Honda TRX680 Rincon

By Lance Schwartz
photos by Kevin Wing

 In case you didn’t know, the Honda Rincon has always been more than just a made-for-work ATV. In fact, the 2003 Honda Rincon finished 1st and 3rd at the 2002 Baja 1000 event when it was first introduced. Honda has always been a firm believer that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. It is because of this conservative approach to engineering that we were hesitant about how noticeable the changes and improvements on the 2006 Honda TRX680 Rincon would be.

What we’ve come to find out is that this rock solid machine was designed from the ground up to provide the spirited trail riding characteristics of a “sport” machine, matched with the ability to undertake the moderate work responsibilities of a “utility” machine. Additionally, with all of its new improvements, it approaches these tasks with much more performance and excitement than its predecessors.

An all-new more powerful engine
Honda had an excellent starting point to work with when redesigning the Rincon’s engine. What they ended up with is a liquid cooled, over-head valve, single cylinder fuel injected 675cc four stroke engine.

This engine is longitudinally mounted in the frame, giving it direct alignment between the camshaft, output shafts, and ultimately the front and rear differentials. This engine placement alone allows the mighty Rincon to more efficiently put power to the ground.

The Rincon utilizes a dry sump engine, which means the overall height of the engine is decreased, producing a lower center of gravity. A bore increase of 2mm along with the fuel injection system, a new hotter cam, a reusable foam air filter, and a redesigned exhaust has given the new Rincon 7% more horsepower and 8% more torque this year, all without increasing any exhaust noise.

Fuel Injection
Honda certainly wasn’t the first manufacturer to utilize a fuel injection system on their quads. Honda says, sometimes designing the best system is better than being first, however. Most fuel injection systems typically have one large injector outlet. Honda has taken their own approach to fuel injection and delivered a PGM-FI 12 hole injector. The 12 hole injector gives the fuel delivery a split pattern to maximize the fuel delivery to both intake valves.

Additionally, Honda decided to mount the fuel pump in an aluminum housing in front of the engine between the front shock towers. Honda said that the competition’s fuel injected ATVs locate the fuel pump in the gas tank. This causes a decrease in the fuel carrying capacity and it also makes it more difficult to service in the event that your ATV takes an unexpected swim. Within the Rincon’s external sub tank fuel pump housing, a drain is incorporated to make removing contaminants from the fuel system a breeze. With fuel injection also comes convenience. There’s no more pulling the choke on a cold morning to get your ride started. The PGM-FI system monitors this and makes all adjustments necessary to compensate for engine temperature, altitude and atmospheric conditions.

Transmission
Honda boasts the only automotive type transmission in the ATV industry. While the competition utilizes belts and pulleys to drive their automatic transmissions, Honda chose to use an automotive type torque converter and a fluid-filled transmission. The Rincon has enjoyed a great deal of success with this transmission in the past. There were however a few complaints that the Honda engineers took into consideration when redesigning the transmission for 2006.

The most notable improvement for low speed assaults has to be a more aggressive engine braking program for the tranny. When you let off the gas on the new Rincon going down a hill or rolling to a stop on flat ground, you feel the engine brake kick in. It’s not overly aggressive, but it is definitely more pronounced than previous models, which is a huge improvement. Another improvement to the transmission has been a change in the way oil flows through the torque converter. You can now expect a more crisp and precise shifting as a result of these changes. Finally, stronger transmission gears were incorporated to handle the increased power output of the new machine.

Brakes
While the past Rincons had a rear disk brake connected to the output shaft on the rear end, they utilized sealed drums up front. This year, however, we’re happy to report that Honda engineers incorporated disk brakes onto the front of the new Rincon. Most ATV manufacturers use motorcycle type calipers on their machines. Since Honda builds automobiles, as well as motorcycle and ATVs, they used the technology from the automotive industry to build a disk brake system like no other ATV manufacturer has. There are scrapers built into the caliper itself to scrape mud, snow and ice away from the inside of the wheel. This allows the brakes to function more efficiently in these extreme conditions and improves the durability of the brake pads. The Rincon 680 also features brake pads that are about 1.5 times larger than normal, while also incorporating automotive type “squealers” that alert you by squealing when it’s time to replace the brake pads.

