[shadetree]

As far as tuning goes Mac is right Shady, a tach is very necessary. Take a track car to the dyno and the guy will tell you to take your car home and bring it back when you have one fitted!

anddddddddd, that's where and why I said if your going by the book ?!. sure, a tach needs to be there, how else you going to know the rpms when testing ?. but for a atv ?, come on, most utility atvs does not call for them, simply because Honda or anyone for that matter build the rpm curve into the ecu/pcm/c.d.i. ?,so it knows when to change gears and all that crap for the automatic trannies. for a semi-auto clutch, which most have these days, you don't need a tach. but what ever.

 

[shadetree]

So you would be fine not having anything other than idiot lights and speedometer on a pickup?

I know I'm not. I use my truck as it was designed. To pull trailers, plow snow, haul my four wheeler. I like to know if my plow is causing it to overheat or draining the battery down. Same thing with the trans temp.

What difference does it make if it had 1 gauge or 10? If a gauge fails it's not like you will be walking home lol

never said anything about the idiots lights ?..I SAID TACH !!..LOL. no automatic tranny should have a tach, unless your stickily working by the book ?. you don't need a tach for an automatic transmission ?..it aleady knows when to shift while in D, correct ?, it also has tow mode, knows when to shift then ?, a tach is worthless on a automatic, heck, I never even used it when I was driving a standard transmission truck ?, if you can't shift gears by ear ?, you don't need to drive a standard !..lol. ever wonder how many truck drivers ( real truck drivers that drive over the road ) use their clutch ??. I know a lot that never touch it, cept when in town ?..lol.

Well if an auto truck doesn't need a tach then why does it need all those other gauges?

And being you brought up "real truck drivers". I drive trucks. 8-10 speed mostly but have run a few 18 speeds. 6 wheelers all the way up to 22 wheelers. Starting out in construction you don't get assigned one truck. You get whatever piece junk is left. And that changes daily lol. If any of them tell you they've never used the tach they're full of sh*t. Every truck is different. Different manufactures have higher or lower rpm shift points depending on the torque curve. Sure once you get some miles in it you don't need the tach and can go by ear.

Then there's progressive shifting. Which is used to save fuel while on the way to highway speed by over the road truckers. You need to use the tach for that or else you're defeating the purpose of it. Unless they have a perfectly tuned ear and can tell rpm differences of about 500 rpm lol

And as far as the clutch goes, the reason they don't need a clutch is because they've used the tach to find the the proper shift rpm and then learned the sound from that. I don't need to use the clutch. But if I'm loaded heavy I might. They put it there for a reason. And if it makes easier on the trans then why not use it? When your at about 90k lbs banging gears hard can leave you stranded.

'' why does an auto truck need all those other gauges '' ?, are you for real ?, or you just trying me ?..lol those other gauges are there for a reason !. they tell you how hot your engine is ?, they tell you what your oil pressure is ?, they tell you if your charging system is ..well..you guessed it...charging !!. they tell you your transmission temp ?, shall I go on ?...lol. I drove many small pick ups, and both I could shift without using the clutch !!. not sure how you drive ?, but you learn a few things as you get to be my age !..lol. shifting gears does apply to a tach ?, but !!!..you do not need a tach to shift !, if you know the engines rpms ?, the sound it makes once it reaches that rpm limit..BY EAR !!, then you could shift all day without a stupid tach, prove me I am wrong !..lol.

 

[mrbb]

I think a Tach would be great, and a simple thing OEM"s can add, and many, all the more so that have belt drive atv's could use as a tool to do clutch tuning!

BUT since I grew up riding MX bikes and almost NON ever had a tach, and all were manual shift machines, I know you can get by without one

but again, I think the point here, adding a TACH< is a simple thing, that OEM"S could do., and can ONLY help and make there product look more put together!

I think most of the new modern digital gauge pods they make, it would be even easier for them to have one too?

