New member here. Been riding and light wrenching since I was 12, turn 50 this summer. Fell in love with Hondas and ORV when I bought a 1967 CT90 (Trail90) basket case at a yard sale and a service manual for same at the dealer. When I say basket case, I'm not joking. Rebuilt my first Hondamatic transmission at 12 years old! Ridden pretty much exclusively 4 stroke Hondas since then. CTs, XRs, XLs, ATCs and TRXs. My current fleet includes a '74 CT90, a 2000 Rancher 350 ES 2wd, a 2002 Rancher 350 ES 4x4, a 2007 Rancher Rancher 420 ES and a 2017 Rubicon Deluxe.
The 2017 Ruubicon, I am sad to say, is the worst starting rig in the fleet. The warrantee runs out in about 30 days, and I need to get it back to the dealer to get it straightened out. A buddy of mine bought a very similar machine within a week of when I bought mine (his is a not a Deluxe, but a green EPS/ES) On his -whether hot start or cold- he turns on the key, waits a couple seconds, bunts the starter button and it just purrs. Mine, I turn on the key, wait a couple seconds and crank, and crank, and crank. When it's warmed up, it does start a little better, but when it's cold I have to crank it sometimes for a full minute. It's been this way since new, and when I picked it up, the dealer says "Oh, they all do that when brand new, it'll work itself out of it." Well, it hasn't. To make matters worse, it gets limited use in the Winter months. (It's stored in a part time heated garage, but never outside) If I don't start it every weekend, the battery will die before it will crank long enough to start.
Any thoughts at all? It may sound silly, but my guess was a bad fuel pump, not holding fuel pressure when the machine is off. Like it has to bring fuel back from the tank every time, but, you know, well, "Gravity" and stuff. Bad valve adjustment? Bad fuel ratio mix? (It's always had Ethanol free, 90 octane since I bought it new). Sucking air? It runs great once it starts. I trail ride with the thing, and often do 100 mile rides in a day.... I need to make sure it will start every time! It hasn't left me stranded, YET.
Headed to the dealer (without it) today, to make an appointment and get it documented, while still under warrantee.
The 2017 Ruubicon, I am sad to say, is the worst starting rig in the fleet. The warrantee runs out in about 30 days, and I need to get it back to the dealer to get it straightened out. A buddy of mine bought a very similar machine within a week of when I bought mine (his is a not a Deluxe, but a green EPS/ES) On his -whether hot start or cold- he turns on the key, waits a couple seconds, bunts the starter button and it just purrs. Mine, I turn on the key, wait a couple seconds and crank, and crank, and crank. When it's warmed up, it does start a little better, but when it's cold I have to crank it sometimes for a full minute. It's been this way since new, and when I picked it up, the dealer says "Oh, they all do that when brand new, it'll work itself out of it." Well, it hasn't. To make matters worse, it gets limited use in the Winter months. (It's stored in a part time heated garage, but never outside) If I don't start it every weekend, the battery will die before it will crank long enough to start.
Any thoughts at all? It may sound silly, but my guess was a bad fuel pump, not holding fuel pressure when the machine is off. Like it has to bring fuel back from the tank every time, but, you know, well, "Gravity" and stuff. Bad valve adjustment? Bad fuel ratio mix? (It's always had Ethanol free, 90 octane since I bought it new). Sucking air? It runs great once it starts. I trail ride with the thing, and often do 100 mile rides in a day.... I need to make sure it will start every time! It hasn't left me stranded, YET.
Headed to the dealer (without it) today, to make an appointment and get it documented, while still under warrantee.
