Honda Rubicon DCT vs Yamaha Grizzly

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

On your left shifter there are two cables. One goes to the brake, the other engages the switch for the reverse. Tighten the cable that's not the brake just enough, and you don't have to hit the brake and push the red button to shift into reverse.
Be careful though, as if you blow past neutral, you'll be in reverse.
Not sure how you could blow past neutral, but I guess it could happen.
I did the same thing on my DCT. No more button.
With that one blowing past neutral is not an issue, as you have to be completely stopped to go into reverse.

Well I'll be darned. I am going to try that for sure. Thanks for the info, never knew there was a way to avoid the Honda "CLAW".

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Hey all,

In the used quad market (something with under 1500km ideally or I may have to look at buying new).

Always been a Honda guy and have owned a Foreman 500TRXFM in the past. Have rode a few others but not many. I don’t mud and am not a fast rider, more just enjoy getting out for hunting, fishing, and a nice ride with the kids now and again.

Thinking about my wife riding occasionally, I’m starting to look at a non foot shift model. Two that come up are the Yamaha Grizzly and the Rubicon 520 DCT. I’ve looked at the Can Am max a bit but will be truck boxing for now so not sure it fits the bill as well.

Any comments on DCT vs Belt drive on the Yamaha from experiences? I can’t say I love the look of the Grizzly as much or the fender design but guys sure love them and reliability is up there for me.

Thoughts or comments?

I have a '23 Rubicon DCT and because of the type of riding I tend to do, if I had to do it over I might go with something CVT. I'm mostly going through trails @ 10km/h-ish, hovering right at gear change speed and switching between 1st and 2nd a lot. It's a much harder shift than CVT that I find a little jerky/annoying when moving that slow. No one else seems to mind it. I'm probably being a prissy &$^#@.

Zero complaints apart from that.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Well I'll be darned. I am going to try that for sure. Thanks for the info, never knew there was a way to avoid the Honda "CLAW".

No problem.
I just looked on my 420 and it's the lower cable.
If you look underneath the assembly and function the brake, you can see which one gets picked up by pushing down the red button.
I can't see it being the top cable on any models.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

No problem.
I just looked on my 420 and it's the lower cable.
If you look underneath the assembly and function the brake, you can see which one gets picked up by pushing down the red button.
I can't see it being the top cable on any models.

That worked slick as heck, and it is the bottom cable on mine too. So much nicer shifting it into reverse now.

I also got a new winch button and controller on the way for the Warn A2000 winch. The old twist style 36015 type controller is getting pretty tired and loose from raising and lowering the plow all the time, so time to upgrade it and get the button up onto the handlebars. They don't make the old controller anymore so direct replacement isn't an option. The kit also makes the winch into a 2500 LB model, though it never lacked power at 2000.

Putting a pulley on the plow and removing the long winch cable and using a ten foot length of ratchet strap webbing for rope has really saved a lot of wear and tear on the winch as well as the roller farelead. The pulley and tying the webbing to the front rack means it halves the up and down speed, making it far easier to control and also reduces the weight of the plow hanging from the winch line and pulling on the winch, in the up position, by half.

You just saved me from needing to buy a new second Quad just for easier plowing. Thanks a bunch.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Dean2

That worked slick as heck, and it is the bottom cable on mine too. So much nicer shifting it into reverse now.

I also got a new winch button and controller on the way for the Warn A2000 winch. The old twist style 36015 type controller is getting pretty tired and loose from raising and lowering the plow all the time, so time to upgrade it and get the button up onto the handlebars. They don't make the old controller anymore so direct replacement isn't an option. The kit also makes the winch into a 2500 LB model, though it never lacked power at 2000.

Putting a pulley on the plow and removing the long winch cable and using a ten foot length of ratchet strap webbing for rope has really saved a lot of wear and tear on the winch as well as the roller farelead. The pulley and tying the webbing to the front rack means it halves the up and down speed, making it far easier to control and also reduces the weight of the plow hanging from the winch line and pulling on the winch, in the up position, by half.

You just saved me from needing to buy a new second Quad just for easier plowing. Thanks a bunch.

After all the great advice you've given, I'm glad to be able to help you out for a change.
Although a brand new quad would have been nice too..

Your idea with the ratchet strap sounds slick. The few times I've used the plow on mine I hated lowering it. The giant bang onto the pavement always jarred the bones, and the ears.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

After all the great advice you've given, I'm glad to be able to help you out for a change.
Although a brand new quad would have been nice too..

Your idea with the ratchet strap sounds slick. The few times I've used the plow on mine I hated lowering it. The giant bang onto the pavement always jarred the bones, and the ears.

To be honest. The new Honda 520 with the power steering and electric shift is a pretty sweet rig. Just might buy one for plowing even though I don't really need it. Guy can always make the arguement that it t saves my old Foreman 400 for hunting use

[Smokinyotes]

This may surprise some but my son bought a 2021 rancher 420. I bought a 2021 Rubicon DCT. That little 420 is way quicker than my 520 Rubicon. My 520 has a top speed of 67 km/hr, significantly slower than my old 800 outlander that did 120 km/hr.
Oh well, at least it doesn’t break every time I ride it.

[daveyn]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

As I said in my earlier post, when riding hard I leave it in manual, as I can see what's coming, but the bike can't.

