Stories tagged: honda

##All I want for Christmas is a...##

<strong>Yamaha Raptor 700R.</strong> Sadly I won’t be getting it but I have great memories of getting ATVs Christmas.

The Honda Foreman 400: I was 13 years old and mom and dad got us the Foreman for Christmas. It changed everything, we did.  Now we had four-wheel drive and suspension, not to mention almost double the power. The Foreman became our snow cat hauling insanely large numbers of people to the top of the mountain for sledding and snowboarding. Often we had two people on the front racks, two on the seat and three on the back racks and one pulling behind on a rope. Getting out of second gear was tough and I can’t imagine the years of life we sucked out of the Foreman those winters, year after year doing the same thing.

The Foreman in our minds could do anything. With a set of <a href="https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/t/723/ATV-Tires-All">aggressive atv tires</a> and some momentum I would push through several feet of snow, with clouds of snow flying over the front handle bars. Often biting off way more than the ATV could handle I would find myself waist deep in snow shoveling a way out. During the other seasons we rode the Foreman every single day. Some of our favorite activities included forging the river and driving through the natural spring bog in the river bottoms. The foreman was light compared to it’s competition which enabled us to get it unstuck easier than our friends quads, so Mike and I often were the first to try a new spot out.  All of this riding took it’s toll on the Foreman, multiple roll overs and smashed suspension which left the plastics rubbing against the tires have mangled the foreman over the years.
Before we upgraded to a sport quad the Foreman was our jumping vehicle as well. Honda should have sent a film crew to see the things we put the Foreman through over the years. It would sell anyone on it’s dependability. Rarely has a quad been ridden so often and so aggressively. Best of all the mangled quad still sits in my garage. Its duties have been reduced to yard work and running Molly our Labrador down the dirt road next to our house and back. The Foreman still starts with no problems and is a blast to ride. Thousands of memories were born that cold Christmas morning.

The EX. I do not believe we are total Honda Homers but how could we go any other direction after what we have done with the Foreman. Not to mention the 400EX opened a door to 4stroke sport quads that will never be closed. Sam already had and EX and for two years Mike and I brought up getting an EX about every-time we talked to Dad, now that I am older I can only imagine how annoying that must have been for him. Dad loved surprises and we really had no clue we would be getting the EX for Christmas.
I still remember Christmas eve when dad brought it home he did not want any of us to see it so he dropped it off at a neighbors picked me up to run an errand, the quad was in their drive way and cunningly he told me to look the other way at something as we passed. Doing the same thing on the way back he basically hid the EX in plain sight. Christmas morning was great as usual and after we had opened all of the gifts we snuck a peak outside to see if there was anything in the front yard... nothing. Dad told us to come back and that their was one more gift on the fireplace mantel. Disappointed knowing we would not be getting one this year Mike and I stared searching the mantel. There it was small black and perfect we found a key hidden in a Santa's sleigh. We dashed for the door, dad yelled that it was in grandmas garage who lived next door. We ran into her garage and there it was bright yellow and beautiful. Of course we fought over who drive it first and who would spend the next day or so driving the break in miles, and showing it off to Sam who lived just down the road.

Once again everything we knew about riding ATVs changed, we could go faster, jump higher and control our machine just that much better. The Dunes became our friend and one of our favorite places to ride and the next thing you know we needed another sport quad to keep up with the EX. The yellow plastic is fading to a light orange color now and with several upgrades the quad looks quite different from the one we found in grandmas garage. However almost 9 years later I still love to ride it and it by far gets driven the most out of our machines.

I am not sure when we will be getting an ATV for Christmas but I know it will be a memory I will never forget. If getting an ATV is something you have been considering for your children I will be the first to recommend it, scrap getting a few of those wimpy toys at the kiosk in the mall and start saving for an ATV, it’s a gift your family will remember forever.

What experiences have you had with ATVs and Christmas? If you have a story you would like to share email it to me at jared.doldham@gmail.com and I will post it on the site or you can just leave it in the comments section.

Merry Christmas from <strong>ATVCOWBOY</strong>

I recently read an article on Dirtwheels.com about the 2012 Sport ATV BUYER'S guide, that reminded me of a conversation that Mike and I were having just a week or so ago. Deciding which sport ATV is the best to purchase is tough right now. You want to make the right choice especially if you are buying a brand new machine that you will be keeping for awhile. When we buy a quad we ride it until it can no longer be ridden so buying something that will last is important. Also choosing the quad based on your favorite types of riding is essential.