Additionally, the calipers, pins and pistons on the disk braking system are also fully sealed like an automotive disk system. Another much needed improvement for 2006 is a “start in gear” feature. Utility class racers list this as a must have option. If you want to start the machine while it’s in gear, just grab the front brake and stab the starter with your thumb. The days of putting the quad in neutral, starting it, dropping it in gear, then pulling away are gone. Thank you Honda!

Suspension
A soft, compliant suspension has always been one of the traits that the Rincon employed. When you ride the 2006, you’ll notice that Honda didn’t rest on its laurels. New Dunlop tires give a soft, plush ride and stand up to the abuse that an aggressive trail rider can give them. They also have an excellent tread pattern that provides impressive grip with low noise output. The rear shocks have had some valving changes to alter the way the Rincon handles the trail. The 2006 TRX680 also continues with Honda’s extensive use of aluminum in its rear suspension arms. This is a lightweight, durable solution. One thing to note about the Rincon’s rear independent suspension, as compared to the competition’s, is the length of the A-arms. As explained by the engineers that designed the Rincon during our chat sessions, the longer the A-arms, the better angles they have to work with for suspension travel and axle location. In addition, the longer arms allow the shocks to be mounted at more of an angle, rather than vertical. This allows the use of longer shocks, which in turn allows more oil to be contained in the shock. The increased oil capacity allows the shocks to remain cool and run smooth even when run for long periods of time or when being abused. The 2006 Rincon certainly is geared towards having a balance between handling and comfort We will attest, while charging through the trails, it’s hard to imagine you’re riding a 600 pound utility machine.

Camouflage Plastic

Honda has a reputation for taking a conservative approach to designing and engineering everything that they make. While other manufacturers have been producing camo for years, 2006 will be the first year for camouflage at the Honda camp. The main reason for the long wait is that Honda exclusively uses polyethylene plastic on their bodies, as opposed to polypropylene, like most of the other manufacturers. Polyethylene has much more impact resilience and remains flexible and durable, even when subject to cold weather.

Anyone who has seen a late 80’s 250R with original plastic still in place knows how durable the Honda plastic really is. Honda has chosen Natural GearTM as their camo pattern of choice. The pattern looks phenomenal and Honda’s generous use of black on the camo quad, in places like the wheels, really compliments the black that is inherent in the Natural GearTM camo pattern. When the camouflage machine is placed in a natural outdoor landscape, it is very easy to see how well the Natural GearTM pattern blends easily into the backdrop.

Its purpose
The Rincon is referred to by Honda as the SUV, or Sport Utility Vehicle of the ATV market. One ride on it and it’s easy to see the focus is on the “sport” side of Utility riding. If towing large trailers up steep inclines is what you plan on doing with your new ATV, the Rincon most likely would not be the best choice.

This is due, in part, to the lack of low range found on many other utility quads. However, if occasional light towing, plowing, work duties, or trail riding are shared with weekend high speed blasts down the trail, this Rincon deserves a very close look.

You’d be hard pressed to find a better machine for spirited riding than the 2006 Honda Rincon.

Out on the trail

I’m going to cut right to the chase. The 2006 Honda Rincon is a BLAST! As I turned the key and pushed the start button, the Rincon fired up and immediately when into a fast idle setting. It was about 30 degrees and the quads had been sitting outside all night. After about 30 seconds or so, the mighty thumper slowed the RPM’s down and sat there bumping. The big rumbling bump was inviting to say the least. There is a bit of handlebar shake at idle, most likely due in part to the 680cc single cylinder sitting inches below you. I’m happy to say that upon flogging the go button, the idle vibration disappears and the Rincon provides a really smooth ride.

Honda treated nearly 30 journalists from the US and Canada alike to try out their new Rincon in an area that only the Great White North could provide. We were gathered together in St-Alexis-des-Monts, Québec, Canada at the luxurious Hotel Sacacomie, which borders the Mastigouche Wildlife Reserve and Lake Sacacomie. Frankly, we were testing the Rincon in what I consider an absolute ATVer’s paradise! The area is often appropriately referred to as the Sacacomie Adventure. I agree with the terminology whole heartedly. Click the link to read more about this incredible ride spot. A word of warning, you’re going to want to plan an ATV riding vacation here after reading what Honda treated us to.

