I own and have reviewed this same machine. If you hold the red button you can also skip neutral when going from reverse back to Drive. It works both directions. Great review as always.
I bought one of these with manual only shifting. I wouldn’t have if my 86 fourtrax hadn’t started making noises. I like the rubicon, I did notice that after I let it sit for about a month, I had a hard time shifting above 3rd gear, almost had to ram it up into 4th and 5th. Other than that, it’s a bike that I’m going to beat the shit out of. When the weather gets cold, I’ll fix the fourtrax too lol. Go Honda!
My first 4 wheeler was a Honda Foreman 400. It was built well, but it was full time 4wd. A real pain to turn around. I upgraded to a Yamaha 700 with electric power steering. I still have it and it's running great almost 20 yrs later.
I have a 2020 520 Rubicon with 5800k, it has been perfect, zero issues. If reliability is a must you can't go wrong. Thinking about buying a second one.
Hondas might be slow as shit. But they are so stupid reliable its not even funny. Thats what it is great about them. If you want a work horse around the house/farm, change the oil maybe 1 a year, never have to work on it, and it just run and run and run, thats what they are made for. If you want speed and handling go buy a can am. Thats what there for. You have to maintain the crap outta them though if you want any decent reliability. Hondas you can swamp em over and over again and almost nothing kills them besides not changing the oil at all.
Considering selling my 22' Outlander 650 and getting one of these. I've done the high performance thing in the past. I'm just looking for a trail quad that is, as you say, reliable and for the long term. No "drag racing" requirements here LOL! Love the idea of no belts to deal with as well. Cheers!
The outlander 650 is incredibly reliable, I see so many high mileage units. Like anything else out there, maintenance is key and these 650s can take the punishment. Also has the smoothest v-twin out of the line up as well as very balanced power. I love my 650 and would not trade it for anything else.
@@hammerheartdan6311 honda's require very little if any maintenance in my experience. I have seen them not get touched for very long periods of time and keep trucking. They are in a category of their own in that regard imo.
I'm just so damn disappointed that the rubicon 700 I heard about wasn't a new model but a 20 year old turd of a machine with a new nose. I loved my rubicon deluxe 500 and then I loved my 520 even more but another 10 hp would make it an absolute blast, so I was so excited to hear of the 700 only to be let down tremendously lol
With all the motorcycle engines they make, you' d think that upgrading the engine would be a snap. They could go all the way up to the 1800 cc 6-cylinder from the Goldwing with just bodywork and a new transfer case! Almost no development costs, engine already passes very rigorous on-road emissions and whatever else standards. Can you imagine? Whisper quiet, torque and power all day long, it will go for hundreds of thousands of kilometers... They could even give it the full Goldwing treatment with tons of storage, tons of creature comforts, crazy reliability... They could call it the Trailwing or something . It's a mystery to me why they wouldn't.
I watched a video on the Honda Talon and a Honda Employee said that anything bigger than what they already have risks Reliability, and they're not willing to risk it.
Add a larger more aggressive square tire set up, winch as I did. Perfect machine. You can Will this machine to your next of kin. Lifelong purchase. 3500 miles and is still the most reliable machine I own. Can Am and my Polaris are bad ass 1000s on 30s and 32s. At the end of the day. I still go to Honda when I have to do Mundane work, and or cut trees and pull them around. Best reliable and somewhat boring ATV.
Have u read about or seen the new rincon Honda is calling the rubicon 700. On Hondas website it doesn’t say it has power steering or diff lock or a low range. If I understand correctly it is just a rincon 700 with new plastics. I don’t understand why Honda does what they do. I have the 520 rubicon but I’d love to have the 700 rubicon if it had all the features of the 520. It would still be reliable but better.
I live off grid, only Honda is so basic and reliable for the tundra. Couple of years ago the DCT got regeared, better, not best. But I do wish Honda modernized their lineup with a v-twin.
I love my old ass 05 Honda Foreman. And my hunt camp has a bullet proof ‘92 350 Fourtrax. But I would never buy a new one today, in fact I would make that same claim for the past decade. Honda needs a proper update to this and also a proper 700 Rincon I hate to say it but they need to do what Canam just did with the Outlander, except they need to stick the landing with build quality and reliability
Can you elaborate? I have a '17 Rubicon and it's been fantastic with 4000 km or so and regular plowing. Can't imagine an improvement on the bike unless you want a high speed desert racer. Though, Honda should make a 2 up Rubicon or Yamaha a 2 up Grizzly; a reliable two seater would be a great option on the market.
