worst of the 500 class

36952 Views 203 Replies 47 Participants Last post by Foreman0n22s, Mar 14, 2011

kybmu

Discussion Starter · Apr 20, 2007

I read on one website that all of the top manufactures where asked to submit their best ATV in the 500 class for a shoot out. Honda's entry was their Rubicon. The results were has follows:

1. Was the Suzuki's 450 King Quad
2. CanAM 500
3. Polaris 500
5. Yamaha's 450 Grizzly
6. Artic Cat's 500
7. Honda' Rubicon

The what they said about the honda was "As for our last-place finisher, the Honda, there are several things that make the machine feel really dated, despite the GPS display next to the instrumentation.

The engine is smooth and without a hiccup, and it gets high scores in the areas of stability and handling thanks to flat cornering.

While it handles well in most trail conditions, the suspension and brakes are badly in need of an update, regardless of how many Rubicons are sold. It would also benefit from a driveline upgrade to a locking differential to pull it through what its bottom-of-the-class ground clearance cannot.

Contributing Editor Jerrod Kelley said it best: â€œA rider will have to weigh this quadâ€™s minuses (rough, small, slow, boring) vs. its pluses (name, reliability and tranny).â€

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rubiranch

· #31 · Oct 8, 2010

I attended the very first 2011 Polaris Introduction at a private hunting ranch in Montana back in June and rode every 2011 Polaris ATV and SxS.

The 400 and 500 Sportsman "value" line are the two biggest pieces of **** I have ever ridden, I couldn't wait to get off them. I felt like I was being punished.:lol:

They have the industry’s worst engine braking:rant, if that’s what they call it. I thought they had serious engine/trans problems from all of the banging and belt slapping noises at low speeds. ONE BRAKE LEVER:rant, McPherson Strut front suspension and the world’s worst belt drive/clutch set up there is.

The trans sticks out soo far and the left side you just about don't have room for your foot.

What a pile, I can't believe that people even buy those things.

It kills me that soo many people look for a machine that is going to take them deep into the backwoods and their biggest concern is a smooth ride, what a joke.

What about stability and/or reliability??

They way out, what a joke. First you need to get in and Polaris isn't the way in or the way out unless one of the Hondas brings a tow rope.

Even with all the changes and improvements that Polaris has made they are still unquestionably the most undependable ATV on the market today.

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rubiranch

· #42 · Oct 25, 2010

nemont said:
The ride differences are minor at best.

At slow trail speeds I would have to agree.

I get to ride different brands of ATV on a regular basis, brand new ones. I didn't want to ride new ones for a long time because I feared that I would no longer like mine but I found just the opposite to be true.

When the trails get rough and you start climbing over huge rocks, fallen trees, climbing very steep hills and steep off-camber trails I'll take my Rubicon over the others any day of the week.

It also amazes me that even with over 13k miles I can still feel the quality of my Honda over the other manufactures.

rubiranch

· #50 · Dec 20, 2010

h22ate said:
a more "rzr" like side by side to keep up with polaris's

I hope it's a 50" SxS. The little RZR is the #1 selling SxS and the ONLY 50". If I was looking at buying a big red I think I'd just buy a shortbed F-150 instead.

I hope it doesn't use the Rincon trans and sad but it wont have a locker either.

I love my ATV but I get really tired of Honda taking the back seat. They could own the ATV market but choose not to.

I have not doubt that Honda could build a 750 V-twin that would out run all of the 1000cc ATVs and use a Rubicon style trans with a sub-trans and a locker make it affordable and OWN the ATV maket.

I'm not interested in Rincon at all so that makes the Rubicon the biggest ATV Honda makes and I don't think it's going to cut it the next time I buy a new ATV.

rubiranch

· #53 · Dec 20, 2010

It should have used batteries. LOL

rubiranch

· #62 · Dec 22, 2010

My daughter has a recon wth a pipe and a different air filter. It was "zippier' than our Rancher ES 4x4.

Isn't a recon a 250 EX with utility plastic and racks??

rubiranch

· #75 · Dec 23, 2010

Here is an example of why I want more HP. My friend was riding a new (2010) Polaris 550 Touring.
When we got into the deeper snow the 550 started running out of power in high so he had
to shift into low range. Once in low range he lost the speed needed for deeper snow.
I have the same issue with mine. That new 550 has more power than my high mileage 500.:angry:

Here I come riding an Outlander 800 Max and just blow right past him in high range. :happy

Other than deep snow I'm happy with my 500. B)

This video is more of a satire than anything. :lol:

550 vs 800 video

Her he is cutting the trail on his 2010 Suzuki 750 King Quad. That will probably be my next ATV unless Honda makes a bigger Rubicon.

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rubiranch

· #83 · Dec 23, 2010

From a dead stop without question the most impressive that I've ridden is a Kawi Brute Force 750 but the Outlander 800 Max would catch up and passed the BF. The Polaris 850 is impressive in the power department too.

I don't like RZRs, I don't like anything about them. I know and understand why people do like them and I don't blame them for buying them.

