P1000 Major disappointment

[Lynn]

Good information and discussion, I hope Honda Corporate is listening.

 

[ksss]

You just need to know that you are not buying a car. No-one ever said it was going to be an air tight fit. enjoy your new ride

I doesn't appear to me the OP is expecting an air tight fit. He has had SXS's before and knows what should be expected from a soft sided cover. Obviously Honda didn't spend as much time with some of these accessories as they should have, I am sure Honda will correct it. I am not sure how it is everywhere, but here those enclosures and heaters are a big deal as are the track systems. Being able to upfit the machine with a quality enclosure with heat is important. Considering what these machines cost, you try to get the most use out of it you can. Running them all year around is common and the enclosures have to be well done. Many people here run the groomed snowmobile trails with their tracked equipped SXS's. Polaris due to their long time presence in this market, and being built in Mn. have a good handle on these cold weather accessories. They may have other issues, but they get this aspect.

 

[rtpilot]

What do you think you could have done in it speed wise if you would have put 10k in the suspension? You still would have about 10k left for accessories.

You bring up a very valid point that I have been struggling with.

 

[franzw]

First off I would consider myself a very skilled mechanic and fabricator I own an excavating/commercial building biz and do all of my own repairs such as engines, transmissions, hydraulics pretty much anything that breaks as well as fabricating new parts and improvements. I have owned many polaris rzrs the last one I had was a rzr 1000 that I made into a full tube mini bouncer. So I am no stranger to turning wrenches on these machines.

I have 1000 5 seater and I installed the soft doors myself and they seem to seal up good considering there is a 1/2 inch gap in the lower doors that come on it. I think the problem with the accessories is the dealers installing them the honda instructions for these accessories are vague and there is a lot of custom work that has to be done they don't just bolt on. To install the soft doors you have to print out a drill template then tape it together then tape it on the lower door and it doesn't line up exactly on the molded plastic and leaves you with about 1/4 in variance on where to place it. Then you have to drill the holes and install these rivets for the screws and not over tighten them because it distorts the plastic ect and none of the details are in the crappy black and white drawings in the instructions. So there is so many steps that can get screwed up by and incompetent dealer service guy that probably has zero training on these new accessories and the first few installs will be his learning curve.

I am currently installing the heater now this is the biggest pain in the ass ever!! You have to completely disassemble the machine the only plastic that stays on is the front hood. It is down to the bare frame and again you are masking taping plastic and drilling holes all over the place based off of crappy instructions. The instructions do not tell you how you run the vent lines there is so much stuff in the way wires drive shaft ect than can damage these dryer vent hose fabric lines. If one gets damaged you have to take the machine all apart just to fix it. So I would be very cautious letting the dealer install the heater there is so much guessing and decisions that have to be made by the installer like to I go over or under that wire? Do I go under the steering column or over it ect... you get the picture.
Oh and it mounts to the floor under the seat on a 1/4 inch piece of plastic if you drive in mud or water deep enough to you feet wet the heater will die.

Bottom line is installing these accessories is like doing full custom work and if the installer sucks so will the accessories. The best mechanics are not working at atv dealerships..... just saying.

I think mine too was one of the first 1000-5 at my dealer to do the soft side installs. After your post, will look at it closer to see if any custom tightening of drafty areas is possible. After also spending $24K, can not justify the hard doors at this time. Thanks for the info... Franzw

 

[Fastbuck101]

Exactly! And I have been considering the Honda Heater but if the machine is not going to be sealed up well who knows if the heater will even Help, OR better yet even Heat up enough to be worth it($800)!? Is the design of the heater going to work well or will it be like the 700 where the coolant didn't get hot enough to eat efficiently? I think they ended up using the oil lines instead of water to fix that problem!? I don't know might just wear a bigger jacket?!

I just got a new 700 deluxe, and am in the process of accessorizing. Pretty scary at Honda prices. I'm lucky that I'm pretty mechanical and can do most of this stuff myself. Regarding the Honda heater, don't. I'm a retired HVAC guy, and I just laughed when I saw one. The thing mounts under the hood, and takes in it's air from outside. Then it has to heat that to a comfortable temp. Not gonna happen in winter temps. I'm going to get an under dash mount one from one of the aftermarket places, so it recircs the inside air. Should be toasty as heck in there.

 

[Fastbuck101]

It is interesting when you think about it. I had a suzuki samurai a few years back that was very similar in size to these large sxs machines. It was street legal, had heat/ac, stereo, full top, seats 4, would pretty much go anywhere and run forever... probably had 3-4k in that machine. I guess the main diff is going fast over rough terrain, it didnt do that too well!

Those Samurais are amazing. I did a water buffalo hunt in the NWT of Australia, and that's what the outfitter used. Thing went anywhere, pretty much stock. Hauled 3 of us, equipment, and a couple trips for the buff.

