Hondasxs
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Hondasxs
Club Founder
Staff member
ohanacreek
My EcoBoost has I4WD
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ohanacreek
My EcoBoost has I4WD
Moderator
Lifetime Member
For now, Give it time they obviously have some sort of long term plan. Probably trying to figure out what works best, before they produce something that is going to get driven like it was stolen every time the key is turned.
Best I could get was 41 before running out of trail. And it will get there quickly. Believe me.... 40 down a 50" trail is fast. Fast enough. I can't say enough about how much fun and how capable this machine is. I was blown away. Had my go pro for the dealer demo wed in TN. If I can figure out how I will try to get a couple posted soon.
Hondasxs
Club Founder
Staff member
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Around here, mostly on county roads SXS's can be licensed for the road. 37-40mph is not fast enough. It is not only about trail riding, in which case that is certainly fast enough, it is also getting to the trails on secondary roads with 50 mph or greater speed limits. It should not be about Honda figuring out what works. They have had since 09 to look at the market and see what works, what's important to customers and build a machine to met those criteria. When you are this late to the party, there is no reason to not hit it out of the park. This is a bunt at best.
ohanacreek
My EcoBoost has I4WD
Moderator
Lifetime Member
Around me you can't be on the road they have started to ticket you as the sxs market has expanded.
Not about safety but more about the 3" of mud that gets left all over the roads. There are several parks now to go ride, but even that has caused issues as now the automated car washed nearby have site managers to prevent anything that will leave piles of mud everywhere.
I have access to a few thousand acres of company land but it is maintained roads with a few gas/power lines. Not a lot of fun to ride but was good to use to break in the P4.
Bottom line is if it doesn't fit your needs find something that does. If you need to do 55+ on paved roads buy a RZR.
If you need it for trail riding, work, hauling your friends/fam, or carrying stuff, it works.
Give Honda time and they might come out with a speed specific model, with room for 2 and a 6pack cooler.
Not about safety but more about the 3" of mud that gets left all over the roads. There are several parks now to go ride, but even that has caused issues as now the automated car washed nearby have site managers to prevent anything that will leave piles of mud everywhere.
I have access to a few thousand acres of company land but it is maintained roads with a few gas/power lines. Not a lot of fun to ride but was good to use to break in the P4.
Bottom line is if it doesn't fit your needs find something that does. If you need to do 55+ on paved roads buy a RZR.
If you need it for trail riding, work, hauling your friends/fam, or carrying stuff, it works.
Give Honda time and they might come out with a speed specific model, with room for 2 and a 6pack cooler.
[quote="ohanacreek"
Bottom line is if it doesn't fit your needs find something that does. If you need to do 55+ on paved roads buy a RZR.
If you need it for trail riding, work, hauling your friends/fam, or carrying stuff, it works.
Give Honda time and they might come out with a speed specific model, with room for 2 and a 6pack cooler.[/quote]
I think the bottom line from Honda's perspective should be to provide an industry leading trail SXS. Bringing a machine to the market that "works" is expected. Bringing a machine to market that exceeds customer expectations is what makes a machine a sales success. A great many have been awaiting this machine. A couple years from now we can come back and perhaps see how Honda did. However 475cc engines, 5 speed manual tranny, 5.9" of travel and high 30's max speed all combine to reduce sales. Everyone has the "gotta have" features that they want/need out of a SXS. The more of the hot button features you have, the more you sell. The more cool accessories the aftermarket builds for the "sales success" which makes the owner even more happy. The Pioneer 500 has one feature that means something "Its a Honda" . However that is not going to carry the day when the rest of it specs so poorly. While Polaris and AC certainly have QC issues in my view, they are not so bad that you can bring this 500 to market and expect to gain any significant number of conquest sales.
Your Honda guy, as I am. The speed specific model comment was funny. How about they build a trail SXS that targets a large portion of the market? Should not have been real hard to do on a 50" trail machine.
Bottom line is if it doesn't fit your needs find something that does. If you need to do 55+ on paved roads buy a RZR.
If you need it for trail riding, work, hauling your friends/fam, or carrying stuff, it works.
Give Honda time and they might come out with a speed specific model, with room for 2 and a 6pack cooler.[/quote]
I think the bottom line from Honda's perspective should be to provide an industry leading trail SXS. Bringing a machine to the market that "works" is expected. Bringing a machine to market that exceeds customer expectations is what makes a machine a sales success. A great many have been awaiting this machine. A couple years from now we can come back and perhaps see how Honda did. However 475cc engines, 5 speed manual tranny, 5.9" of travel and high 30's max speed all combine to reduce sales. Everyone has the "gotta have" features that they want/need out of a SXS. The more of the hot button features you have, the more you sell. The more cool accessories the aftermarket builds for the "sales success" which makes the owner even more happy. The Pioneer 500 has one feature that means something "Its a Honda" . However that is not going to carry the day when the rest of it specs so poorly. While Polaris and AC certainly have QC issues in my view, they are not so bad that you can bring this 500 to market and expect to gain any significant number of conquest sales.
