honda 420es

[GTB]

How are you getting on with the Yamaha? What's fuel consumption like? That's my biggest concern with these big powered bikes that theyl be real guzzlers when towing/working hard

Well it doesn't have a clock so I've no idea tbh. I'd guess it uses about the same as the Honda 500 auto but that's just a guess really. Very nice bike to use though. Far more comfortable than the Honda, steering is lighter (with no power steering) but believe it or not the front end is lighter than the Honda if you have a bit of weight on the back.

 

[Al R]

I had a drive of a Can Am around the dealers yard and wasn't even slightly tempted to buy one.

Same dealer that does Honda? John was telling us their good machines etc but havnt been up there to see them yet. Hoping to go and try all of their makes once lambings over to see what we get next, I think their doing yam now too?

 

[Al R]

Is that the height of laziness, can't even flick your leg a couple mm's. Hired a ES and never again, jumpy/jerky if it decided it would go in gear

Driver side straddles to the right as passenger is on the left footwell. We've never had a problem with the ES's so won't go to manual, auto if anything!

 

[Jim75]

My last memory of an ES is soil sampling up in the hills and having to walk some distance to retrieve pickup and trailer and then try dragging it on to the trailer to get it home.

 

[reverand]

A mate runs a can am and a Honda.
Can am is utter sh1te. Couldn't pull skin off a rice pudding!

Recently changed my Honda 500 for a 420. Maybe not the grunt of the big Honda but still very happy with it

Surprised to hear that about the can am. I've had my 500 cc 12 months and it pulls very well with a trailer on up my hills. Bags of power

 

[GTB]

Same dealer that does Honda? John was telling us their good machines etc but havnt been up there to see them yet. Hoping to go and try all of their makes once lambings over to see what we get next, I think their doing yam now too?

Yes tried the Honda, can am and Yamaha in his yard. Ended up buying the Yamaha from another dealer though.

 

[Nithsdale]

I had a drive of a Can Am around the dealers yard and wasn't even slightly tempted to buy one.

Haven't had a chance to drive one but iv sat on, and had a good look over them. Didn't impress me - mind you, no new bikes do really.

 

[GTB]

Haven't had a chance to drive one but iv sat on, and had a good look over them. Didn't impress me - mind you, no new bikes do really.

The gearstick is on the right so you have to take your right hand off the throttle to shuttle from forward to reverse etc which makes shuttling very slow. There isn't a brake lever on the right handlebar and there were stowage boxes under the front (and rear IIRC) rack which would be useless if you had a box or tray on the rack. And it looked a bit like a Chinese quad.

 

[Bill dog]

We've had 2 Honda 's nicked over last 5 yrs. seems to be what the vermin target to chop up and put engines in go carts. Got a 2 nd hand can am 500 from the dealer after our Honda 350 walked in Jan. Goes like the clappers yes, but really don't like it. Tinny looking, thirsty, gear selection lever is a faf on the right hand side. And the dashboard computer packed in after getting wet in the rain on Fri. But maybe the pickeys won't like it either !

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We've had 2 Honda 's nicked over last 5 yrs. seems to be what the vermin target to chop up and put engines in go carts. Got a 2 nd hand can am 500 from the dealer after our Honda 350 walked in Jan. Goes like the clappers yes, but really don't like it. Tinny looking, thirsty, gear selection lever is a faf on the right hand side. And the dashboard computer packed in after getting wet in the rain on Fri. But maybe the pickeys won't like it either !

They'd probably still nick it, but leave it in the frame and ride it . Take the key out, they'd have to have a new key programmed by a dealer.. and dealers definitely don't just do it for anybody... or if they steal a Honda, chase it on your horse you'll soon catch up, the horse probably has more modern design features anyway[emoji38]Don't get me wrong, Honda's are good bikes, but they've been relying far too heavily on their rep from the old TRX300 days IMO, and they were probably better quads than most current models for reliability

 

[Bill dog]

They'd probably still nick it, but leave it in the frame and ride it . Take the key out, they'd have to have a new key programmed by a dealer.. and dealers definitely don't just do it for anybody... or if they steal a Honda, chase it on your horse you'll soon catch up, the horse probably has more modern design features anyway[emoji38]Don't get me wrong, Honda's are good bikes, but they've been relying far too heavily on their rep from the old TRX300 days IMO, and they were probably better quads than most current models for reliability

Haha, my horse is a lot more reliable ! And better at jumping the fence into the next field.

 

[90hp farming]

All Honda have to do is put the 450 back into production again. That would ensure they resume as market leaders...........