Man you review this model often! And no new news. It works, but I want this but in a new Rincon, with a 700 single motor. Lil more plus suspension, etc. Honda needs to build out that Rincon model!
@@freidrichnietzsche6643 yeah that’s what I mean, it needs to be a 700 built rubicon. The reskinned Rincon is awful attempt at an update. I’ll be looking at a can am after my rubicon 520 days are over.
@@toolonthehill gotcha. Same here. We've had honda's for their reliability and had great success but next time around i'm going with a big bore from Polaris or CannedHam. 850 or 1000 sportsman or outlander. I love the new 570x2 that they released but want a little more power. Anyway, honda's failure to update and innovate is driving customers away.
I’ll just build a 2” receiver hitch for the Rubicon like I did with my 01 Rubicon. I would like to get the 520 someday but I don’t like that they changed the racks.
Couple things. As far as reliability it takes power to break stuff. Really it’s that simple. Also when a quad makes a Grizzly 700 seem like a powerhouse, you shouldn’t mention that quad and any of the big bore machines in the same sentence. Apples and oranges. I’m thinking a person would have to be a Honda fanboy to even consider purchasing that quad. That comment is not meant to be disrespectful. Just stating a fact. The Grizzly pretty much trumps the Honda in every category except price. I’d call them equal in reliability. Though I’m happy for anyone that has purchased the Honda and I am glad it’s out there. More competition is always a good thing.
I think your wrong on that. Ive owned both grizzly and both honda, and the honda trumps in reliability. The grizzly kinda sucked. And thats hard for me to say because im a yamaha guy. I blew up my grizzly. All my dirtbikes are yams. Only thing the grizzly was best at was a little more power, and it went through deeper stuff. It was a beast on that end. But other then that it was junk.
@@motormossvlogs1450I need to ask what year it was because 16,17 and 18 had a Subaru motor in it that caused a lot of grief. Also I had a friend’s son who had a Honda 420 quad that was such a piece of junk the dealer was reluctant to work on it any longer. Everybody makes a lemon.
My Yamaha bear tracker 250 from 2002 tops out at 45. Hondas have always been anemic. You have the CC's of a 500 but you get the performance of a 300 CC motor. Horsepower and torque numbers Honda has always been at the bottom of the list.
"this is a package that just works" I disagree. It has known issues with that DCT and its gear sensor failing, the suspension is stiff, the lights are halogen and no storage. All the welds on the bike tend to rust, especially on the racks. And finally the price is unjustified. There is no R&D costs, they don't add anything to justify a price increase every year. It don't break because it don't have enough power to break anything. They are nice looking though, and easy to do maintenance.
Thinking the 520 they are just targeting certain people they probably think if it works all around while being reliable why change it id love to have one but not for well over 10k-11k that's yamaha grizzly 700 territory with awesome reliability as well the rubicon in my opinion would be nice at a 8k $8500 price point I'd also expect atleast 50mph out of it the old small 350 ranchers used to hit 50 51mph
Honda all the way, I have a 2002 Honda Foreman ES that has been beat on like rented mule, it was stuck under water beneath a log jam for a day from falling in a creek and it still runs shifts and drives great, I bought a 2000 Honda Rancher for $50 that has been beat on far worse than my Foreman and last year I bought a 2024 Honda Foreman ES/EPS that still only has 4 miles because the old Hondas won't give up.
Just bought my kq750 2 weeks ago was debating this rubicon deluxe or the QK750 camo xpz. Both really reliable machienes plus it helps I got a left over 23 and paid the same price as the rubicon but with a winch and 5 year warrenty😅😉
you really need to review a Can-Am 1000 Renegade or xmr. The quality fit and finish of the Honda is nice but they are way too underpowered imo. The places that a 1,000 with good tires can get you is unbelievable compared to that Honda
We all know Hondas are reliable, but it's the same thing year in and year out. They need to do something to there ATV world. At least bring back the trx400.
