A
//See the end for my updated review after a couple month of ownership.
I posted this over on the hondapioneerforum, but it looks like there is more activity here so I am migrating. So here is my initial, one trail riding day, review of a bone stock pioneer 700-4 (plus a roof). I would like to preface this by saying I have rode in arctic cats, a ranger, and most recently I owned a 2012 polaris rzr 900 xp (that I traded for a tractor) before I was ready to purchase another one.
Yesterday I had the chance to get out and spend the majority of a day in the woods and on the trails with my new rig. I had just about hit the specified break in marks before we unloaded for the day, so after she got good and warmed up I was going to ride it like planned to for the rest of the time I own it. Our terrain was trails with some moderate hills, a creek bed that was sandy in spots with steep exits, some rock faces, and a decent amount of mud holes; and a pretty long tow (more on that later). They were not overly deep or thick mud holes but just fun enough to actually want to try when you are more of a trail riding kinda guy like I am. I am gonna break it up in a pros and cons kinda way.
The Good
Engine and Trans
Wowzers was I impressed with this thing. The motor had power all over the place and never once did I feel like there was not enough. Didnt matter if it was climbing a steep hill or tires buried in mud, if I wanted more power or to go faster it just took a bit more throttle and she delivered. The transmission was epically good too, after the ride my brother asked me about its shifting pattern. After I thought for a minute I had to respond with 'I dont know'. It was soooo good and so spot on I never really noticed a difference vs. a cvt trans in technical terrain. Hammering it down a straight away is the only time I really noticed it shifting, the rest of the time I was taking in the scenery or concentrating on the trail. How quick power is delivered to the rear wheels is also noticeable better than a cvt, as soon as you touch the throttle it begins to move. I am overwhelmed with the difference this makes, and the peace of mind that your not gonna slip a belt. Also should noted that never once did I feel like it needed a low range, and this includes towing a dead brute force with a 275lb rider back to the truck. A tow that was probably about a mile and included pulling all that dead weight up a moderately steep hill, the temp gauge never rose at all during this process.
Seating position/Steering
Where you are seated is optimal in this thing, it gives you visibility all over and could not be better. You can easily see over the 'hood' for obstacles you are coming up on, the drivers side tires when you hit a specific spot, and the view behind you is really good when backing up. I felt that the steering wheel location was really good and did not find myself wanting a tilt wheel. Steering was very light and responded extremely well. No matter the terrain or position the lack of power steering did not feel like it mattered. Aside from the one time I did get some wheel lash that caught my thumb I wouldnt have even known it wasnt there.
Tires
Boy do these tires hook up! I was riding with a couple quads, some running 27in kendra executioneers and one running 25in mud lites, and one with big outlaws. I dont think I hit every mud hole they did but I made it through everything on the trails that they did just as easy if not easier. My rig also climbed the creek exits better than any other machine, and also climbed the rock faces better. These tires are absolutely fantastic and I would say they have near excellent grip in all situations, very very impressed with these.
Suspension
Soaked up the bumps at all speeds with ease. Very comfortable ride all day long, and a portion of that was also with a spare rider. Its not a rzr but its not meant to compare to that. For what it is I was impressed.
The bad
Engine Breaking
To me it felt that it took too long to kick in, and did not assist enough for downhill use. Yes it was there but not as aggressive as I would have hoped for.
Pedal Position/Floorboard area
The shin area of my right leg was overworked and while it wasnt terrible it was an irritating pain at some points. You are basically straight up and down meaning you have to keep you foot flexed upward when not at full throttle. I am sure the more I ride the more my muscles will get use to this, and I do understand its not a laid back rzr. But if Honda could find a way to move that out a little bit it would be a big improvement. While I never felt like I needed more floorboard space for my left foot, I did find the narrow entry point to be a pain in the neck. My boot kept getting lodged in that area when getting in/out, if they could add an inch or two to that opening that would be a big improvement.
Ground Clearance
Yes I know I just got done bragging up the tires, but if your machine leaves the farm they just are not tall enough. I had 3 spots where I had tooth jarring bottom outs, and 2 places where I high centered that only took the nudge of a guy rocking the machine for me to grab and go on. I will be putting 27in bighorns on this machine in time for our big April ride. A taller tire is something I feel this machine could really benifit from.