Overall we decided that the YAMAHA RAPTOR 700R is the best quad to purchase if you are looking for general use. Dirt Wheels thought the same thing. The Raptor has all the power you will need, a nice tall stance and has a reputation for great handling. So for the average Joe who will rarely hit the track and spends most of his time riding the trails (like me) It's the go to quad. Too often I see riders picking up a quad that has been optimized for the track and are unhappy with its overall abilities in other scenarios. Most of the track optimized machines should be left alone unless you are one of those riders. I must add I have very limited experience with the Can-am machines in the article but was very impressed that they took 2,3 and 4th the guide.

The saddest part for me with the new 2012 models is that Suzuki is not coming out with a new Machine. All of the other names are trying to expand their models and Suzuki is sticking with the Z400. Do not get me wrong I have one parked in my garage right now and love the Quad. I am just disappointed that I wont get to see the next generation for at least another year.

What type of attributes are you looking for in a sport Quad? Out of the new models (see link to article below) which do you think is the best?

Click Here to see the article so you can see a better review of each Quad.

Great video and a quick overview of the highlights of several big Quads. I think the funnest part of where the Big Bore quads are going is they are getting much sportier. In fact besides track riding and hitting the dunes these Big Bore quads are your best choice.

What do you like about Big Bore Quads and which Quad do you think is the best overall buy and why?

<iframe src="http://atvmagonline.magnify.net/video/2011-Big-Bore-ATV-Comparison/player?layout=&read_more=1" width="480" height="451" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Few things on earth are better than taking a nice day off and hitting a dirt road on my quad. Monday morning around ten my wife, brother in-law and I and all headed up American Fork Canyon for a ride. Lauren and I moved to Highland around a year ago and have found AF Canyon to be an awesome resource for outdoor recreation. We have been Hiking, Fishing, and Jeeping over the last month and loved it. The Jeeping was great and we wanted to hit the trails for a quad ride.

Unfortunately it was an impromptu ride and I didn't take the camera so the documentation is weak, the good news is it just means Mike and I will need to head up soon and make a Podcast out of it. We took the Suzuki Z400 and the Honda 400ex which in hindsight was not the best decision. The main road consists of mild rough spots that were a ton of fun on the sport quads and some nice open trail where we could really let loose. However the canyon has dozens of off break trails that are better suited for Jeeps or bigger quads, so when Mike and I go back we will take our big quads. Most of the break off trails were fairly aggressive and a bit rough for our two-wheel drive quads. The bigger quads offer such a softer ride and open a much larger can of fun when coming to the bigger rocks. With the smaller quads we spent most of our time dodging the aggressive trails rather than enjoying them. On three different trails we turned back because I did not want to beat up the machines to much. However we road for several hours and still barely scratched the surface of where we could ride.

The main dirt trail leads you all the way to Midway which really cool. The negatives are that the trail is insanely dusty in spots and the Canyon in general is overcrowded. We were out on a holiday which didn't help but overall its a bit busier than I would like. The more off break trails you can head down the better off you are, but no matter what you will get stuck behind the occasional slow mover. The Canyon is Gorgeous and offers a lot of different types of riding. There are also a few different spots where you can look at old abandoned mine shafts which is pretty cool. If you live in Northern Utah county this is a really great place to ride.

I recently went to Little Moab with Jared and my father-in-law. This will be the first video in a monthly podcast we are making. Sit back and enjoy. Look for another video in about a month. We'll let you know as soon as we have our exact release schedule figured out.

2009 has been an awesome year for ATV's. Just about every major manufacturer has come out with something new and exciting. Can-am came out with true race ready versions of the DS-450 and they seem spectacular. Polaris released all new Sportsman's with Dual A-Arms all around and power steering. They also redesigned their outlaws and they look great. KTM released it's MX versions it's quad. Suzuki redesigned the z400 and added EFI. And there's more and more.

You may ask then why I think the Rancher is the coolest quad of them all? Well what's different in 2009? Here's an excerpt from Honda's press release.

bq. Meet the all-new 2009 Rancher AT. With a powerful liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 420cc longitudinally mounted engine, automatic/ESP five-speed transmission, Electric Power Steering, independent rear suspension-plus Honda's selectable 4WD/2WD TraxLok and rugged torque-sensitive front differential-there's no better choice for reliable and rewarding ATV recreation.

