Buying a Pioneer 500 - My experience

[PioneeringMT]

Hey there, just thought I would let some people know what I found out when I finally (2 months of waiting) got mine. I cam off of a '12 RZR 800 50", and after a number of problems, I went to Honda again.We have a SxS because we have a 2 year old, we are mountain riders and we think a roll cage surrounding our son is safer. The Pioneer 500 is a brilliant machine, and I wouldn't go back. Here are a few of the things I noticed right away that took a little getting used to:
1. They will ride pretty stiff. It has gotten a little better, and it definitely rides better loaded.
2. Shifting cam naturally with the paddle shifters, the speed did not. I had to learn that this little machine liked to rev.
3. Seating position is off? It seems as if the pedals are too far to the right and the steering wheel is too far to the left...weird.
4. Pack fuel for longer rides. I can get around 90-95 miles of MT mountain riding on a tank, I had 150 miles with the RZR.
5. Seats are stiff. Really stiff.

Here are a few of the things I really like.
1. Rear rack. It is genius for work and play.
2. It is so much quieter than the Polaris.
3. Oil changes are easy.
4. Reverse and tranny are flawless so far.
5. It has better ground clearance than my RZR. Believe it or not, I rode the same rocky mountain trail and the Honda did far better.
6. The doors are so much nicer and thought out than the RZR.

All in all, it's a Honda. Should last for eons as long as you perform the maintenance. I have an '11 Rancher AT EPS, and a '14 Can-Am Outlander 1000 Max XT LTD, and I tend to sell them after a couple of years or so. I don't think I will will this Honda, just like the Rancher it is bulletproof, fun, and takes a lot of the worry out of getting stuck in the mountains of MT overnight with a broken down machine. I would highly recommend one.

 

[Admin]

 

[Hondasxs]

PioneeringMT,
Thanks for your feedback. It was surprising to read that the P500 had better Ground clearance then your RZR 50". Seeing the Pioneer in person I would not of expected that. All the other things you listed seem to be not really bit issues that will grow on you.
If you ever get all your toys lined up.. I would love to see a picture.
Hope to see you around.
Thanks.

 

[PioneeringMT]

PioneeringMT,
Thanks for your feedback. It was surprising to read that the P500 had better Ground clearance then your RZR 50". Seeing the Pioneer in person I would not of expected that. All the other things you listed seem to be not really bit issues that will grow on you.
If you ever get all your toys lined up.. I would love to see a picture.
Hope to see you around.
Thanks.

Yes, it does actually have better clearance. All of the Polaris machines I have owned had the suspension "break in" and settle a little after a while. I even adjusted the pre-load up three clicks to prevent bottoming. All of the RZR owners I know have done this. I measured it, and of my very level shop floor got 9 ⅞" on the Pioneer, 8 ¼" on the RZR before I traded it. My Can-Am Outlander 100 Max XT LTD with quite a few extras on it, and the air suspension set at it's lowest measures 10 ¼''. It has 26" tires on it stock, so I am impressed with the Honda. The trail is where I was really surprised, and though the ride is rough, it's not a deal breaker. I will get picks posted when I put my track kit back on the Can -Am. Thanks!

 

[Shanethetubguy]

I own a Pioneer 700-4 and love it. My daughter has really gotten into riding with me and I'm think about buy the Pioneer 500 for her she rides my Brute all the time and I think it would be a better purchase then the RZR would you recommend it

 

[mikeyd]

This was posted by Hondasxs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba0r4MI3jsk#t=575
Sure capable on rough terrain
Great on open dirt roads too, the only videos I have of that are large MP4s
Would reccomend.

 

[iluvuk]

Hello,

I am planning to buy new Hondasxs. But unable to decide.

Can you explain why I should buy Pioneer 500?

I have been riding for over 40 years. I must say this P500 is a very versatile machine. I have had it on sand dunes, in mud, and on extremely rocky terrain like in the video posted by mikeyd. The P500 is amazing! It will climb anything. Even on deep dry sand dunes I was able to do almost anything I wanted to do. It isn't the high speed sand buggy but it does a lot. As far as trails, it is almost unstoppable. I have had it on some very hairy rides with my son hanging out the side off the roll cage to keep me upright (of course he was ready to bail and let me go if needed). It is a tank!

