What is an Odyssey ?

What Honda engineers did is designed a breed of racing machine from the ground up. Check the links on the left side for specs on the Odyssey.

It is hard to describe this machine if you have just ridden dirt bikes or quads all your life. It sure isn't a go-kart on steroids. The Honda Odyssey is very, very fast, despite weighing in at 600 plus pounds. The two-cycle air-cooled engine is just an absolute rocket. Ignite this puppy and you will fly and climb anywhere. There is no shifting because of a variable speed clutch and belt system. It is extremely nimble and quick, despite being a little wider then most quads.

The Honda Odyssey has a rigid axle and low pressure knobby tires to provide top performance on sand dunes and trails. The design of the Odyssey makes it have a tendency to oversteer. Sliding the rear end out is quite easy on these machines and also quite fun. While the Odyssey is not a super-fast machine, it does have a lot of torque and climbs steep hills easily. A stock Odyssey will go approximately 50mph (80km/h) which is plenty fast with the lack of a rear suspension. To go any faster than that with just the tires as the suspension (which is VERY bouncy) would be very dangerous. FL250 Odyssey's were only equipped with a rear disc brake which is very stupid in my mind. Stopping with only a back brake is very ineffective, it often causes the machine to slide one way or the other if the brake is locked up. Front brakes would stop the machine a hell of a lot faster and with much more stability. And stopping on pavement at full speed gets a little hairy!! Acceleration is very good on these machines and power is on tap through most of the power band. Your Odyssey is in top shape when you can lift the front tires off the ground one inch from a standing start on dry pavement.

From the cockpit on your steering control, you have push button electric start (with manual pull start if your battery croaks), rear brakes, front head lights, emergency brake and a tail light.
 

What I really enjoy about the Odyssey and why I think it’s much safer then a quad is you’re protected by a full roll cage made of heavy tube steel. The padded and seat belt / shoulder harness arrangement adds additional protection. The payoff is that instead of being ejected from the seat of a quad that will propel you into a tree, the protects you from serious injury. It is perfect for those who want the extra protection without giving up the thrill and speed of a quad.

Honda Odyssey's are a lot of fun to drive, their controls are mounted on the steering wheel for easier operation. They can reach speeds of up to 50 mph and are very stable at those speeds. Odysseys are not meant to be driven on the road. They are VERY easy to tip if a turn on pavement is taken to fast. Even on sand care must be taken when turning sharply at high speeds. Although they can go quite fast, they can climb even better. The clutch system is very good on these machines and it supplies the driver with a lot of torque to climb hills and tow a trailer with. Honda states that these machines can climb 35 degree angles, I agree. I have climbed a 45 degree hill once with relative ease. Make sure when climbing steep hills that there is sufficient traction to make it to the top. If the tires start to slip and slide back down the hill there is no way to stop. You will either slide back nicely or roll the machine over risking damage to the Odyssey or worse, damage to yourself. I recommend not climbing anything without checking it out first. One thing I love to do is find some loose sand and do doughnuts until I'm dizzy; be careful though, if you hit solid ground that puppy is going to flip sideways. I live in Canada and one thing we have lots of is snow. In the winter an Odyssey is a lot of fun, the rear tires spin so much on the snow that its hard to keep straight (but that's what's fun about it). Word of advice though, keep out of deep snow, you will get stuck. Hard pack snowmobile trails are the best!

All in all, this is one tremendous ride and such a unique machine that turns heads wherever you go. You will spend a lot of time with people asking, “where can I get one?” There is not and probably will not be anything like the Odyssey’s produced from Honda again. Replacement parts have not been a problem from Honda or Ebay. There is also a good support network of other Odyssey riders all over the Internet if you want to join an organization that rides in your state. It is quite simply a wonderful machine to own and ride. 

DL3SJB's World