P1000 ATV Guy Buys SXS

[dook]

I live in the mountains and have been riding ATV's for 20 years, Suzuki Kingquad 300's and a 2018 Honda Rubicon for a combined total of about 18K miles. I had a Kawasaki Mule 600 for a couple years but seldom used it because it was gutless.

Personally I think ATV's have a lot of advantages over SXS's; less noise, less dust, less heat, less gasoline, faster, lower center of gravity and better visibility. When I want to ride alone and when the weather is warm I jump on the Rubicon, not the Pioneer.

This will be my first winter using the Pioneer and I hope it will significantly extend my riding season, due to enclosed, heated cab.

There are a lot of things I would have designed differently and I think Honda engineers did a better job on the Rubicon than the Pioneer. Both the Rubicon and Pioneer have too much gear noise, I guess because of straight cut gears. But all things considered, I think Honda Pioneer did a better job than the competition, as I'm a shaft drive snob and just don't cotton to CVT.

I think one major reason people buy SXS's is that they're married. I'm not but ride and hunt with my neighbor a lot. It's nice to have company while riding, but SXS noise makes conversation a challenge, even if Hondas are quieter. I'm glad I didn't get a Pioneer without an enclosed cab because now I think the main reason for me to have one is to ride when it's too cold for ATV's. Most of the winter I probably won't ride much at all because of snow depth, but it should be handy in November and December before it accumulates and April/May for short jaunts up into the mountains to see how much snow has melted.

I had put off buying a SXS several years because I believed that they are all really overpriced for what they are and still believe that. This is even more true for CVT SXS's. Manufacturers save a ton of money using CVT and not having to cut all those precision hard gears and they don't pass enough of the savings on to their customers.

So to sum it up, I'm really not that enthusiastic about SXS's, but we'll see how winter riding goes, it might open up a new world for me. Next summer it will probably be parked unless I find a way to deal with the dust problem.

 

[Admin]

 

[Backwoods]

I refused to buy a sxs for years because I liked my ATV. But now I have nothing but a sxs and truly love it as time goes on you could end up the same way. I enjoy my sxs much more .

 

[rickoshea]

my check engine light keeps coming on so i gave up on atv's and snowmobiles.i'm more than happy with my sxs.less wear and tear on my back,knees,hands etc.

 

[Ridinfool]

I grew up in south FLA riding ATVs then I moved to the mountains of WNC my wife who also grew up is s FLA riding ATVs could no longer work the throttle lever comfortably. A friend of mine in FLA got a 700 pioneer when honda first introduced them I drove it and loved it. The wife rode in it and said “I like this” she rides I drive everybody is happy. I agree with you about getting into more places with the bike, but the first time you take your buggy up a trail that a bike has has some difficulty with and it walks the dog, you’ll be like “hell yeah” plus you can carry more gear easier. Congrats on the new ride and welcome to the site, and pics or it didn’t happen.

 

[dook]

less wear and tear on my back,knees,hands etc.

I grew up in south FLA riding ATVs then I moved to the mountains of WNC my wife who also grew up is s FLA riding ATVs could no longer work the throttle lever comfortably.

Good points there. I'm 65 and I get pretty stove up on long rides. I find that riding the Rubicon, the majority of of the vibration my body absorbs comes through the handlebars rather than the seat, in spite of Steiger vibration absorbers and gel grips. The Pioneer offers a better seating position and the steering wheel doesn't transfer vibration.

Because of it's size and width, a SXS is best compared to a Jeep or SXS pickup. The reason for me to drive a SXS instead of my Jeep or Tundra is ride quality. Mine has Fox shocks and 30" tires and does ride pretty comfortably.

 

[Smitty335]

Good points there. I'm 65 and I get pretty stove up on long rides. I find that riding the Rubicon, the majority of of the vibration my body absorbs comes through the handlebars rather than the seat, in spite if Steiger vibration absorbers and gel grips. The Pioneer offers a better seating position and the steering wheel doesn't transfer vibration.

