can-am, and a yamaha, which are all good atv's but you really can't compare them because you have two totally different tranny's. A belt driven tranny is going to work somewhat better because it keeps you in the power band of the engine. For example, my wife rides a 325 polaris magnum, now on top end I can walk off and leave her but on take off she smokes me, especially if she's in low. I ride a 500 foremanS (actually 475cc engine) which is smaller than yours and it has plenty of power. I also ride with a friend who has an '03 rubicon with 26" tires and he doesn't have a promblem at all turning them over.

As far as the SRA the only promblem i've ever had is just getting caught in ruts sometimes. There's been several times I was glad to be on a SRA, it was more stable.

 

[myers4712]

I have no proble turning my 26's at all I love my rubicon.

 

[kybmu]

QUOTE ("plumcuda")

I'm sorry you feel that way.I purchased a Foreman 500 because I wanted a manual shift,but the power and torque is amazing.I use it in the woods for logging and it works hard all day without a problem.I agree about the top speed,mines slower than my bro-inlaw's 500 AC,but his is always broke down.I have to dis-agree about the SRA.I haven't seen where it creates a problem.I've followed my cousin on his Grizzly and went over everything he did,I also pulled a log on the beach and his Grizzly couldn't even get it moving.Well,hope you don't get rid of the Rubicon.Good luck.

See this is what I mean, people coming on here and saying that a Foreman can pull more then a 660 Grizzly. People read these things and run out a buy a Foreman. This is the fables that I'm talking about. I know now that this isn't true because I own one. I also know that the lo end power that everone was talking about before I bought mine is just a joke. I can't out pull anything in the 500 class. The same goes for the Foremen. The Suzuki Vinson would be a much better choice and much cheaper or any other 500 for that matter.

For peorple that are looking for a good strong bike look at a Vinson, Outty, or Polaris.

 

[Bigvick]

Well theres a difference between the foremanS & ES and the rubicon. the S and ES are both manual trannys (the es just shifts for you) and have a very low first gear. The rubicon has the auto 5 speed tranny and, although I have never rode one it may not have as low of a gear in it. Now granted Honda's don't have the power as other makes do, it will make up for when others are broke down and you keep on riding.
The outlander is a great atv, but look at the price compared to the honda and also when the belt gets wet, you can't go anywhere untill you drain it and let it dry.

I was about to purchase a vinson or an eiger untill I did some research on the net and found a lot of unhappy owners due to cracked frames which steered me clear of both those models.

Now compared to the polaris. Although my wife rides a 325 magnum I would not own any other polaris. I have a couple friends that own a few and it seems like there always something needing replace. CV axle, radiator fan, bushings, etc.

 

[kybmu]

QUOTE ("Bigvick")

Well theres a difference between the foremanS & ES and the rubicon. the S and ES are both manual trannys (the es just shifts for you) and have a very low first gear. The rubicon has the auto 5 speed tranny and, although I have never rode one it may not have as low of a gear in it. Now granted Honda's don't have the power as other makes do, it will make up for when others are broke down and you keep on riding.
The outlander is a great atv, but look at the price compared to the honda and also when the belt gets wet, you can't go anywhere untill you drain it and let it dry.

I was about to purchase a vinson or an eiger untill I did some research on the net and found a lot of unhappy owners due to cracked frames which steered me clear of both those models.

Now compared to the polaris. Although my wife rides a 325 magnum I would not own any other polaris. I have a couple friends that own a few and it seems like there always something needing replace. CV axle, radiator fan, bushings, etc.

I think that this is becoming more of a myth also. That these machines are always breaking down. I think that these machines work just has good has Hondas. I talk to people that own these machine grizzly owns with no real problems in 4 years BRP with no problems in 2 years. This may not be has good has a Honda, but it you have one or two problems in 5 years that is a problem that I could live with compared to a constant under power problem. If they would have made it comparable in performance to other 500s then I wouldn't be having this issue.

Also, you mensioned Outty prices. The Rubicon's listed price was the highest price for any 500cc quad until the Outty 500 which is now only 200 dollars more, but much more power and far better performance which I would glady pay if that is what you get. The rincon is the highest of any 700cc class quad. So if you're comparing prices compare the Rubicon to the Vinson. You get a much sportier quad and a cheaper price with the Vinson.

The problem with Honda is, you are banking on longivity that's it. Which is good, if it compared in power and performance to other machines in its class, but it don't and that is why this will be my last purchase of a Honda until they decide they want to compete in the recreational side of ATVing.

 

[Yooperforeman]

My Foreman will outpull a Grizzly 660.Maybe all that power made the BELT slip,maybe he couldn't get traction,I don't know why.What I'm trying to say is that the Foreman 500 will work all day reliably.Sometimes it doesn't take a lot of power,the foreman puts the power to the ground where it's used,not up in smoke from some slipping belt mess!

 

[myers4712]

My rubicon has out pulled and worked a 700 king quad a grizzly and my dads own polaris magnum 500. Granted if we hooked up with Diff lock they pull me backwords but hooked up to anything else. I pull a trailer with two 1200 round bales behind my rubicon and my buddy with 700 king quad tried and his rear end droped 2 the ground due to IRS and then he couldn't pull it the belt started slipping and it was only 2 monthes old. As far as SRA you can not beat them so much more stable riding maybe not as comfy but you don't ride fourwheelers to have a smooth ride. You take hondas SRA over any trail any IRS quad goes you know a big stablization issue you feel alot safer on the SRA.