I rode a new Polaris 850 EPS Touring back in June before they released them but couldn't push it where I was riding it; it was a really nice machine to ride. I did get to ride a regular 850 EPS during the 2011 introduction out on the trails and it was a POS. It would run with the other big bores but that particular ATV should have gone back to the dealer, it just wasn't right. After riding it I got off looked at it and just shook my head. My friend came up to me and asked how I liked it and I told him I didn’t; the power was impressive but that was it. He said the same thing, something was off but we just couldn’t put our finger on it.

Living at a resort in the center of the largest ATV trail system in North America I get to talk to folks who ride everything from A to Z.

I see more Polaris' get towed back home than any other brand and from talking to our guests the CanAm's are problematic ATV too; they love them but they seem to always have something wrong with them.

Reading the forums Kawi is a problematic ATV too. I would never even consider owning a Polaris, CanAm or a Kawi. I think those three make the most powerful ATVs but to me I need more than just power.

I like the feel of the King Quad, I like sitting on it and riding. I like the transmission and it has plenty of power for me. Amazingly smooth engine for a 750 single and it's only 600 lbs. I also like the feel of Suzuki's EPS, you actually get feedback through the steering, I think some of the others have too much assist and no feel.

If I was in the market for a new ATV I would have to ask my friend of I could ride his 750 KQ for a couple of days first, I do love my Rubicon and I for what I want and need it fits perfectly, I just want more power for the winter riding.

But hey!! That’s just my opinion.

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rubiranch

· #90 · Dec 24, 2010

IRS is a consumer driven feature; not because it's superior to SRA.

So when are sport quads going to be equipped with IRS?? What?? IRS doesn't handle better and isn't more stable??

When the going gets tough I'll take an SRA over IRS any day of the week.

But that's just me.

rubiranch

· #92 · Dec 24, 2010

h22ate said:
They already are

I guess it's time for me to go outside. :lol:

rubiranch

· #95 · Dec 24, 2010

"Lets eat Grandma / Let's eat, Grandma. --- Punctuation saves lives... "

too funny :lol:

rubiranch

· #100 · Dec 24, 2010

Thanks h22hate,

From what I've read I thenk both the 700xx and the preditor fall into the hybrid catagory; sport/????? LOL

I was surprised that one of my friends spent some time on a 700xx and liked it, about his only comment was that for trail riding it needed lower gears.

rubiranch

· #136 · Dec 30, 2010

:lol: I'm not even going there. :lol::lol::lol::happy

rubiranch

· #141 · Dec 31, 2010

You know what’s nice about this forum?? No this isn't a test.

Any other forum I have been in this thread would have been broken up into several threads because the OP would have been crying that a member was "off topic" and their posts would have been deleted by a mod and either a new thread started or that would have been the end of it.

See, I just changed the topic again!! :lol:

rubiranch

· #143 · Jan 1, 2011

I was a mod in another forum too.

rubiranch

· #145 · Jan 1, 2011

at the top of a forum, like the Rubicon 500, right above the very first thread on the left side is says "new thread", just click on the box.

I hope this helps.

rubiranch

· #148 · Jan 1, 2011

So far only maybe 4-5 inches right here where I live and that was earlier in the week, just been cold. The high today was 19 and its 6 right now.

rubiranch

· #154 · Jan 2, 2011

I think Honda would knock a homerun with a 4-wd Recon.

Like most sports I think this one is getting out of hand. Won't be long and only the rich will be able to afford it.

The big bad ATV and the attitudes that come with them are devistaing to the trails out here and are generally not welcome.

I know everyone sees thing different.

rubiranch

· #156 · Jan 2, 2011

A friend has two Suzuki LT250 4WDs and loves them.

We had a 2002 Rancher ES 4-wd and when it came to "technical" stuff i would have taken it over my Rubicon any day of the week.

Overall I do prefer my Rubicon over the Rancher.

rubiranch

· #160 · Jan 3, 2011 (Edited)

An Outlander 800 weighs 69 pounds more than a 450, which can feel like quite a bit of weight.

I've ridden a Outy 800 Max (2-up) and quite liked it, the power is very impressive but it did feel "big" compared to my Rubicon.

Really not too many things I didn't like about it.

rubiranch

· #162 · Jan 3, 2011

temagamiarearider said:
what did you think of the brakes? I think they suck on mine. theyre noisy, "grindy" feeling and they wear at an astronomical rate. not to mention only one brake handle...

I only spent a day on it and never really had any problems that I can remember.

I don't like any ATV that only has one brake lever. I don't understand it.

Polaris’ reply is; “well cars only have one brake pedal”, dorks.

I think the real problem is these manufactures have never ridden anything other than what they produce and have obviously never been in a very sticky situation when you can't reach the brake lever because it's on the opposite side of the bike from where you need it to be.

Polaris, Can Am and AC are the 3 ATVs I would never even consider buying even though I really liked riding that 800 Max.

1 - 20 of 204 Posts

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