I couldn't find one amongst our many two-inch balls so I made an assumption, but that's good to know. Thank you. Still think the lack of a 2-inch hitch receiver is a mistake.
Reliable, yes. Those electric shift. manual mode transmissions are regularly in the shop. The auto setting seems fine but that push button setup is very sensitive to voltage limitations in the system. It started with the electric shift Recon, thru the Ranchers, and now the higher end models. Last week we had 2 Ranchers and a Foreman in the shop all for electric shifting issues. Give me an old foot shift on a Honda and lower the price!
I’ve always loved Honda reliability, everyone has. However…. They don’t change much for what trail riders really want… the frame is too small.. the engine is too small.. comfort is lacking amenities are lacking… it’s almost 2025 and Honda,?.. that’s the best you got?…not impressed. Proud owner of an American made Polaris Sportsman 570 hunt edition.. so far, so much better in every aspect and more.
Honda should be done after the scam they tried to pull with fake 700 Rubicon. If that doesn’t tell you what Honda thinks of its customers I don’t know what will
Get over the hitch different size balls will fit in that hole why do you insist your truck hitch needs to be used? Balls are cheap and much lighter than a 2 inch receiver! My Shocker Hitch won’t fit any ATV!
you should have spliced in footage from when you reviewed the last rubicon deluxe. Its almost carbon copy. That rock hill you use is all grown in, your not doing enough reviews.
The reasons hondas don't often break is because they don't make enough power to break! 40 hp on sub 600 pound atv is pretty funny but they work and work well and good enough! Most people don't require 80-100 hp 4 wheeler! If you want to work your atv buy a can am or polaris. If you want to ride them buy honda or Yamaha!
unfortunately Honda wont keep up, wanted Honda reliability but bigger bore ended up with a king quad 750 more power nicer screen better power steering and a real hitch receiver just as reliable and cheaper and not to mention Suzuki is still far behind to just goes to show how far off Honda really is
Disappointing atv wherry smal and the engine is underpowered small tires and no winch as standard this is a machine for the special intrested i stick winch my tgb the hitch ball is hilarious asvel its like they trying to get out of the atv industry
i have my 07 rubicon 500 mudlites 2 on the original size and get 89km/h maybe more but i pussed out i dont think holing full throttle is good for an engine. i never get stuck only if im bottomed out and tires not touching ...it climbs anything ...tows anything i towed a friend on his atv with his front wheels broken off with ease lol. i just found it weird that this newer one is slower
I don’t care how “old” it is, I still think it’s a great looking ATV
I own and have reviewed this same machine. If you hold the red button you can also skip neutral when going from reverse back to Drive. It works both directions.
Great review as always.
520 rubicon foot shift eps 2023 for me and it does every thing I need on the farm . Will buy another one without hesitation .
I bought the exact one in this review and I love it. I wouldn't trade it for 2 of any other ATVs on the market.
I bought one of these with manual only shifting. I wouldn’t have if my 86 fourtrax hadn’t started making noises. I like the rubicon, I did notice that after I let it sit for about a month, I had a hard time shifting above 3rd gear, almost had to ram it up into 4th and 5th. Other than that, it’s a bike that I’m going to beat the shit out of.
When the weather gets cold, I’ll fix the fourtrax too lol. Go Honda!
My first 4 wheeler was a Honda Foreman 400. It was built well, but it was full time 4wd. A real pain to turn around. I upgraded to a Yamaha 700 with electric power steering. I still have it and it's running great almost 20 yrs later.
If no diff lock,will not get 1,strong engine with no diff lock
@@EdmondApassingok The grizzly 700 has a diff lock
I was sitting here rocking back and forth with you trying to get that atv out of the ruts in the hydroline 😂
DUDE I WAS THE SAME loool
I have a 2020 520 Rubicon with 5800k, it has been perfect, zero issues. If reliability is a must you can't go wrong. Thinking about buying a second one.
Reliability is the most important to me
does yours have EPS? thanks
Hondas might be slow as shit. But they are so stupid reliable its not even funny. Thats what it is great about them. If you want a work horse around the house/farm, change the oil maybe 1 a year, never have to work on it, and it just run and run and run, thats what they are made for. If you want speed and handling go buy a can am. Thats what there for. You have to maintain the crap outta them though if you want any decent reliability. Hondas you can swamp em over and over again and almost nothing kills them besides not changing the oil at all.
