My daughter has been riding her 90 sportsman for two seasons - this will be her third this summer. She's outgrown the 90 and I was looking at the Honda Recon ES. Its the right size for her and her older 120 pound sisters but I question the electric shift feature. Is this a reliable and durable system or am I buying into something that is problematic?
My 18 year old daughter rides a Recon ES. Takes her everywhere she wants to go. The ES I feel is the way to go. Our 4-wd Rancher is also an ES. The extras are worth it and quite trouble free. The 2-wd Rancher ES is a good choice too.
__________________
2001 Rubicon
11,111+ miles 1150+ hours
HondaMatic Trans
Everything else is just a belt.
Honda, Best on Earth
Don't let the electric shift scare you. It's really a pretty simple system. If I see problems with them, they are usually minor, and most people would tell you they haven't had any.
We've had our Recon ESs for about a year now and haven't had any problems with them at all.I like it better than any regular shift I've ever rode.You can't go wrong with a Recon ES.
Nothing wrong with the manual shift either. However, I have seen linkeage problems on occasion on some manual shift models that never would have happened with electric shift. You can apply much more force on the linkeage with your foot than the shift motor can.
I hope you guys are right - I just picked up a 2003 ReconES this AM. One more question - is there anything we need to avoid that is a common mistake or problem with new people riding a ES?
The ES bikes I have driven have worked just as advertised.
A neighbor has had a few problems with his ES Foreman, but it was nothing major. Just irritating when it locked in one gear on the trail, and we had to stop. 5 minutes of wiggling connectors, and it has always started working again. Nothing I don't think a little dilectric grease wouldn't cure.
This new Recon has a idle problem me thinks. When warm - it idles about 3000 rpm, When cold it wont stay running. I adjust the screw some when cold to keep the rpm enough to stay running, but when hot its a nightmare and I have to adjust it down again - a lot.