[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.