I have a 01 or 02, don't remember what year. But it's a Foreman Rubicon 500. The guys I got it from could not speak a word of English. We had to do the deal, using translators on our phones. They ran that thing through some deep water and mud, with no air filter at all, no snorkel either. It smoked badly when I got it, both the front and rear diffs had water in them. The rear brake was full of water. That was pretty nasty, when I got the drum off. It cleaned up fine. I put new rear shoes on the rear, replaced the rear seals, put new fluid in both diffs. Then overhauled then engine, new rings, gaskets. Then new timing chain, chain guides, oil pump chain. Then did a little work on the head to unshroud the valves in the chamber. I was going to port the head and decided, I did not need to start modding it. I did find aftermarket cams for it. Came close to porting the head, putting a cam in it. Then boring and stroking it, but decided not to. I just did some chamber work and had a valve job done. Then replaced the water pump, thermostat, spark plug and the temperature switch for the cooling fan. The cooling fan would not come on previously.
I replaced all of the front control arm bushings, ball joints and tie rod ends. Then the wheel bearings and seals. I replaced a few pieces of plastic on the bike, somebody had done some rigging I did not like. Oh, then I changed the oil, new oil filter and actually put a air filter back in it.
The one I got, had obviously been abused pretty severely. I have a feeling they were using it to smuggle drugs or people across the border, but I could be wrong. They found deep water and mud somewhere and ran the four wheeler through that deep mud and water a lot of times, to get it in the condition it was in, when I got it. I really don't know how they did not kill the engine, transmission or the front or rear axle.
I just ordered new tires for it. The tires that are on it, are so worn out, I did not realize what they were. Till I started looking for tires for it. The tires are flat worn out, bald and dry rotted and sliced up. I need to run new wires and solenoids for the winch, then restring the winch and it will be all fixed up, as far as I am going to fix it.
The one I have, has the electric shift transmission. Which worked intermittently, when I got it and for the first six months or so, I tried to use it. If the gear indicator worked, the transmission would shift, if the gear indicator was not working, it would not shift. After doing the overhaul, I guess, cleaning up some of connections fixed the transmission shifting issue. I was not even trying to fix that problem. I figured it was the module. Which I figured, I would eventually look for. But the problem was gone, when I put it back together.
I have owned since the 80s, never really had any problems with them. That's the main reason I looked for a Honda. Also I bought a Kawasaki Prairie 360 4X4, about seven years ago,
it was pretty good, but did not have a lot of power, but it got you where you were going. But I hated the fact, that the faster you went, the higher the engine would rev and it got louder. You could not get around with any speed, quietly. If you wanted to be quiet, you had to go slow. My old Big Red three wheeler back in the 80s had a 5 spd. transmission. I could get up to 30 or 40 mph and put it in 5th and cruise quietly where ever I wanted to go, because the engine rpms were low. But not with the belt driven ATVs. They are also very speed limited, not having a transmission. The Prairie, I would be maxed out at maybe 40 mph. My old Big Red would get up to 60+ mph, I would bet closer to 70 mph. Those belt driven ATVs are typically screaming by 30 mph. Now having the Rubicon 500, I can't come close to hitting top speed with that thing. I can just max out 3rd gear and have to get on the brakes hard. With all of the trees on our place, we don't have much more than about 80 yard long straight aways. I am betting the 500 cc Rubicon, has a at least a 10 mph higher top speed than the old Big Red and it will get there quicker than the Big Red. I did not buy it to see how fast it will go. But I do like to get along quickly. If I don't have the dog on the front of the four wheeler, I open the throttle a bit and can get to the back of the property pretty quickly, even being a narrow trail to the rear, through the oaks, and across a creek, with multiple sharp bends in the trail. I use to fly up and down trails through the oaks as a kid on both 3 wheelers and dirt bikes. I still like to open the throttle up.
The only complaint I sometimes have with the Honda Foreman Rubicon 500, is some times, I wish it had the option of switching off the 4X4. It would be nice to be able to dig some ruts and sling some sand or dirt. With the full time 4X4, it just goes, not really much tire spinning. I can't stick the throttle and kick the rear out and slide it through corners. It just grabs and goes. If I give it full throttle, it does pick the front tires up, anything short of full throttle and it is pulling with all four tires on the ground.
I replaced all of the front control arm bushings, ball joints and tie rod ends. Then the wheel bearings and seals. I replaced a few pieces of plastic on the bike, somebody had done some rigging I did not like. Oh, then I changed the oil, new oil filter and actually put a air filter back in it.
The one I got, had obviously been abused pretty severely. I have a feeling they were using it to smuggle drugs or people across the border, but I could be wrong. They found deep water and mud somewhere and ran the four wheeler through that deep mud and water a lot of times, to get it in the condition it was in, when I got it. I really don't know how they did not kill the engine, transmission or the front or rear axle.
I just ordered new tires for it. The tires that are on it, are so worn out, I did not realize what they were. Till I started looking for tires for it. The tires are flat worn out, bald and dry rotted and sliced up. I need to run new wires and solenoids for the winch, then restring the winch and it will be all fixed up, as far as I am going to fix it.
The one I have, has the electric shift transmission. Which worked intermittently, when I got it and for the first six months or so, I tried to use it. If the gear indicator worked, the transmission would shift, if the gear indicator was not working, it would not shift. After doing the overhaul, I guess, cleaning up some of connections fixed the transmission shifting issue. I was not even trying to fix that problem. I figured it was the module. Which I figured, I would eventually look for. But the problem was gone, when I put it back together.
I have owned since the 80s, never really had any problems with them. That's the main reason I looked for a Honda. Also I bought a Kawasaki Prairie 360 4X4, about seven years ago,
it was pretty good, but did not have a lot of power, but it got you where you were going. But I hated the fact, that the faster you went, the higher the engine would rev and it got louder. You could not get around with any speed, quietly. If you wanted to be quiet, you had to go slow. My old Big Red three wheeler back in the 80s had a 5 spd. transmission. I could get up to 30 or 40 mph and put it in 5th and cruise quietly where ever I wanted to go, because the engine rpms were low. But not with the belt driven ATVs. They are also very speed limited, not having a transmission. The Prairie, I would be maxed out at maybe 40 mph. My old Big Red would get up to 60+ mph, I would bet closer to 70 mph. Those belt driven ATVs are typically screaming by 30 mph. Now having the Rubicon 500, I can't come close to hitting top speed with that thing. I can just max out 3rd gear and have to get on the brakes hard. With all of the trees on our place, we don't have much more than about 80 yard long straight aways. I am betting the 500 cc Rubicon, has a at least a 10 mph higher top speed than the old Big Red and it will get there quicker than the Big Red. I did not buy it to see how fast it will go. But I do like to get along quickly. If I don't have the dog on the front of the four wheeler, I open the throttle a bit and can get to the back of the property pretty quickly, even being a narrow trail to the rear, through the oaks, and across a creek, with multiple sharp bends in the trail. I use to fly up and down trails through the oaks as a kid on both 3 wheelers and dirt bikes. I still like to open the throttle up.
The only complaint I sometimes have with the Honda Foreman Rubicon 500, is some times, I wish it had the option of switching off the 4X4. It would be nice to be able to dig some ruts and sling some sand or dirt. With the full time 4X4, it just goes, not really much tire spinning. I can't stick the throttle and kick the rear out and slide it through corners. It just grabs and goes. If I give it full throttle, it does pick the front tires up, anything short of full throttle and it is pulling with all four tires on the ground.
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