[newhondaguy]

I picked up a brand new rubicon IRS EPS DCT a few days ago. It's my first Honda, but not my first ATV.

Is there anything I need to do with it right away as preventative maintence?

I plan on using dialectic grease on the spark plug boot. What other electrical connections need this? I was reading a 4wd connection and a transmission connection should get the grease, but where are they located?

Is there something I need to snorkel higher right away for water and mud? gas tank? Diff's?




And lastly, I need to firm up the suspension. I was looking at it tongiht and I can't figure out how to get my wrench in without taking the tires off. Am I looking at it wrong or do the tires need to come off?

Thanks

 

[retro]

Hello,

It would be a good idea to grease every plug on the bike. If you are going to drive it in deep water you may want to snorkel it as well, depending on how you plan to ride it. If you are going to run it deep, I recommend that the maintenance schedule is cut in half at least, so lubrication and fluid changes & adjustments are done much more frequently.

I have no idea how the suspension adjusts... a service manual will be a very good investment.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[newhondaguy]

Hello,

It would be a good idea to grease every plug on the bike. If you are going to drive it in deep water you may want to snorkel it as well, depending on how you plan to ride it. If you are going to run it deep, I recommend that the maintenance schedule is cut in half at least, so lubrication and fluid changes & adjustments are done much more frequently.

I have no idea how the suspension adjusts... a service manual will be a very good investment.

Welcome to the forums!

Ya I'll probably end up doing all connections.

I'm not sure if I am going to snorkel it. I snorkelled my previous ATV, but once I snorkelled it, I never once came close to needing it.

Where is the intake on the Honda?



Is there any connections or boots I should silicone? I am concerned about the white tank in the rear of the ATV. It's supposed to be a part of the air intake to keep the bike queit??? Should I worry about how this tank is connected ?

 

[retro]

I don't know anything about the air cleaner or ducting... I haven't seen any of the new rides. I expect that everything is waterproof enough for normal use. Greasing them lightly won't hurt though...

 

[alloutdoors]

Once you take the seat and cowling plastic off (what you would need to do for air filter and oil service) you can see the routing for the air intake. Given what you paid for this unit, I would really take the time to get everything rerouted higher and sealed, air box both top and bottom, vent tube on rear differential, radiator relocated, etc.,

 

[Goober]

Service manual is #1 in my book; diagrams will answer your questions about stuff your looking at.
also consider how your plans might conflict w your warranty or service agreements. Esp how snorkeling might affect airflow; there's likely to be someone with tips for you
Idk if others would agree, but try to avoid riding thru deep water and mud. If ya do try not to powerwash the bearing seals.

 

[mac102004]

Do all the connections and reroute the gas tank vent as well, whether you plan on riding in deep water or not it's way too low from the factory.

 

[retro]

Some say that most (or ALL) of the more recent ATV models from the manufacturers are no longer engineered and sold to be "All-Terrain Vehicles" but are more realistically termed "Dry-Terrain Vehicles". I agree with that reality 100%. From bearings and seals & supplying sufficient lubrication for them, to needless electrical component-ry that serve little more purpose than to victimize and exploit the buyer, to poorly sealed wiring harnesses & plugs, to ducting routing & placement, to materials fitfulness and quality, everyone of them are proving to be much less reliable over the long term (and less fit for their purpose) than people expect when they drop their cash or take on payments. They are WAY more comfortable and easier to use for sure! But few are able to maintain and repair them 100% themselves nowadays, so true personal ownership of the vehicle is a thing of the past. Anything you can do to increase your odds against having breakdowns and failures is time and effort well invested. Don't do anything that could void your warranty though. Thats my opinion.

 

[SamUK]

In a 'nutshell' do everything you can without voiding your warranty. Or of course, don't ride in any water until the warranty is out.

 

[newhondaguy]

THanks for the advice. I'll do what I can given that its under warranty.

I took it out for a ride today and I am thinking its getting a gear reduction kit. Its a really nice ride on hard ground, but in soft ground I wish it was geared lower. It has the power to turn the wheels, but again I wish it was geared lower.

I did put 27 inch mud bug tires on it. 10 in front and 12 in back. I don't think I lost much power. I think I would still want it geared lower if I left the stock 25's on.

I did really like the ride today though. It has around 28km now and the transmission is getting really smooth. I tried a couple times to drive it in manual, but the auto shifts exactly where I would 95% of the time and it shifts faster in auto. SO I left it in auto except when I was going through muskeg. Then it was low range 1st gear. Even in low/1st, I wanted a lower gearing.



If your someone who hasn't ridden a IRS, EPS, EFI 500 honda, they are completely different machines than the old straight axle carbed atv's. My arctic cat still has a better suspension than this Honda, but hopefully it will soften up when it gets ridden some more. I'm thinking my Mud Bugs will soften up a lot too.

 

[mac102004]

THanks for the advice. I'll do what I can given that its under warranty.

I took it out for a ride today and I am thinking its getting a gear reduction kit. Its a really nice ride on hard ground, but in soft ground I wish it was geared lower. It has the power to turn the wheels, but again I wish it was geared lower.

I did put 27 inch mud bug tires on it. 10 in front and 12 in back. I don't think I lost much power. I think I would still want it geared lower if I left the stock 25's on.

I did really like the ride today though. It has around 28km now and the transmission is getting really smooth. I tried a couple times to drive it in manual, but the auto shifts exactly where I would 95% of the time and it shifts faster in auto. SO I left it in auto except when I was going through muskeg. Then it was low range 1st gear. Even in low/1st, I wanted a lower gearing.



If your someone who hasn't ridden a IRS, EPS, EFI 500 honda, they are completely different machines than the old straight axle carbed atv's. My arctic cat still has a better suspension than this Honda, but hopefully it will soften up when it gets ridden some more. I'm thinking my Mud Bugs will soften up a lot too.

They are pretty stiff, I have 2700kms on mine now and it's still stiff lol. The IRS 500 is a killer setup though.

 

[mr.coon]

you need a spanner wrinch or a pair of good channel locks to adjust the shocks. no need to take the wheels off. i leave mine maxed out and still find them a bit soft in the rear.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[jameslb]

Im envious, welcome to the site from Arizona.

 

[mr.coon]

this video show how to adjust the shocks with channel locks:

 

[mr.coon]

there is a guy on you tube called mud puppy. he has a a lot of videos about gear reductions, tires, snorkeling, and other water proofing the rubicon. you will find everything you need on his page by searching "snorkel" and "gear reduction"

https://www.youtube.com/user/camyucf

 

[ATC4ever]

I have a few of these from sportbike tool kits, use them for the shocks readily easy.

 

[creed82]

I picked up a brand new rubicon IRS EPS DCT a few days ago. It's my first Honda, but not my first ATV.

Is there anything I need to do with it right away as preventative maintence?

I plan on using dialectic grease on the spark plug boot. What other electrical connections need this? I was reading a 4wd connection and a transmission connection should get the grease, but where are they located?

Is there something I need to snorkel higher right away for water and mud? gas tank? Diff's?




And lastly, I need to firm up the suspension. I was looking at it tongiht and I can't figure out how to get my wrench in without taking the tires off. Am I looking at it wrong or do the tires need to come off?

Thanks

My 2016 DCT-trans Rancher runs a little bit smoother through the shifts with synthetic motor oil. Just a thought. You gonna post a pic of your bike?

 

[newhondaguy]

Thank you for all the information and advise.

I am busy working on other house projects, but in the next couple days I am going to adjust the shocks, dialiectic grease and snorkel what I can.

I probably won't put a picture of the ATV up. It looks like every other 2017 rubicon lol... I've done nothing special to it.