 

[100Acre]

Those Samurais are amazing. I did a water buffalo hunt in the NWT of Australia, and that's what the outfitter used. Thing went anywhere, pretty much stock. Hauled 3 of us, equipment, and a couple trips for the buff.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[HondaTech]

Not to make your points any less but alot of problems with accessories are the people installing them. Poor dealer set-up and install has been a huge problem on alot of Pioneers.

Now if the windshield is leaking around the seal that holds the glass to the metal than that is a defect and I would take it back to get it replaced.

Honda has come out with better fabric doors that seal more. But nothing is going to fix people who dont care and who just slap stuff together.

 

[Montecresto]

Not to make your points any less but alot of problems with accessories are the people installing them. Poor dealer set-up and install has been a huge problem on alot of Pioneers.

Now if the windshield is leaking around the seal that holds the glass to the metal than that is a defect and I would take it back to get it replaced.

Honda has come out with better fabric doors that seal more. But nothing is going to fix people who dont care and who just slap stuff together.

You’re right, they have now offered an improved door recently but in fairness, people are still having difficulties and complaints with quality for the money. They are very expensive for what they are, and the Velcro system is positively inferior to Seizmik’s snap system. And if you read the threads here where people are struggling with installation and fitment, they aren’t just slapping stuff together, real efforts are being made to have a sound installation with positive results.

 

[HondaTech]

You’re right, they have now offered an improved door recently but in fairness, people are still having difficulties and complaints with quality for the money. They are very expensive for what they are, and the Velcro system is positively inferior to Seizmik’s snap system. And if you read the threads here where people are struggling with installation and fitment, they aren’t just slapping stuff together, real efforts are being made to have a sound installation with positive results.

I agree Honda's accessories have traditionally been overpriced and underperforming. I've installed alot of different manufacturers accessories over the years and Honda doesnt always do the best, but I've also seen much worse.

It seems that Honda has contracted Seizmik to make Talon accessories so maybe theyll get better, but theyll probably also increase in price.

 

[OleRed]

First off I would consider myself a very skilled mechanic and fabricator I own an excavating/commercial building biz and do all of my own repairs such as engines, transmissions, hydraulics pretty much anything that breaks as well as fabricating new parts and improvements. I have owned many polaris rzrs the last one I had was a rzr 1000 that I made into a full tube mini bouncer. So I am no stranger to turning wrenches on these machines.

I have 1000 5 seater and I installed the soft doors myself and they seem to seal up good considering there is a 1/2 inch gap in the lower doors that come on it. I think the problem with the accessories is the dealers installing them the honda instructions for these accessories are vague and there is a lot of custom work that has to be done they don't just bolt on. To install the soft doors you have to print out a drill template then tape it together then tape it on the lower door and it doesn't line up exactly on the molded plastic and leaves you with about 1/4 in variance on where to place it. Then you have to drill the holes and install these rivets for the screws and not over tighten them because it distorts the plastic ect and none of the details are in the crappy black and white drawings in the instructions. So there is so many steps that can get screwed up by and incompetent dealer service guy that probably has zero training on these new accessories and the first few installs will be his learning curve.

I am currently installing the heater now this is the biggest pain in the ass ever!! You have to completely disassemble the machine the only plastic that stays on is the front hood. It is down to the bare frame and again you are masking taping plastic and drilling holes all over the place based off of crappy instructions. The instructions do not tell you how you run the vent lines there is so much stuff in the way wires drive shaft ect than can damage these dryer vent hose fabric lines. If one gets damaged you have to take the machine all apart just to fix it. So I would be very cautious letting the dealer install the heater there is so much guessing and decisions that have to be made by the installer like to I go over or under that wire? Do I go under the steering column or over it ect... you get the picture.
Oh and it mounts to the floor under the seat on a 1/4 inch piece of plastic if you drive in mud or water deep enough to you feet wet the heater will die.

Bottom line is installing these accessories is like doing full custom work and if the installer sucks so will the accessories. The best mechanics are not working at atv dealerships..... just saying.

This is a very good point and something I thought about when buying my soft cab. I paid for install of the winch and tracks but took the roof and soft cab so I could dial it in my self. The soft cab, windshield and other accessories are challenging to put in and craftsmanship is a must or this stuff doesn't work. A tip for the rear fabric doors-- there is those clamp that binds the hinge in two places (with a piece of rubber for friction) in two places on each door. Take your gas piston off, loosen those two up until you can freely move them (watch out the rubber wants to come out) and pivot the upper door frame about the roll cage (in and out and front to back) until you have a good fit. My hinges were not perfectly in line with each other when I ended up with the best fit. Also, when you tighten the hose clamps they will tend to rotate the hinge bracket so be aware of that. Very minor adjustments can add up to a lot as you get further from the point.

p.s. Don't be afraid to dump the heater vents out under the seat and save yourself from running them all they way up. You will get a lot of heat out of short hoses and heat rises.

 

[1234Doug]

No............you're not asking too much. I, like I'm assuming yourself and most of the members on the site, do not have an unlimited disposable income for my side by side or anything else for that matter.