Because of it's size and width, a SXS is best compared to a Jeep or SXS pickup. The reason for me to drive a SXS instead of my Jeep or Tundra is ride quality. Mine has Fox shocks and 30" tires and does ride pretty comfortably.

View attachment 230797View attachment 230798

Nice buggy and pup!

 

[TripleB]

Good points there. I'm 65 and I get pretty stove up on long rides. I find that riding the Rubicon, the majority of of the vibration my body absorbs comes through the handlebars rather than the seat, in spite if Steiger vibration absorbers and gel grips. The Pioneer offers a better seating position and the steering wheel doesn't transfer vibration.

Because of it's size and width, a SXS is best compared to a Jeep or SXS pickup. The reason for me to drive a SXS instead of my Jeep or Tundra is ride quality. Mine has Fox shocks and 30" tires and does ride pretty comfortably.

View attachment 230797View attachment 230798

Is that Honda OEM rear panel?

 

[dook]

Is that Honda OEM rear panel?

I think so, I didn't buy the accessories, previous owner did and said he bought mostly Honda OEM stuff.

 

[DG Rider]

I don't know about the 1000, but the 700/500 diff is louder than the engine on flat road/trail cruising. It should be an embarrassement to honda. I can't even imagine what it would be like fully enclosed.

But like others, I rode ATVs for decades, but the increased comfort factor is huge, including getting out of the Arizona sun with a top. And that huge bed. I'm solo 99% of the time these days (wife just doesn't enjoy it much), but I'd still take the SxS over any ATV.
I can see, however, me buying some old ATVs someday...For nostalgia sake. Would love to have another 01 Rubicon.

 

[Dirtstiffs-1000]

Use synthetic gear oil and turn the music up.

 

[dook]

Use synthetic gear oil and turn the music up.

I just changed to Lucas 85w140 in the diffs. I haven't rode it since. Is synthetic quieter?

 

[CID]

The gear whine in my Talon is painful, even with my helmet. I always wore foam ear plugs inside my motorcycle helmet and will continue doing so with the Talon. I'll use shop ear muffs if I'm not wearing a helmet, easier on and off. I didn't have any trouble hearing as a passenger at Sand Hollow with the foam plugs. I don't know if the noise is in the DCT (noise would be oil damped), the diffs or the sub trans, maybe all three. 🤔

Even though the mechanical noise might not hurt you 'right now', it will long term and hearing loss is permanent and progressive.

 

[KimberproSS]

I live in the mountains and have been riding ATV's for 20 years, Suzuki Kingquad 300's and a 2018 Honda Rubicon for a combined total of about 18K miles. I had a Kawasaki Mule 600 for a couple years but seldom used it because it was gutless.

Personally I think ATV's have a lot of advantages over SXS's; less noise, less dust, less heat, less gasoline, faster, lower center of gravity and better visibility. When I want to ride alone and when the weather is warm I jump on the Rubicon, not the Pioneer.

This will be my first winter using the Pioneer and I hope it will significantly extend my riding season, due to enclosed, heated cab.

There are a lot of things I would have designed differently and I think Honda engineers did a better job on the Rubicon than the Pioneer. Both the Rubicon and Pioneer have too much gear noise, I guess because of straight cut gears. But all things considered, I think Honda Pioneer did a better job than the competition, as I'm a shaft drive snob and just don't cotton to CVT.

I think one major reason people buy SXS's is that they're married. I'm not but ride and hunt with my neighbor a lot. It's nice to have company while riding, but SXS noise makes conversation a challenge, even if Hondas are quieter. I'm glad I didn't get a Pioneer without an enclosed cab because now I think the main reason for me to have one is to ride when it's too cold for ATV's. Most of the winter I probably won't ride much at all because of snow depth, but it should be handy in November and December before it accumulates and April/May for short jaunts up into the mountains to see how much snow has melted.

I had put off buying a SXS several years because I believed that they are all really overpriced for what they are and still believe that. This is even more true for CVT SXS's. Manufacturers save a ton of money using CVT and not having to cut all those precision hard gears and they don't pass enough of the savings on to their customers.

