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Upgrading A Golf Cart
- Thread starter deer patch
- Start date
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I finally got around to installing 1.5" wheel spacers on the Honda. Ride and steering is great, and the increased leverage on the shocks and springs isn't a noticeable difference.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Today's consumers want quality equipment that's mechanically sound, if it's reliable we're willing to pay a lot of money for it, but if it's junk we don't want it at any price, and in today's internet age of information we have a lot more options to learn what's good and what's not.
In SXS's about the most important part of the machine and my number one requirement for quality and innovation is the drivetrain that transfers the engine horsepower to the dirt underneath my tires, and I've learned a lot from reading about other owners real life experiences, and also through owning several golf carts and ATV's, a Yamaha Wolverine, a Polaris Ranger 1000 XP, and a Honda Pioneer 1000-6. Here's a bit of what I learned;
Honda's automatic dual-clutch transmission (DCT) has a bit better fuel economy than a belt drive (about the same fuel economy as a manual) but shifts much faster than a manual, and unlike a manual, has continuous torque delivery throughout gear shifts, has the ability to do full-throttle gear changes, and is less tiring to drive than a manual, while still giving the option for manual shifting if I prefer, with over-rev and under-rev protection in manual mode.
Honda's DCT also has a longer clutch life than most manual clutches, due to having the wet clutches and sharing the shifting between the two clutches.
An automatic transmission is slightly quieter and smoother than a DCT, but currently no SXS comes with an automatic. A belt drive (commonly called CVT but is not a mechanical CVT) is not smoother (my XP1000 always had a big jump when taking off) or quieter (belt whine anybody?) Belt drive works really good for golf carts but is seems to me that these SXS's with more than 100 hp are stretching this technology to it's limits.
The downside to a DCT is that it's a complicated transmission that's expensive to fix if it breaks, but Honda's DCT has a really good track record of reliability if it's not abused and their maintenance schedule is followed. Don't shift it while rolling! Maybe soon they will add an electronic solenoid to make this impossible? But anyone who drive a car knows this already, don't put it in reverse if you are rolling forward
A DCT transmission is essentially the same as the "powershift" transmissions that most farm tractors use, proven technology that basically just adds a mechanical shifter to the tried and true manual transmissions of our grandparents generation.
I'm excited to see that more companies like Can-am are now offering DCT transmissions (Maverick R, waiting to see how it holds up). Hopefully other SXS manufacturers will follow suit and give us some more reliable options in powershift transmissions when they realize that we just won't buy their outdated designs anymore.
