Honda's answer to the bigger is better game plan of its competitors comes in the form of the new Rincon 680. Sporting an engine boosted from 649cc to 675cc via a 2mm larger bore and equipped with EFI now, the revitalized sport-ute is ready for the battle, just on it's own terms.
Honda invited us up to beautiful Quebec, Canada to spend a couple of days getting to know the 680, riding out of the Hotel Sacacomie (www.sacacomie.com). It's a toss-up as to which was more impressive, the lodge and the adjacent trail system (read: we rode straight from the garage!) or Honda's new ATV.
The bottom line is: the 680 rips. Increasing the bore and adding EFI cured the Rincon's lackluster low-end performance. It has snap and revs to the even meatier mid-range in short order. No more ho-hum motor with "wait-a-minute" delivery. Coupled with and equally capable chassis and suspension that lets the rider change direction with a minimum of effort meant I came away from our first date mightily awed and itching to spend more time with this new machine. I'll share the rest of the experience with you the rest of the scoop in our March issue.