A completely new chassis and a plethora of options in terms of vehicle configurations are just some of the highlights of the new 2014 Honda Rancher, several of which we had a chance to test ride in the Ohio countryside this week.
We came away from that afternoon of riding impressed with the 420cc FourTrax Rancher and the changes Honda has made for the upcoming model year. More specifically, the new frame/chassis has improved the ride and handling of the vehicle while a new swingarm and enclosed rear axle add strength and rigidity to the chassis.
A new suspension front and rear offer 6.7 inches of travel, compared to the 2013 Rancher's 6.3 inches.
And there is seemingly a version of the Rancher for just about anyone as there are seven models available: the base Rancher, Rancher ES (Electric Shift), Rancher 4x4, Rancher 4x4 EPS (Electric Power Steering), Rancher 4x4 ES, Rancher Automatic DCT and Rancher Automatic DCT EPS. The DCT is Honda's premium Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission, which has new updated dual-zone shift logic for improved adaptation to all riding conditions based on rider and vehicle inputs.
Power steering is the way to go (we know, we sound like a broken record) and so one of our favorite rides on the Rancher was the manual shift (or ES-either was fun) and EPS.
We'll have a complete report soon on the Ranchers and their key point-price (the base model starts at $5,199).