If you want high speed get a razr 1000 but be ready to change rubber bands.....at the most inconvenient times!

 

[drop_the_beat_mx]

I am a single Dad major gear head. I raced ATV motocross for ten years over ten years ago before I was a dad, and always rode dirtbikes off and on. After having our little girl 5 years ago I sold all my fast toys because her Mom and I share custody and I work oil field rotation and my princess is with me my entire time off, life is great when you can get along with your ex for the kids sake... Anyways long story short I bought a new Rancher 420 when she was 2yrs old, put 26x10x12 ITP ATR's around it and it did awesome, floated past guys with 30" mud tires as they dug to China with there heavy big bore automatic cvt junk.

Long story short last year she loved riding a lot but I didn't feel it was safe with her on the quad even going slow so even tho I was going against everything I always said I was never gonna do I sold the rancher and started looking for a side by side.

Car seat and roll cage trump any fun factor I was worried about because my little princess is the most important thing in the world to me.

It was killing me Honda didn't build a sport side by side because all my buddies with kiddos had RZR 900 S's and some have can am 1000's and one RZR 1000 4.

So I bought a new RZR XP 1000, and just like I expected the fit and finish was terrible, but it had a cage and I could put a car seat in it for my princess.

I put a $3000 STM rage 6 primary and secondary billet clutch in it, lift kit, spun aluminum beadlocks, roof, upper doors, windshield, winch, exhaust, snorkel kit, etc... I spent over $30,000 when all was said and done.

The whole time I owned it I only liked the fact that it had a rollcage and seatbelt for my daughter.

I finally was able to sell the pile of crap two days ago. So glad it's gone and paid off, I was trying to sell it since the warrenty ran out and just recently got lucky enough to find a buyer who wanted what I had, and had the money, I obviously took a loss but well worth it to get back into a Honda.

I have 2 months to reaserch what one to buy and what mods to do while my recent mx injury heals. Looking forward to getting back into a quality unit and going crazy with the mods and hitting the trail with my princess again in a Honda

 

[drop_the_beat_mx]

So far the 500 is gonna be what I go with unless the sport side by side rumors are true

 

[bobbyhill]

Welcome to the Club @drop_the_beat_mx !!!

 

[ohanacreek]

Welcome welcome... @drop_the_beat_mx, hope those injuries heal up and don't let you miss anything with the princess. They get so big so fast.

The 500/700 Pioneers are very capable machines for what they are, SPORT MACHINES THEY ARE NOT!.
For what they are they are mighty impressive.

Honda seems to be making a determined effort to regain King of the Mountain in the powersports arena. Reintroducing the African Twin, releasing the 500 and 700 Pioneer. They had to start somewhere and they already had solid motor trans combos, build a machine around it gain interest and then intro new machines to out do the old ones, they have to progress and move forward. I think they realized that competing against the mule for the utility segment was not a good ROI. Kubota and their SXS Tractor is perfect for heavy construction and and large farm agriculture.

You know that whatever Honda does release will be tested broken, revised tested broken, revised again and again and again until it doesn't break unless you do something incredibly dumb to it. It may not be the fastest flashiest loudest machine out there but it can be trusted to start up everytime and run every time(with proper maintenance)

And occasionally they inspire people to fantastically strange things like the DirtWheels "Honda Hippo" April Fools Photochop that had the 1800 Goldwing motor peeking out of a "Honda" SXS, which honestly if it were possible might be a lot of insane fun.

It will be fun to see what they release over the next 6-12 months, They HAVE to be working on a RZR killer, if they are going to draw large numbers of people away from Polaris.

 

[drop_the_beat_mx]

Welcome welcome... @drop_the_beat_mx, hope those injuries heal up and don't let you miss anything with the princess. They get so big so fast.

The 500/700 Pioneers are very capable machines for what they are, SPORT MACHINES THEY ARE NOT!.
For what they are they are mighty impressive.