More performance and precision handling make the 2006 Rincon 680 a series competitor in the Big Bore Utility ranks. One of the first things you’ll notice on the Rincon is the transmission that Honda has chosen to install. This isn’t your run of the mill belt and pulley driven automatic. On the left of the cowl, there is a forward and reverse lever that is as simple to use as it sounds. Clunk it forward, you go forward. Wanna go backwards? Clunk it in reverse and give it some throttle. It was really easy to engage and super quick to make directional changes if I was in a tight spot. Also, I really like the ability to choose between “Auto” and “ESP” whenever I wanted. The Auto function was nice if I wanted the Rincon to do all the work while I was sight seeing. However, if I needed to keep the Rincon in a certain gear to wheelie over obstacles or climb a steep hill, the ESP mode allowed me to keep it in any gear I wanted and run it clear up to the rev limiter.

My favorite thing about the Rincon is how well it handles. I’ve run and raced many of the past and current utility quads on the market. The 2006 Honda Rincon TRX680 is without a doubt the best handling and least tiring 4×4 quad on the market. In my conversations with others at the ride-intro, I kept making comparisons to the 450R and not other utility quads.

We could ride wheelies all day long on the new Rincon. The front end feels so light and responsive, you’ll think you’re on a sport quad.To be quite honest, that isn’t an exaggeration. It is really hard to believe that you are riding a 600 pound four wheel drive utility quad. The machine handles like it is on rails. It has the ability to slide, corner and negotiate technical terrain like no other 4×4 ATV produced! At one point, I hit a section of sandy whoops that I didn’t realize were there. We were traveling at top speed down a remote, sand covered airplane runway at an estimated 60 mph. Since it was too late to avoid the whoops, I transferred my weight to the rear of the machine and kept it pinned. I was prepared to go over the bars in dramatic dismount fashion, but to my surprise, the Rincon soaked up every single bump and just seemed to skim over the pesky obstacle. I think this was the point where I realized I was in love with this machine. It has such a balance of handling and control, that no matter how fast I went, I never felt out of shape or on the edge with this quad. It did what I wanted it to do and went in the direction that I pointed it without any quirky handling characteristics whatsoever. With that said, I believe it to be one of the safest utility quads produced.

Past Rincons have had the reputation of being very underpowered. The handling was great, but the power was anemic. We know you expect the truth. Is the 2006 Rincon any different? The answer is absolutely! It took me only five seconds to know that this was not last year’s Rincon. The machine felt more powerful from idle all the way to the rev limiter. I have often read in Internet forums about guys asking, “can I do a wheelie with this quad?”. My cohorts can attest to the fact that I was doing in excess of 100 yard wheelies back and forth on the airplane runway I spoke of earlier. Because you can leave the machine is a specific gear, it allows you to wheelie just like you might on a sport machine. I think I’d rather have a 4-speed transmission as opposed to a 3-speed. But, on the other hand, I can’t find any reason to fault the 3-speed. It seems like it shouldn’t be enough gears to handle all ranges of riding styles and terrain. However, somehow Honda made it work. You could probably run this thing all day in 2nd gear and be completely satisfied.

The plastic design on the Rincon does a fantastic job of providing splash protection. After a day of hard riding in wet conditions, we still returned home nice and dry.

GPS your Rincon
As an admitted technology geek, I thought the GPScape feature that the Rincon, as well as other select Honda’s have, is very trick. It allows you to set 100 waypoints anywhere you choose on the planet. Then, if you need to get back to where you started, you just follow the waypoints, which communicate with satellites orbiting the earth. I found that the machine could accurately track me and my machine to within about 5 feet of its location.

If you can’t find your way home from 5 feet, you need to find another hobby! This feature came in particularly handy while riding on our Sacacomie adventure in Canada. If I got lost, rather than get eaten by a bear while I sat waiting to be rescued, all I had to do was bring up waypoint 75 and it guided me right back to base camp. I was really surprised to hear that the GPS actually has a built in memory that will hold your waypoints for 10 years, even if the battery is completely dead. How cool is that?

