# Best Honda for the mud?



## savilcr

what do yall think is the best honda for mud?


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## byrd

Well all i can compare is the old 350s, the 500s, and the 420s n i prefer the 420s. They r very dependable and pretty peppy

Your not riding unless you break it!


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## J2!

Hondas are VERY dependable bikes but none of them are really built for the mud like other bikes are.. Like Byrd said the 420 is a good bike and the foremans are pretty decent in the mud if you get the gear reduction for it.. I'm sure the HONDA guys will chime in soon and help ya out..:bigok:​


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## bigdigger1527

well u cant go wrong with tha 500 :rockn:


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## DjScrimm

I prefer IRS for mud, straight axel guys love the straight axel, but IRS is the way to go. So rincon and that newer 420 with IRS would be my route.


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## hp488

For a straight Axel you can not beat the rubicon 5 speed hi and low auto
For independent the rincon is the way to go. If Honda would mate the rubicon trans with the rincon motor that would be a bad a$$ machine IMO.


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## bigdigger1527

i like my manual 5 speed the best, no worrys with clutch kits and all that :bigok:


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## bruterider27

I loved my 350 rancher I had it went everywhere I wanted and more


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## rubiconrider

hp488 said:


> For a straight Axel you can not beat the rubicon 5 speed hi and low auto
> For independent the rincon is the way to go. If Honda would mate the rubicon trans with the rincon motor that would be a bad a$$ machine IMO.


yup!! when honda comes to their senses and does this ill be putting my order in for one.

but if you really want IRS i believe they make the 420's with the hondamatic manual/auto hi/lo trans.


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## joemel

I have a foreman 500 and if it had irs id have no complaints at all but ive never had a prob out of mine I have 28 inch mud lites and it have plenty.of power for them but the 420 has its perks to auto with irs just not as much power my lil sis has a lil prob turnin her27 inch laws but its a good bike im just partial to my foreman


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## byrd

well there is a big difference in running laws and mudlites, my old 07 420 seem to always walk the dog my my uncles 08 500 while we was both stock as far as power goes and he never did any mods to his so i cant compare it to my 420 once i did my mods but i ran edls for a short period then went to 28 swamp fox plus. i never took mine out of first in the mud


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## joemel

yeah you rite i havent jetted or put a pipe on mine but she has and still struggles some in the thick stuff


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## bigdigger1527

joemel said:


> yeah you rite i havent jetted or put a pipe on mine but she has and still struggles some in the thick stuff


yea i havent jetted or piped mine either and i have 27s , does fine in 1st or 2nd gear in thick ****, which pipe would u get if u decided to get one ?


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## MuddJunkie

I have a rincon i had to put a gear reduction in it, so just straight out of the create i would get the rancher 420 with irs, pleanty of torque and pretty light.


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## mudnutsatv

ranchers they light got power and nice foreman rincons rubicons are heavy and made for a farm


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## mudnutsatv

and foot shift


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## monsterbrute750

Not a honda guy, but the foreman 500 can't be beat. That thing is a tank.


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## BleednGreen68

No such thing! haha But if i had to have a honda mudder I guess a rincon. Motors are pretty good.


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## joemel

bigdigger1527 said:


> yea i havent jetted or piped mine either and i have 27s , does fine in 1st or 2nd gear in thick ****, which pipe would u get if u decided to get one ?


 i havent decided on one yet dont know if ima put one on it dont really nead it just be nice to have it and they sound real good


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## tacoma_2002

I'd say 420 EFI IRS....

1: Fuel Injection for easy tuning
2: IRS for plenty of ground clearance
3: Water cooled, so it stay at optimal temp (with rad relocate)
4: They have just as much power as the 500 Foreman at 2/3 the weight of the 500.

Dont get me wrong I love my 500, and they are probably the most reliable bike that honda makes right now...just not ideal for a sure enough "mud machine".


