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dook

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dook last won the day on July 26 2020

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  • Birthday 01/23/1954

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  1. Another thing to add: The suspension travel is overdone, IMO. Unless you're jumping off a ramp and "getting air" or carrying a moose carcass on the rack, you're never going to utilize more than 4" of that travel. The excessive travel neccessitates the high racks which contribute to high center of gravity, especially if you have something like a weed spray tank mounted on one.
  2. I bought a 2018 Rubicon with IRS, DCT, power steering, low range and deluxe package. I thought I would pass on my observations for others thinking of buying. I could have bought a new one for not much more money, but since they quit putting low range in Rubicons I bought a used one. I wanted a foot shift, but couldn't find one with low range so I bought this one. Power steering: This is the first EPS quad I ever rode. I'm an old school keep it simple kind of guy, but I love EPS. When I first rode this thing, I was amazed at the tight turning radius, Then it dawned on me that it only seems tighter because with EPS I make better use of the steering. Yes yes yes. DCT automatic shift. I like it, but I would still rather have foot shift. Not only because of simplicity and reliability, but because with foot shift manual transmissions I know the exact moment it will engage, no surprise lunge. If you ask me, DCT is a waste of money. I think they sell 8 times as many DCT as foot shift because they make 8 times as many, not because of demand. I like to ride one handed, I find I don't get tired as fast. Otherwise I would keep it in ES mode. I like to do my own shifting. Engine. I love the water cooled engine, so much quieter and I expect it to last much longer than an air cooled one. The fuel injection is wonderful and the gas mileage was a pleasant surprise. I don't buy into the "longitudinally mounted" sales talk. Horsepower is not lost by gears and shafts changing direction, it is lost by friction and slippage. This engine is mounted way too high, forcing them to make the seat much higher than it should be. I don't like the resulting high center of gravity. A cylinder at a 45 degree angle under the gas tank instead of the seat is a better design. Power and smoothness is more than adequate. Suspension. I have the shocks all adjusted to the softest setting and wish the springs were a little weaker. Otherwise I like the IRS. Ride quality/rider fatigue: This is the main reason I bought a Rubicon. I'm old. I love my Kingquad 300's but I hurt all over after 50 miles. I had High expectations of the Rubicon. The foam in the seat seems to be of very high quality and absorbs bumps well. There is one major flaw in the design of the Rubicon that impacts the ride quality....they mounted the handlebars much too far away from the seat. About 5 inches too far. I find myself riding with my bottom on the front third of the seat and even then wishing I didn't have to reach so far for the grips. Now I'm 5'11" so about average size rider. A short guy would be riding this thing all hunkered over like a kid on a crotch rocket bike with his neck kinked and peeking thru his eyebrows to see where he's going. That kind of riding has it's place, but not on a utility quad designed and marketed for ride quality. Vertical spine is comfort. I thought about finding different handlebars, but the cables might not fit, or bind when I turn. If I was about 6',6", I probably wouldn't notice. If I find a small frame Rancher with EPS and IRS, I will buy it. If it is as good a ride quality as the Rubicon, I'll sell the Rubicon, otherwise I will keep both.
  3. Thanks for the reply. The last time I took my Kingquad 300 for a long ride, I ached all over, so I figured I should factor in rider fatigue and get a Rubicon. A local dealer had a 2020 at a reasonable price with everything I wanted, foot shift, EPS and IRS....but it didn't have low range so I backed out. Then I found a used 2018 Rubicon with EPS, IRS and low range so I bought it. It does have the auto trans which I didn't want and the deluxe package which I also didn't want but it's so hard to find Honda ATV's around here so I figured I better buy it. I love the smoothness of it, the power steering and the quietness of a liquid cooled engine. I haven't taken it on any really long rides yet but I think I'll enjoy it. I may still buy a rancher if I find a used one that I like.
  4. I've been riding Suzuki Kingquad 300's for the last 20 years. I have 3 of them. I love the low gearing, low center of gravity, low rider position, low racks shaft drive and smooth ride, but they are getting old and I'm tired of fixing them. Best engineering of any utility quad, IMO, but the execution...build quality is not up to par with Honda, so the price you pay is lots of wrenching. I positively despise CVT type belt drives. My neighbor has a couple of old Hondas, Rancher and Rubicon and I admire the reliability of them. He does very little maintenance and they always run and have pulled my Kingquads home for me when they break. Is Honda the only company that makes ATV's that don't have CVT? I like the build quality but I don't like the high rider position caused by the vertical cylinder, the cold nature of them, having to warm up for several minutes and the plastic skid plates. I guess all modern ATV's have the same issues, though (correct me if I'm wrong). Been checking with the dealers, it seems Honda foot shift models are scarce. I really don't need devices/gadgets to decide which gear I need to be in. So I'm avoiding the DCT models. I must have IRS and EPS because of my age and physical condition though. Is it possible to get a Rancher with IRS, EPS and foot shift? The specs I'm reading show the rancher is 2" lower than the Rubicon. I'm assuming that to be seat height. With vertical cylinder design, the more you grow the engine, the higher you push the seat....at least that's my thinking. Any comments from the Honda experienced?
  5. I had the same problem on my 99 KQ. Two bad new voltage regulators in a row. High voltage output screws up the ignition module. Then I found a good used regulator and it worked and has been working ever since.
  6. It may not be related, but that particular model is plagued with overheating problems. Most were not sold with the optional cooling fan which should have been standard. I put a fan on mine. Without a fan, the carb was flooding due to overheating......as in boiling in the float bowl.
  7. I'll attempt to define a utility ATV. Chime in if you have other qualifications. It should have racks. It should have 4WD. It should have diff lock. It should have a large fuel tank. It should have low end torque. It should be warmed up in less than a half minute. The battery should be easily accessible for giving/receiving jump starts. It should have a cigarette lighter adaptor. It should have a tow hitch. The racks should be low so it won't be top heavy when a sprayer is mounted. It should have very low gearing, especially in reverse. It should have enough fenderwell and tie rod clearance for snow chains. It should have a fan. It should have a storage compartment. It should have bumpers. It should have steel skid plates. It should have a winch. What else? Who makes the most useful utility quad? I have a couple older Suzuki Kingquad LTF300F ATV's, which meet many of the qualifications. Is there anything out there, new or used that would be an upgrade from what I have?
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