According to truck bros on the 'net, the Ridgeline couldn't go down a gravel road. They seem to have a vested interest in spreading misinformation.
Ground Clearance: RL vs. Colorado Z71
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It is not just sheer capability. But the platforms that are designed for off-road allows for more flexibility and more protection. Sure, a good driver in a Honda Civic can probably out drive my LC off-road. But one “oops” moment can cause tremendous damage to a Ridgeline that would not to a proper off-road vehicle. A RL can sip and slide up a rock ledge while a proper off-road vehicle can just slowly crawl up with no drama nor stress on drivetrain.
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Ah ok…yeah dude, go knock yourself out with RL. Good luck out there.
Sorry you got all butt hurt dude.
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Butt hurt? I own a RL!! LOL
But we can discuss this more…what makes you think RL is so good? What secret sauce does RL have that others do not? Think it through. What i wrote is 100% true.
In the videos, have you ever asked what damage they have afterwards? Or long-term issues? Are these videos sponsored by some 3rd party Trying to advertised something?
For example, the skidplates that is so popular here…..are mounted to plastic support. Think about that.
To get RL any credible clearance, you need to lift. What happens when you lift an independent suspension? Your wheel travel suffers. And what happens when your wheel travel goes to nothing? You lift your tires on any obstacle. This creates what? Poor traction. Poor stability. Thus, you are now relying more on the VTM4 (rear axle) and traction control. What happens next? VTM4 overheats and shuts down and over time, wear out the clutches. You have no hill descent. So you ride the brakes down the hill. What happens then? Either your brakes gives out or over time, brake pads goes to crap. On and on.
But yeah, don’t listen to me (I have been off-roading for over 15 years)…go do your thing because the Net tells you that you can. Be safe…and don’t slow down the line of folks behind u.
LOL, we have a skid plate that we cannot reinstall due to vehicle damage caused by ground contact traversing a relatively easy back road.
On the flip side, thank goodness we had the skid plate or more serious damage would have occurred.
Conclusion: The Ridgeline will now remain on the main roads while we'll use our other better suited pickups for the rougher terrain. This is in no way intended to belittle the Ridgeline in any way, we are using it as it is superbly designed!
Bill
On the flip side, thank goodness we had the skid plate or more serious damage would have occurred.
Conclusion: The Ridgeline will now remain on the main roads while we'll use our other better suited pickups for the rougher terrain. This is in no way intended to belittle the Ridgeline in any way, we are using it as it is superbly designed!
Bill
Just put a dirt bike on a hitch carrier. It'll go far more places, and much faster, than any rigged-out 4x4.
Dirt bike too intimidating? You can get a little Honda Trail 125 that will still go far more places than any rigged-out 4x4, and it has a semi-automatic transmission! Very easy to ride!
Dirt bike too intimidating? You can get a little Honda Trail 125 that will still go far more places than any rigged-out 4x4, and it has a semi-automatic transmission! Very easy to ride!
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FYI…i started out off-roading with a 1997 Honda CR-V many moons ago. Yeah, i took it to many places…and suffered some bodily harm…but fun! So, i am not foreign to using a Honda off-road. It is just finding the proper tool for the job.
And what about these now?
13 Best Backcountry Electric Bikes 2023 - WOW Travel
A few years ago, seeing an electric bike would've been a rare occurrence. But who would've thought that riding an e-bike is now the hottest new way to get
wowtravel.me
So how many Jeep Badges do you have there Mr. Off-Road.
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None. Don’t do Jeeps.
Not sure about the e-bikes. With the Trail 125, you can go 130 miles* or so before you need to put another gallon of gas in the tank. If they've built the new one anything like the old 90/110 trail bikes (they look like clones), you can put them through Hades and back and they'll just keep on running. Just don't know if the e-bikes would put up with the same kind of abuse.And what about these now?
Bill13 Best Backcountry Electric Bikes 2023 - WOW Travel
A few years ago, seeing an electric bike would've been a rare occurrence. But who would've thought that riding an e-bike is now the hottest new way to get
* With the old 90/110 bikes, we'd get around 140-150 mpg. According to Fuelly, these newer 110cc bikes are getting about 99mpg and have a 1.4-gallon fuel tank.
Thanks to all of you in helping me understand the limits of this vehicle. Don't have one yet but I'm test driving an RL Friday. I think I now know now that are some serious limits to what this thing can handle but I'm OK with that. The many on-road positives outweigh the off-road stuff.
As I said, my only desire is to experience some of the 'seasonal/ timber' roads in northern Wisconsin and Michigan - I've had some fantastic experiences in my F150. As many of you know however, these roads can vary from perfectly graded to hellish conditions that an ATV would have problems with. And you don't know what you're getting yourself into at any time until you reach that limit. Bikes and hauling ATV's are fine, but sometimes you just want to do a 5-mile jaunt and get back to the highway.
It is sad that Honda can't offer anything more than worthless trim packages. Lift the damn thing 2" with protection and tires and the sales would skyrocket.
As I said, my only desire is to experience some of the 'seasonal/ timber' roads in northern Wisconsin and Michigan - I've had some fantastic experiences in my F150. As many of you know however, these roads can vary from perfectly graded to hellish conditions that an ATV would have problems with. And you don't know what you're getting yourself into at any time until you reach that limit. Bikes and hauling ATV's are fine, but sometimes you just want to do a 5-mile jaunt and get back to the highway.
It is sad that Honda can't offer anything more than worthless trim packages. Lift the damn thing 2" with protection and tires and the sales would skyrocket.
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I think that Honda is gonna come out with some off-road version of Ridgeline in 2024??? The Pilot off-road version is coming out now
I should add that I come from the sports car crowd so I'm familiar with
If the Pilot is any indication, don't hold your breath. Again, it's trim packs, not any more capability.
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Look up 2023 Pilot TrailSport. I am sure / hoping that there will be Ridgeline TrailSport in 2024.
As long as it is not done at the sacrifice of the Ridgeline's most attractive and unique attributes, it's superb handling, ride and overall comfort!
Bill
The 2023 Pilot TrailSport package does add functionality, such as a factory lift, real skidplates, recovery hooks, A/T tires, offroad mode(s), full-size spare and 360° terrain cameras.
If you don't need a pickup, you might look at that Pilot option, or wait for the next-gen Ridgeline to get it.
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