Lets dig right in.

* First of all the Rancher AT gets a power increase to match it up with the regular Rancher. It also gets a new transmission that is supposed to reduce power draw (the old AT sucked a lot more power than a traditional belt transmission).

* Next we have independent rear suspension. That's right, the long running complaint about the Rancher has been it's solid straight axle. A solid axle has some benefits especially for fire roads, but for 90% of you're riding situations IRS is better. Its good to see it finally in the Rancher.

* Last and certainly not least. Power Steering. I own a 2007 Grizzly 700 and I have to tell you power steering is awesome. Not only has it made riding nicer for me, but every time I've let a girl ride the quad she's expressed how much easier it is to steer than my brother's Brute Force. I predict in the next 3 years every utility quad will have power steering.

Now all of these features can be found on other quads, so why am I so excited about the Rancher? Take that list and add one more item, mid-sized. At the time of this writing the Rancher is the only mid-sized quad with power steering. That my friend is what for me makes it the most anticipated quad of 2009.

I've been dying to see a mid-sized quad with EPS. As easy is my Grizzly is to steer, it is still a huge quad. My wife just isn't very comfortable riding it. Since the Grizzly came out i've been thinking that the best market for EPS was not enthusiast but the casual rider. I can now get my wife a quad with all the bells and whistles in a size she can handle. With power steering and IRS on a quad her size she should be able to ride all day and not be too tired to ride again tomorrow.

A few more sites have ride reviews out.

ATVScene's review does a good job of laying out all the cool technical things about the 700XX.

ATVRiders review does a better job, in my opinion, of telling how they felt about the actual ride of the 700XX. They also have 2 video's after the review. One interviewing a Honda rider, and the other footage of them riding the XX.

I think both are worth reading. I find it interesting that they totally contradicted each other on several points. ATVRider felt it was the fastest quad they'd ever ridden, while ATVScene felt it was slower than the raptor. In the video interview the Honda rider said it was awesome in the whoops, while ATVScene complained about how it handled whoops. I guess a shootout will help settle those points. It's hard to say how good something is when you don't have anything on hand to compare it with.

Both agreed it would make an awesome desert racer. They both also complained about low end power, which they figure an aftermarket CDI will fix.

In the ATV section of off-road.com they have a ride review of Honda's new 700XX.

It is a very intriguing quad. For my type of riding I think it is still a little heavy, but for most people it sounds like it has a lot to offer. Here few things about the 700XX that I found interesting.

It has dual springs on the front shocks. Hard to tell from most of the press photo's I've seen, but you can see it in the photo to the right. This is supposed to accomplish what a progressive-rate single spring would but in lighter and more compact package.

Honda really wanted longer A-Arms in the rear to help reduce camber changes. They did a few things to alleviate this.

First, it has 11" rear wheels. This allows the hubs and knuckles to reach further into the rim. It's weird seeing a quad with a larger rear rim than front rim, since it usually goes the other way.

Second, the chain and sprocket are located very close to the center of the quad (33mm to the left to be exact). However the countershaft comes out of the engine in the same place it does on all quads. So Honda designed a compact set of gears and shafts that allowed them to place the sprocket as close to center as they needed.

ATV Scene has a pretty good article on the Polaris Outlaw 525 IRS. They state some things that I kinda thought were obvious. It makes an awesome trail machine. You can take it to the track, and it should do better than a 400 class machine, but it isn't going to take the jumps like a 450.

This got me thinking of some of the other big (and when I say big I mean larger engine than a 450cc racer) quads on the market today. You have 2 options from Polaris. The 525 S and the 525 IRS. KTM has it's 525XC. Yamaha has its Raptor 700. Kawasaki has the KFX700 and Honda rounds out the group with its 08 700XX. Of all the major manufacturers only Suzuki isn't represented.

This is an interesting market. These are powerful machines. They all have reverse. They excel in the woods and at the dunes. Their mileage varies at the track though none are incapable. Most are roomier and therefore much more comfortable for bigger riders. I wouldn't say they are the best in any one class. I've seen enough souped up 450's beat souped up raptors in a drag that you'll have a hard time convincing me they are superior in that regard, and once you get deep mud or snow a 4x4 is clearly superior. However their versatility makes them tempting purchases.

