Looking forward to having the opportunity to purchase the 700-4! I am next on my dealers un-official list for the next one in the store. So far everything looks good, except for conflicting reports about the rear end. The dealer told me it has a differential rear end, however, online report indicate that it has a "non-differential" rear end. When I spoke with the dealer we went out and drove the Big Red and reported the Pioneer has the same setup. I am new to side by sides, and maybe terminology has got the best of me. But does the Pioneer have a "turf saver" rear end or not?
The dealer would be wrong. The Pioneer has a positive Rear End. It does NOT have an "OPEN" or "turf saver" differential like the big red. It is Closed, Locked, positive or whatever they call it. both wheels will turn equally. So just like your Honda ATV you will need to be careful in the yard.
Here is a image of the rear diff on the Pioneer.
Here is a image of the rear diff on the Pioneer.
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Hmmm, not what I was hoping to hear. Thank you for finally clearing it up for me. Have you driven it on pavement? Not its intended purpose for sure, but at some point hunting and camping, etc, I am sure it will find its way to some hard surfaced roads. Not sure how this would work if I had four big guys in it or the rated 1000 pound in the bed.
My rzr had the same rear end...which I too am a bit disappointed with. I had deep lug 27's and it tore the heck out of my yard but handled ok on paved roads. I have seen the honda turn around on the concrete dealer parking lot and it didnt mark it up too bad. I wouldn't worry about the paved roads with the honda diff. Hondas are bulletproof with whatever terrain you ride. I will be riding side roads all the time and am not worried about the rear end. Just dont keep the diff lock on. The stock honda tires look like they won't ruin your yard. ..but the deeper lug after market tires wikk
Thank you for the input. I intend on getting it street legal and was just a bit turned off when I confirmed the Pioneer had a non-differential rear end. I still have time to decide as we all wait for them to come in. I think the pro's in favor of the Pioneer still outweigh the con's in my situation, but it is certainly not a big selling point in my book. Has anyone driven this thing on pavement with a full load?
I've been riding mine on pavement I put a total of about 80 miles on it in 2 days on various terrains. On pavement the only time the positive rear end is noticed is when making tight turns at slow speeds. It requires more steering effort obviously but I haven't noticed a huge difference with or without rear passengers. Note I only carry average sized women in the rear so haven't rested it at full load. My biggest concern is the tires will not last as long on pavement. I'm looking to put a set of maxxis ceros on it since I run mostly hard terrain.
Question - you mentioned getting it street legal.. what state are you from and how do you get it legal for the street? I'm highly interested also but I'm in Louisiana and not sure yet what all the laws are.
Question - you mentioned getting it street legal.. what state are you from and how do you get it legal for the street? I'm highly interested also but I'm in Louisiana and not sure yet what all the laws are.
The locked rear is a concern for me also. If not not for that I would be buying one as soon as I could find one. Now I will wait a while and watch the feedback from owners. Have owned rhinos, rangers and a rzr s. liked the turf mode on the ranger. Happy to see honda going after this market.
I am not sure about the rhino or ranger but the rzr has a locked rear diff as well. Other than tire wear it should ride fine on pavement. Never had a problem with it when I owned my rzr
This probably isn't going to give you the answer you're looking for, but as in this pic it has 4 wheel diff lock.
Take it for what it's worth, I'm sure it will satisfy my needs.
Take it for what it's worth, I'm sure it will satisfy my needs.
Over 100 miles on odometer now. The positive rear does increase steering effort but it appears to help the steering track better at speed also. I'm still impressed with how straight and well it tracks which gives a very safe feel even at full speed. Power steering would be nice though, no doubt honda will offer it on future models. I'll add it later if a kit hits the market.
Regarding the front diff lock I think this will hardly get used. With the little time I spent in 4x4 crawling around ditches it pulls great without it and steering is much easier. Still a nice feature if the going gets really tough but at least for my use it will hardly get used. Traction in 2x is impressive with the positive rear.
Regarding the front diff lock I think this will hardly get used. With the little time I spent in 4x4 crawling around ditches it pulls great without it and steering is much easier. Still a nice feature if the going gets really tough but at least for my use it will hardly get used. Traction in 2x is impressive with the positive rear.
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I've already had to use my front diff lock about ten times. But I've already had it buried up about the top of the tires in a creek and had to pull it out with a tractor lol. It has great traction in 2 and 4 wd but on very steep rock climbs I've had to roll back down and lock the front diff. Works great just harder steering
Buried to the top of the tired eh! How easy/hard is it to wash the pioneer? Does it have many hard to get to areas? The engine looks hard to access with the power washer...what are your thoughts?
Yeah the front and back underneath aren't too bad. The middle section is harder to get to. And mud pilesup and sits on top of thw skid plates right under the engine/tranny. But pop the front seat off amd remove the rubbet dust covers and you can get it pretty clean
I am from Arizona. To get it street legal I would need to do a multitude of things but I will try to minimize the cost by just doing what I think I can get away with, i.e. horn, mirrors, blinkers, and windshield. Technically speaking though, I would have to also have street appropriate tires, and actual safety glass as a windshield. If you look at most of the tires on off road vehicles it states on the tires "not for highway use". If you are thinking about doing this to your vehicle, go check with your local law enforcement. They will break down your states laws and probably save you a ton of time compared to doing the research yourself.
red4life said:
rhinos and rzr's both have locked rears. I hated the damage done to the yard when using at home.
@ ranchhand77 - thanks bud! Yes ill check with the motor vehicle laws. I have a feeling ill get a no answer but its worth a try.
i have put in over 100 miles on my pioneer 4 in less than 2 weeks. handles great on blacktop and hard gravel roads. going to get extra wheels and a set of blacktop friendly tires. really comfortable ride offroad. been on some really rocky terrain and its handles great. would recommend under body protection. lots of gravel flying up on well roads we have here in wva.
I've noticed the tire pick up rocks too. I put the a- arm guards on this weekend so that should keep the rear protected somewhat from chips. Front tires throw rocks against the outer undercarriage so some type of covering would be beneficial in this area.
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