 

[shadetree]

I think a Tach would be great, and a simple thing OEM"s can add, and many, all the more so that have belt drive atv's could use as a tool to do clutch tuning!

BUT since I grew up riding MX bikes and almost NON ever had a tach, and all were manual shift machines, I know you can get by without one

but again, I think the point here, adding a TACH< is a simple thing, that OEM"S could do., and can ONLY help and make there product look more put together!

I think most of the new modern digital gauge pods they make, it would be even easier for them to have one too?

I won't argue that it would be fancy to have a tach built into the meter ?, but answer me this, why would you need a tach for a semi-auto transmission ?. for a sport atv, with a manual shift ( like using the clutch lever to change gears ) then sure..i can see it !. but for semi-auto transmissions ?, i'm sorry, I just don't see it.

 

[mrbb]

SHade I can answer this real easy for you
because some people are moron's
I will bet there is a TON of people that ride semi auto honda 4x4 atv's and rev the crap out of them well past what would be the RED area on a tach before shifting them

I have seen several posts on this site and others of folks asking WHEN they should shift and or how to know when to shift
I gather some are NEW folks that JUST don't know, and some are well again MORONS that cannot figure out a motor screaming means its time to shift
a TACH, or even a shift light, would do this, buy giving them some info on WHEN to shift(in case the light bulb over there head doesn't come on HAHA)

SO< with this, I can justify WHY a tach should be on a semi auto trans ATV

for guys looking to squeeze the MOST out of every shift too, getting right on the cusp of the red line before shifting, will get you the MOST performance out of the motor/trans
say if your racing in a local hare scramble( on a spur of the moment entry)
knowing this infi on red line and what your atv CAN or cannot do STOCK( or maybe for the guys that add shift kits /clutch kits) can help MAKE you a better racer, or just in general trail rider

I know me and you are PAST the days of wanting to RACE down trails
BUT there honestly is many good reasons to have a tach on an ATV period, regardless of the type of trans

NOW< also, what abouut helping KNOW when your motor is going SOUTH on you in power, if you USED to pull "X" RPMS in "X" gear and do "X" things, and now cannot, a tach will SHOW you your loosing power
hard to see small power loss when you ride something ALL the time, slow goings are easy to over look , like if you ride someone else over your's you Might notice things faster

as small changes taking place on YOUR atv, many times are harder to FEEL, due to they happen SLOWLY, and untill they effect things MORE< you can miss small things

a TACH again can help here as well

SO

SORRY Shade a tach has more pro's than con's and NO reason they don't have one
almost every thing you ride /drive should IMO, its just a tool like temp gauage or what ever
there only there to HELP

 

[mac102004]

never said anything about the idiots lights ?..I SAID TACH !!..LOL. no automatic tranny should have a tach, unless your stickily working by the book ?. you don't need a tach for an automatic transmission ?..it aleady knows when to shift while in D, correct ?, it also has tow mode, knows when to shift then ?, a tach is worthless on a automatic, heck, I never even used it when I was driving a standard transmission truck ?, if you can't shift gears by ear ?, you don't need to drive a standard !..lol. ever wonder how many truck drivers ( real truck drivers that drive over the road ) use their clutch ??. I know a lot that never touch it, cept when in town ?..lol.

Well if an auto truck doesn't need a tach then why does it need all those other gauges?

And being you brought up "real truck drivers". I drive trucks. 8-10 speed mostly but have run a few 18 speeds. 6 wheelers all the way up to 22 wheelers. Starting out in construction you don't get assigned one truck. You get whatever piece junk is left. And that changes daily lol. If any of them tell you they've never used the tach they're full of sh*t. Every truck is different. Different manufactures have higher or lower rpm shift points depending on the torque curve. Sure once you get some miles in it you don't need the tach and can go by ear.

