Sell your Honda TRX 500
Sell your Honda TRX 500, from a carburettor Foreman to a Hondamatic Rubicon or a 2015-on DCT model with independent rear. The TRX 520 counts too. On these, the gearbox matters as much as the hours.
Which TRX 500 have you got?
Foreman means manual or electric shift. Rubicon means automatic. The code on your V5C or invoice tells us the rest.
| Code on the V5C | Which version | Our notes | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRX500FM / FPM | Foreman, 4WD foot-shift manual. P means power steering. | From 2012, fuel injected 475cc. Earlier ones are carburettor models. | Get offer → |
| TRX500FE / FPE | Foreman ES: gear changes by handlebar buttons. | Check the shift system goes through every gear. | Get offer → |
| TRX500FA / FGA / FPA | Foreman Rubicon automatic, 2001 to 2014, with the Hondamatic gearbox. | Not a belt drive. Needs to pull away cleanly. | Get offer → |
| TRX500FA (2015 on) | Rubicon with DCT and IRS. Fuel-injected. | The highest-spec 500. | Get offer → |
| TRX520 FM, FE, FA | The 518cc successor, from the 2020 model year. FM6 and FA6 have IRS. | Honda UK fits power steering to every current version. | Get offer → |
Five checks on every TRX 500
Longitudinal engine and driveshafts
The crank drives the prop shafts directly. We look for oil weeping at the output seals and play in the joints.
Rubicon gearbox behaviour
A healthy Rubicon pulls away smoothly and changes without clunks. Hunting for gears or a warning light? Tell us.
Power steering on P models and the 520
You'll want it with a loaded rack. We check the steering feels light and the EPS warning goes out after start-up.
Carburettor or fuel injection
Pre-2012 Foremans run a carb that often needs cleaning after a winter parked up. We price on how it runs on the day.
Hours and what it's towed
Photograph the hour reading and tell us what it's pulled. Sprayer work wears a Foreman harder than stock checks.
Foreman or Rubicon: what's the difference?
To sell a Honda TRX 500, first work out which one you've got. Both have a big single mounted lengthways, so power goes straight down the prop shafts with no chain or belt in between, and that's why they tow so well.
Foreman
The one with a gear lever or ES buttons. Carburettor up to 2011. Fuel injection came for 2012 with a 475cc liquid-cooled engine, then a stiffer frame in 2014.
Rubicon
The automatic. From its 2001 launch until 2014 it used the Hondamatic, a sealed hydraulic gearbox with no belt to wear. For 2015 Honda moved it to the dual clutch gearbox and added independent rear suspension.
TRX 520
Same layout, 518cc, from the 2020 model year.
The TRX 500 VIN and the V5C question
On a 500 the VIN is on the front of the frame, behind the front rack. Expect mud. The engine number is stamped on the rear crankcase. Worn stamping? Our frame number location guide shows where else to look.
Some TRX 500s were registered and have a V5C, but plenty of farm ones never were and a purchase invoice covers those instead. Either way we check your photo ID and read the VIN against the paperwork before paying you.
What a Rubicon or Foreman fetches
A late DCT Rubicon, or a TRX 520 with power steering and low hours, gets the top figure. Fuel-injected Foremans sit in the middle. At the bottom is the old carb Foreman that's dragged logs for years, and we still want that one.
Our quad valuation explainer goes through the rest. Weighing up an advert instead? Read our guide to choosing how to sell a quad first. We also buy the lighter TRX 420 Rancher.
Hard-worked 500s and ones that won't start
A Foreman's lengthways engine was made for pulling. Plenty have spent their lives behind a sprayer or dragging timber out of a wood. See how we buy working farm quads of every make.
A Rubicon stuck in one gear still has a price. So does a carb Foreman that won't fire. Here's how we handle a non-running quad or UTV. Got a Honda Pioneer side-by-side in the same shed? We'll price both. Or start your TRX 500 offer now.
TRX 500: our price or a private sale?
- Gearbox faults priced, not argued
- Carb Foremans that won't idle welcome
- We winch it up ourselves
- Money sent before loading
- Buyers test a Rubicon in every gear
- Carbs need cleaning before test rides
- Heavy quad, so buyers need a trailer
- Deposits and no-shows are yours
Selling a Honda TRX 500: your questions
Foreman or Rubicon: which have I got?
The model code settles it. Rubicons are the automatics. Foremans have a foot lever or ES buttons.
Do you buy the TRX 520 as well?
We do. The 520 replaced the TRX 500 for the 2020 model year, and it gets the same terms.
Does power steering add value?
It does, especially with weight on the racks. Tell us whether it works.
My Rubicon won't change gear. Will you still buy it?
Still yes. Tell us which gears it finds and what the warning lights do, and we'll take the repair off the figure.
Get a figure for your Foreman or Rubicon
Send the model code and say how it shifts. A TRX 500 offer follows within 24 hours.