The Ugly
Gauge Position
This has been covered over and over and I still dont know how it made it past Honda's first R&D round. You cannot see anything from the standard driving position. You have to lean up or hunker down to view it, should absolutely be mounted where the big warning sign in. It could have also been a bit brighter as it wasnt easy to see in direct sunlight. It should be noted that I knew this before I bought it, and its just not a big deal to me; I dont care how fast I am going and I can lean in when I need to check fuel or temp. Why it gets the ugly category is because its something that every rider knows about, but something Honda didnt address. Stupid on their part IMO.
Overall there are not words to describe how good this machine actually is! Better than I expected in almost every area, and all of the flaws I had read about before buying it (except my boot getting caught up in the narrow passage when getting in and out); but it wasnt enough to sway me away from a Honda. My biggest concerns was lack of low end power and torque, and that auto trans when climbing hills or in technical spots. And it proved to shine in these areas. I do not for 1 second wish that I had purchased the 1000, or the delux model of the 700. The stock 700-4 is as close to a perfect machine for what I need it for. I hope this might help others who are looking into this rig and might be considering another brand, or even the P1000.
Cheers
Andy
Edit:
Ok, so now I have had the machine for a few months and have several hundred miles on it I thought it would be a good time to come back here and update my initial review.
I want to start with a list of the mods/accessories I did, dont have pictures of all of them at the moment though;
27in Bighorn's on stock rims
4 pack of LED's on toggles from Amazon (cheap ones)
Overhead bag for RZR
Oh Crap handles
Mirror
Winch and mounting plate
Home made rear hook
Now to explain some of them. I touched on the tires not being quite tall enough for trail riding, which is where the bighorns come in. Because 70% of the riding I do is trail riding they were a must. Any quality 27-28in tire would have worked, I just didnt want to purchase 14in rims. We do some occasional night riding so backing up a trail on a mountain is difficult with no light. So I bought a 4 pack of cheap LED's and mounted 2 to the rear and two to the front. I just used self taping screws and the mouting plates that came with the lights, it works for me. There is also added benifit to my forward facing lights, I slightly angled them to get some reflection off my roof; which gives me the perfect amount of cockpit light during night rides.
While the glove box is 'sealed' it didnt quite instill confidence in me for safe keeping. For my phone, keys, and random additional items I bought a cheap overhead bag to keep these things further from the elements. Plus it gives me a little more room for taking things out on the trail. I tied some rope to the roll cage for extra tie down spots since there wasnt anything like this available for the Honda. I also added a pair of OH CRAP! handles to the front roll cage area. When I am going down some steep hills I want to make sure I keep my hands inside in case something goes wrong, left hand on the steering wheel and the right on this handle. I have one on either side of a rear view mirror that I added as well, this might be one of the best value mods a guy can do.
As you might expect I added a 3500lb winch and mount plate, which has been needed a couple times. And I welded up a custom hook for the rear. I just took a 2in receiver and cut it off to the length I needed, and a heavy duty chain hook. I ground the hook flat and welded it to the receiver. This has been used countless times to pull guys out, or tow them back home.
OK, now for the actual review update, and I am going to start with the bad.
Power
This guy could use like 5 additional HP. I have now been in a couple situations where it would not climb a rut from a stop (on a hill after not making it in 2wd, stopping to engage 4wd it wouldn't climb straight up it) without backing up a couple feet and hitting it from a roll. We also recently rode Wildcat ATV Park in Kentucky and climbing the hill to the dome, ole gal lost speed the whole way up, I was down to 7mph by time I hit the top. I think a few more ponies would solve these issues.
Brakes
The engine brake is about useless for trail riding, although pulling a trailer back and forth to dads it does its job well. The engine brake struggles to keep the machine under 12 going down hill, but I spose they engineered this for a farm more-so than they did trails. I also found the brakes themselves to be a little lacking. Even after a good power wash there are some hills out there where I dont think I could bring the machine to a complete stop if I wanted to. I will call the dealer on this and see if this is normal behavior.
Bed
If you load this thing up with dirt, firewood, etc. you better make sure you tailgate the majority of it. The assistance for dumping the bed is a joke, nothing like loading it up with dirt and having to shovel 75% of it back off when you get to your dump site. The three tie down points is also a PITA, it really needs two points in the front. I have even considered trying to mount something on the rear doors for additional anchor points.
The Good
Im not going back over everything, because all the good about the machine from 8 months ago are still good (and all the bads from 8 months ago are still bad). Even will all the negatives about this machine I still think its the best buy out there for reliability and price; and I would buy it again in a heartbeat. But I know when I was looking to purchase I would really have appreciated a guide like this, where all the negatives were out there and a guy still would recommend it.