Does size really matter?
Well, there you go. I think it’s really easy to see what we think of the 2006 Honda TRX680 Rincon. This machine is phenomenal! I think we, as a society, sometimes equate bigger with better. We’re led to believe that size does matter. In some cases, it might. In the case of Big Bore Utility ATV market, I’m not sure that size should be the litmus test that we use to evaluate and compare these machines. The Rincon is not the most powerful, can’t haul the most cargo, doesn’t have the highest ground clearance, nor does it have the most displacement. However, it has something that separates it from the pack. There is nothing that it does wrong. It’s nimble and agile, feels small in comparison to competitors, has no quirky handling traits and has received many performance enhancements in 2006 that make it feel like a completely different machine. In addition, the Rincon has a balance and a feel like no other, plus it comes with the reliability and resale value that is inherent to the Honda legacy. If you’re in the market for a sporty, reliable, fun, 4×4, you owe it to yourself to take a 2006 Rincon for a test ride. Honda has stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam with this machine! Happy trails!
2006 Rincon Changes for 2006

– New larger 675cc engine for increased power.

– New 40mm programmed fuel injection system for consistent performance at high altitude, improved cold weather starting, improved fuel consumption and increased power.

– New dual front disc brakes feature calipers with patented built-in scraper for improved braking performance in all conditions.

– New brake pads feature thick, long-wear material with improved mud durability, feel and control. Pads feature internal scraper that gives audible warning when pad life is low.

– New NaturalGear Camouflage color scheme now available.

– Washable air filter for easy maintenance and consistent performance.

– New low-fuel warning light.

– New 18-amp battery for increased performance.

– New rear shock valving for improved ride.

– New exhaust to maintain quiet performance.

– New Dunlop tires.

– Colors include Red, Olive and NaturalGear Camouflage

 

Specifications
Model:	TRX680FA / TRX680FGA (with GPS)
Engine Type:	675cc liquid-cooled OHV semi-dry-sump longitudinally mounted single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore and Stroke:	102.0mm x 82.6mm
Carburetion:	Electronic fuel injection with IACV idle control
Ignition:	Full-Transistorized type with electronic advance
Starter:	Electric with auxiliary recoil
Transmission:	Automatic with hydraulic torque converter, three forward gears, reverse and electronic controls
Driveline:	Direct front and rear drive-shafts with torque-sensitive front differential
Suspension	Front: Independent double-wishbone; 6.9 inches travel Rear: Independent double-wishbone; 8.0 inches travel
Brakes	Front: Dual hydraulic 180mm disc Rear: Single hydraulic disc
Tires	Front: 25 x 8-12 radial Rear: 25 x 10-12 radial
Length:	83.2 inches
Width:	46.8 inches
Height:	47.5 inches
Seat Height:	34.5 inches
Ground Clearance:	10.0 inches
Wheelbase:	50.8 inches
Dry Weight:	600 pounds
Fuel Capacity:	4.5 gallons, including 1.1-gallon reserve
Colors	Red/Olive/NaturalGear Camouflage
Recommended for Riders 16 years of age and older.

Specifications
Model:	TRX680FA / TRX680FGA (with GPS)
Engine Type:	675cc liquid-cooled OHV semi-dry-sump longitudinally mounted single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore and Stroke:	102.0mm x 82.6mm
Carburetion:	Electronic fuel injection with IACV idle control
Ignition:	Full-Transistorized type with electronic advance
Starter:	Electric with auxiliary recoil
Transmission:	Automatic with hydraulic torque converter, three forward gears, reverse and electronic controls
Driveline:	Direct front and rear drive-shafts with torque-sensitive front differential
Suspension	Front: Independent double-wishbone; 6.9 inches travel Rear: Independent double-wishbone; 8.0 inches travel
Brakes	Front: Dual hydraulic 180mm disc Rear: Single hydraulic disc
Tires	Front: 25 x 8-12 radial Rear: 25 x 10-12 radial
Length:	83.2 inches
Width:	46.8 inches
Height:	47.5 inches
Seat Height:	34.5 inches
Ground Clearance:	10.0 inches
Wheelbase:	50.8 inches
Dry Weight:	600 pounds
Fuel Capacity:	4.5 gallons, including 1.1-gallon reserve
Colors	Red/Olive/NaturalGear Camouflage
Recommended for Riders 16 years of age and older.

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