Then there's progressive shifting. Which is used to save fuel while on the way to highway speed by over the road truckers. You need to use the tach for that or else you're defeating the purpose of it. Unless they have a perfectly tuned ear and can tell rpm differences of about 500 rpm lol

And as far as the clutch goes, the reason they don't need a clutch is because they've used the tach to find the the proper shift rpm and then learned the sound from that. I don't need to use the clutch. But if I'm loaded heavy I might. They put it there for a reason. And if it makes easier on the trans then why not use it? When your at about 90k lbs banging gears hard can leave you stranded.

'' why does an auto truck need all those other gauges '' ?, are you for real mac ?, or you just trying me ?..lol those other gauges are there for a reason !. they tell you how hot your engine is ?, they tell you what your oil pressure is ?, they tell you if your charging system is ..well..you guessed it...charging !!. they tell you your transmission temp ?, shall I go on ?...lol. I drove many small pick ups, and both I could shift without using the clutch !!. not sure how you drive ?, but you learn a few things as you get to be my age !..lol. shifting gears does apply to a tach ?, but !!!..you do not need a tach to shift !, if you know the engines rpms ?, the sound it makes once it reaches that rpm limit..BY EAR !!, then you could shift all day without a stupid tach, prove me I am wrong !..lol.

Well, your not replying to my post there shade....just so ya know LOL

 

[shadetree]

SHade I can answer this real easy for you
because some people are moron's
I will bet there is a TON of people that ride semi auto honda 4x4 atv's and rev the crap out of them well past what would be the RED area on a tach before shifting them

I have seen several posts on this site and others of folks asking WHEN they should shift and or how to know when to shift
I gather some are NEW folks that JUST don't know, and some are well again MORONS that cannot figure out a motor screaming means its time to shift
a TACH, or even a shift light, would do this, buy giving them some info on WHEN to shift(in case the light bulb over there head doesn't come on HAHA)

SO< with this, I can justify WHY a tach should be on a semi auto trans ATV

for guys looking to squeeze the MOST out of every shift too, getting right on the cusp of the red line before shifting, will get you the MOST performance out of the motor/trans
say if your racing in a local hare scramble( on a spur of the moment entry)
knowing this infi on red line and what your atv CAN or cannot do STOCK( or maybe for the guys that add shift kits /clutch kits) can help MAKE you a better racer, or just in general trail rider

I know me and you are PAST the days of wanting to RACE down trails
BUT there honestly is many good reasons to have a tach on an ATV period, regardless of the type of trans

NOW< also, what abouut helping KNOW when your motor is going SOUTH on you in power, if you USED to pull "X" RPMS in "X" gear and do "X" things, and now cannot, a tach will SHOW you your loosing power
hard to see small power loss when you ride something ALL the time, slow goings are easy to over look , like if you ride someone else over your's you Might notice things faster

as small changes taking place on YOUR atv, many times are harder to FEEL, due to they happen SLOWLY, and untill they effect things MORE< you can miss small things

a TACH again can help here as well

SO

SORRY Shade a tach has more pro's than con's and NO reason they don't have one
almost every thing you ride /drive should IMO, its just a tool like temp gauage or what ever
there only there to HELP

trust me, if my motor is '' slowing down '' i'd know it !, lol, don't need a tach to tell me something is wrong with my motor ?. I deff agree about the moron part !, seen a guy the other day at my buds place, test driving a trx300fw, I bet he had 25k rpms ?, and still in first gear !..lmfao. I was surprised he did not blow the motor up ?!..lol. I am not saying some ppl don't need it ?, personally ?, I have no use for a tach on a semi-auto transmission, then again, as you said, at our age, speed is a thing of the past..lmao.

 

[shadetree]

Well if an auto truck doesn't need a tach then why does it need all those other gauges?

And being you brought up "real truck drivers". I drive trucks. 8-10 speed mostly but have run a few 18 speeds. 6 wheelers all the way up to 22 wheelers. Starting out in construction you don't get assigned one truck. You get whatever piece junk is left. And that changes daily lol. If any of them tell you they've never used the tach they're full of sh*t. Every truck is different. Different manufactures have higher or lower rpm shift points depending on the torque curve. Sure once you get some miles in it you don't need the tach and can go by ear.