Considering selling my 22' Outlander 650 and getting one of these. I've done the high performance thing in the past. I'm just looking for a trail quad that is, as you say, reliable and for the long term. No "drag racing" requirements here LOL! Love the idea of no belts to deal with as well. Cheers!
The outlander 650 is incredibly reliable, I see so many high mileage units. Like anything else out there, maintenance is key and these 650s can take the punishment. Also has the smoothest v-twin out of the line up as well as very balanced power. I love my 650 and would not trade it for anything else.
@@hammerheartdan6311 honda's require very little if any maintenance in my experience. I have seen them not get touched for very long periods of time and keep trucking. They are in a category of their own in that regard imo.
Grizzly 700.
I'm just so damn disappointed that the rubicon 700 I heard about wasn't a new model but a 20 year old turd of a machine with a new nose. I loved my rubicon deluxe 500 and then I loved my 520 even more but another 10 hp would make it an absolute blast, so I was so excited to hear of the 700 only to be let down tremendously lol
Right
Grow up son and stop spewing immature immoral profanity on an open forum. How pathetic.
Stop spewing immature immoral profanity!
@@bryandale7125Huh?
With all the motorcycle engines they make, you' d think that upgrading the engine would be a snap. They could go all the way up to the 1800 cc 6-cylinder from the Goldwing with just bodywork and a new transfer case! Almost no development costs, engine already passes very rigorous on-road emissions and whatever else standards. Can you imagine? Whisper quiet, torque and power all day long, it will go for hundreds of thousands of kilometers... They could even give it the full Goldwing treatment with tons of storage, tons of creature comforts, crazy reliability... They could call it the Trailwing or something . It's a mystery to me why they wouldn't.
i still have my 1st honda a 1981 honda atc 70 still runs perfectly also have my 1984 honda trail110
I watched a video on the Honda Talon and a Honda Employee said that anything bigger than what they already have risks Reliability, and they're not willing to risk it.
Add a larger more aggressive square tire set up, winch as I did. Perfect machine. You can Will this machine to your next of kin. Lifelong purchase. 3500 miles and is still the most reliable machine I own. Can Am and my Polaris are bad ass 1000s on 30s and 32s.
At the end of the day. I still go to Honda when I have to do Mundane work, and or cut trees and pull them around. Best reliable and somewhat boring ATV.
Have u read about or seen the new rincon Honda is calling the rubicon 700. On Hondas website it doesn’t say it has power steering or diff lock or a low range. If I understand correctly it is just a rincon 700 with new plastics. I don’t understand why Honda does what they do. I have the 520 rubicon but I’d love to have the 700 rubicon if it had all the features of the 520. It would still be reliable but better.
I live off grid, only Honda is so basic and reliable for the tundra. Couple of years ago the DCT got regeared, better, not best. But I do wish Honda modernized their lineup with a v-twin.
You should do a review of the Yamaha kodiak 450 and see how it compares. price point is lower power similar.
I love my old ass 05 Honda Foreman. And my hunt camp has a bullet proof ‘92 350 Fourtrax. But I would never buy a new one today, in fact I would make that same claim for the past decade.
Honda needs a proper update to this and also a proper 700 Rincon
I hate to say it but they need to do what Canam just did with the Outlander, except they need to stick the landing with build quality and reliability
Can you elaborate? I have a '17 Rubicon and it's been fantastic with 4000 km or so and regular plowing. Can't imagine an improvement on the bike unless you want a high speed desert racer. Though, Honda should make a 2 up Rubicon or Yamaha a 2 up Grizzly; a reliable two seater would be a great option on the market.
@@ExpeditionaryRanger it’s pretty under powered even for trail riding. Especially if you’ve been on a Grizz, Outlander 700, etc.
I'm planning on getting the foot shift version of the one you tested
I have the rubicon deluxe 2015. Foot shift and Ps, just needs more hp.
Great match for my 24 Jeep Rubicon
Man you review this model often! And no new news. It works, but I want this but in a new Rincon, with a 700 single motor. Lil more plus suspension, etc. Honda needs to build out that Rincon model!
To each their own… Dig into the reviews on it. …It’s not doing well.
