I have the ES model and for my purposes would trade for a TM model in a second. There are some things about the ES that you won't like if you are a serious rider with foot shift experience.
1. You can't shift to neutral above 2mph.
2. You can't hold the foot lever up and build revs.
3. It's an electronic system. Bound for problems.
That said, my machine has been pretty good to me for the past 2 1/2 years. It plows snow, rides trails, hauls, muds, whatever a quad should do, it does. Personally, I'd opt for a 500 machine on my next purchase. Probably the Foreman, but who knows what the future holds...
I have had a couple of 'bobbles' with the ES system. Apparently, Honda has had problems with the Angle Sensor. This is the gadget that tells it what gear it's in or something like that. It's in a poor location and pretty open to dirt and mud. There is a recall for certain machines.
What will happen is this: While you are riding, you probably don't pay much attention to the display. All of a sudden, the machine won't shift. Up, down it doesn't matter. First thing is to reset the ECM by switching the machine off. If it won't shift when you turn it back on, you need to dig a wrench out of the toolbox and manually shift it into neutral. Trouble with the ES system is BIG TROUBLE, but as I understand it, it's fairly rare.
