P500 Rdrcr's Honda Pioneer 520 Build Thread.

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Rdrcr

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Aug 16, 2022
533
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WA
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  1. 520
Not to sound like a weirdo but been following your build here and originally at TractorByNet. I enjoy how clean your mods are... I'm wondering about your rear registration plate... what exactly did you use to mount it there? I feel its the perfect location for something like that, and would like to do something similar.
Here are some additional pictures of the license plate bracket and mounting;
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6C258138 50AB 444E BEE1 207E9B79599D


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It’s a pretty straightforward setup. Let me know if you have any questions.

Mike
 
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Yomama101

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Feb 6, 2022
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Mesa AZ
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In some of the areas I ride fallen trees are a fairly common occurrence. The trails are maintained but, I’m always concerned about a rare situation where a tree falls on the trail after I’ve passed through an area. If a situation like that were to occur, I want to have the ability to clear a section of the trail so I can make it through. The easiest and most logical option would be carrying one of my chainsaws but, I’d rather not have to take a chainsaw, especially when I leave the UTV in certain areas. So, I made the decision to bring a folding saw. The only question is; where and how do I secure it?

I decided to install some universal clamps from Axia Alloys and secure the folding saw underneath the Hard Top;

View attachment 353323

In these same areas they require all off-road vehicles to carry at least 5 gallons of water, or a fire extinguisher. Obviously, carrying 5 gallons of water in a small UTV isn’t convenient. A fire extinguisher is a much better option. Once again I turned to Axia Alloys for a solution. I chose their quick release setup and I’m extremely impressed by the quality and execution of their products. Here’s how it turned out;

View attachment 353325

View attachment 353326

My only concern with this absolutely awesome fire extinguisher setup, is one of its best features, the quick release. I doubt it’ll happen but, there’s nothing stopping some wayward jackass from pulling the handle and stealing the fire extinguisher and brackets. So, that’ll suck if it happens. Fingers crossed.

Moving on…

The vast majority of places I go are really remote and I typically don’t run across any other people when I’m on an adventure ride. Because of this, I’ve started cataloging items that I need to take with me just in case of an issue, or emergency. One of those items is fuel. I want to make sure I have extra fuel.

Occasionally I’ll park the P520 on, or near a trail and leave it to go hiking to another location and even though I rarely see anybody, I still like having valuables secured. So, in this case I went with RotoPax locking T-handle, Axia Alloys mount and RotoPax 2 gallon fuel tank. You can’t go wrong with this combination;

View attachment 353327

View attachment 353328

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All in all, I’m very pleased with these additions. I feel a lot more confident riding the trails having this equipment with me. I know the better prepared I am, the further and further I’ll go.

Plus, it’s worth mentioning again, the Axia Alloys clamps and mountings solutions are top-notch. I highly recommend them!

Mike

View attachment 354375
Hmmm…the next addition!

Mike
ITP Ultracross?
 
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Rdrcr

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Aug 16, 2022
533
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WA
Ownership

  1. 520
You'll like then. I wanted to go skinnys also but they don't have the 27" on 12s.

Actually, they do have the ITP Ultracross R on a 27x10-12. That was my first choice but, I was having a hard time finding them available (I didn't want to purchase through multiple sources) and the pricing was more than the other options.

Here's a list of the available options;

Mike
 
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Yomama101

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Feb 6, 2022
139
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Mesa AZ
Ownership

  1. Looking to buy

  2. 520
Actually, they do have the ITP Ultracross R on a 27x10-12. That was my first choice but, I was having a hard time finding them available (I didn't want to purchase through multiple sources) and the pricing was more than the other options.

Here's a list of the available options;

Mike
Yes I have the 27x10x12. Wanted the 9" though. ;)
IMG 6662

Actually, they do have the ITP Ultracross R on a 27x10-12. That was my first choice but, I was having a hard time finding them available (I didn't want to purchase through multiple sources) and the pricing was more than the other options.

Here's a list of the available options;

Mike
 
Robobrainiac

Robobrainiac

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Thanks!

I'm glad we share the same fears, LOL!!!

My preference would be to have all these items out-of-sight and secured so I wouldn't have to be concerned with theft. But, I can't think of a convenient way to make that happen. The reality of the situation is that all of these items, including all the items in my under hood storage, can also be stolen quickly from a determined thief. I'm just going to have to live with that concern.