@@freidrichnietzsche6643 yeah that’s what I mean, it needs to be a 700 built rubicon. The reskinned Rincon is awful attempt at an update. I’ll be looking at a can am after my rubicon 520 days are over.
@@toolonthehill gotcha. Same here. We've had honda's for their reliability and had great success but next time around i'm going with a big bore from Polaris or CannedHam. 850 or 1000 sportsman or outlander. I love the new 570x2 that they released but want a little more power. Anyway, honda's failure to update and innovate is driving customers away.
We need a manual clutch 4x4. Reliability is king.
I have a rubicon deluxe and I have a 2 inch ball for hauling
You can add a two inch receiver, the #100790 Honda IRS 2 Inch Receiver from KFI.
They need to put a big engine in the Rubicon. I love my 2016 500 but would like more power and gears
I’ll just build a 2” receiver hitch for the Rubicon like I did with my 01 Rubicon. I would like to get the 520 someday but I don’t like that they changed the racks.
Couple things. As far as reliability it takes power to break stuff. Really it’s that simple. Also when a quad makes a Grizzly 700 seem like a powerhouse, you shouldn’t mention that quad and any of the big bore machines in the same sentence. Apples and oranges. I’m thinking a person would have to be a Honda fanboy to even consider purchasing that quad. That comment is not meant to be disrespectful. Just stating a fact. The Grizzly pretty much trumps the Honda in every category except price. I’d call them equal in reliability. Though I’m happy for anyone that has purchased the Honda and I am glad it’s out there. More competition is always a good thing.
I think your wrong on that. Ive owned both grizzly and both honda, and the honda trumps in reliability. The grizzly kinda sucked. And thats hard for me to say because im a yamaha guy. I blew up my grizzly. All my dirtbikes are yams. Only thing the grizzly was best at was a little more power, and it went through deeper stuff. It was a beast on that end. But other then that it was junk.
@@motormossvlogs1450I need to ask what year it was because 16,17 and 18 had a Subaru motor in it that caused a lot of grief. Also I had a friend’s son who had a Honda 420 quad that was such a piece of junk the dealer was reluctant to work on it any longer. Everybody makes a lemon.
12:04 is the top speed segment. Other than that this review could be accomplished by sitting on one for 5 minutes @ the dealer.
@ 12:27, 44 mph is pretty slow 😞 My 2018 Sportsman 570 SP hits around 65 mph or so.
My Yamaha bear tracker 250 from 2002 tops out at 45. Hondas have always been anemic. You have the CC's of a 500 but you get the performance of a 300 CC motor. Horsepower and torque numbers Honda has always been at the bottom of the list.
"this is a package that just works"
I disagree. It has known issues with that DCT and its gear sensor failing, the suspension is stiff, the lights are halogen and no storage. All the welds on the bike tend to rust, especially on the racks. And finally the price is unjustified. There is no R&D costs, they don't add anything to justify a price increase every year.
It don't break because it don't have enough power to break anything. They are nice looking though, and easy to do maintenance.
Thinking the 520 they are just targeting certain people they probably think if it works all around while being reliable why change it id love to have one but not for well over 10k-11k that's yamaha grizzly 700 territory with awesome reliability as well the rubicon in my opinion would be nice at a 8k $8500 price point I'd also expect atleast 50mph out of it the old small 350 ranchers used to hit 50 51mph
Honda all the way, I have a 2002 Honda Foreman ES that has been beat on like rented mule, it was stuck under water beneath a log jam for a day from falling in a creek and it still runs shifts and drives great, I bought a 2000 Honda Rancher for $50 that has been beat on far worse than my Foreman and last year I bought a 2024 Honda Foreman ES/EPS that still only has 4 miles because the old Hondas won't give up.
Sticking with my KQ750
Good to know.
Just bought my kq750 2 weeks ago was debating this rubicon deluxe or the QK750 camo xpz. Both really reliable machienes plus it helps I got a left over 23 and paid the same price as the rubicon but with a winch and 5 year warrenty😅😉
@@davideditrolio6391
How do you like your Suzuki? Any problems with it?
@lisaweaver7992 The bike is great only put 120km on it so far on my last hunt so still brand new not a single problem and don't think there will be.🤞🏻
In have a 2021 KQ 750 with about 7500km on it now and no issues at all. Great all around machine and very durable @@lisaweaver7992
When they make a twin cylinder with 5 speed foot shift I’ll buy one
bad tires?