So to sum it up, I'm really not that enthusiastic about SXS's, but we'll see how winter riding goes, it might open up a new world for me. Next summer it will probably be parked unless I find a way to deal with the dust problem.

I have friends in Missouri that have Mules and that was my first SxS experience. I agree, gutless and noisy, so much so a slow casual ride requires yelling to converse. I chose the Honda Pioneer 1000 for guts and much lower noise. With the power/speed of the 1000 I can cruise up to 30 MPH and have a decent discussion with a passenger. Still reasonable noise at faster speeds. The gear whine is pretty loud but calms down with break in. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Dirtstiffs-1000]

I just changed to Lucas 85w140 in the diffs. I haven't rode it since. Is synthetic quieter?

Yes

 

[turdbrownLE]

I've had a Sportsman 570 for years and only used it for my annual elk hunts. Never understood the allure of the sxs. Like my bow, the 4 wheeler was just another tool to assist in getting the job done. Decided to get some maintenance done the week before I left for my hunt. It wouldn't run. Was going to get a new 4 wheeler, probably a honda, but wasn't thrilled with the idea of spending 10k for another machine to sit in my shop for 51 weeks a year. Then I remembered the pioneer 5 seaters. I have a wife and 2 kids and the idea of a machine that we could all ride in at once, make street legal in our town, and still have a relatively manageable footprint started to really appeal to me. I was concerned with fitting thru some of the gates in our hunting area; couldn't remember how wide they were. Also wondered how it would fare on some of the tighter trails.

Boy do I feel like a stubborn jackass now. I picked up a 2021 1000-5 LE 2 days before my hunt and put 150 miles on it in the mountains. Rides better at faster speeds than my 4 wheeler, fits thru every gate I came across (they seem to be sized to keep the sport models out) can ride with someone hunting in same area, and it's just generally awesome.

Couldn't be happier to be a sxs guy, and happy as hell with my make/model selection. To be fair, my brother worked at a honda dealer in college and has been on my ass to make my next machine a honda. He was right.

Icing on the cake is my elk camp group are pretty much all polaris 4 wheeler guys, but after watching me up there with my machine a few of them were starting to get that contemplative look and more than 1 has been asking about pioneers.

For me, the disadvantages of the bigger machine are far outweighed by the increase in utility.

 

[Smitty335]

I've had a Sportsman 570 for years and only used it for my annual elk hunts. Never understood the allure of the sxs. Like my bow, the 4 wheeler was just another tool to assist in getting the job done. Decided to get some maintenance done the week before I left for my hunt. It wouldn't run. Was going to get a new 4 wheeler, probably a honda, but wasn't thrilled with the idea of spending 10k for another machine to sit in my shop for 51 weeks a year. Then I remembered the pioneer 5 seaters. I have a wife and 2 kids and the idea of a machine that we could all ride in at once, make street legal in our town, and still have a relatively manageable footprint started to really appeal to me. I was concerned with fitting thru some of the gates in our hunting area; couldn't remember how wide they were. Also wondered how it would fare on some of the tighter trails.

Boy do I feel like a stubborn jackass now. I picked up a 2021 1000-5 LE 2 days before my hunt and put 150 miles on it in the mountains. Rides better at faster speeds than my 4 wheeler, fits thru every gate I came across (they seem to be sized to keep the sport models out) can ride with someone hunting in same area, and it's just generally awesome.

Couldn't be happier to be a sxs guy, and happy as hell with my make/model selection. To be fair, my brother worked at a honda dealer in college and has been on my ass to make my next machine a honda. He was right.

Icing on the cake is my elk camp group are pretty much all polaris 4 wheeler guys, but after watching me up there with my machine a few of them were starting to get that contemplative look and more than 1 has been asking about pioneers.

For me, the disadvantages of the bigger machine are far outweighed by the increase in utility.

I asked where the check book was, wife answered on the island and what do you need it for, going to town to do something stupid, came back with a P1-5. She said that was stupid when I got back home and didn't talk to me for two weeks, until she found out it had turf mode and could use it tending her flower beds! HA!