 

[450dave]

foreman and rubi

well as far as im concered , i love my 450 foreman s . if you want to go on a nice trail ride and dont want the hassle to shift get a rubicon . if you want a bike to work with get a foreman . if you want to go fast buy something other than a honda but carry spare parts!! my 450 has out pulled a grizz 660 cuz a honda in frist gear is built to work and will pull almost n e thing! Dave

 

[Seeley]

Hey kybmu, if you really don't like it......can I have it! I will pick it up too!

 

[Yooperforeman]

Have you ever seen a IRS bike carrying a load or a passenger on the back?The rear tires are leaned in so far and the bike is squatting.So how is that going to help? It seems you would lose traction because the rear tire isn't flat against the groung anymore.On IRS,when the wheel moves up and down it moves in an arc where a SRA moves straight up and straight down which keeps the entire area of tire contact on the ground.

 

[john]

QUOTE ("Yooperforeman":2s38vquu)

Have you ever seen a IRS bike carrying a load or a passenger on the back?The rear tires are leaned in so far and the bike is squatting.So how is that going to help? It seems you would lose traction because the rear tire isn't flat against the groung anymore.On IRS,when the wheel moves up and down it moves in an arc where a SRA moves straight up and straight down which keeps the entire area of tire contact on the ground.

not only that but instead of the suspension soaking up the load the hitch is on the axle where the suspension will not be affected by the load where as a trailer on a irs would pull back on the bike more and lift up the front end up more...it is highly possible that a foreman could outpull any bigbore if it had the right traction and weight, but especially the lighter ones such as the grizzly, king quad, brute force, etc., but heavier ones such as polaris and arctic cat would be harder to outpull, I am not saying any of this will or will not happen, i am just saying that it is highly possible and not unable for me to believe


john

 

[JWJR]

my foreman 500 may be completly stock but everyone that has ridin it out side of my family has never listend to us when we say it has balls and they aways come back saying its got powers. one of my brothers friends almost flipped and he ways atleast 300 pounds. i think my foreman can keep up with the rest

 

[kybmu]

QUOTE ("myers4712")

My rubicon has out pulled and worked a 700 king quad a grizzly and my dads own polaris magnum 500. Granted if we hooked up with Diff lock they pull me backwords but hooked up to anything else. I pull a trailer with two 1200 round bales behind my rubicon and my buddy with 700 king quad tried and his rear end droped 2 the ground due to IRS and then he couldn't pull it the belt started slipping and it was only 2 monthes old. As far as SRA you can not beat them so much more stable riding maybe not as comfy but you don't ride fourwheelers to have a smooth ride. You take hondas SRA over any trail any IRS quad goes you know a big stablization issue you feel alot safer on the SRA.

Here we go again! I guess It out pulled you Dodge 1 ton diesel also. Come on people I have tested all these machine and I believe that there is more $hit on these forums then in a fairy tail book. I HAVE a Rubicon don't forget and I can tell you that this is not true. Maybe if they had some problems this could be true, but this is just BS.

I will not say again that the foreman can be out power by a Grizzly because I have never tried one. However, I really doubt it. Now the Rubicon I know this is $hit because I own one and it does not have the power of a Grizzly, Kingquad or Vinson. This is how stories take on a life of their own. I will say, with confidence, that the Rubicon can not out perform or out power any 500 cc machine. To compare it to a 660 or 700 is ridicules. However, people have to make these stories up for the WOW factor.

 

[kybmu]

QUOTE ("Seeley")

Hey kybmu, if you really don't like it......can I have it! I will pick it up too!

You sure can, but you have to pay the god awfull price that I payed. $11 600 Canadian.

 

[450dave]

foreman vs rubi

again the foreman is more of a work bike then the rubi is . so there for it has the low end grunt to pull . my 450 would drag your rubi all over the country. i know this cuz a buddy has one and he uses my bike to pull a trailer of firewood out of the bush cuz his rubi cant handle it!

 

[Yooperforeman]

I see how you must feel after buying an expensive bike and then it doesn't meet your expectations.That happenened to me once when I bought a Chevy truck.It's too costly to just immediately trade it in on something else.Whatever you decide to do,GOOD LUCK.Personally,I've always been satisfied with Honda's,they have always done what I expected.When I was looking to buy a new ATV I didn't want anything with a belt drive.That narrows the field down to just a couple models.

 

[Bigvick]

QUOTE ("kybmu":22hfgfmq)

QUOTE ("Seeley":22hfgfmq)

Hey kybmu, if you really don't like it......can I have it! I will pick it up too!

You sure can, but you have to pay the god awfull price that I payed. $11 600 Canadian.[/quote]

How much is that in american? I know down here the rubicon is one of the least expensive in it's class. A little more expensive than the vinson but still way cheaper than the Can-Am. I priced one of the new 500efi can-am's couple weeks ago and they wanted $8400 with the XT package and $9400 for the max (2-up). I can't remember if these prices include tax or not but I know the Rubicon sitting in the showroom was a cheaper than that.

I ride in an OHV park that see's about 3-4,000 atv's every weekend and I see every make out there. Every person that I have ever spoken too that had a Rubicon loved them. I have seen a rubi with 28's on it and he had no promblem turning them at the mud bog and I think all he had aftermarket was a clutch kit.

 

[treeax]

kybmu ,you sound like a polaris owner. Maybe there something wrong with your bike.