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P700 New 700-4: Need advice on accessories and add-ons

F

Freep

Member
Mar 10, 2022
16
80
13
Duvall, WA
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Greetings, All,

I've got a new 700-4 on the boat headed my way and I have to figure out which add-ons and accessories to get added at the factory, which to get aftermarket, and which to get later on myself. I'm handy, I've searched quite a bit on this site and there is so much information it almost overwhelming. I often find myself less sure of how to proceed after I've read 20 threads than before I started. So I'm hoping I might get some feedback here. If I have missed a post that asks all these questions, or if I've posted this in the wrong forum (I debated between 3 others as most appropriate), please let me know I can post it elsewhere instead. And please forgive the lengthy post. I keep seeing posts here that go nowhere because initial posters don't really provide much info. I'll not make that mistake, but the post may get a little long.

My planned use for this UTV is for work on a small (10 acre) piece of property and general family recreational use. On the property, I'll be making trails, towing a wide cut mower, pulling a chain harrow, hauling stuff around in the bed, etc, etc. It's worth noting that I have a utility tractor, but it is overkill for much of this and makes ruts in the ground 8 months out of the year when the ground is wet. The initial reason for looking into this vehicle was for some work vehicle that would float a little more rather than dig in to the moist ground. In terms of recreational use, I intend to (at first) take it into town (a 10-mile drive) on sunny days, drive up to the local lake with my canoe, take my kids to the bus stop, and drive around the trail(s) I mention above like a crazy man. I'm sure I'll branch out from there, but I'm going to start modestly, as I am new to the UTV game.

My urgent need at this point is to figure out what to buy from Honda and what to buy aftermarket. I have a handful of stuff that I know I will eventually want, and would like to get any of it that I should get from the dealer now rather than having to take the vehicle back to them in future. My focus here is equal parts price/convenience/quality: A little extra cost for a top quality installed accessory is a good deal in my opinion, but I don't want to pay double the price for a marginal improvement in quality or an hour's work. Here is what I am considering, though please feel free to point out any lack of foresight given my planned use.

Roof: I think I need a top pretty quickly. It's hot and sunny here (Seattle) in the summer, and rains 8 months out of the year. I have read on this forum that the Honda hard roof is top notch. My dealer assures me it is fairly easy to remove if need be (important to me), which also that means that if that the dealer wants to charge a bunch to install it I can probably bolt it on myself. Any thoughts on this? Should I consider other tops instead? (Note: I will probably eventually want front/rear windows, if this makes any difference.)

Winch: The sense I get here is that the Honda winch setups are overly expensive due to the 'installation kit' and limited to higher end Warn winches. Is it hard to install one myself?

Street legal kit: I assume this is probably best done by the dealer. They indicated it would cost about $1k, and it seems like it might involve a lot of routing wires and etc that would take me quite a while to do on my own. Is there some piece of hardware I should add here to make the additional electrical powered stuff easier later on?

Skid plate and/A-arm guards: Given my emphasis on trail building this seems like a good idea. If it's just bolt on, I can do that pretty easily myself. If there are better options than Honda's equipment, I could do that. If it's similar in price and quality, I'll go with Honda.

Windshield: I read here that Honda's poly windshield is great, but then I also read about flip-up or flip down windshields available elsewhere, and full-tilt windshields. I don't know enough about the merits of these to make an informed decision and would really value input. (Note: I will probably eventually want front/rear windows, if this makes any difference.)

Bumpers: Seem like a good idea. I am only interested in protection, not aesthetics. I assume both front and back will be useful to me. Should I go stock or aftermarket? Are most of them bolt-on? (I'm not a very good welder.)

Bed Liner: It seems like if I use the dump bed for its intended purpose I'm going to get gravel or dirt or etc in the recesses that hold the seats, but maybe I'm wrong about this. Should I add the Honda bed liner to prevent this?

Tires/Wheels: There's a whole forum on this, but for the moment it seems like it may be better to go aftermarket than get these through the dealer. I see people here making a good case for Tusk Terrabytes and the dealer is pointing me to wheelpros.com, which seems to carry a different selection. My need for an extra set of wheels/tires is to get something hard that will resist sticks and other hazards in trail making and hold up to trips to town on paved roads. The plan will be to put those soft stock wheels/tires back on in December and leave them on until May or so every year while the ground is super saturated and avoid use that will wear them out. All I really need to know is if there is some compelling reason to get wheels/tires from the dealer at the time of purchase. If not, I'll take this question up on the wheels/tires forum separately.