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## byrd

joemel said:


> yeah you rite i havent jetted or put a pipe on mine but she has and still struggles some in the thick stuff


U can't jet a 420 cuz its fuel injected. U sure its not a 400 


Your not riding unless you break it!


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## byrd

tacoma_2002 said:


> I'd say 420 EFI IRS....
> 
> 1: Fuel Injection for easy tuning
> 2: IRS for plenty of ground clearance
> 3: Water cooled, so it stay at optimal temp (with rad relocate)
> 4: They have just as much power as the 500 Foreman at 2/3 the weight of the 500.
> 
> Dont get me wrong I love my 500, and they are probably the most reliable bike that honda makes right now...just not ideal for a sure enough "mud machine".


The had relocate is a must on the 420 cuz the way the had is placed makes u have to remove plastics to get the back of it cleaned. I did a custom relocation and make my own grill. I think the 420s are awesome atvs and looks awesome 2. I'll c if I can find some pics of my yellow one

Your not riding unless you break it!


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## byrd

Here's a couple of my 07 I sold. I kinda miss it now lol I spent all my time pudding with it instead of wrenching


















Your not riding unless you break it!


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## HondaGuy

The 420 SRA is imo the best Honda for the mud/water. Several reasons: #1, you can't put Axle Paddles on an IRS quad and Axle Paddles are better then ground clearance every day of the week imo. #2, the SRA 420s have the best and most GR options right now, it's possible to gear a 420SRA 83.5% lower then they came from the factory, yea you read that right, 83.5% lol. #3 EFI, EFI is worth its weight in gold pure and simple. #4 very nimble and tossable bikes similar in feel to the near legendary Honda 300 (which is a VERY close 2nd imo)

The Foreman 500s are not the best choices as they have weak transmissions, weak gears generally don't play nicely with big tires, they also have very fragile U-joints that don't work well with lifts without swapping to a Foreman 450 swingarm. And honestly they are kinda boring when you compare them to the much sportier and more nimble 420 and considerably more powerfull Rubicon 500. Imo the Foreman 500s is in DESPERATE need of an update or replacement in general. Very nice bikes for work, but rather uninspiring for play riding imo.

The Rubicon 500s are very nice bikes, BUT due to them having the Hondamatic CVT I personally would never think of using one as a mud/water bike. My reason is get mud/water in that extremely expensive and NON-SERVICEABLE tranny and you'll be hating life for sure.

The Rincon 680 falls short imo for the same reason as the Rubicon 500s, even though the Rinnys don't have the Hondamatic CVT, they still have a complicated automotive style 3sp auto tranny which has a valve body, torque converter, and clutch packs that can all be messed up pretty good by mud/water getting in the oil. The only benefit to a Rinny over a Rubi is the Rinny's tranny can at least be serviced rather then just replaced. The Rincons also require a GR for any tires larger then 27" as they are geared WAY too high stock.

The Rancher 420AT while being a very good choice imo falls slightly short due to its high stock gearing and limited GR options that make 29.5s and MAYBE skinny 30s pretty much the "limit" to what they can effectively spin, I will say that the ground clearance of a 420AT on 30s with the Gorilla Stage One lift is pretty impressive. They are knocking on the door to Arctic Cat territory with that setup

Pretty much the only reasons I chose the 420 over the 300 was, the 420s have a bit more HP, better GR options, and a little tougher drivetrains to handle the better gearing options and big tires.


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## T DAWG

na i used to have a 350 rancher its was a beast went every where a 500 foreman did with more ease.