Then there's progressive shifting. Which is used to save fuel while on the way to highway speed by over the road truckers. You need to use the tach for that or else you're defeating the purpose of it. Unless they have a perfectly tuned ear and can tell rpm differences of about 500 rpm lol

And as far as the clutch goes, the reason they don't need a clutch is because they've used the tach to find the the proper shift rpm and then learned the sound from that. I don't need to use the clutch. But if I'm loaded heavy I might. They put it there for a reason. And if it makes easier on the trans then why not use it? When your at about 90k lbs banging gears hard can leave you stranded.

'' why does an auto truck need all those other gauges '' ?, are you for real mac ?, or you just trying me ?..lol those other gauges are there for a reason !. they tell you how hot your engine is ?, they tell you what your oil pressure is ?, they tell you if your charging system is ..well..you guessed it...charging !!. they tell you your transmission temp ?, shall I go on ?...lol. I drove many small pick ups, and both I could shift without using the clutch !!. not sure how you drive ?, but you learn a few things as you get to be my age !..lol. shifting gears does apply to a tach ?, but !!!..you do not need a tach to shift !, if you know the engines rpms ?, the sound it makes once it reaches that rpm limit..BY EAR !!, then you could shift all day without a stupid tach, prove me I am wrong !..lol.

Well, your not replying to my post there shade....just so ya know LOL

ahhhhhhhh crap, I thought that was you mac ?!..lol. my bad, long night last night, I am tired, not enough coffee yet, sorry, . ( fixed it )..lol.

 

[mrbb]

SHde, a few yrs back a buddy of mine had two 400 foreman and as did I, and he wanted to take his THEN girlfriends oldest boy out riding with us,
so, he claimed he taught the kid out to ride, shift and all that, a 16 yr old boy, that RODE a MX bike with a manual clutch

well, the kid drove the foreman in second gear all day long, never KNOWING< or so he said that he had to shift it?
he never shut it off and was in second gear when my buddy gave it to him to ride
we rode about 25 miles up and down hills, and all he did was FULL throttle it every , where to TRY to keep up
we thought he was going slow, due to new to atv's LOL
was super dusty, so we all kept a good distance to NOT eat dust so much, and with helmets on, we couldn;t hear that poor motor screaming

SO< as I said, a TACH,
MAYBE seeing the RED line and lights a blinking would have helped, NOT SURE on this kid!! he wasn't sop bright!

but its NOT the first time I heard of NEW RIDERS not SHIFTING, PERIOD, or just not shifting when needed , or ???

a tach would just be another tool to help teach a rider to ride better
not all riders grew up on tings like we did to know better, and HOW to use our ears to tell us things going on or to do while riding!

and in todays world of SO many blasting music while riding, I doubt nearly as many are learning WHAT A motor sounds like , to KNOW when it NOT running right or when to shift too??
you would almost think that so FEW wear helmets they would actually hear better, learn there motors better, but??

 

[shadetree]

SHde, a few yrs back a buddy of mine had two 400 foreman and as did I, and he wanted to take his THEN girlfriends oldest boy out riding with us,
so, he claimed he taught the kid out to ride, shift and all that, a 16 yr old boy, that RODE a MX bike with a manual clutch

well, the kid drove the foreman in second gear all day long, never KNOWING< or so he said that he had to shift it?
he never shut it off and was in second gear when my buddy gave it to him to ride
we rode about 25 miles up and down hills, and all he did was FULL throttle it every , where to TRY to keep up
we thought he was going slow, due to new to atv's LOL
was super dusty, so we all kept a good distance to NOT eat dust so much, and with helmets on, we couldn;t hear that poor motor screaming

