After seeing the
Rincon prototype at last year's Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree, we
could not wait to get a ride on Honda's new entry into the big bore
sport utility segment. Honda is actually classifying the new Rincon
650 as a recreational machine, not a utility machine and not a
sport machine. Labeled as "The SUV of ATV's," this may be just what
the growing segment of recreational trail riding enthusiasts is
looking for.
Looking inside the new Rincon
We thought
Honda would use the innovative Hondamatic transmission used in
their Rubicon model, but in their quest to make the Rincon
sportier, Honda has introduced yet another innovative transmission.
The Rincon features a true automotive-style transmission using a
torque converter similar to your SUV. This
transmission gives your three forward gears and reverse. Just shift
the Rincon into "Drive" and let it shift through the progressive
gear ratios. Want a little more control? Then activate the Rincon's
Electronic Shift Program (ESP) and you can select the gear using
push buttons located on the left handlebar. The ESP system will
disengage the clutch, shift the gearbox, and re-engage the clutch.
This new transmission also features a "creep control system" to
allow the Rincon to idle in gear without moving forward. Don't
worry about holding the brake, the Honda ECU will disengage the
hydraulic clutch for you when you are stationary and idling.
Honda added another feature to this innovative transmission so the
Rincon also has engine braking capabilities on steep downhills. The
Rincon's torque converter has a built-in one-way lockup clutch that
transmits power to the crankshaft instead of the torque converter
during deceleration. The transmission uses a filtration system that
protects against external contamination and has no belts to
replace, like the competitors.
Engine
The Rincon brings with
it the largest displacement engine among all of Hondas ATV's. The
power plant is an all new liquid-cooled four-valve 649cc
four-stroke overhead-valve engine. The new overhead-valve design is
shorter than an overhead cam design would be. This gives the
powerplant less topside bulk and a lower center of gravity. The
Rincon uses the same longitudinally-mounted engine and driveline
layout as was introduced in the 1995 Foreman 400 and is currently
used in the Foreman 450, Recon, Rancher, and Rubicon. The engine
makes use of a counter-rotating balance shaft and rubber engine
mounts to control engine vibration. In addition, Honda engineers
used a unique pushrod design to create a light, quiet, high-revving
valve train. The pushrods are made of a new aluminum alloy material
with a unique pushrod end shape that allows for two tiny steel
bearings where the pushrod would wear. The engine is liquid-cooled
for consistent engine temperatures. The cylinder uses a nickel
silicon carbide plated lining which is lighter and more durable
than the conventional steel-sleeve cylinder. A 37mm constant
velocity carburetor with a ribbed float minimizes sloshing on rough
terrain and the integral carburetor-heated ensures operation when
the weather gets cold. All of this is topped off with a stainless
steel exhaust system that is center mounted across the rear of the
Rincon.
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Longintudally-mounted engine |
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Cutaway of the new power plant |
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Independent Rear Suspension
The Rincon is Honda's first fully-independent ATV
rear suspension. The rear suspension uses a double-wish bone design
with forged aluminum knuckles and upper/lower A-arms. The rear
knuckle pivots use lightweight metal bushings instead of
conventional ball joints and radius arms. This design eliminates
toe-in as the rear suspension travels through its stroke and
maintains proper rear wheel alignment. Lightweight single-tube
gas-charged rear shocks and an anti-sway bar are used to provide
dampening. A center-mounted hydraulic disc brake and self-adjusting
mechanical rear parking brake is mounted on the rear propeller
shaft. This rear suspension design helps reduce unsprung weight,
contributes to the overall handling of the Rincon and allows for 8
inches of rear wheel travel. The rear driveshaft joins the rear
final-drive gearcase at a 77° angle to eliminate additional
shafts and joints.
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Honda's first rear independent suspension design |
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Center mounted rear disc brake |
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More High-Tech Features
The Honda Rincon is not limited to these new innovative
features. The Rincon features Traxlok, which allows the rider to
shift between 2WD and 4WD via a simple thumb operated switch. The
front differential is equipped with Honda's torque sensitive
limited-slip which directs the torque to the wheel with the most
traction. The Rincon features a dry weight of only 600 lbs due to
extensive use of aluminum and careful design. The Rincon is
equipped with radial tires to provide a smooth ride with 25 x 8-12
tires in the front and 25 x 10-12 tires in the rear. These are
mounted on large-diameter 12-inch aluminum wheels.
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Torque-sensing front differential |
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Large diameter 12" wheels and 25" radial tires |
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Electronics
The Rincon has a multifunction LCD instrumentation panel that is
waterproof and has readouts for gear position, speedometer,
odometer, trip-meter, and hour-meter/clock. The panel also includes
LED lights for Drive, Neutral, Reverse and a temperature warning
label. A fuel gauge is located in the housing. A waterproof
accessory socket is provided for your 12-volt accessories, with 12
amps of power and a built-in temperature-type fuse. The front
headlights have adjustable reflectors with multi-reflector 40-watt
halogen bulbs. In the rear fenders are dual stop/taillights with
dual-filament 21-watt bulbs. A 360-watt generator provides plenty
of power to the 14-amp-hour maintenance-free battery.
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LCD Instrumentation panel |
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Honda Rincon controls |
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So how does it ride?
The Honda Rincon rides like a Cadillac. It has an
unbelievably smooth ride. The Rincon soaks up the terrain so well
that you can sit back and enjoy the ride where you would have to
take a more aggressive stand-up approach on other ATV's. The ride
is so plush that we suspected it may be a bit on the soft side for
very aggressive riding. We were able to confirm this when we picked
up speed and bottomed the front suspension a couple times. We did
not have a lot of gear with us but we believe this may become more
apparent when you load up the rather small rack to a capacity of 66
lbs. That said, unless you ride VERY aggressively, you will
probably never notice this. The Rincon handled corners very well,
although somewhat different than a standard swingarm type ATV. It
seemed to have a minor push if you went into a corner too fast, as
the independent rear does not tend to slide as much as swingarm
type ATV's. Again, I believe only a very aggressive rider will
notice this as it handled beautifully at moderate speeds. With the
large 4.5 gallon fuel tank and plush suspension, you can cover many
miles of trails in comfort.
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LCD Instrumentation panel |
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Honda Rincon controls |
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Summary
If you spend a lot of time trail riding and want the top of the line quad,
there is no doubt in our minds that the Rincon 650 should be your
choice. If you need a workhorse, then you may want to look to the
Honda Rubicon. The Rincon has good power, but if you want the
fastest big bore, don't expect it here either. Honda has really
taken a step away from the other big bores and has done a great job
at presenting a quad for the recreational trail rider.
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Great new styling! |
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Rear independent suspension provides a plush ride |
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More great pictures of the 2003 Honda Rincon
American Honda Motor Co, Inc
1919 Torrance Blvd
Torrance CA 90501
Motorcycle Division
310-783-3745