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I brought home a 2019 Honda Rancher DCT EPS IRS today.

I got interested in atving when someone mentioned it here to me. I had lived in Los Angeles for 45 years and wanted something other than that.

With the mention of atving I started looking at the trails here. So I want to spend the next two hears covering as much of the high trails as possible.

One reason I wanted to move to California was to ride a motorcycle all year round. Which I did for many years. But the destination usually was the Rocky Mountains by one long route or another.

So now I live in the destination. And am less inclined to look for long motorcycle rides.

I initially thought I wanted a Pioneer 500. A neighbor has a Pioneer 1000 and I liked the windshield and top and 2nd front seat. I didn't need a back seat so I got serious about the Pioneer 500, til a neighbor brought his over and I drove it some miles. Way too noisy.

I have reviewed all the possible solutions ways to reduce the noise but I don't like any of them.

So I got the Rancher 420 4x4. I wanted red, but for 2019 it only comes in white or camo, and camo is extra ($250 or so).

So white it is.

Now I need some boxes. I got a Cabela's cover.

I'm looking at Kolpin boxes. They seem to be a nice size. But I would like to find a way to strap a gas can on somewhere.

Anyway, I'll post somewhere here about all my issues as they come up.

I'm wondering how many other accessories I should get. I like the windshield and maybe the bumpers. What about the under guards. I'd prefer steel, but aluminum seems a little flimsy for that type of protection.
dc

 

[mrbb]

welcome to the site
some things?
a winch is a great add on, and most common add on I think there is
and I'd suggest getting a good winch kit too, and LEARN how to winch safely!
asking for WHAT winch will bring up long heated treads, as most folks all have there opinions, IMO< Superwinch is the best bang for the buck, but lots of GOOD winches out there today) I'd stick with a 2500 lb sized one too!

next would be some better lights, like a light bar front and back!
if you ride on cold weather, heated grips are nice
NOW food for thought, as not sure WHY you got a cover for the ATV, but if plans are to park it outside under the cover, heads up your sort of asking for issue's
mice MOVE to live in ATV's that get covered
covers also trap moisture under them as well
I would HIGHLY recommend buying a CHEAP shed over ever using a cover

Covers NEVER work well on atv's for towing, so, there honestly, not ever very good at anything LOL
Sorry to say this to you, but being honest!

advantage of aluminum skid plates and things is they DON"T rust away on you, and there honestly pretty darn strong, but if you ram anything hard enough steel or aluminum, your going to bend things on an ATV!

extra things to buy IMO< would be a good wash able air filter, and even better TWO< this way you can wash one and ride using one while other one dry's!
UNI"S get most folks vote as the air filter to get!

as for carrying fuel, they make and sell special fuel tanks made just for adding to a ATV
and there are countless aftermarket rack systems that are designed to carry fuel on racks, with speed connections and such
good one's are NOT cheap, so heads up there,

MOST folks tend to ditch the STOCK tires for better one's too, as most stock tires are rather cheap tires, low ply tires that tend to get damages and flats a LOT faster than many better tires out there
but this is a personal thing, I recommend carrying a good tire repair kit, no matter what tires you runb, and either a Good electric air comprrssor, or a good hand pump to fix flats on the trail

 

[Riverc]

Enjoy your new rancher....Lots of trails to ride out west.When we lived and worked Rv parks in Arizona and Colorado trail riding was very popular with the customers we had.Some parks had trails leading out of the campground.

 

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mrbb
I see you are in PA. I started out in MI (Michigan, not MS) and I know about rust there. But in Utah and southern California it doesn't exist. It is unbelievably dry here compare to the north east. Even drier here than Los Angeles area, unless you were in the first half block by the ocean. Then it's salt, not moisture. I had a pick up for years and the metal where scratched was still silvery metal color. Not an iota of red, unlike Michigan where in days you would see red.

My motorcycle has been out under a cover here 1 1/2 summers. No mice either. Both bikes will be inside in winter.

I'll get a winch eventually. My first issue is skid plates, or not. And bumpers, or not.

I'll deal with tires after these are worn out.

I always bought a motorcycle with a windshield or put one on. I'm sure I'll do that with the Rancher.

Anyway, thanks for the replies.

Those are my issues. Do I need skid plates. Do I need bumpers.
dc

 

[Lon]

Congratulations on the new Rancher. I purchased the exact ATV yesterday.