I am not blindly brand loyal. I want the best most reliable piece of equipment I can buy for my hard earned money. For the better part of my life, that just so happened to be Honda brand equipment when it came to motorcycles, atv's, utv's, mowers, pressure washers (you get the idea). I've owned machines from all the major manufacturers and always came back to Honda strictly from a reliability standpoint.

It's disturbing to me that problems like yours are showing themselves so soon in a vehicle that they consider their flagship in the side by side division.

If it isn't asking too much, could you provide some pictures of the problem areas with your top and doors? It would be helpful to other members considering the additional expense for their machines.

I am going through the same thing with the soft enclosure terrible fit plus have a tranny clunk when shifting i dont have the extra money for the hard doors or might look into them im not rich making payments onthis machine at 62 years old wanted a trouble free machine have only had this a couple of weeks if i could return it and break my contract without a lawsuit or something i would Turfmode doesent work trannyclunks doors rattle enclosure is crap im sure theres more i just cant think of right now i hear of people buying these than fixing all of these things them selfs i have with tax $27,000 tied up into this machine i figure you shouldent have to do any mods yourself maybe im wrong .

 

[Montecresto]

I'm curious if anyone has ever taken anything like this to an upholstery shop and having them switch it to a full zip out style window.

When the day comes, that’s what I’m going to do with mine to see what they will charge.

 

[Montecresto]

I picked up my 1000-5 Pioneer 2 weeks ago. I like the machine, but have been let down by Honda’s attempt at enclosing this machine. It seems as though they just slapped something together quick to get it out on the market. Here are my observations…

My initial reaction at the dealership was disappointment in the engineering of the front soft doors (especially coming from Honda). I don’t like the fact that you have to close the door, then grab a Velcro strap and yank it tight to the roll bar at the top of the door EVERY TIME you want to close the front doors. First of all, it's hard to do, and secondly it doesn't work well. After 2 days of use, the Velcro on the driver’s side failed to hold the door tight and a 2” or more gap across the front/top would open itself up when I drove more than 30 MPH. Needless to say, this wasn’t much fun in the rain. I talked a lot with the dealer and basically his Honda rep told him that I need to bring it in and have it checked out. I was told that there just aren’t enough of these machines with soft sided front doors out and about yet for people to report problems to Honda. After riding around in this machine for a week, I couldn’t take it anymore and bit the bullet and dished out the extra $2000 for the hard doors. I get them put on early next week, and I sure hope I’m happier with them than what I was with the soft doors that are held on by Velcro! In addition, the little black strap that runs through the soft door to the inside of the factory bottom door handle came off at least 6 times so far, which then requires me to open the back soft door, and reach in to manually open the front door with the handle. This is happening on a machine with less than 100 miles on it, HOW is this design ever going to hold up to any real use???

As far as the soft back doors go, they need some help too. The top, bottom, and front side fit fine, but the back side has a 1.5” open gap where I think it should fit tight against the rear roll bar. This gap allows mud to fly into the rear storage compartment from the floor to the roll bar at the top, or to splatter a passenger’s shoulders and arms. Seems like a slightly different bend, and 2” more material would fix this gap and make me a lot happier. Also, if you are a passenger in the back, expect to get your feet wet and muddy because the design of the rear factory door along the bottom allows for a lot of slop to splash in.

I bought the windshield with the wiper on it. The first time I had it out in the rain, I noticed 5 areas that leaked water. The rubber wrap that goes around the actual windshield had a leak where the seams met up at the bottom of the glass (why not put a seam like that on the top of the glass???). In addition, there were gaps between the hood and the outer windshield molding that I could see through, one of which was big enough to stick a pencil through. While it wasn’t a huge stream of water, for what I paid, I was expecting a nice tight seal that would at least keep my lap dry when it rained.

For the record, let me state that I am a HUGE Honda fan, and have been waiting for them to put a 5 seater out for a long time. I’m a farmer/hunter/trapper that USES my Hondas every day, and yes they get used for EVERYTHING. I am not an engineer, but here are a couple thoughts that I would really love answers to…

WHO takes these accessories out and tries them? Does anyone in the Honda development team actually ride a machine in the rain or mud before marketing accessories worth thousands of dollars??? If anyone from Honda actually reads this post, please feel free to contact me if you need someone who USES a machine to actually test new products before putting them on the market.

While I realize these HONDA cab accessories are not meant to seal up the 1000-5 air tight, it would be nice to ride around in a $24,000 machine without getting wet and muddy. I enclosed this side by side because I knew I’d be using it in crappy weather. Am I asking too much??? (Yes, please answer this question!)
I’ve come to expect the best from Honda over the years. They really let me down this time…I never thought I’d say this, but Polaris has a MUCH better soft door system. It really hurts me to admit that, but it’s the truth.

As a side note, the dealership has been great to work with and they are taking the soft doors back, and giving me full credit for them towards the hard door price. They seem stuck in the middle on all this because there doesn’t seem to be much support from Honda, but they are doing as much as possible to help me out.

The Seizmik are superior to Honda’s and the way they are fastened to the OEM’s they close as a unit, very snug, one pull.