Thank you for your patience and willingness to share your experience and advice!
 
FJC 79

FJC 79

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Jan 3, 2020
31,862
275,774
113
ne. ohio
Ownership

  1. 700-2
Greetings, All,

I've got a new 700-4 on the boat headed my way and I have to figure out which add-ons and accessories to get added at the factory, which to get aftermarket, and which to get later on myself. I'm handy, I've searched quite a bit on this site and there is so much information it almost overwhelming. I often find myself less sure of how to proceed after I've read 20 threads than before I started. So I'm hoping I might get some feedback here. If I have missed a post that asks all these questions, or if I've posted this in the wrong forum (I debated between 3 others as most appropriate), please let me know I can post it elsewhere instead. And please forgive the lengthy post. I keep seeing posts here that go nowhere because initial posters don't really provide much info. I'll not make that mistake, but the post may get a little long.

My planned use for this UTV is for work on a small (10 acre) piece of property and general family recreational use. On the property, I'll be making trails, towing a wide cut mower, pulling a chain harrow, hauling stuff around in the bed, etc, etc. It's worth noting that I have a utility tractor, but it is overkill for much of this and makes ruts in the ground 8 months out of the year when the ground is wet. The initial reason for looking into this vehicle was for some work vehicle that would float a little more rather than dig in to the moist ground. In terms of recreational use, I intend to (at first) take it into town (a 10-mile drive) on sunny days, drive up to the local lake with my canoe, take my kids to the bus stop, and drive around the trail(s) I mention above like a crazy man. I'm sure I'll branch out from there, but I'm going to start modestly, as I am new to the UTV game.

My urgent need at this point is to figure out what to buy from Honda and what to buy aftermarket. I have a handful of stuff that I know I will eventually want, and would like to get any of it that I should get from the dealer now rather than having to take the vehicle back to them in future. My focus here is equal parts price/convenience/quality: A little extra cost for a top quality installed accessory is a good deal in my opinion, but I don't want to pay double the price for a marginal improvement in quality or an hour's work. Here is what I am considering, though please feel free to point out any lack of foresight given my planned use.

Roof: I think I need a top pretty quickly. It's hot and sunny here (Seattle) in the summer, and rains 8 months out of the year. I have read on this forum that the Honda hard roof is top notch. My dealer assures me it is fairly easy to remove if need be (important to me), which also that means that if that the dealer wants to charge a bunch to install it I can probably bolt it on myself. Any thoughts on this? Should I consider other tops instead? (Note: I will probably eventually want front/rear windows, if this makes any difference.)

Winch: The sense I get here is that the Honda winch setups are overly expensive due to the 'installation kit' and limited to higher end Warn winches. Is it hard to install one myself?

Street legal kit: I assume this is probably best done by the dealer. They indicated it would cost about $1k, and it seems like it might involve a lot of routing wires and etc that would take me quite a while to do on my own. Is there some piece of hardware I should add here to make the additional electrical powered stuff easier later on?

Skid plate and/A-arm guards: Given my emphasis on trail building this seems like a good idea. If it's just bolt on, I can do that pretty easily myself. If there are better options than Honda's equipment, I could do that. If it's similar in price and quality, I'll go with Honda.

Windshield: I read here that Honda's poly windshield is great, but then I also read about flip-up or flip down windshields available elsewhere, and full-tilt windshields. I don't know enough about the merits of these to make an informed decision and would really value input. (Note: I will probably eventually want front/rear windows, if this makes any difference.)

Bumpers: Seem like a good idea. I am only interested in protection, not aesthetics. I assume both front and back will be useful to me. Should I go stock or aftermarket? Are most of them bolt-on? (I'm not a very good welder.)

Bed Liner: It seems like if I use the dump bed for its intended purpose I'm going to get gravel or dirt or etc in the recesses that hold the seats, but maybe I'm wrong about this. Should I add the Honda bed liner to prevent this?

Tires/Wheels: There's a whole forum on this, but for the moment it seems like it may be better to go aftermarket than get these through the dealer. I see people here making a good case for Tusk Terrabytes and the dealer is pointing me to wheelpros.com, which seems to carry a different selection. My need for an extra set of wheels/tires is to get something hard that will resist sticks and other hazards in trail making and hold up to trips to town on paved roads. The plan will be to put those soft stock wheels/tires back on in December and leave them on until May or so every year while the ground is super saturated and avoid use that will wear them out. All I really need to know is if there is some compelling reason to get wheels/tires from the dealer at the time of purchase. If not, I'll take this question up on the wheels/tires forum separately.