The folding saw and the fire extinguisher are the most expensive items I have in exposed locations. I placed the folding saw under the hard top because I feel that the folding saw would be the most likely item a thief would want to steal. Plus, the Axia Alloys straps securing the saw are easy to see, operate and remove so I wanted it in the most hidden location possible.

With the most hidden location already occupied, I preferred having the fire extinguisher on the passenger side because it gives the operator a bit more leverage for pulling the emergency release lever. Of course, the drawback here, is the emergency lever is now more visible and would allow a thief easier access and visibility. Sigh.

The fuel container was then placed on the driver side as a default.

Mike

I would like to recommend an alarm system in addition to your anti theft devices. It uses motion of the machine to set it off. I like it and have used it everywhere I go. Hide it well in the body and it should not be able to be disabled.

https://amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07C5Y8ZGG?tag=sxsweb24-20

Congrats on your new ride! The modifications are my favorite part!
 
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Rdrcr

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2022
533
2,916
93
WA
Ownership

  1. 520
I would like to recommend an alarm system in addition to your anti theft devices. It uses motion of the machine to set it off. I like it and have used it everywhere I go. Hide it well in the body and it should not be able to be disabled.


Congrats on your new ride! The modifications are my favorite part!

I never thought about an alarm, Thank you!
It's in my "wish list".

Mike
 
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Rdrcr

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Aug 16, 2022
533
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WA
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  1. 520
Wheels and Tires!!!!
Skinny’s all around!!!!

The most recent addition to my P520 are the ITP Ultracross R 27x9-14 tires and 14” Raceline A95 Trophy (4x110, 5+2) simulated bead lock wheels in Gray/Black.

When I began evaluating my tire options, I was totally flummoxed. There’s just so many variations and possibilities! Just looking at the tread options and tire sizes was enough to make my head spin. They’re endless! I like options but, come on, this is ridiculous!

I began narrowing my choices based on usage. I don’t use my P520 in the sand, for rock crawling, muddying, or wading through water. I mainly use my P520 on my property and recreationally exploring trails in the local forests. Since I realistically have no need for extremely aggressive tires I decided to go with a more traditional A/T tire tread design.

My biggest complaints with the P520 are the low gearing, immediate shift points, the shameful top speed, inaccurate speedometer and rough ride.

To help remedy these issues I chose to go with a taller tire to extend the gearing, help raise the shift points, correct the optimistic speedometer, enhance the top speed and perhaps, even improve the ride.
Will taller tires be enough?

In a perfect world, I would have gone with a 28 inch tire, or perhaps larger. But, I didn’t want to add wheel spacers, control arms, a lift kit, or encounter any rubbing issues on the frame, or bodywork. Plus, the bigger you go, the heavier the tire, which can cause unfavorable performance characteristics and the taller you go, the higher the ride height, which can increase the risk of a potential rollover. Furthermore, I’m trying to keep my P520 as close to the factory 50 inch width as possible and you can’t do that with enormous tires. Additionally, unlike the factory setup, I want all four tires and wheels to be the same size, so I have the ability to rotate the tires and carry a spare if necessary. Well that’s a mouthful.

Taking all of this BS into consideration, I decided a 26 or 27 inch tire would be the best compromise.

Naturally, I conducted a fair share of research before I pulled the trigger on the ITP Ultracross R tires. I probably spent far too much time visiting online vendor websites trying to put together the best tire combination. I found the most help here, on the HondaSxS Club simply reading threads in the P500/520 Wheels and Tires sub-forum and also from various member build threads. My decision to purchase the ITP Ultracross ultimately came down to several positive reviews, tire availability and a special Labor Day sale price.

As far as wheels go, I would have been happy sticking with the stock 12 inch wheels. But, I was having a difficult time finding four 27x10-12 ITP Ultracross tires in stock from a single vendor. When I was lucky enough to find one available, the pricing was utterly absurd. For some reason or another, they were more expensive than the other sizes. Most importantly, however, the 27x10-12 were wider than I preferred. I really wanted a 9 inch wide tire to curtail the overall width of my P520.

Unfortunately, ITP doesn’t make a 27x9-12, only the 27x9-14. So, upon that incredible disappointment, I decided to go up to a 14 inch wheel size, which meant, new wheels! Honestly, I would have been totally fine with 14 inch steel wheels but, it’s easy to get carried away. As luck would have it, I found the Raceline A95 Trophy 14 inch wheels on sale, which was all the motivation I needed to make the decision and purchase them.

Enough talk, let’s see the pics!!!

