Can am

Plumber32

Plumber32

Go ride!
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Jun 15, 2014
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  1. 1000-5
I'd never trade my Honda for any other machine but I don't need absolute power. I don't judge an engine based off of power I base off of dependability, price of maintenance and ease of maintenance. That's it. I've had many brands and Honda IS THE BEST in all those categories. Period. The rest of the drivetrain is bulletproof minus clutches. They are easy and cheap. If they didn't give out something else may I'm ok with that after personally digging into it. Honda engines are the best. Maintenance is very light. Tolerances are tight so if it has to be worked on it's expensive but they won't need anything.
I liked my can am but...never again. Like Plummer says I'm not made of money. I'd rather fix the rig up then fix the rig. For those that can afford to drop off your rig every few rides at the dealership and pick it up next ride well I guess it's easy place for storage. Plummer I'm sorry you're not happy with the shifts I know you haven't been and as much as I'd like to sell you on the 700 you may not be happy but I gave you as honest an opinion as I could. I loved mine but I'm not sure about you. It does come down to gears and dependability or belts period


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I don't mind the shifts! other plumber we got 2 brown arms on here... lol
 
CumminsPusher

CumminsPusher

Just a Honda doing Honda things.
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Oct 14, 2015
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Washington/Idaho
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  1. Other Brand

  2. 1000-5

  3. Talon X LV
I meant the other yes. I f***ing LOVE the shifts too! Way more control! Like comparing a manual to auto off road but way more drastic. I'll be PISSY if Honda was stupid and went to belts because of majority. People are so use to snowmobile transmission it takes a bit to change. And the auto 4wd...don't get me started it's just s***. Every true off road guy knows transfercase is better.


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Plumber32

Plumber32

Go ride!
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Jun 15, 2014
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Wisconsin
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  1. 1000-5
I meant the other yes. I f***ing LOVE the shifts too! Way more control! Like comparing a manual to auto off road but way more drastic. I'll be PISSY if Honda was stupid and went to belts because of the majority.





I love the knowledge that as long as I'm within 100 miles of gas I'll be riding . I never worry about breaking down . I usually have 2 kids with me next year it will be 3 that come with from time to time . reliably getting back every time is a priority to me


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Crow_Hunter

Crow_Hunter

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2016
750
836
93
Riding a Canned Ham.
Ownership

  1. Do not currently own
Crow-hunter what did you mean especially after watching the video of the Honda plant? Interested in more information on that.

Thanks everyone. I'd much rather hear it here. I guess I'm assuming that because of brand loyalty, most people at the Can Am forum would be reluctant to complain about their machine and could be also looking for a reason / opportunity to trash Honda.

Now that's wild speculation on my part and grounded in absolutely no facts whatsoever.

But I look at it as being in the same boat as coming on this forum and asking whether I should buy a Honda P1000 or not.

Even in lieu of all of the issues we are having and all of the complaints we have, we all have to admit, we all still love our Honda and would have a tendency to say, if asked whether a present Can Am owner who is having issues should buy a Honda, YES!

Crow-hunter it looks like you did quite a thorough examination and lots of research on other brands and as I have learned to understand the type person you are over the last few months, a very finicky and particular kind of fellow, one who dots I's and crosses his T's, I value and regard your opinion VERY much.

Sounds to me like you're leaning towards the Yamaha as the way to go?

I'm very hesitant and reluctant to do this just because I'm so vested in my Honda. Light bars front and back and all the accessories and stuff I've done you have a tendency to grow attached to your machine!

So not to be repetitive but I guess to be, it's the shifting versus the no shifting that I just think for my putting around situation would be so much more congenial for my use.

I actually very very very much miss my Massimo 500, which though it's strained when I had the bed full of rock and driving up inclines, was still able to complete the task and without the rock it was a breeze.

I am convinced that had I went ahead and purchased the 700 instead of the 500 I would still be an owner today.

But because it was straining I knew I wanted something with more ass to it and that's what started it and opened the door for the Honda.

There's just something to be said about hopping in your UTV, turning the key, press on the gas and take off like a go cart and not having to worry and endure the constantly shifting. There is a very distinct "smoothness" to the CVT transmission.

Regrettably, I wish I owned property somewhere that I could fully utilize this Honda.

Not a day goes by that I don't envision myself on some open land, like you see in the videos, having an opportunity to open this Honda up and get it to speeds that would be extremely enjoyable. Taking turns, fish tailing and making some small jumps here and there.

Having a Honda P1000 on this property is like riding a racehorse in your garage.

Sorry, we had company last night so I couldn't respond.

Thanks for the compliment, I'll send you a PM about the factory.

I think that from a design perspective the Yamaha has it over the rest of the competition with their CVT design for normal riding. Now the Yamaha clutch design isn't the best for really slow riding or for deep mud riding. In those situations you need something that engages quicker and that is one of the advantages of the Can Am snowmobile clutch design. It engages earlier and harder at the sacrifice of belt/sheave life over the long term.

