Honda Rancher 350 Electric Shift

TNhobbyfarmer · Jul 20, 2006

I am considering buying a Honda Rancher electric shift. Anybody have one? What is your opinion of it?

pekabu · Jul 20, 2006

I drove a Honda Rancher AT GPScape for a bit. This also had the Hydro drive thing where there was no shifting. I thought it was a really nice atv and if I had the cash I would buy one. I later (same day) drove a 329 without electric shift and was suprised at how much I disliked it. No power and constant shifting over the same trail. If I were going faster it may have worked better but...

These were not 2007 machines. I believe both were 2005's.

Baucom · Jul 21, 2006

My cousin has one of the first Rancher 4x4 ES Hondas that he bought new. We ride ATVs a lot, and we're not easy on them. However, his Rancher has taken all the abuse he's dished out and only let him down twice. Shortly after their introduction, Honda recalled them for a defect in the ES system that would cause the ES to quit working--he waited until his ES quit working and then took it back to the dealer and it was fixed under warranty. The only other problem he has had was mostly his fault, though you could blame insufficient skid plates. A small stick made its way past the skid plate and punctured the protective boot jamming into the shift solenoid and rendering the ES inoperable. Honda does include a foot shifter in the tool kit as a backup in the event that the ES fails on the trail.

He has used his Rancher for snaking small logs for firewood, pulling up stumps, and putting 3000 hard miles on trail riding, and the only mechanical issues he had were the ones mentioned above. Compared to other models on the market, the Rancher is pretty simple with proven components--manual trans, solid axle, air cooled pushrod engine. It's old school, but that technology has been proven for decades now.

In my opinion, the Rancher is at, or close to, the top of the list for entry level ATVs. It's reasonably priced, large enough for most anyone to be comfortable on, small enough to be nimble on trails, has adequate power (53 mph top end), and the manual trans/solid axle combo make it well suited to working as well as playing (the solid axle lends a somewhat sporty feel for a ute if you like to play and slide around).

Are you looking at a 2 or 4wd?

BB_TX · Jul 21, 2006

I have a 2004 Honda Rancher 350ES. I don't have a lot of miles/hours on it but it has been great with no problems. I like the ES much better than the foot shift. As mentioned, it does come with a manual shift lever you can put on in case of a failure of the electric shift.

5103Owner · Jul 21, 2006

9500 mi 1000 hours on my 2000 rancher ES 2X4 pulling logs plowing snow racing across fields no trouble

goodoleboy · Jul 22, 2006

I have Rancher 4x4 ES. We ride every week and everyone that rides mine loves it for the ES. When thier ankles & toes are worn from shifting I am not fatigued at all with the ES and ready to ride another 10 miles. Some people have honda Foremans but not with ES and they really regret not getting ES. Its smaller and fits in most trails,where as the "BIG UTES" need much more room. Everytime we ride someone wants to swap bikes for the day.

Ive got 1200 miles and 129 hours on mine. Lots of hard riding through swamp, water, beach, and dirt and rock trails. Its has never let me down.

Speaking of, I raced a foreman 500 against my "puny" 350 and beat the Foreman in a 200 yard track. To be fair, we raced again and he beat me but only by a foot or so.
I was suprised I even came close!

Ive considered gettting another atv for myself and handing this down to my wife. My choice has been to get another Rancher, not a foreman or rincon becuase this machine has been perfect.

logfarmer · Jul 24, 2006

I do not have a rancher I have a 450 foreman es so I cant coment about the rancher part the electric sift part is what I have an opinion on.
Previous to the foreman es I had a honda 300 four trax with a foot shift I got so used to that foot shift I cant adjust to the es after 5 years and 190 hours of use it has let me down a few times but the biggest problem for me is just the fact of using a thumb to shift instead of the foot. Just my opinion.

TNhobbyfarmer · Jul 24, 2006

Thanks for the feedback. I am probably going to buy a 2X4 Rancher ES in the next month or two. I feel that it will serve my purposes quite well.

Baucom · Jul 25, 2006

logfarmer--it's funny that you couldn't adjust to using your thumb to shift. At first I found myself trying to shift with my foot and then feeling silly when I'd remember that I had to push a button with my thumb. However now, I doubt I'd go back to a foot shift machine. I love a manual transmission on an atv, and I'm not crazy about the disappearance of manual trans. atvs and the expanded use of belt drive cvts, but once I adjusted to the es it was great. Before es, when I was riding in mud/water and I needed to shift, I had to stick my foot and leg down in the muck (which was kind of cold and unpleasant in the winter), but now when I need to shift I just push a button and my feet stay dry and warm.

I will say that for reliability you can't beat a foot shift manual.

Deaf · Jul 25, 2006

We have had a rancher 350 since 1999 a 2wd foot shifter. It has ~ 4000 miles on it and the only things that have gone wrong with it has been the choke cable and the rear brake foot pedal seized up. Both problems were easily fixed. My hunting partner has a 01 350 4x4 ES and he also has had no problems. Our biggest complaint with the ES is the inability to drive one handed and hold a refreshment! Might not mean much but on a hot day it means everything to me. The other complaint we have is how much more steering effort the 350 4x4 requires due to the full time 4x4.

We just purchased a new 06 500 Forman 4x4 foot shifter. Everyone who rides in says its light years better then both 350’s in regards to power. Going up hills in 3rd or 4th no longer requires us to down shift where on the 350 we were constantly shifting to keep the engine from lugging. The ride of the 500 is slightly better then the 350’s. Steering effort is not as easy as the 2wd 350 but much less then the 350 4x4.

Is regards to ES I have read about some failures but my buddies has been trouble free. So when we got the 500 we decided to stick to foot shifting so we could carry that all important cold refreshment.