Thank you for your patience and willingness to share your experience and advice!
The CLUB store will have some of your aftermarket needs at a good price. The search bar will help answer most of the rest. welcome and enjoy letting these guys help spend all your money on goodies
 
Buckshot07

Buckshot07

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2020
19,151
198,093
113
PA
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Don’t waste money on the Honda bed liner. You can make one out of a sheet of 1/4” rubber. Pick up a roll 4’ x 6’ at your local farm supply store.
Disclaimer, not my pictures. Found them doing a search, may have even been a different site.
I pick up a roll for about $40 but haven’t made mine yet.

2B95F39F 6588 4486 8D6A 94D3497D21C6
85DFA5B8 A8CA 4832 BB5A 64CD7BF7672E
 
WagginTail

WagginTail

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Oct 13, 2020
1,456
5,379
113
SC
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
Don’t waste money on the Honda bed liner. You can make one out of a sheet of 1/4” rubber. Pick up a roll 4’ x 6’ at your local farm supply store.
Disclaimer, not my pictures. Found them doing a search, may have even been a different site.
I pick up a roll for about $40 but haven’t made mine yet.

View attachment 332534View attachment 332535
I thought about doing that myself
 
M

mpilihp

Active Member
Aug 13, 2021
109
204
43
Maine
Ownership

  1. 700-4
So I just got a 700-4 last fall and I built the bed liner someone else here mentioned, easy and functional. I also put in the Start LED bulbs and I can say WAY more light and easier to see driving at night.

I would not do the dealer winch install only because I doubt they will do it the best way which is to be run off of a second aux battery with a circuit breaker and power to it (and all future accessories) by a large relay and a battery isolator. Many writeups here on it and you can see my wiring diagram I came up with for my install. I bought the 4500 viper winch from the club store and im impressed with it. Again aux battery will make your winch perform. I got the battery isolator kit form the club store but not sure I would get the kit again, the wires provided with it are way to short to connect with a second battery in any location I could find and it doesnt say where to mount the isolator or the second battery for the wires to work! The isolator itself works as expected.

Id get from the club store the accessory power on wiring kit and the reverse light wiring kit both were easy plug and play setups.

I have a full length metal Koplin roof, easy install and rugged, I did not want to worry about having something fall on it and breaking it and potentially being injured, IE falling tree, I had one fall on my Rhino roof and cracking it.

I see people adding a sound and heat barrier under the seat but I honestly dont think the rig is loud, I use my rig like you for working on my land and not all day trail riding so I dont think heat is an issue for me but they do sell a nice one, theres a vendor here with them. Heat Shield — Quick Shield

I added a tilt out windshield, the Koplin one, not over impressed but it works and it was cheaper than other tilt out models.

Im also adding a radio and speakers, 3 inch round unit that can fit in a switch panel you can buy online and hold switches for the relay, lights and so on.

Phil
 
livefromthetree

livefromthetree

It was a damn good ride. Seriously good.
Supporting Member
Jun 4, 2020
466
1,307
93
Mount Vernon Indiana
Ownership

  1. 700-2
I use my 700 for deer season and off season deer property work and about 3 evenings a week during warm months I pleasure ride about 30 miles of river bottoms and farm country around the house.



Go ahead and order this for the heat and noise. Very solid improvement and much better than my old DIY version. Quick Shield

Stark LEDs are great and you probably wont need front light bar once you add them. I cant remember the last time I turned the front on.

Add a back up/work light for sure. I like mine better on a rocker switch, but can also be tied into the reverse gear so it's automatic.

I have a Kolpin plastic roof, but it's about the same as the Honda. Not sure there's any difference. Also maybe consider getting a canvas roof for summer months. Small family company here who makes a very good canvas roof. I pull my hardtop off in the summer and add the canvas. Much quieter ride. Shy Bull Fam Canvas Tops

Super ATV split windshield works exactly as designed. I also pull the top half for summer months. Zero dust issues when the top half is off...much better than just having the top lifted.

Unless you are just wanting to upgrade the tires, go ahead and run the rubber off the factory 1st. If you are mostly woods and pasture they will last a good long time. If you are like me and run a bunch of gravel, dirt and blacktop you will probably go through them. I got about 600 miles on the 1st set. Upgraded to 27" Tusks and kept stock suspension and wheels. I have about 3000 miles on these and can get a lot more.

The club store is a great resource for accessories.