Lots of room for personalizing these vehicles so should do well in the ongoing collapse of everything else.
Rubicon 2024 has stupid speed limiter at 45 mph. How do over ride it. Older models do 57-58 help anyone.
you really need to review a Can-Am 1000 Renegade or xmr. The quality fit and finish of the Honda is nice but they are way too underpowered imo. The places that a 1,000 with good tires can get you is unbelievable compared to that Honda
C’mon now…why do you think that hole limits your hitch size? Maybe a better question would be asking what size you thought it limited you to?
We all know Hondas are reliable, but it's the same thing year in and year out. They need to do something to there ATV world. At least bring back the trx400.
How much is it
They make a 2in ball with smaller threads to fit.
I couldn't find one amongst our many two-inch balls so I made an assumption, but that's good to know. Thank you.
Still think the lack of a 2-inch hitch receiver is a mistake.
@@tkpowersportsIt is. Every machine with a hitch should have a 2” one.
71km/hr for 13 thousand dollars is unacceptable. Overdrive would work.
Reliable, yes. Those electric shift. manual mode transmissions are regularly in the shop. The auto setting seems fine but that push button setup is very sensitive to voltage limitations in the system. It started with the electric shift Recon, thru the Ranchers, and now the higher end models. Last week we had 2 Ranchers and a Foreman in the shop all for electric shifting issues. Give me an old foot shift on a Honda and lower the price!
you cant go wrong with honda acura
Stock tires are garbage on thr Rubi..first thing I did was take those off
I’ve always loved Honda reliability, everyone has. However…. They don’t change much for what trail riders really want… the frame is too small.. the engine is too small.. comfort is lacking amenities are lacking… it’s almost 2025 and Honda,?.. that’s the best you got?…not impressed.
Proud owner of an American made Polaris Sportsman 570 hunt edition.. so far, so much better in every aspect and more.
Looked a bit X rated trying to get out of the ruts.😮
Underpowered. Wish they’d put more power in their units. I’d buy them.
Honda should be done after the scam they tried to pull with fake 700 Rubicon. If that doesn’t tell you what Honda thinks of its customers I don’t know what will
Well if you want slow….this is it 😂👍
Get over the hitch different size balls will fit in that hole why do you insist your truck hitch needs to be used? Balls are cheap and much lighter than a 2 inch receiver! My Shocker Hitch won’t fit any ATV!
You can buy a two inch ball that will fit that set-up. Just sayin’
Reliable but overrated and underpowered. Need a big bore option because people are leaving honda and going to other brands.
Witam, pozdrawiam z Poland 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱❤👍posiadam hondę rincon typowy wół roboczy.❤
you should have spliced in footage from when you reviewed the last rubicon deluxe. Its almost carbon copy. That rock hill you use is all grown in, your not doing enough reviews.
Thanks Honda! For bringing us another boring quad! I think they need to fire their engineering team.
The reasons hondas don't often break is because they don't make enough power to break! 40 hp on sub 600 pound atv is pretty funny but they work and work well and good enough! Most people don't require 80-100 hp 4 wheeler! If you want to work your atv buy a can am or polaris. If you want to ride them buy honda or Yamaha!
THIS 100%
unfortunately Honda wont keep up, wanted Honda reliability but bigger bore ended up with a king quad 750 more power nicer screen better power steering and a real hitch receiver just as reliable and cheaper and not to mention Suzuki is still far behind to just goes to show how far off Honda really is
went from a 22 Rubicon 520 deluxe
Rubicon 700
Those stock tires suck
Sad !
🤣 honda. Cam am or Polaris all day..
Disappointing atv wherry smal and the engine is underpowered small tires and no winch as standard this is a machine for the special intrested i stick winch my tgb the hitch ball is hilarious asvel its like they trying to get out of the atv industry
i have my 07 rubicon 500 mudlites 2 on the original size and get 89km/h maybe more but i pussed out i dont think holing full throttle is good for an engine. i never get stuck only if im bottomed out and tires not touching ...it climbs anything ...tows anything i towed a friend on his atv with his front wheels broken off with ease lol. i just found it weird that this newer one is slower