SO< as I said, a TACH,
MAYBE seeing the RED line and lights a blinking would have helped, NOT SURE on this kid!! he wasn't sop bright!

but its NOT the first time I heard of NEW RIDERS not SHIFTING, PERIOD, or just not shifting when needed , or ???

a tach would just be another tool to help teach a rider to ride better
not all riders grew up on tings like we did to know better, and HOW to use our ears to tell us things going on or to do while riding!

and in todays world of SO many blasting music while riding, I doubt nearly as many are learning WHAT A motor sounds like , to KNOW when it NOT running right or when to shift too??
you would almost think that so FEW wear helmets they would actually hear better, learn there motors better, but??

I agree bro !, as we grew up ?, we learned how to LISTEN to our engines ?, when to shift because that poor ole motor was screaming to us..hey dumb azz..shift gears !..lmao. the human ear is a built in testing gauge !, listen to what you hear ?, and you would be amazed as to what it's telling you !. you can also tell when to shift when you feel the atv,motorcycle, car, truck..whatever ?, is not going any faster ?, then you FEEL the engines result so to speak ?, this tells us, hey dummy...SHIFT !..LOL.

 

[mrbb]

SHde, a few yrs back a buddy of mine had two 400 foreman and as did I, and he wanted to take his THEN girlfriends oldest boy out riding with us,
so, he claimed he taught the kid out to ride, shift and all that, a 16 yr old boy, that RODE a MX bike with a manual clutch

well, the kid drove the foreman in second gear all day long, never KNOWING< or so he said that he had to shift it?
he never shut it off and was in second gear when my buddy gave it to him to ride
we rode about 25 miles up and down hills, and all he did was FULL throttle it every , where to TRY to keep up
we thought he was going slow, due to new to atv's LOL
was super dusty, so we all kept a good distance to NOT eat dust so much, and with helmets on, we couldn;t hear that poor motor screaming

SO< as I said, a TACH,
MAYBE seeing the RED line and lights a blinking would have helped, NOT SURE on this kid!! he wasn't sop bright!

but its NOT the first time I heard of NEW RIDERS not SHIFTING, PERIOD, or just not shifting when needed , or ???

a tach would just be another tool to help teach a rider to ride better
not all riders grew up on tings like we did to know better, and HOW to use our ears to tell us things going on or to do while riding!

and in todays world of SO many blasting music while riding, I doubt nearly as many are learning WHAT A motor sounds like , to KNOW when it NOT running right or when to shift too??
you would almost think that so FEW wear helmets they would actually hear better, learn there motors better, but??

I agree bro !, as we grew up ?, we learned how to LISTEN to our engines ?, when to shift because that poor ole motor was screaming to us..hey dumb azz..shift gears !..lmao. the human ear is a built in testing gauge !, listen to what you hear ?, and you would be amazed as to what it's telling you !. you can also tell when to shift when you feel the atv,motorcycle, car, truck..whatever ?, is not going any faster ?, then you FEEL the engines result so to speak ?, this tells us, hey dummy...SHIFT !..LOL.

HAHAHA< Shade I agree with you, but like I said, so many ride with ear plugs in playing music, and BIG speakers a blasting
they ain't hearing NO motor, and doubt many FEEL things either, as for when to shift
rather than a TACH, I think many would do better if a hand came out and slapped them when it was time to shift LOL

Just think about HOW many prefer FOOT shifts over E shifts so they don't have to put there beer down to shift??
I wonder HOW many scream a gear due to holding a beer?? LOL

but back to this, screaming a motor, that kid I told you about we asked him and he said, simple, I didn;t notice anyone screaming, motor just got louder??
I think he expected it to actually SCREAM something like SHIFT ME< or??
the really LOUD revving sounds didn't mean anything to him??

and he's NOT the first one I knew of to say this to me NOT shifting semi auto trans

its a lot like folks that buy NEW atv's(either BRAND new or new to them) then drive them into lake and wonder WHAT happened ?? as they seen it done on YOUTUBE and nothing happened there?? LOL


Logic has some what left the human race IMO!