Honda seems to be making a determined effort to regain King of the Mountain in the powersports arena. Reintroducing the African Twin, releasing the 500 and 700 Pioneer. They had to start somewhere and they already had solid motor trans combos, build a machine around it gain interest and then intro new machines to out do the old ones, they have to progress and move forward. I think they realized that competing against the mule for the utility segment was not a good ROI. Kubota and their SXS Tractor is perfect for heavy construction and and large farm agriculture.

You know that whatever Honda does release will be tested broken, revised tested broken, revised again and again and again until it doesn't break unless you do something incredibly dumb to it. It may not be the fastest flashiest loudest machine out there but it can be trusted to start up everytime and run every time(with proper maintenance)

And occasionally they inspire people to fantastically strange things like the DirtWheels "Honda Hippo" April Fools Photochop that had the 1800 Goldwing motor peeking out of a "Honda" SXS, which honestly if it were possible might be a lot of insane fun.
View attachment 5032

It will be fun to see what they release over the next 6-12 months, They HAVE to be working on a RZR killer, if they are going to draw large numbers of people away from Polaris.

Thanks, yeah I enjoy every minute I can with my princess, that's why I'm not going to hold my breath on Honda coming out with a sport side by side once my recent MX injuries heal up. What they have will work just fine for my princess and I, and I am looking forward to the reliability of a Honda again. Polaris is just garbage compared to Honda and Yamaha fit and finish.
Even with there MX bikes Honda plays it safe and never really goes for the fastest or most powerful machine, that's why I doubt they will ever build a machine to go after the RZR 1000, because to do that it would be a very high end high quality unit, and expensive to build and by the time they get done testing and perfecting there unit, knowing Honda they would make it a 999 cc, because they never have the biggest cc, just the best... And yeah those dirt wheels April fools covers used to get me when I was 9, but anyone who has been around knows those jokes are just that and about as far from reality as you can get, but still funny

I'm still up in the air on what to get, I just know I am glad I got rid of that RZR because the fit and finish and overall quality is crap compared to Honda and Yamaha

 

[hoggr9]

I have a p5 and it has served me well. I wanted the 50in for hunting pirposes. For that it is great. As stated in some of the other posts the seat arent the most comfy but not bad. The suspension is a bit stiff but not terrible. But it had been reliable and has went ANYWHERE I have wanted to go without drama. And my 4yr old daughter absolutely loves it. I do same thing as u.. car seat and buckle up and she is an absolute nut. Although I dont ride crazy we have been in a few situations that required some rather aggressive driving such as crossing some ditches and she just giggles and wants to do it again...a sport machine it is not butit is plenty sporty for most of the tight wooded trails we typically ride. While it doesnt have top speed it does get up the speed pretty quick. And it has no frikn rubber band. Oh yeah and its a HONDA. If the 50in size is not a factor for you then I wouls say by all means you mak want to look at the new P1K that sounds like a great machine...not sure I really want a larger machine but I just may have to check one out myself. Good luck on whatever you buy and have fun with ur princess.

 

[Fordman]

Hello , we absolutely love our pioneer 500 ! Came from rzr s900 ! Lots of clutch & belt problems!!!!! I was thrilled to be able to sell it ' the p500 won't break any speed records but it's very capable & DEPENDABLE!!!!!!' Welcome to the club

 

[drop_the_beat_mx]

I have a p5 and it has served me well. I wanted the 50in for hunting pirposes. For that it is great. As stated in some of the other posts the seat arent the most comfy but not bad. The suspension is a bit stiff but not terrible. But it had been reliable and has went ANYWHERE I have wanted to go without drama. And my 4yr old daughter absolutely loves it. I do same thing as u.. car seat and buckle up and she is an absolute nut. Although I dont ride crazy we have been in a few situations that required some rather aggressive driving such as crossing some ditches and she just giggles and wants to do it again...a sport machine it is not butit is plenty sporty for most of the tight wooded trails we typically ride. While it doesnt have top speed it does get up the speed pretty quick. And it has no frikn rubber band. Oh yeah and its a HONDA. If the 50in size is not a factor for you then I wouls say by all means you mak want to look at the new P1K that sounds like a great machine...not sure I really want a larger machine but I just may have to check one out myself. Good luck on whatever you buy and have fun with ur princess.

