Needs Power

[lomac]

Had the BR up at 10k feet and did some climbing in the mountains......after owning the BR for 3 months now, I have ridden in mud, desert dunes, and now mountains and just wanted to post some things I like and some I dont......

Likes

1. Love that it is a Honda and the feeling of knowing that it will get me there and back......the main reason for my purchase.

2. Love the size. After owning a Polaris RZR S (completely diff vehicle) I love the large size of this machine. It is BIG and has lots of space.

3. Like the transmission.....good idea and love the fact that it is not a belt and I wont be having to change it anytime soon.

Dislikes

1. Power to Weight. This is a heavy machine and you can tell it. I feel it is severely underpowered. Having had quads and jeeps, this BR could have easily handled a much larger engine. The machine actually struggled to climb a hill in 4wd.......and the hill was not that steep. I had the pedal through the floor and it was all the machine could do to make it up the hill. Tires were not spinning, and it was empty at the time......it simply just did not have the power to push itself up the hill. With the transmission, more power is needed. The other post on here where the BR wont spin the tires, is an example of what I am talking about. The BR needs more power or needs to lose 300 lbs.......If you dont think so, go drive a RZR or a Rhino up a hill and you will understand what I am talking about.

2. The size. Although it is one of the reasons I like the machine, it is also a dislike. This thing is big. If you attempt to ride most trails (not roads) you will find it difficult to fit through a lot of areas. I followed a Rhino who never had a problem going where the quads could go......but there were places I would definitely not fit.......not to mention the scratches I took going there anyway.

3. Rev limiter. This is just stupid. The machine can and will give much more.....but someone in legal probably shut it down? It is flat out annoying. Hopefully someone will have a fix soon.

4. Aftermarket is non existant. Good luck finding performance parts. If you build them, they will sell as they are needed.

5. Steering in 4wd all locked is extremely stiff.....so much so, it is almost dangerous and I found the machine performed better in 4wd free on the hills due to the lack of power.

Overall, I like the machine. Could it be better.....YES MUCH..... there is absolutely no reason for this thing to be underpowered. Keep it on flat ground and you will love it, so long as you are not in a hurry to get anywhere. Dont get me wrong, I still believe it is one of the best utility vehicles around and I do love Honda products. Would I buy it again, YES. Would I also consider the Yamaha Rhino or Teryx.....YES. Just wanted to give my .02 cents for those that may be looking to purchase.

[Cenflrider]

Lomac,
Many of us echo you thoughts on BR and I can only hope that Honda reads this forum. I would venture to say that many of us posting on this forum sought out a BR and pondered the reasons for owning one for more than a few days before dropping our hard earned cash on the table. That said, the shortcomings such as lack of power and power steering are certainly items that can be resolved easily with existing parts/power plants. I just wonder what the reason was/is for not addressing these before the initial release date. Answers we will more than likely never know.
Would it be possible for you to post pictures of the places you’ve been?

[lomac]

Will try to get some pics up this week. Havent tried it yet but will try to get it done by this weekend.

[Cenflrider]

Get a free Photobucket account for hosting your pictues for posting. Its easy, fast and you can use the same account to share things with other folks also.
Let us know if we can provide any tips.

[xtremerancher02]

I'm just wondering do still have the factory exhaust tip on it? I'm not sure if I got a good one or is it just the stuff I've don't to mine witch makes it good but I've had mine loaded down with 600+ lbs of corn me and a passenger going up hills around 45 degrees and 30-40 yards tall if not taller and didn't have a problem doing it either I think the factory intake and exhaust is a big power robber from the unit and as for the rev limiter I have yet to hit mine but I'm also running 30" mudzillas and 31" outlaw tires that I can turn them really good in the mud that's just my 2 cents I agree I wish it had power steering that would make it so nice

[BIGBONVI]

i do agree it needs more power, but i am the type of person that has to have every bolt on and performance part available. with that said, i have not experienced any power struggles. i too have had 600-700lbs of lime, seed, and fertilyzer while climbing hills. i have towed downed trees uphill with no problems. i pulled a 12' trailer with a box stand and 4 total passengers. everytime it seems to begin to stall i just give it more gas and up or over i go.

[sc_emt05]

xtremerancher02 & BIGBONVI, what elevation are u riding at?

[xtremerancher02]

I believe we both live in south central Louisiana

[BigLakeBR]

I agree with everything said but also needs heavier springs in the front! But I wouldn't own any other brand!

[olivecrossbones]

Cenflrider - could you please explain (in some detail) the photobucket process? I have several additions on my Hippo that I would like to share that others may be interested in.
Thanks in advance for the time and effort.

[Eric]

xtremerancher02, how much of a power increase have you got with the pc3 and the
exhaust.I am not looking for speed I want low end torque.And is there any one brand of tuner that is better tnan the other.And what exhaust do you recemend.Thanks for any info from anybody out there.

[BIGBONVI]

i just sent dynojet an email telling them about br owners wanting for more power. dynojet is giving free products to people to let them "test" their atvs if you can get it to las vegas. although the br is not on the test list, maybe if enough of us inquire, they will give us want we want...more power. we need to spread the word. i know extremerancher has has some success with the pcIII, but one of the manufacturers needs to step up to the plate. the only way we do this is by supply and demand. btw i have also posted this message on the "HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM" forum.

[Dr_Al]

I often see people say they need more power and while I would have bought a bigger engine version of Honda made it I have never been lacking for power. I've pulled a trailer with 800 lbs of cement (10 80lbs bags) and had three more in the bed up a pretty steep hill between my cabin and house. I wanted to test it to see what it could do. I think if it had more power it would just spin the wheels easier. Maybe each BR is different?

[Rincon34]

Dr AL

It may be different for every BR, but it is always nice to have extra power when you need it. I kave only had one time where I stalled out, but a few times when it acted like it might. Most of the time there is not an issue for me.
Just my two cents.

[helomech]

I dragged a telephone pole uphill today with no problems. Left a trench in the yard where the pole was digging into the ground. Must be an elevation issue, I am only at 500 feet. It had plenty of power to drag this, not sure of the weight, but I can't roll it over by hand.

[Rincon34]

Could be elevation related, I am at 5000 feet and up. I would think the EFI should compensate for that, but it may need a little help, I'm thinkin more and more about the DynoTek Rincon module!

[hoser]

Originally Posted by Rincon34

Could be elevation related, I am at 5000 feet and up. I would think the EFI should compensate for that, but it may need a little help, I'm thinkin more and more about the DynoTek Rincon module!

Elevation plays a big part on power even if the EFI has the jetting corrected for the elevation your running at dialed in perfectly simply because their is less air available to mix with fuel and burn this is where forced induction comes in handy your always forcing the required amount of air into the engine at almost any elevation so dont have noticeable power decreases.