 

[SamUK]

Tach debate aside I think the option of a hand throttle (similar to a tractor) or cruise/speed control would be a good idea on a utility. So many use them for spraying and harrowing and it would be quite well used in the farm industry I should imagine.
As I say, an optional extra rather than on every ATV.

 

[mrbb]

Tach debate aside I think the option of a hand throttle (similar to a tractor) or cruise/speed control would be a good idea on a utility. So many use them for spraying and harrowing and it would be quite well used in the farm industry I should imagine.
As I say, an optional extra rather than on every ATV.

there was a company out there for a while that did make these as aftermarket items, for spraying and such, don't know if there still in business or not
atv's are NOT geared as low at tractors, so I doubt it would work very well, as terrain changes happen, things could speed up or slow down still
the above company I seen that had them had I think a GPS like set up, that controlled speed via that , and NOT just a hand like throttle, so control speeds for spraying work!


BUT the big issue with a hand throttle is safety, too many accidents would happen I think if they had these on an ATV
enough accidents happen now without them LOL

 

[SamUK]

Hand throttles are a little suicidal I must admit, I use it on our tractor going down a certain straight road, had a car pull out from a side road not long back and shat myself when it wouldn't stop! Kind of forgot that I'd used the hand throttle! Luckily the tractor has a clutch, I should imagine it would have been far worse if it was an auto or semi!

Suppose on an ATV it could be made to be overridden by the brakes/brake light switches.

 

[jameslb]

agree here

Better tires and 12 inch rims on the back. I had 2 flats on the first trail ride at the farm.

That's a big one right there for the Rancher..

Better tires is first. I have Maxxis but they are 4 ply showroom. 6 minimum and dirt munching tread.

Next I reckon would be a second cylinder and a coffman starter! :yeahbaby01:

 

[Jmm24]

How about a 4wd 700XX with about a 30hp bump in power while using a 5 speed semi auto....

I'd spend the 12-13k that quad would probably cost and I'm sure a lot of CanAm and polaris owners would be willing to make a switch too. Even if it didn't get a bump in power, a 4x4 version would probably weight in at about 560lbs wet. that would be a hell of a quad with 55HP and a 5speed

That's kinda what I was thinking, 600# wet or so, even 650# I could live with. @55hp and a 5 speed it would be pretty comparable to a 70-75hp CVT quad with the difference in power loss through the drivetrain. But, I've never been one to settle for "comparable" lol

At this point, I'd settle with comparable from Honda lol

 

[fishfiles]

what about a cigarette lighter and a vanity mirror to clean the mud out your eyes ( perferablly lighted for night rides ) LOL kinda surprised nobody wants anti-lock brakes with all the high speed guys out there , he he he !!!! most models all ready have that as the brakes don't work any way or at least not too good

 

[Jmm24]

what about a cigarette lighter and a vanity mirror to clean the mud out your eyes ( perferablly lighted for night rides ) LOL kinda surprised nobody wants anti-lock brakes with all the high speed guys out there , he he he !!!! most models all ready have that as the brakes don't work any way or at least not too good

Lol
I'm actually suprised that non of the high end sport UTVs have ABS yet, and most of them still come with tiny little brake rotors and single/dual piston calipers. I'd guess that's the next wave of off-road technology will be in braking

 

[_Wilson_]

Suppose on an ATV it could be made to be overridden by the brakes/brake light switches.

Brake banjo switch would work good for that mod, i have one mounted on my front hydrolic fliud t fitting, that works my second brake light

 

[fishfiles]

as much as I am against adding extra wires and electrical devices on a bike that I am going in the water with , a brake tail light seems something that every bike should come with , just on a safety issue , I have been run into the back of my bike more times then I can remember on night rides , and I can't lie , I have run into the back of others many times