The problem right now is that Yamaha doesn't make anything that can match the Pioneer 1000. Their Wolverine, while very nice to ride on trails doesn't have a dump bed and it doesn't have a good seating arrangement for getting into and out of a lot. Those little doors get in the way and you have to lean forward and then fall back to avoid the shoulder bolsters which sounds trivial but I spent a bunch of time getting into and out of them (which is what I do in mine a lot) and it got annoying after a while. Those shoulder bolsters also do a good job of holding you in, which I also found annoying because they were rubbing on my shoulder a lot.

The Viking isn't in the same class with power as the Pioneer and from what I understand it is pretty loud and vibrates pretty bad and I don't think it has a turf mode. Since I do a bunch of stuff with mine in my yard and my yard is pretty much all hill, avoiding making more ruts to give me more erosion is a priority and my wife likes to take the dogs on a ride down the blacktop and back occasionally. I have never been in one but it might be worth a look.

Honestly, if I could do it over again, I very likely would have gone with either the Viking or the Defender with a heavy emphasis on the Defender. If Abernathy was a Can Am dealer, I probably would have gone with Can Am because I would have been getting a good price for it. My local Can Am dealer is kind of on the high side on pricing and it is a pretty long drive to get to another dealer.

That being said, I have looked very heavily at selling my Honda and getting a Defender but the juice isn't worth the squeeze for that option. Buying new, would be a different story of course.

However, my only experience is with Honda ATVs and I am used to (and expect) the shifting. It is odd to me when I ride in a CVT. I keep waiting for the shift. I will admit though, that when riding the Defender on an obstacle course it was pretty nice to not have the high revs holding it in 1st or the constant switching between 1st and 2nd in Auto.
 
Plumber101010

Plumber101010

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May 18, 2016
597
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Western NC (Hayesville)
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  1. 1000-3
Shows you what I know I didn't even know they made a side-by-side! Looking now.
 
Crow_Hunter

Crow_Hunter

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2016
750
836
93
Riding a Canned Ham.
Ownership

  1. Do not currently own
Arctic cat has the same clutch setup . and they ride really good . check out the xtz 1000 prowler.

I think they actually license the design from Yamaha or had a joint venture with them at one time or something along those lines. Unfortunately I have read that their other parts aren't so great. I actually think their little 50" Prowler would be pretty sweet.

Kawi also uses a wet clutch design that is almost identical in design to the Yamaha, differing only in the design of the "clutch arms" but the same basic concept. So the Mule Pro FXT / Teryx are also both pretty good options.

However, the Mule is very long and doesn't have a front locker (but has a very quiet and powerful 3 cylinder engine from a small car) and the Teryx bed isn't really big and it doesn't have the ground clearance/suspension travel of the Pioneer and it has the motor in the middle, like the Can Am Commander so it is fairly hot and loud in comparison.

I looked at the Teryx pretty hard before my wife finally deciding on the Pioneer. I actually liked sitting in it and driving it a little better than the Wolverine.
 
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Plumber32

Plumber32

Go ride!
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Jun 15, 2014
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Wisconsin
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  1. 1000-5
I've owned arctic cat atvs most of the guys I ride with run cats. one winter ride we had 22 cats. not one issue and we were beating the snot out of them . I'd buy a cat again in a heartbeat. half were 1000s supposedly the worst atv out there.
 
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Plumber101010

Plumber101010

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
May 18, 2016
597
584
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Western NC (Hayesville)
Ownership

  1. 1000-3
IMG 3317
Now you have to admit, having a rack built
in to the hood is just downright ingenious!

This idea in my opinion should become virtually standard equipment on every UTV made! Hood rack, roof rack and cargo bed??? Wow! Why waste space on the hood when you could easily mold it to have an opening to store stuff, I just think that's extremely intelligent.

Not that I would EVER consider buying from Massimo again. Bang for buck, they have probably the best UTV on the market. Don't everybody scream I'm talking price points here.

For what they offer as standard equipment such as hardtop, windshield and 3500 lb winch, their prices are hard to beat. In fact they cannot be beat. Which is why they took the market by storm.

But....their warranty and customer service is virtually nonexistent.

They don't have any dealers and are mostly sold by tractor supply company and they go through repair shops constantly because (and the repair shops will come right out and tell you) they are not getting reimbursed for warranty repairs from Massimo.

As such when I had issues I could not find anyone and I mean absolutely anyone to touch the thing with a 10 foot pole!

I wrote two reviews on their website complaining about it and they never posted the reviews. Nothing but nothing infuriates me more than companies that ONLY post five star reviews on their website and refuse to post all the negative reviews.

Well YEAH, isn't that very handy for your products...and downright fraudulent and misleading.

I didn't think they would as when you see 50 reviews and they are all five stars that's a downright giveaway this company is being misleading.

The problem was their products took the market by storm so much, that they had a nonstop demand and the company couldn't keep up and everyone knows what happens when you start rushing products out the door to fill orders!

Oh well..
 

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