Also welcome from far SW Indiana! Pics or it didnt happen!
 
F

Freep

Member
Mar 10, 2022
16
80
13
Duvall, WA
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Awesome advice - I've already crossed a few things off my from-the-dealer list, which feels very good considering the 'extra freight charge' they are passing on to me. Will definitely send pics!

Looking forward to hear more if anyone has additional advice.
 
onecreeper

onecreeper

Well-Known Member
May 21, 2021
334
1,852
93
Kansas City, MO
Ownership

  1. 700-4
I got the honda roof and had dealer install it. It would have been easy but I love that roof.
Stark Headlights from Amazon $35 and eliminated need for light bar. <10 minutes to install both.
I got the nilight 6 switch rocker panel. Fits nice, works well. There may be others but it works.
Got TWO of the backup lights off this site. Great Performance.
Wife got me the honda bedliner, you can make your own but mine fits perfect, looks nice.
I ordered an LED battery/velco light for a dome light. $9/very bright. Works.
Venom 4500# Winch. Have used once, worked fine.
Super Tough Fold down Windshield. Easy to take off but doesnt do well w/ the Honda roof. I like it.
Bought a Sony Bluetooth XTra Base Speaker. Sounds good, not as good as having dedicated amp and high end speakers but pairs nice, has some light effects and long life battery so no wiring required...HALF the price of hollow sounding soundbars.
Original tires lasted about 600 miles on the gravel / pavement driving. Just went up to 27" Tusk Terrabytes all around. Look awesome, drives easier but I am guessing they wont be as good in the mud......

Im sure more skilled guys have done something extravagant.....but mine works, and looks nice and I have not had to spend a lot of money.

Lights Panel Tires2
 
F

Freep

Member
Mar 10, 2022
16
80
13
Duvall, WA
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Maybe good questions at this point are:

1) Is there anything that Honda makes that is better than aftermarket stuff?

2) Are there any items on my list that will be difficult or overly time consuming to install myself?

(My List, for convenience: Roof, Winch, Skid plates, Bumpers, Street legal kit, Bed liner, Windshield)

At this point the aftermarket stuff is looking better in terms of most of these. But then again, I've got a whole lot of stuff to do this summer and don't want to get tied up in an arduous installation process. For the moment, I'm leaning toward only the street legal kit from Honda, just so they can install and deal with the paperwork for me. And maybe the roof.
 
KevP700-4

KevP700-4

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2021
245
603
93
Northern MI
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Honda roof works well. Very durable

Honda split hardcoat windshield is a good one. Often ride in summer with it tilted open, helps keep dust out of front seat area.

I use a stall bed mat from Tractor Supply. About $30, 1/2" thick, very durable, just have to cut to fit.

Honda 4500# Warn winch does the job. Well made, easy install with factory install kit, all fits well.

Stark LED headlight bulbs, new style without the fan. Very nice upgrade, lots of light, low draw on battery, like they say 10 min to install. $39.00. I posted info on the 700 board about the lights and install.

Bought the Honda mid/rear curtain with zippered window. Nice to have during cold weather rides. Keep dust down in summer for driver and front passenger. Can leave on in summer, just open the window, or remove in 10 min. $129.

Honda dealer here took 15% off list on the assesories last April '21.
 
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KevP700-4

KevP700-4

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2021
245
603
93
Northern MI
Ownership

  1. 700-4
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Smoking Joe

Smoking Joe

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2021
134
418
63
Alaska
Ownership

  1. 700-2
I got the factory winch and it pulls from the top of the drum...opposite side of the mounting base! Only way it can work According to honda...warn will still warranty this way but not impressed!
 
FJC 79

FJC 79

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Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Jan 3, 2020
31,862
275,774
113
ne. ohio
Ownership

  1. 700-2
Previous post on the Stark lights:


Lights in. Quick install (10 min.). Lights are fanless design, plug right in, no fit issues with light sockets just insert and twist. They do not interfere with the dust cap, about 3/4" between cap and back of light. They put out a nice white light (not blue). Yes, they are bright!!

View attachment 309714View attachment 309715View attachment 309716View attachment 309717View attachment 309718View attachment 309719
will they fit a 2014 700
 
FJC 79

FJC 79

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Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Jan 3, 2020
31,862
275,774
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ne. ohio
Ownership

  1. 700-2
I tried searching Amazon and couldn't get a for sure answer for my 2014. You might have to contact them.
thanks from what little I seen they will based on the stock bulbs being # 800
 
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