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## bigdigger1527

HondaGuy said:


> The 420 SRA is imo the best Honda for the mud/water. Several reasons: #1, you can't put Axle Paddles on an IRS quad and Axle Paddles are better then ground clearance every day of the week imo. #2, the SRA 420s have the best and most GR options right now, it's possible to gear a 420SRA 83.5% lower then they came from the factory, yea you read that right, 83.5% lol. #3 EFI, EFI is worth its weight in gold pure and simple. #4 very nimble and tossable bikes similar in feel to the near legendary Honda 300 (which is a VERY close 2nd imo)
> 
> The Foreman 500s are not the best choices as they have weak transmissions, weak gears generally don't play nicely with big tires, they also have very fragile U-joints that don't work well with lifts without swapping to a Foreman 450 swingarm. And honestly they are kinda boring when you compare them to the much sportier and more nimble 420 and considerably more powerfull Rubicon 500. Imo the Foreman 500s is in DESPERATE need of an update or replacement in general. Very nice bikes for work, but rather uninspiring for play riding imo.
> 
> The Rubicon 500s are very nice bikes, BUT due to them having the Hondamatic CVT I personally would never think of using one as a mud/water bike. My reason is get mud/water in that extremely expensive and NON-SERVICEABLE tranny and you'll be hating life for sure.
> 
> The Rincon 680 falls short imo for the same reason as the Rubicon 500s, even though the Rinnys don't have the Hondamatic CVT, they still have a complicated automotive style 3sp auto tranny which has a valve body, torque converter, and clutch packs that can all be messed up pretty good by mud/water getting in the oil. The only benefit to a Rinny over a Rubi is the Rinny's tranny can at least be serviced rather then just replaced. The Rincons also require a GR for any tires larger then 27" as they are geared WAY too high stock.
> 
> The Rancher 420AT while being a very good choice imo falls slightly short due to its high stock gearing and limited GR options that make 29.5s and MAYBE skinny 30s pretty much the "limit" to what they can effectively spin, I will say that the ground clearance of a 420AT on 30s with the Gorilla Stage One lift is pretty impressive. They are knocking on the door to Arctic Cat territory with that setup
> 
> Pretty much the only reasons I chose the 420 over the 300 was, the 420s have a bit more HP, better GR options, and a little tougher drivetrains to handle the better gearing options and big tires.


never had one problem with my foreman 500 and i have a lift and big tires, gears work fine as well as the transmission and as for the rubicon, well id rather have a manual trans any day of the week


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## T DAWG

yea mine was manual. my butty has a foreman it didnt go to far but i guess it still depends on the tires you have to.


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## HondaGuy

bigdigger1527 said:


> never had one problem with my foreman 500 and i have a lift and big tires, gears work fine as well as the transmission and as for the rubicon, well id rather have a manual trans any day of the week


A lot of people don't have problems with the Foreman 500's tranny, but by the same token "enough" people have had problems to make me personally take that into account.:beerchug:


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## mudmaster

300 honda all the way best mud bike ever produced!!! end of story


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## Polaris425

mudmaster said:


> 300 honda all the way best mud bike ever produced!!! end of story


Ha... ha.. BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
:bigok: :bigok:

Thanks I needed a good laugh this morning!


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## joemel

you dang sure cant beat those old 300s they are the ***** larff all you want but i aint ever had to pull any of those home


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## sloboy

mudmaster said:


> 300 honda all the way best mud bike ever produced!!! end of story


 
best mud bike is not a true description more like the longest life span atv


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## Polaris425

sloboy said:


> best mud bike is not a true description more like the longest life span atv


:agreed:


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## HeadC1

There's no such thing as the best mud bike. Every mud hole is different, sometimes SRA will out perform IRS and vice versa. Its all opinion, but if I was to pick one, it would be the Honda 300. Its lightweight and easy to maneveur around in a mud hole. Even though I am putting IRS under my 300 right now, the SRA makes it easier to rock in rutted holes and it will not sink as far in non rutted thick mud. The SRA Honda 300 may take some work to get out of a hole but it will make the hole way and still be running when you get back to the truck. Besides which bike would you rather try to get out of hole when its stuck. The 300 only needs an extra hand.


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## oldmanbrute

I didn't know you could put 'best mud bike' and 'Honda' in the same sentence?
They are dependable though!