Your Honda guy, as I am. The speed specific model comment was funny. How about they build a trail SXS that targets a large portion of the market? Should not have been real hard to do on a 50" trail machine.
ohanacreek
My EcoBoost has I4WD
Moderator
Lifetime Member
I am a Honda guy also an Apple guy, the thing I like about both companies is their products. If I buy either I have 100% faith it is going to work as it is designed. It may not have the newest doodad or thingamijig but the features work. It may not be the fastest sxs but I don't ride it at 30mph going down a rocky trail. I am not the guy that is going to push something so hard I'll flip it backwards.
I just don't beat on my toys, I had a Honda 300 for 15 years all I ever did was change fluids and put tires on it.
I sold my Acura only because I needed a full sized truck. It was hands down the best vehicle I've ever owned. Didn't have all the new features that my truck has but the Acura ALWAYS worked. The Chevy I bought, does NOT it has so many bugs in the new features I wish Honda made a full sized V8 truck. I would trade in a heartbeat.
I would like to see them build a Bad-A sport SXS, just because I want them to beat AC, CA, & polaris. Not because I'd ever buy it. The Pioneer is fine for me, it has made it through everything the RZRs I rode with did with 4 people and a 45qt Yeti and they couldn't go any faster on trails than I could.
I get needing more speed on road, but honestly it's a off road use vehicle. So on road use is probably not a design consideration.
That said I would've put the 700 motor in the 50" machine.
I will NEVER buy a CVT machine. ABSOLUTELY worthless because of the lack of long term durability. I don't like working on things because they are expected to break/fail as part of their design.
The dealer I bought mine from offered to give me extra belts with a Polaris while I was waiting on the Pioneer to come in.
I just don't beat on my toys, I had a Honda 300 for 15 years all I ever did was change fluids and put tires on it.
I sold my Acura only because I needed a full sized truck. It was hands down the best vehicle I've ever owned. Didn't have all the new features that my truck has but the Acura ALWAYS worked. The Chevy I bought, does NOT it has so many bugs in the new features I wish Honda made a full sized V8 truck. I would trade in a heartbeat.
I would like to see them build a Bad-A sport SXS, just because I want them to beat AC, CA, & polaris. Not because I'd ever buy it. The Pioneer is fine for me, it has made it through everything the RZRs I rode with did with 4 people and a 45qt Yeti and they couldn't go any faster on trails than I could.
I get needing more speed on road, but honestly it's a off road use vehicle. So on road use is probably not a design consideration.
That said I would've put the 700 motor in the 50" machine.
I will NEVER buy a CVT machine. ABSOLUTELY worthless because of the lack of long term durability. I don't like working on things because they are expected to break/fail as part of their design.
The dealer I bought mine from offered to give me extra belts with a Polaris while I was waiting on the Pioneer to come in.
Lack of speed is only part of the problem with this machine. I don't run 50 mph down the trails either, but why limit your market. Make it go at least 50 and no one will b**** about it. I bought a RZR because I got tired of waiting for Honda in 2011 and would have happily sold it for a Honda with this release, not because I have had a lot of issues but I simply believe in the Honda product. I am glad you got all that you expected out of the 500 Trail machine. However unless you plan on buying all they plan to build, I doubt your approval will be enough to matter. Like I said, we will see what happens in a couple years where they end up. My guess they will redesign it and fix all that ills it or they may be happy to let it muddle at the back of the pack. So much for the old adage "follow the leader, he is on Honda".
It's not about top speed but wheel speed. When going thru mud the 500 and even the 700 is limited can't spin the wheels fast enough to get thru mud. You don't always crawl thru everything. That's why my 700 will be for sale after hunting season.
As far as mud goes torque dictates how much wheel speed you can achieve. With 5 speeds instead of 3 and a similar or even slower top speed the 500 will likely be at least as good as the 700 at spinning the tires in the sticky stuff, if not better. Just my estimation.
With 475 CC you don't have hp or torque to spin tires in heavy mud. Especially at my elevations, we live at 5K ft and ride up to 11K ft. Losing 10% of hp for every 1K above 5K doesn't leave a lot left over when you start with a 1000 pound machine and 350 pounds of people and gear.
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