From the May/June 2012 issue of ATV Rider Magazine.
Weather was especially nice this past winter in Southern California. So nice that we were able to make a late-season run to the mountains of Lake Arrowhead. Usually a winter wonderland by the holidays, these high-altitude trails were in pristine condition and ripe for the taking. So once the decorations were put away and the Christmas tree was finally set ablaze, we loaded up the company rig and headed to our favorite Pinnacles trailhead. This allowed us the time to meet with Honda’s ATV crew, who gave us the opportunity to throw a leg over three of big red’s top-selling 4x4 utility quads: the Rancher, Rubicon and recently revamped Foreman.
What’s In A Name?
We’ve always loved the way Honda ATVs present themselves. If we were to pick the best ATV off looks alone, we would almost always pick one with a red wing logo. They look extremely well-built, the ergonomics are spot-on and the price tag is always reasonable. These are the biggest reasons the Honda name has held strong in the ATV world for all these years. The Rancher 420 and Foreman and Rubicon 500s are right on par with Honda’s incredible standard.
Each of the three 4x4s fire up instantly with a handlebar-mounted electric start button (optional recoil backup). Both the Rancher and Foreman have a left-side mechanical lever that allows you to make the switch from 2WD to 4WD. The Rubicon is switched from 2WD to 4WD via a thumb switch on the right-hand side of the handlebar. We prefer the ladder design, since you can engage 4WD at higher speeds (10–15 mph versus 20–25 mph).
The 420cc Rancher, 475cc Foreman and 499cc Rubicon motors are all longitudinally mounted, single-cylinder four-strokes. All three are liquid-cooled. Both the Rancher and Foreman are fed via Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) and a Keihin throttle body. It’s surprising that the more expensive Rubicon is still pumped fuel through a 36mm constant-velocity carburetor. There are pros and cons of both EFI and the old carb, but we’ll lean toward the “no maintenance” technology upgrade every time. As far as power is concerned, you get what you pay for. The Rancher is not going to knock your socks off, but do you really need it to? The Foreman and Rubicon are relatively tame for 500s, but they’re still a blast on the trail with power steering.
Each Honda utility quad comes with a reverse option. For the Rancher and Foreman, you must press down on a red button labeled “R” on top of the left brake lever. When the button is down, you then must pull in the lever completely before downshifting from neutral into reverse. This design is flawless for the ranch hand, but a pain if you find yourself using reverse a lot. For the Rubicon, reverse is integrated into the shifter lever, located on the left side of the bodywork. If you’re a lazy trail rider, this is the preferred option.
Both the Rancher and Foreman are available in a five-speed foot shift and five-speed Electric Shift (ES) option. We prefer the foot-shifting transmission. Honda’s ES is notchy at times. We also had more trouble pushing the wrong button at higher speeds. Low-speed consumers need not worry. The ES is simple to use, and you’ll rarely find yourself outside of third gear. First gear will be good for mud and pulling stumps, mowers or trailers, but taking off in first or even second gear was unnecessary. We took off in third, and lugged around in that gear for most of our low- to moderate-speed testing. The luxury of the higher-priced Rubicon is that the fully automatic transmission does all the work for you.
Honda’s Electric Power Steering system (EPS) is available on all three 4x4 models. It’s as good as any on the market, and the benefits from EPS are well worth the $600. Believe us when we say this. Once you go EPS, you’ll never go back. You can slam into rocks or stumps and not even notice. The handlebar won’t even move. The Honda setup offers minimal feedback at low speeds and slightly more feedback as the speeds increase.
Typical Honda ergonomics; jumping from machine to machine is an easy adjustment, since each model has the same ergonomically correct feel. They all have an upright riding position, and the distance from the middle of the seat to the handlebar and floorboards is identical. The overall ride, however, becomes more comfortable as the price of the machine rises. The Rancher’s saddle is not highly rated for the bony backside, but the Rubicon’s butt cushion might as well say La-Z-boy. Mud protection is similarly solid on all. The full floorboards have integrated pegs that kept our feet planted in even the stickiest of situations. They are as wide and sharp as the competition. The motor heat is also prevented from reaching your legs through sleek, integrated plastic shields.