Thanks for the reply Sir, yeah as long as my little princess is smiling I could care less how it rides as long as it gets us back to our campsite/home without my little one waiting cold while I fix it or get towed back. We aren't limited to 50" anywhere, and I like the new 1000 spec sheet a lot so I'm leaning heavy in that direction, plus slap a set of 30" tires and snorkel and we should be able to do all the stuff we could with the RZR, and the extra weight will give a little extra warm fuzzy when we cross our high current creeks...

 

[drop_the_beat_mx]

Hello , we absolutely love our pioneer 500 ! Came from rzr s900 ! Lots of clutch & belt problems!!!!! I was thrilled to be able to sell it ' the p500 won't break any speed records but it's very capable & DEPENDABLE!!!!!!' Welcome to the club

Yep, I hear you. I knew it was a bad idea to fall into the hype, the RZR is junk, I had all kinds of issues, and it has its purpose, I'm sure if you ride at 80 mph in desert climate it would be better, but the fact that I babied mine and rode it slow with my kiddo all the time and it still broke down a lot just made me mad. And I knew going slow wasn't good for the belt, and the RZR was already known for belt issues so I put the best clutch I could on it, still ridiculous the amount of money it cost for such an overkill unit. Once the warranty ran out I sold it as soon as I could, so ready to get back into Honda reliabity and not have to dump all kinds of money into it just to get it to make it home

 

[jak9922]

Snowmobiles have been around forever so have gear on gear bike/atv transmissions and there is a reason every sled comes with a spare belt and real atvs dont come with extra transmissions lol

 

[jak9922]

I ride my 2 kids around together on my p5 my 2yo daughter and 13yo son

 

[jak9922]

So far the 500 is gonna be what I go with unless the sport side by side rumors are true

To be 100% honest it looks like you are not size limited the p5 does NOT shine in wide open space the p5s best in tight trails where its agility can shine look i love my p5 maybe my fav toy ive ever owned but it suits my needs perfectly heres the low down p5 trails machine period!!!!! Full size pioneer 700/1000 wideopen trails and open fields seasonl roads ect there would be no way a 700 could go in 1/4 of the places my p5 can but like i said thats my needs where i ride if it were different i would own a 700 right now my advise to you bro pinch your ass cheeks hard and hold out for a p1k

 

[Cowboy22]

Hey there, just thought I would let some people know what I found out when I finally (2 months of waiting) got mine. I cam off of a '12 RZR 800 50", and after a number of problems, I went to Honda again.We have a SxS because we have a 2 year old, we are mountain riders and we think a roll cage surrounding our son is safer. The Pioneer 500 is a brilliant machine, and I wouldn't go back. Here are a few of the things I noticed right away that took a little getting used to:
1. They will ride pretty stiff. It has gotten a little better, and it definitely rides better loaded.
2. Shifting cam naturally with the paddle shifters, the speed did not. I had to learn that this little machine liked to rev.
3. Seating position is off? It seems as if the pedals are too far to the right and the steering wheel is too far to the left...weird.
4. Pack fuel for longer rides. I can get around 90-95 miles of MT mountain riding on a tank, I had 150 miles with the RZR.
5. Seats are stiff. Really stiff.

Here are a few of the things I really like.
1. Rear rack. It is genius for work and play.
2. It is so much quieter than the Polaris.
3. Oil changes are easy.
4. Reverse and tranny are flawless so far.
5. It has better ground clearance than my RZR. Believe it or not, I rode the same rocky mountain trail and the Honda did far better.
6. The doors are so much nicer and thought out than the RZR.

All in all, it's a Honda. Should last for eons as long as you perform the maintenance. I have an '11 Rancher AT EPS, and a '14 Can-Am Outlander 1000 Max XT LTD, and I tend to sell them after a couple of years or so. I don't think I will will this Honda, just like the Rancher it is bulletproof, fun, and takes a lot of the worry out of getting stuck in the mountains of MT overnight with a broken down machine. I would highly recommend one.

Thanks