I guess what makes this market so interesting to me, is that I think it is the market for 90% of sport class riders. If you go out to buy a new quad and you don't race MX or do freestyle then you shouldn't be looking for a quad with the stiffest suspension and the hardest seat. You shouldn't have to get off of your quad and pull the sucker backwards if you get in a bad spot. Your quad shouldn't be too wide for the trails you ride on. Well that's the 450 class. I think people buy race quads because they here they are the fastest or that they are what the pro's ride, but if you don't race Pro MX do yourself a favor and buy a quad with a comfortable quad.

I think the big bore class of quads will have enough suspension for most people. They definitely have enough power. The Outlaw and 700XX have IRS which for the big trail riders is a bonus. It wouldn't surprise me if the KFX got updated with IRS soon as well. For the average rider I think this is the class to beat.

Next time you are looking for a new sport quad don't just go with the 450 because it's trendy. Next to that 450 is a big bore quad this will most likely fit your needs better.

Well it looks like honda did have a few surprises this year. While most of their lineup is the same as last year they just announced a few new quads.

700XX A big bore Fuel Injected IRS sport quad. Should be an awesome trail/dune machine. I'm not sure how much I like the plastics. It kinda reminds me of a cross between a 450R and a a Protoss Zealot. I'm pretty excited to see how this thing stacks up against the Raptor and Outlaw IRS.

The new 400ex doesn't look that much different. "Tweaked suspension" whatever that means. Still no piggy back shocks. New plastics and a new seat. I must admit I think the red and black one looks pretty awesome, but I guess its still not enough bike for me. Still should be a great bike for newer riders.

Atv Illustrated has the full specs for both quads here.

Honda also "pre announced" a UTV for 2009. They call it Big Red. It looks like it might be a decent work UTV, but it doesn't look sporty at all. I hope looks are deceiving otherwise they are gonna be killed by the Razr, Rhino, and Teryx. Sure utility UTV's have a purpose, but they aren't what is being sold like crazy. Atv Illustrated also has a small blurb on the Big Red. I'm sure there will be more news about it soon.

Over at <http://z400central.com> I'd been told a lot of good things about GTThunder as an alternative to buying new shocks. So when my dad asked me to rebuild his 400ex for my brothers I decided to give GTThunder a shot.

I bought a set of 450r shocks off ebay for $300, and then sent them to GTThunder with the stock rear shock. The turn around was a little under 3 weeks. It probably could have been faster but I sent them slow shipping on a saturday. It was about $30 to ship all 3 shocks.

The service rebuilt the shocks, set them up for a 235lb rider, made the front shocks dual rate, and provided a new rear linkage for a little under $780. That put me just over $1100 for a new front and rear suspension setup.

When I got the shocks back and tried to install them I noticed that with the new linkage the shock touched the swingarm. This freaked me out. So I sent GTThunder an email, and within an hour I had a reply explaining that on install this would happen and was normal. When I asked how to get the shock on they told me that the spring had enough give to make it fit. I decided to trust them since they are the experts, and got the shock on.

A little note on customer service. These guys replied quickly and helpfully to every email I sent. They explained that the rear shock touching was normal, and would be OK once the shock was on, but if I wasn't comfortable with it they could change the shock so it didn't touch, it just wouldn't be as comfortable. I was really impressed with how prompt and helpful they were. A+ for customer service.

This past weekend Jim and I were able to go to this little track to try it out. Remember I set it up for my brothers, so the shocks were a little stiff for me, and I'm sure very stiff for Jim. I have really liked the shocks on my Z, and have been quite proud they they are nicer for jumping than the EX's and even Jim's Raptor 700's shocks. We hit a few jumps at the track, and I can't wait to upgrade the Z. This track had some pretty crappy landings, and the Z would land hard and bounce on landing. The EX landed smooth and set you up for the next jump. You can find more pictures and a few short clips of us at the track here.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the work. I will definately be sending my rear shock off the Z into them to get rebuilt. I was going to do the fronts as well, but I found a deal on Elka's that I can't pass up. This does mean that we'll be able to see how 450r rebuilds compare to Elka's.

If you are looking to upgrade your shocks I'd definitely recommend GTThunder. Their service and quality are awesome.