I'm very jealous - I think Utah is the mecca of ATV trail riding. One of my sons lives near Ogden... can't wait to visit and go riding.

Good luck with your new Rancher, and your accessories shopping.

 

[mrbb]

mrbb
I see you are in PA. I started out in MI (Michigan, not MS) and I know about rust there. But in Utah and southern California it doesn't exist. It is unbelievably dry here compare to the north east. Even drier here than Los Angeles area, unless you were in the first half block by the ocean. Then it's salt, not moisture. I had a pick up for years and the metal where scratched was still silvery metal color. Not an iota of red, unlike Michigan where in days you would see red.

My motorcycle has been out under a cover here 1 1/2 summers. No mice either. Both bikes will be inside in winter.

I'll get a winch eventually. My first issue is skid plates, or not. And bumpers, or not.

I'll deal with tires after these are worn out.

I always bought a motorcycle with a windshield or put one on. I'm sure I'll do that with the Rancher.

Anyway, thanks for the replies.

Those are my issues. Do I need skid plates. Do I need bumpers.
dc

as for your questions, of do you NEED bumpers or skid plates
this comes down to HOW you ride the atv and where!
I never added any aftermarket skid plates to my 1999(owned since new) or bumpers and have NEVER needed them, the OEM skid plates/ grill guards/.covers have been all I have ever needed
so, IMO< I would say RIDE teh atv, there made to be used off road, and then see how things go and if or not you need them

as for mice?
well your a VERY lucky person to never have had any issue's with them, most folks are NOT this lucky, don't know what your location is like,(more city or rural)
but countless folks have issue's with them, all the more so when you cover them, as what happens, when you cover them, is heat gets trapped under the covers, and it attracts mice

if I parked my atv outside, within 2 days my air box will be filled with crap from them, field mice/chipmunks.red squirrels) they all seem to LOVE ATV's here
yet, they leave other things alone(well the chipmunks and red squirrels seem to like to eat the battery blankets on my truck too ??)

but even with the air quality you have out there(spent a lot of time in MT/WY ID and such) your also trapping moisture under a cover, and it can make rust!
not as much as say living near the ocean, and or road slat heavy area's like MI, or where I live
but it does make things rust!
so again, I would invest in a decent shed if possible, make it critter proof too, will make your life a lot easier down the road, plus will keep snow, rain and what ever off it too!

 

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Well I have had the Rancher 420 for almost or about 5 months now.

I have been riding at least once a week up into the mountains here and along the ridge road, Skyline Drive, which is just a dirt trail, and some nice rocks and ruts in places, all either up or down and with beautiful scenery.

I have about 700 miles, some of it on basic gravel road, and some on rugged rock embedded and root embedded tracks in the dirt or just plain piles of rocks.

And a lot of bumps and always either up hill or down.

But the Rancher 420 with the IRS just eats it up. The rear floats nicely over all of it.

I did start to get a little lower back pain from the side to side sway, leaning into curves and angles but by slowing down some and probably just getting used to it that went away.

I still have no rust on anything under the cover from Cabelas.

From spring time my Rancher is covered with splattered mud and dirt.

I bolted Kolpin boxes on front and rear and they have been all I need. I can carry just about anything I need in there for day rides on the trails.

I have yet to need more than 2 gallons of gas on it, from my longest day ride which I think was 80 miles.

So I suppose the range on a tank is about 150 miles, which I could easily do on these trails. I'm in a small town in central Utah so I just drive down the street and directly up into the mountains and trails,either east or west.

But the Honda Rancher has been a great machine. Two oil changes, valve checks, filters and one nut and bolt from the side plastics was all the maintenance.

I had a bunch of Honda snap tab plastic clips, but the Rancher has one hex head bolt and nut there on the side.
One had fallen out. But no other nuts or bolts loose, after some rugged riding.

Just a lot of fun.
dc

 

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I don't have any rust issues here as the climate is so completely dry.

However, the season is nearing an end. The weather is holding out and looking good and warm but usually somewhere near the end of October the winter sets in and the Rancher will have to be put up into the barn for the winter.

I suppose that may even mean putting it onto blocks to keep the tires from getting a lump in them.

The weather can get much worse on the mountain faster than in the valleys so it may be soon.

Any winterizing ideas would be appreciated.
dc