All three Hondas have a front and center LCD display that features digital readouts for gear position, speedometer and fuel gauge. You can plug your electronic accessories in via a waterproof 12-volt socket, which is located in front and below the LCD. There is also a small, waterproof compartment in the rear of teach machine, opposite the muffler.
Final Thoughts?
Honda’s 2012 utility lineup offers an incredible number of options starting at a mere $5,100; as the price goes up, so do the features. Each of these models will never be king of the trail, but their bulletproof motors and drivetrains will outlast everything. They’re perfect for the hard-working ranch hand and the casual trail rider. - ATVR
Spec Chart
2012 Honda FourTrax Rancher
MSRP: $5,099 foot shift 2WD to $6,899 4WD EPS ES
Engine
Type: OHV longitudinally mounted single-cylinder four-stroke
Displacement: 420cc
Cooling: Liquid-cooled
Fuel system: EFI with Keihin 34mm throttle body
Drivetrain
Drive system: Direct front and rear driveshafts, 2x4/4x4
Transmission: Five-speed auto with reverse
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Dual A-arms/6.3 in.
Rear: Swingarm with single shock base model; dual A-arms all other models/6.3 in.
Tires
Front: 24x8-12
Rear: 24x10-11
Brakes
Front: Dual hydraulic discs
Rear: Sealed mechanical drum base model; single hydraulic disc all other models
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 49.4 in.
Claimed curb weight: 547 lb base model; 623 lb ES model; 642 lb EPS model
Ground clearance: 6.5 in. base model; 9.1 in. all other models
Length/width/height: 80.9/46.1/45.8 in.
Seat height: 32.4 in.
Turning radius: 10.5 ft.
Fuel capacity: 3.5 gal., including 1.0-gal. reserve
Colors: Red, olive; Natural Gear camouflage
2012 Honda Fourtrax Foreman
MSRP: $6,899, ES +$200, EPS +$600
Engine
Type: OHV longitudinally mounted single-cylinder four-stroke
Displacement: 475cc
Cooling: Liquid-cooled
Fuel system: EFI with Keihin 36mm throttle body
Drivetrain
Drive system: Direct front and rear driveshafts with TraxLok and torque-sensitive front differential, 2x4/4x4
Transmission: Five-speed auto with reverse
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Dual A-arms/6.7 in.
Rear: Swingarm with single shock/6.9 in.
Tires
Front: 25x8-12
Rear: 25x10-12
Brakes
Front: Dual hydraulic 196mm discs
Rear: Sealed 180mm mechanical drum
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 50.4 in.
Claimed curb weight: 628 lb/644 lb EPS model
Ground clearance: 7.6 in.
Length/width/height: 83.7/47.4/47.1 in.
Seat height: 34.7 in.
Turning radius: 10.5 ft
Fuel capacity: 4.0 gal., including 1.2-gal. reserve
Colors: Red, olive, Natural Gear camouflage
2012 Honda FourTrax Foreman Rubicon
MSRP: $7,899
Engine
Type: OHV longitudinally mounted single-cylinder four-stroke
Displacement: 499cc
Cooling: Liquid-cooled
Fuel system: 36mm constant-velocity carburetor
Drivetrain
Drive system: Direct front and rear driveshafts with TraxLok and torque-sensitive front differential, 2x4/4x4
Transmission: Fully automatic hydromechanical, continuously variable with electronic controls
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Dual A-arms/6.7 in.
Rear: Swingarm with dual shocks/6.7 in.
Tires
Front: 25x8-12
Rear: 25x10-12
Brakes
Front: 180mm discs with single-piston calipers
Rear: Sealed mechanical drum
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 50.6 in.
Claimed curb weight: 639 lb/655 lb EPS model
Ground clearance: 7.5 in.
Length/width/height: 83.0/46.8/46.4 in.
Seat height: 33.9 in.
Turning radius: 10.8 ft
Fuel capacity: 4.0 gal., including 0.7-gal. reserve
Colors: Red, olive, Natural Gear camouflage