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I apologize for the length of this review upfront!
Pioneer 500 with Honda roof, Honda rear soft panel, Honda front Hard tip out windshield, rear view mirror, side rear mirrors, Honda soft doors, windshield bag, 27" tires, 2500 pound winch, skid plate, LED front bar, LED rear cubes, spare rim, and plow. About $16 400 Canadian out the door. Looking at the Polaris Ranger 500 and the Honda Pioneer. Ranger was about $2000 more.
Purchased a 2020 Honda Pioneer 500 about 3 weeks ago. Although I'm very satisfied with the machine, here are a few things prospective buyer should be aware of:
1. NO Storage. And I mean NO storage. I purchased the Honda roof bag (went across the rear roll bar) for $100 CAN. It's enough to store the registration, insurance and a few snacks. Funny thing is, there seems to be a cut out for a glove box but I guess Honda was too cheap to put it in. There are also under seat and under hood storage options, but they are extremely expensive.
2. 1.5" receiver. Didn't really notice this until a purchased the bike. No big problem, but I had a 2" bar I was planning to use!
3. No dump box. Again, I was quite aware of this as I plan to build a storage box for the rear. But my buddy and a Ranger with a dump box...does come in handy.
4. Suspension. It is stiff and will bounce you around even when on packed dirt roads and you hit a pothole. Not sure about buying new shocks...might just slow down. BTW - top speed seems to be 63 km/h.
5. Seat belt. I've hit a few bumps and man this thing just about decapitates you. Be aware.
6. Doors. While the doors are fantastic, be aware that when you load it in the back of a truck, you have a 50/50 chance of getting out of the side by side! I had to remove the netting on the drivers side.
7. Reverse. There is no shift lever for reverse...it's a handle you have to pull with your right hand while shifting down on the paddle shifter with your left. Again, no big thing as after a while it become second nature...I just hope its not an issue in the winter time when plowing.
8. Fit and finish of the Honda accessories are a little underwhelming...Front windshield not sealing along the bonnet...when i move it then it don't seal along the top. I purchased the HARD windshield as it was suppose to resist scratches. It does not. A glass windshield like the polaris ranger would be great.
9. Pretty loud "clunking" when shifting in automatic mode.
10. No front lock...but haven't need it yet so probably not going to be an issue.
11. Clearance. Get bigger tires. Otherwise you'll be hearing a lot of scraping.
12. Overall fit and finish. Polaris is a much nicer looking machine...nice dash, lots of storage, LOTS of accessories, place for more switches (knockouts) and their accessories seem to fit the machine.
13. Service reminder came on after 10 hours (100 km's?) I'm going to wait for at least 500 kms before servicing.
14. Original tires were noticeably worn down. Again, I purchased 27" trail tires. Hoping they will make a difference...just waiting for the dealer to get them.
I realize it seems like I crapping on my Honda, but I'm not! I'm quite satisfied with my purchase? Why? Because its a very narrow 50 inches and lets me get into places larger machines wouldn't fit. It's more like a quad with side seating! I like the manual mode..shifting is much quieter and allows me to control when shifting. The lack of storage is annoying, but the rear windshield bag does make a difference. I like that there are no belts. Steering is great! I was a little worried I might have to purchase a power steering unit for my daughter, but she is enjoying it! The "missing luxuries" don't really impact me as the machine does what it does and I'm looking for reliability. I think I have it. I'll update once I've used the plow and doors in the winter time.
Pioneer 500 with Honda roof, Honda rear soft panel, Honda front Hard tip out windshield, rear view mirror, side rear mirrors, Honda soft doors, windshield bag, 27" tires, 2500 pound winch, skid plate, LED front bar, LED rear cubes, spare rim, and plow. About $16 400 Canadian out the door. Looking at the Polaris Ranger 500 and the Honda Pioneer. Ranger was about $2000 more.
Purchased a 2020 Honda Pioneer 500 about 3 weeks ago. Although I'm very satisfied with the machine, here are a few things prospective buyer should be aware of:
1. NO Storage. And I mean NO storage. I purchased the Honda roof bag (went across the rear roll bar) for $100 CAN. It's enough to store the registration, insurance and a few snacks. Funny thing is, there seems to be a cut out for a glove box but I guess Honda was too cheap to put it in. There are also under seat and under hood storage options, but they are extremely expensive.
2. 1.5" receiver. Didn't really notice this until a purchased the bike. No big problem, but I had a 2" bar I was planning to use!
3. No dump box. Again, I was quite aware of this as I plan to build a storage box for the rear. But my buddy and a Ranger with a dump box...does come in handy.
4. Suspension. It is stiff and will bounce you around even when on packed dirt roads and you hit a pothole. Not sure about buying new shocks...might just slow down. BTW - top speed seems to be 63 km/h.
5. Seat belt. I've hit a few bumps and man this thing just about decapitates you. Be aware.
6. Doors. While the doors are fantastic, be aware that when you load it in the back of a truck, you have a 50/50 chance of getting out of the side by side! I had to remove the netting on the drivers side.
7. Reverse. There is no shift lever for reverse...it's a handle you have to pull with your right hand while shifting down on the paddle shifter with your left. Again, no big thing as after a while it become second nature...I just hope its not an issue in the winter time when plowing.
8. Fit and finish of the Honda accessories are a little underwhelming...Front windshield not sealing along the bonnet...when i move it then it don't seal along the top. I purchased the HARD windshield as it was suppose to resist scratches. It does not. A glass windshield like the polaris ranger would be great.
9. Pretty loud "clunking" when shifting in automatic mode.
10. No front lock...but haven't need it yet so probably not going to be an issue.
11. Clearance. Get bigger tires. Otherwise you'll be hearing a lot of scraping.
12. Overall fit and finish. Polaris is a much nicer looking machine...nice dash, lots of storage, LOTS of accessories, place for more switches (knockouts) and their accessories seem to fit the machine.
13. Service reminder came on after 10 hours (100 km's?) I'm going to wait for at least 500 kms before servicing.
14. Original tires were noticeably worn down. Again, I purchased 27" trail tires. Hoping they will make a difference...just waiting for the dealer to get them.
I realize it seems like I crapping on my Honda, but I'm not! I'm quite satisfied with my purchase? Why? Because its a very narrow 50 inches and lets me get into places larger machines wouldn't fit. It's more like a quad with side seating! I like the manual mode..shifting is much quieter and allows me to control when shifting. The lack of storage is annoying, but the rear windshield bag does make a difference. I like that there are no belts. Steering is great! I was a little worried I might have to purchase a power steering unit for my daughter, but she is enjoying it! The "missing luxuries" don't really impact me as the machine does what it does and I'm looking for reliability. I think I have it. I'll update once I've used the plow and doors in the winter time.
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