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## bigdigger1527

oldmanbrute said:


> I didn't know you could put 'best mud bike' and 'Honda' in the same sentence?
> They are dependable though!


:thats_racist: dont be hatin,lol, at least our seals have protection so they dont get dirty and leak :biggrin:


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## HondaGuy

I don't know if I can agree with that seal thing lol, failed seals have cost me two top ends and a crank in less then 2 yrs time.:34:


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## bigdigger1527

HondaGuy said:


> I don't know if I can agree with that seal thing lol, failed seals have cost me two top ends and a crank in less then 2 yrs time.:34:


no problems with my foreman whatsoever since i bought it new in 2007 :lol:


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## greenkitty7

better knock on wood. you'll go outside tomorrow and move your bike and find the drippy, drippy.


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## bigdigger1527

greenkitty7 said:


> better knock on wood. you'll go outside tomorrow and move your bike and find the drippy, drippy.


kinda hard for it to drip when the wonderful maker Honda inc., was actually smart enough to cover the shafts with oversize cv boots, probly to keep all the mud and water out, so in turn, it doesnt leak :haha::lol:


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## Dixie07

I would have to say the foreman 450. I cry when I think about the 01 i sold. I ran 28 Outlaws with a Detroit locker best bike i have ever owned! At least my wife did not listen to me and kept hers.


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## greenkitty7

bigdigger1527 said:


> kinda hard for it to drip when the wonderful maker Honda inc., was actually smart enough to cover the shafts with oversize cv boots, probly to keep all the mud and water out, so in turn, it doesnt leak :haha::lol:


really? i wasnt aware that the oil was kept in by the cv boots... hmm thats a new one on me. i could have sworn that seals were used, and where theres a seal with any kind of shaft turning in it, theres a potential point of failure. but i guess not with the wonderful maker HONDA, INC.


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## bigdigger1527

greenkitty7 said:


> really? i wasnt aware that the oil was kept in by the cv boots... hmm thats a new one on me. i could have sworn that seals were used, and where theres a seal with any kind of shaft turning in it, theres a potential point of failure. but i guess not with the wonderful maker HONDA, INC.


u are right, but the seals are protected by the boots on the front and rear driveshafts, the main reason they fail on brutes and other companys atvs are because they are not protected from mud,sand,water,etc.., but on my 500 none of that stuff ever gets near it, thanks to hondas wonderfull design :bigok:


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## HondaGuy

You are correct on the rear shaft, but not on the front shaft the front seal on the through shaft is exposed, and lets not forget Honda's particularly crappy seal on the pull starter. Fwiw, the Prairies and Brute 650s have a boot that connect the rear of the engine to the swingarm just like the Foremans.


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## bigdigger1527

HondaGuy said:


> You are correct on the rear shaft, but not on the front shaft the front seal on the through shaft is exposed, and lets not forget Honda's particularly crappy seal on the pull starter. Fwiw, the Prairies and Brute 650s have a boot that connect the rear of the engine to the swingarm just like the Foremans.


maybe on your 420 its that way, mine isnt exposed on the front or the back, theres a boot on both of mine, never had a problem with any of them


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## greenkitty7

hmm... i never had a prob with the seals on mine either. but i took the dust covers off so i wouldnt. :bigok:


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## bigdigger1527

greenkitty7 said:


> hmm... i never had a prob with the seals on mine either. but i took the dust covers off so i wouldnt. :bigok:


hell ive been lucky, havent broken a axle or had any problems yet anyways :bigok:, we gona be hittin up rocky creek this sat, u ride there much greenkitty ?


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## Roboquad

I'm thinking either civic, or accord...both look good covered in mud....:agreed:


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## greenkitty7

bigdigger1527 said:


> hell ive been lucky, havent broken a axle or had any problems yet anyways :bigok:, we gona be hittin up rocky creek this sat, u ride there much greenkitty ?


i've rode there a few times and loved it but i hear they lost the land with the s-pit and the play pond... plus Creek Bottom is 10 minutes from my house, so I'm going there this weekend.


