Honda's two-year-old Rincon 650 was an instant hit. It has class leading comfort and high-tech features such as its hydraulically operated automatic transmission. To keep the Rincon's weight down to around 600 pounds, Honda put a lot of effort in designing many high-quality, trick, suspension components, like aluminum A-arms.
One area that we feel was neglected on the Rincon is under belly protection. The stock skid plates supplied on the machine are made out of thin, lightweight plastic. While this is another way to save wight, it's not a very good way to protect the machine's vital components.
For the first in a series of project stories we will be doing on the Rincon, we will look at some after-market skidplates, along with different lighting options as well as several safety an secruity devices. To replace the cheesy plastic skidplates, we chose to install a set of Ricochet protectors.
Ricochet has a complete line of products for most sport and utility ATV's. For the Honda Rincon, their line includes a huge belly pan ($204) that spans the length of the frame. The stock pan only protects the engine, leaving the front differential exposed. Along with the belly pan, we installed a front skidplate and A-arm guards ($99) on all four corners.
All of the Ricochet products are made of 3/16" extruded aluminum and have a clean, quality finish. The rear A-arm guards were so trick; they match Honda's high tech A-arm design. Installation took less than an hour and they mounted up perfectly using supplied hardware.
Another unique aspect of the Ricochet product is the hardware supplied. While we like parts that can utilize stock hardware, this product uses round-head Allen bolts that resist damage when scraping along the rocks on the trail. The entire skidplate kit ony added 15 pounds to the Rincon's overall weight and is well worth it for the extra protection it provides.