![a>](http://<a href="http://s1064.photobucket.com/user/along22855/media/IMG_27561_zpsipt5pwj5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u377/along22855/IMG_27561_zpsipt5pwj5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_27561_zpsipt5pwj5.jpg"/></a>)
I posted this over on the hondapioneerforum, but it looks like there is more activity here so I am migrating. So here is my initial, one trail riding day, review of a bone stock pioneer 700-4 (plus a roof). I would like to preface this by saying I have rode in arctic cats, a ranger, and most recently I owned a 2012 polaris rzr 900 xp (that I traded for a tractor) before I was ready to purchase another one.
Yesterday I had the chance to get out and spend the majority of a day in the woods and on the trails with my new rig. I had just about hit the specified break in marks before we unloaded for the day, so after she got good and warmed up I was going to ride it like planned to for the rest of the time I own it. Our terrain was trails with some moderate hills, a creek bed that was sandy in spots with steep exits, some rock faces, and a decent amount of mud holes; and a pretty long tow (more on that later). They were not overly deep or thick mud holes but just fun enough to actually want to try when you are more of a trail riding kinda guy like I am. I am gonna break it up in a pros and cons kinda way.
The Good
Engine and Trans
Wowzers was I impressed with this thing. The motor had power all over the place and never once did I feel like there was not enough. Didnt matter if it was climbing a steep hill or tires buried in mud, if I wanted more power or to go faster it just took a bit more throttle and she delivered. The transmission was epically good too, after the ride my brother asked me about its shifting pattern. After I thought for a minute I had to respond with 'I dont know'. It was soooo good and so spot on I never really noticed a difference vs. a cvt trans in technical terrain. Hammering it down a straight away is the only time I really noticed it shifting, the rest of the time I was taking in the scenery or concentrating on the trail. How quick power is delivered to the rear wheels is also noticeable better than a cvt, as soon as you touch the throttle it begins to move. I am overwhelmed with the difference this makes, and the peace of mind that your not gonna slip a belt. Also should noted that never once did I feel like it needed a low range, and this includes towing a dead brute force with a 275lb rider back to the truck. A tow that was probably about a mile and included pulling all that dead weight up a moderately steep hill, the temp gauge never rose at all during this process.
Seating position/Steering
Where you are seated is optimal in this thing, it gives you visibility all over and could not be better. You can easily see over the 'hood' for obstacles you are coming up on, the drivers side tires when you hit a specific spot, and the view behind you is really good when backing up. I felt that the steering wheel location was really good and did not find myself wanting a tilt wheel. Steering was very light and responded extremely well. No matter the terrain or position the lack of power steering did not feel like it mattered. Aside from the one time I did get some wheel lash that caught my thumb I wouldnt have even known it wasnt there.
Tires
Boy do these tires hook up! I was riding with a couple quads, some running 27in kendra executioneers and one running 25in mud lites, and one with big outlaws. I dont think I hit every mud hole they did but I made it through everything on the trails that they did just as easy if not easier. My rig also climbed the creek exits better than any other machine, and also climbed the rock faces better. These tires are absolutely fantastic and I would say they have near excellent grip in all situations, very very impressed with these.
Suspension
Soaked up the bumps at all speeds with ease. Very comfortable ride all day long, and a portion of that was also with a spare rider. Its not a rzr but its not meant to compare to that. For what it is I was impressed.
The bad
Engine Breaking
To me it felt that it took too long to kick in, and did not assist enough for downhill use. Yes it was there but not as aggressive as I would have hoped for.
Pedal Position/Floorboard area
The shin area of my right leg was overworked and while it wasnt terrible it was an irritating pain at some points. You are basically straight up and down meaning you have to keep you foot flexed upward when not at full throttle. I am sure the more I ride the more my muscles will get use to this, and I do understand its not a laid back rzr. But if Honda could find a way to move that out a little bit it would be a big improvement. While I never felt like I needed more floorboard space for my left foot, I did find the narrow entry point to be a pain in the neck. My boot kept getting lodged in that area when getting in/out, if they could add an inch or two to that opening that would be a big improvement.
Ground Clearance
Yes I know I just got done bragging up the tires, but if your machine leaves the farm they just are not tall enough. I had 3 spots where I had tooth jarring bottom outs, and 2 places where I high centered that only took the nudge of a guy rocking the machine for me to grab and go on. I will be putting 27in bighorns on this machine in time for our big April ride. A taller tire is something I feel this machine could really benifit from.