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## bigdigger1527

greenkitty7 said:


> i've rode there a few times and loved it but i hear they lost the land with the s-pit and the play pond... plus Creek Bottom is 10 minutes from my house, so I'm going there this weekend.


i hear ya man, still got the big pond to ride in and they have made 2 new pits on the area thats open now, same thing for me its only like 10 mins away :beerchug:


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## Roboquad

I M O. a civic or possibly accord make the best mud vehicle:nutkick: A Honda best in mud? Sorry but Ive towed enough little red wagons for bragging rights. and they are mechanical and do break. maby not as much as bruits, but you ever see the guy on a Honda go first??? Does *not* happen here. We go in they follow, and you soon turn back to the guy standing on his seat yelling. Ive torn up more belts pulling people through than any other time. I VOTE BF>IRS650.


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## mudslinger4

My 07 FOREMAN does very well, gets alot of compliments.

HMF swamp seiries
K/N filter 
Snorkeld
2" lift
29.5x12x12 outlaws on all 4corners.... G.R. coming soon

it now has steel floor boards an mud flaps...


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## 2010Bruterider

That's a good looking Foreman, Mudslinger. I like the red plastics. I wish my Brute was red instead of Royal red, aka maroon


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## redleader20

HondaGuy said:


> The 420 SRA is imo the best Honda for the mud/water. Several reasons: #1, you can't put Axle Paddles on an IRS quad and Axle Paddles are better then ground clearance every day of the week imo. #2, the SRA 420s have the best and most GR options right now, it's possible to gear a 420SRA 83.5% lower then they came from the factory, yea you read that right, 83.5% lol. #3 EFI, EFI is worth its weight in gold pure and simple. #4 very nimble and tossable bikes similar in feel to the near legendary Honda 300 (which is a VERY close 2nd imo)
> 
> The Foreman 500s are not the best choices as they have weak transmissions, weak gears generally don't play nicely with big tires, they also have very fragile U-joints that don't work well with lifts without swapping to a Foreman 450 swingarm. And honestly they are kinda boring when you compare them to the much sportier and more nimble 420 and considerably more powerfull Rubicon 500. Imo the Foreman 500s is in DESPERATE need of an update or replacement in general. Very nice bikes for work, but rather uninspiring for play riding imo.
> 
> The Rubicon 500s are very nice bikes, BUT due to them having the Hondamatic CVT I personally would never think of using one as a mud/water bike. My reason is get mud/water in that extremely expensive and NON-SERVICEABLE tranny and you'll be hating life for sure.
> 
> The Rincon 680 falls short imo for the same reason as the Rubicon 500s, even though the Rinnys don't have the Hondamatic CVT, they still have a complicated automotive style 3sp auto tranny which has a valve body, torque converter, and clutch packs that can all be messed up pretty good by mud/water getting in the oil. The only benefit to a Rinny over a Rubi is the Rinny's tranny can at least be serviced rather then just replaced. The Rincons also require a GR for any tires larger then 27" as they are geared WAY too high stock.
> 
> The Rancher 420AT while being a very good choice imo falls slightly short due to its high stock gearing and limited GR options that make 29.5s and MAYBE skinny 30s pretty much the "limit" to what they can effectively spin, I will say that the ground clearance of a 420AT on 30s with the Gorilla Stage One lift is pretty impressive. They are knocking on the door to Arctic Cat territory with that setup
> 
> Pretty much the only reasons I chose the 420 over the 300 was, the 420s have a bit more HP, better GR options, and a little tougher drivetrains to handle the better gearing options and big tires.


What would be the biggest size and weight of tire I should run on my 07 420 with no GR? You guys if anyone would know.


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## tehbuddba

300 good old bikes will always take you home as long as your not looking for crazy power or anything also super simple to work on


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