Pioneer gearing...go up steep hills in reverse!

[Manly bug]

So I've posted a few times indicating my one and only gripe with the pioneer 700 p4--the gearing is not low enough and it will run out of power before it runs out of traction, even in snow on steep enough hills.

Well yesterday was no exception. We were out playing in some deep snow, and on the steepest of hills only the winch would get the pioneer up the hill.

Then I realized that every time I had to reverse anywhere, the pioneer seemed to have endless power! Next hill we got to where the pioneer would not go up in first gear (just sits there, bogged down, wheels not turning, engine groaning), I backed down, turned around and backed up the hill. We made it up the hill no problem! Tires were digging, engine rpms stayed in a healthy range, and the pioneer did what it should have been doing in drive--clawing its way up a steep hill.

Why would Honda screw this up so bad? Did they not test these machines on steep hills?

 

[Admin]

 

[bigc]

i have a 2 seater and i have climbed some very steep hills with mine and it spins the tires climbing them it loads up and pulls down some but never stalls out are you sure there is nothing wrong with your machine

 

[Manly bug]

Yes I'm fairly sure there is nothing wrong with it. I live at high elevation and the Pioneer is simply not geared low enough. It had been to the dealership already for its first oil change and they said it is functioning normally.

 

[bigc]

ok i dont know anything about high elevation none of that in south oklahoma

 

[DG Rider]

Yes I'm fairly sure there is nothing wrong with it...

I don't know why i am repeating this, but for the 5th time...

NO, there is something wrong. You ride at high altitudes...above 10K if i remember. I have never been above 7800 feet ( where it performed fine ), so OK...can't say about that.

What i can talk about is the videos you posted from Moab, around 4500 feet or so...and now you're in altitudes i can report on. From the first obstacle on the video, it is very obvious that something is amiss, i don't care what the dealer says ( like they would tell you if there was ). My Pioneer would easily walk up those steps, or sit and spin all 4 tires easily. From other vids on work and play, mine is nothing special either.

One area i would suggest you take a look at is tire pressure. It looked in those vids like you had about 30PSI in the tires. Stockers with the machine sitting on them measure about 24.5-ish at 10 PSI. I would guess looking at the video, your are probably 27-28 inches tall, and that would kill power all on its own. Maybe the video just makes it look that way, but i suspect not.

You come on here every 3 weeks or so and post something about how under powered it is, yet you seem to have little inclination about investigating this despite several members telling you something is not right.

And yes, reverse is lower geared in the sub tranny than 1st.

 

[bigc]

im with dg on this one mine will spin all four tires on a 70 degree slop no problem

 

[Hondasxs]

Well, I too recently experienced this issue of what feels to be under powered. But only once, I wish to duplicate it on another long hill before I make too much of a statement about it.

During my fall trip to WV in Oct., it tackled hills no problem. But this last time something was different. It seemed as though the Pioneer was in second gear and never would shift down into first. It was chugging along but not with the "power" i was wanting to see and expected. It did feel like it was not going to make it up, but it did at a slow pace. I need to experience it more before I can say anything else.

And, Yes, the sub trans gears reverse down by at least 50%. (50% is just my guess)