Never had a issue shifting in manual when the bike is hot. Low on oil maybe?

My thought also however not the case. had it into the dealership, tried different weights of oil, synthetic and normal, nothing changed. As long as you're moving its good, but if the bike is hot, say in 3rd gear and you come around a corner and have to stop for a mud hole and down shift while your stopped it gets stuck between gears and nothing will force it into gear, rocking, towing backwards, shutting it off, switching between manual and auto. I have to shut it down, wait for 5 or 10 minutes, fire it up and it all works fine again.
Happy to entertain solutions but thats for a different thread.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

This may surprise some but my son bought a 2021 rancher 420. I bought a 2021 Rubicon DCT. That little 420 is way quicker than my 520 Rubicon. My 520 has a top speed of 67 km/hr, significantly slower than my old 800 outlander that did 120 km/hr.
Oh well, at least it doesn’t break every time I ride it.

Rancher has come up as an option given its size and still seems to be good value. One thing that I wondered about is how it felt with a rear seat/box installed or if it would feel too small.

[Smokinyotes]

I was surprised how well the rancher rides considering it doesn’t have independent suspension.

I think the rancher would be fine with a medium sized quad box.

The only downfall with the Rancher is no locking front diff.

[kingrat]

Having owned both the 420 rancher and now the 520 Rubicon I can tell you the Rubicon is twice the quad. I loved the rancher but the power steering, rear suspension and locking diff on the rubi is a gamechanger. It's also alot bigger size wise, if they made those 3 options on the smaller framed rancher that to me would be the ultimate rig.

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by kingrat

Having owned both the 420 rancher and now the 520 Rubicon I can tell you the Rubicon is twice the quad. I loved the rancher but the power steering, rear suspension and locking diff on the rubi is a gamechanger. It's also alot bigger size wise, if they made those 3 options on the smaller framed rancher that to me would be the ultimate rig.

This pretty much sums it up.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by kingrat

Having owned both the 420 rancher and now the 520 Rubicon I can tell you the Rubicon is twice the quad. I loved the rancher but the power steering, rear suspension and locking diff on the rubi is a gamechanger. It's also alot bigger size wise, if they made those 3 options on the smaller framed rancher that to me would be the ultimate rig.

Perfect, thanks for the comparison.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Rancher has come up as an option given its size and still seems to be good value. One thing that I wondered about is how it felt with a rear seat/box installed or if it would feel too small.

My friends son bought a 2020 420 rancher, put a nice cargo seat box on it and the foot peg system for the rear rider. Just had to mount the box right to the rear of the rack. He can carry any of the ladies with lots of room for him. 2 average sized men is a little more tight but not a real issue if your not hauling 2 all day long.

Its a nice little quad but he does sometimes wish he went with the Rubicon. I am a go bigger and never need it vs wish you had it kinda thought process.

[Smokinyotes]

I would say if your going to be doubling get a two up quad. I’ve seen quads come over backwards a few times with these quad boxes that have a built in seat.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I would say if your going to be doubling get a two up quad. I’ve seen quads come over backwards a few times with these quad boxes that have a built in seat.

Definitely considered a Can Am Max for that reason. Most often doubling would be a smaller kid, but I hear ya. Almost start needing to trailer a 2 up quad and gets you into SxS territory for transport

The Polaris Touring look nice but never hear a lot of good reviews for reliability from them vs the other brands.

[Smokinyotes]

How old is the kid? For the price of a two up Can Am you could probably buy a Honda and a kids quad.

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

How old is the kid? For the price of a two up Can Am you could probably buy a Honda and a kids quad.

11 and 15. Really trying to avoid a trailer full of machines overall for the amount we would get out together. The youngest kid does like getting out now and again though, and occasional hunting partner, etc.

[Smokinyotes]

When my daughter was 11 I sold her scrambler 90 and bought her a Suzuki Ozark. Great little quad.

[Rackmastr]

Well, thanks for all the input. I ended up finding a really nice clean 2019 Rubicon 500 manual shift with 1900km. I couldnt pass it up so its now in the garage haha.

Something about Hondas that was making it hard for me to look at others.

[CBintheNorth]

Congratulations.
I'm sure it'll serve you well for as long as you own it.

[mryimmers]

Good choice!!!!

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Well, thanks for all the input. I ended up finding a really nice clean 2019 Rubicon 500 manual shift with 1900km. I couldnt pass it up so its now in the garage haha.

Something about Hondas that was making it hard for me to look at others.

Excellent choice. That will serve you well for a very long time.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Well, thanks for all the input. I ended up finding a really nice clean 2019 Rubicon 500 manual shift with 1900km. I couldnt pass it up so its now in the garage haha.

Something about Hondas that was making it hard for me to look at others.

Those are nice quads, good ride and power too. You will enjoy it.

[Blockcaver]

Should be great!!! That manual foot shift Rubicon makes a reliable great machine for a hunter in my experience.

[Rackmastr]

Ya, something about Honda just rings true with me and almost the only thing I've ever known haha.

Now on to the search for new tires. Looking at some of the Traxion models as well as the Bear Claws. Has the stock tires and steel rims so probably upgrade them and add a storage box and will be ready to roll for bear season!