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49316325 E01B 422D BDE5 132B35C4FB0A


C05449E3 38B9 483B B137 99B917FAD78C


I’m a little bummed that the Raceline wheels don’t match the Gray P520 bodywork. Yeah, I’m that anal. But, with all the dust, dirt and grime collected from riding, I’m sure it won’t bother me for long. However, if it continues to bother me, I’ll pull them off and paint them black.
All things considered, I’m pretty happy with the appearance of the complete package.

During my research I read that the ITP Ultracross R tires are undersized and that they are not as tall as the manufacturer specifications claim. It is rumored that the ITP Ultracross 27 inch tire, actually measures 26 inches in height. Really?

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They look pretty tall to me!

When these tires are mounted on wheels and inflated to 20-30 PSI, they measure very close to the 27 inch specification. However, when they’re inflated to a more realistic 8-15 PSI, they measure closer to the 26 inches. I’m still playing with my tire pressure but, with all four ITP Ultracross tires inflated to 10 PSI, I measured a full 2 inches of additional ground clearance at all 4 corners.

I gotta say, the claim that the ITP Ultracross tires are undersized, ultimately proves to be correct once the tires are mounted, installed and inflated for practical riding conditions on the P520.

The factory P520 tires are 24x8-12, front and 24x10-12 rear. With the new 27x9-14 ITP Ultracross tires all the way around, my P520 now measured 52 inches wide in the front and 51 inches in the rear. I really didn’t want my P520 any wider but, considering the size of the new tires, these results were expected. I may actually add some rear wheel spacers to balance the front/rear widths.
Thoughts?

I was given the green light on this tire/wheel project by my better half. She was constantly complaining about the rough ride on the trails and on spirited rides around the property. I promised the larger wheels and tires would improve the ride quality dramatically. Well, that was a false assumption. Don’t get me wrong, the ride is better but, only marginally better than before. Hmmm, I bet shocks will do the trick!

The new larger diameter tires have helped the gearing. I believe the new tires actually make two full revolutions before the shift into second gear! All kidding aside, yes, the gearing and transmission shift points have improved a bit and the speedometer reading is in fact, more accurate.

When stock, my P520 would show an indicated 40 mph on the speedometer, while my GPS was registering 37 mph. Now, with the new 27 inch tires, when the speedometer is showing an indicated 40 mph, my GPS is reading 41 mph. That’s a bit more accurate than before and the top speed has increased by 4 mph, excellent!

I read from several sources warning against adding larger tires and wheels to a UTV stating it will hurt the performance because of the extra weight. Seems logical but, I believe a lot of these concerns originate from folks that haven’t driven, or experienced the torque and super low gearing in the P500/P520. The P520 isn’t a powerful machine but, I can’t fathom how a larger wheel/tire setup would significantly effect the overall driving performance.

I didn’t weigh my new tire and wheel setup but, this new combination is definitely heavier than the stockers!

As far as performance goes, the steering effort has increased, but remains totally manageable and when driving up steep hills I can sense a little sluggishness which is quickly resolved with a little more throttle input. That’s it. In all other driving conditions, my P520 feels better. Above all, it’ll still do donuts and it continues to accelerate strong from a stop. Without a doubt, there is no significant loss of performance.

All in all, I’m very happy with the new wheels and tires. My P520 feels, looks and rides better which is always a good thing! And, I can’t argue with a little more speed and riding performance!

Mike
 
Mudder

Mudder

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I had a bunch of stuff under the hood prior to my power steering getting added. I still feel like there is plenty of room to mount additional items under there that I don’t need very often. Shackles, snatch block, additional synthetic rope, and tree savers could go in that area.
Does the P520 have the same hole under the driver seat as a P500? I installed the 3 gallon trash can there in my P500 for the winching equipment, good place as heavy stuff is at a low center of gravity
 
Mudder

Mudder

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I never thought about an alarm, Thank you!
It's in my "wish list".

Mike
I have this on my motorcycle and bicycle. Very inexpensive to try one out. I added velcro to mount the remote to the bicycle handlebars and use the lower button with the horn feature. Have even thought of getting some more for my storage building doors.
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Rdrcr

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2022
533
2,916
93
WA
Ownership

  1. 520
I have this on my motorcycle and bicycle. Very inexpensive to try one out. I added velcro to mount the remote to the bicycle handlebars and use the lower button with the horn feature. Have even thought of getting some more for my storage building doors.
View attachment 355269

I'll take a look at that option too. Thank you!

Mike
 
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