The Ugly
Gauge Position
This has been covered over and over and I still dont know how it made it past Honda's first R&D round. You cannot see anything from the standard driving position. You have to lean up or hunker down to view it, should absolutely be mounted where the big warning sign in. It could have also been a bit brighter as it wasnt easy to see in direct sunlight. It should be noted that I knew this before I bought it, and its just not a big deal to me; I dont care how fast I am going and I can lean in when I need to check fuel or temp. Why it gets the ugly category is because its something that every rider knows about, but something Honda didnt address. Stupid on their part IMO.
Overall there are not words to describe how good this machine actually is! Better than I expected in almost every area, and all of the flaws I had read about before buying it (except my boot getting caught up in the narrow passage when getting in and out); but it wasnt enough to sway me away from a Honda. My biggest concerns was lack of low end power and torque, and that auto trans when climbing hills or in technical spots. And it proved to shine in these areas. I do not for 1 second wish that I had purchased the 1000, or the delux model of the 700. The stock 700-4 is as close to a perfect machine for what I need it for. I hope this might help others who are looking into this rig and might be considering another brand, or even the P1000.
Cheers
Andy
Edit:
Ok, so now I have had the machine for a few months and have several hundred miles on it I thought it would be a good time to come back here and update my initial review.
I want to start with a list of the mods/accessories I did, dont have pictures of all of them at the moment though;
27in Bighorn's on stock rims
4 pack of LED's on toggles from Amazon (cheap ones)
Overhead bag for RZR
Oh Crap handles
Mirror
Winch and mounting plate
Home made rear hook
Now to explain some of them. I touched on the tires not being quite tall enough for trail riding, which is where the bighorns come in. Because 70% of the riding I do is trail riding they were a must. Any quality 27-28in tire would have worked, I just didnt want to purchase 14in rims. We do some occasional night riding so backing up a trail on a mountain is difficult with no light. So I bought a 4 pack of cheap LED's and mounted 2 to the rear and two to the front. I just used self taping screws and the mouting plates that came with the lights, it works for me. There is also added benifit to my forward facing lights, I slightly angled them to get some reflection off my roof; which gives me the perfect amount of cockpit light during night rides.
While the glove box is 'sealed' it didnt quite instill confidence in me for safe keeping. For my phone, keys, and random additional items I bought a cheap overhead bag to keep these things further from the elements. Plus it gives me a little more room for taking things out on the trail. I tied some rope to the roll cage for extra tie down spots since there wasnt anything like this available for the Honda. I also added a pair of OH CRAP! handles to the front roll cage area. When I am going down some steep hills I want to make sure I keep my hands inside in case something goes wrong, left hand on the steering wheel and the right on this handle. I have one on either side of a rear view mirror that I added as well, this might be one of the best value mods a guy can do.
As you might expect I added a 3500lb winch and mount plate, which has been needed a couple times. And I welded up a custom hook for the rear. I just took a 2in receiver and cut it off to the length I needed, and a heavy duty chain hook. I ground the hook flat and welded it to the receiver. This has been used countless times to pull guys out, or tow them back home.
OK, now for the actual review update, and I am going to start with the bad.
Power
This guy could use like 5 additional HP. I have now been in a couple situations where it would not climb a rut from a stop (on a hill after not making it in 2wd, stopping to engage 4wd it wouldn't climb straight up it) without backing up a couple feet and hitting it from a roll. We also recently rode Wildcat ATV Park in Kentucky and climbing the hill to the dome, ole gal lost speed the whole way up, I was down to 7mph by time I hit the top. I think a few more ponies would solve these issues.
Brakes
The engine brake is about useless for trail riding, although pulling a trailer back and forth to dads it does its job well. The engine brake struggles to keep the machine under 12 going down hill, but I spose they engineered this for a farm more-so than they did trails. I also found the brakes themselves to be a little lacking. Even after a good power wash there are some hills out there where I dont think I could bring the machine to a complete stop if I wanted to. I will call the dealer on this and see if this is normal behavior.
Bed
If you load this thing up with dirt, firewood, etc. you better make sure you tailgate the majority of it. The assistance for dumping the bed is a joke, nothing like loading it up with dirt and having to shovel 75% of it back off when you get to your dump site. The three tie down points is also a PITA, it really needs two points in the front. I have even considered trying to mount something on the rear doors for additional anchor points.
The Good
Im not going back over everything, because all the good about the machine from 8 months ago are still good (and all the bads from 8 months ago are still bad). Even will all the negatives about this machine I still think its the best buy out there for reliability and price; and I would buy it again in a heartbeat. But I know when I was looking to purchase I would really have appreciated a guide like this, where all the negatives were out there and a guy still would recommend it.
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