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I started hunting for my Honda Pioneer 700 Deluxe in November 2019, and a local Honda shop here in Fairbanks, Alaska put the full cab, heater, and windshield wiper kit together free of charge so a shout out to The Farthest North Outpost in Fairbanks! Aaron and Zafar, you know who you are and you guys rock! 
After putting about 250 miles on this rig I would like to do a report which its overall good but Honda needs to do better with the 700.
What really impressed me about this machine was how much bottom end Honda managed to get out of a 700cc engine with a rig this size. It reminds me of my 1980 Chevy with the 250 in-line 6, no top end but you could pull stumps all day with it. The ride is smooth, love the MT/AT option, and the shifter levers feel solid and work very smooth. I think many people would consider this wheeler under-powered but I would argue that point. If you want a hotrod, look elsewhere. If you want a sure-footed pack mule, this is it. Just a well balanced machine that feels secure on the trail and in rough spots.
To the down side, and I hate to do it to Honda but I've got to be straight up. Honda has to do better than this 3 speed transmission. For the most part, the tranny is fine for everyday use and trail riding, but when you need a granny gear there is none. On average the engine will engage a "jake brake" going down hill at about 7 miles per hour and that's okay most of the time, but when I am going into my dredging area there is a 2000 foot drop over about a mile and all I do is ride the brake, and to the brake's credit it did not overheat but I'm only pulling a trailer load of about 400lbs with 250lbs in the bed with me at about 220lbs and my dog 100lbs in the cab. I think that Honda should design a sub-transmission for this model that cuts the existing gears in half. If you are going to have a mid range work buggy you've got to secure the low end.
Other negatives are that when I ordered my ride I bought the full cab with hard doors. Not impressed with the sliding glass doors. The sliding window is tiny and you feel cut off from nature. Honda should have an "up and down" window so you can at least hang your arm out the window like a little pick-up. Also, the rear brake just hangs out in the dirt and mud, my 2007 Yamaha 400 Big Bear even has an oil bath rear brake, c'mon Honda! Lastly, my heater motor died on the first trip out ($47.00 plus shipping), but last winter when I was riding locally around the property it worked great!
Overall I love my Honda Pioneer 700 Deluxe's spunkyness, smooth ride, and solid drive vs belt-drive, but there is definitely room for improvement.
Honda Corp - Build That Sub-Transmission!
After putting about 250 miles on this rig I would like to do a report which its overall good but Honda needs to do better with the 700.
What really impressed me about this machine was how much bottom end Honda managed to get out of a 700cc engine with a rig this size. It reminds me of my 1980 Chevy with the 250 in-line 6, no top end but you could pull stumps all day with it. The ride is smooth, love the MT/AT option, and the shifter levers feel solid and work very smooth. I think many people would consider this wheeler under-powered but I would argue that point. If you want a hotrod, look elsewhere. If you want a sure-footed pack mule, this is it. Just a well balanced machine that feels secure on the trail and in rough spots.
To the down side, and I hate to do it to Honda but I've got to be straight up. Honda has to do better than this 3 speed transmission. For the most part, the tranny is fine for everyday use and trail riding, but when you need a granny gear there is none. On average the engine will engage a "jake brake" going down hill at about 7 miles per hour and that's okay most of the time, but when I am going into my dredging area there is a 2000 foot drop over about a mile and all I do is ride the brake, and to the brake's credit it did not overheat but I'm only pulling a trailer load of about 400lbs with 250lbs in the bed with me at about 220lbs and my dog 100lbs in the cab. I think that Honda should design a sub-transmission for this model that cuts the existing gears in half. If you are going to have a mid range work buggy you've got to secure the low end.
Other negatives are that when I ordered my ride I bought the full cab with hard doors. Not impressed with the sliding glass doors. The sliding window is tiny and you feel cut off from nature. Honda should have an "up and down" window so you can at least hang your arm out the window like a little pick-up. Also, the rear brake just hangs out in the dirt and mud, my 2007 Yamaha 400 Big Bear even has an oil bath rear brake, c'mon Honda! Lastly, my heater motor died on the first trip out ($47.00 plus shipping), but last winter when I was riding locally around the property it worked great!
Overall I love my Honda Pioneer 700 Deluxe's spunkyness, smooth ride, and solid drive vs belt-drive, but there is definitely room for improvement.
Honda Corp - Build That Sub-Transmission!
