Viper 4500 Winch

[eolesen]

Looking at the Viper Midnight and X-Bull for a 4500 synthetic.

Any opinions on either brand?

This will be used on a 700-4D, mostly in the Obed Scenic (TN) and rail trails in WI/UPMI.

Admittedly, the price of the Viper is pretty appealing right now and it's out of stock on the club store otherwise I would buy it here.

 

[Admin]

 

[Scoop]

Never heard of XBULL.

XBULL is 1.5 HP
MA is 1.8 HP

MA has 1 yr warranty on winch and 6 mos on rope. Couldn't find XBULL warranty.

MA is cheaper.

Does the MA include the wireless remote like the XBULL? There is a picture of it, but it's not specifically listed as included. EDIT: I looked on the Motoalliance.com website and the 4500 models (synth and steel cable) do include the remote, but the DASH rocker switch is NOT included - it's an upgrade if ordering from their web site. It comes with a handlebar switch, though.

In that price range, I'd bet most winches will be about the same.

Between the two, I'd go Motoalliance Viper Midnight..

I have a Motoalliance Viper V2 frim the Club store on the Talon. It's solid AF.

 

[Russ989]

I’d get the viper.

 

[Hondasxs]

Both I consider entry-level winches.

I just added some back to the club store.
This entry-level winch is transitioning to include wireless remotes as part of the package.
You will find some with it included, and others without.
If you order, I can make sure it has one.

Viper Midnight 4500 ATV/UTV Winch

VIPER Midnight Series ATV / UTV / SxS winches have composite housing and all metal gears. Midnight Series winches include an automatic brake standard on them. The automatic brake is highly recommended for anyone using their winch with a plow.Features: • Metal gears • Mechanical load holding and...

store.hondasxs.com

 

[Scoop]

^ I think the store is offline, @Hondasxs

 

[Hondasxs]

^ I think the store is offline, @Hondasxs

IDK.. haven't noticed any issues.

 

[Scoop]

Must have been short lived. Both the link and going to the store directly resulted in an error from the server. All good now though.

 

[eolesen]

I saw the same error early in the day.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

 

[eolesen]

Got my Viper today from @Hondasxs including the wireless remote. Shipping speed was great considering I placed the order on Monday and had it this afternoon.

First thoughts on the kit:

• The red/black wires are only 2 ft long
• The blue/yellow wires are 5+ ft long
• The DPDT switch for the winch doesn't fit the pre-cut openings on the Honda 700 dashboard
• Mounting holes on the generic winch plate mount line up with the Viper's bolt pattern
• There's plenty of room between the electrical leads on the winch and the bumper/frame (which was a concern based on some other threads here
• Fairlead plate lined up as well, although there's a ~3/16" gap between the bottom of the aluminum plate and the opening on the mount

The length of the red/black wires is impractical on the 700, as the battery compartment is under the passenger seat and not under the hood like the 1000. Aside from the color coding being off, I'll swap the blue/yellow wires with the red/black wires, and re-use a DPDT switch from another project for the dashboard mount.

Other than that, it looks like a one hour installation if that, which I'll save for later in the weekend.

 

[Scoop]

Other than that, it looks like a one hour installation if that, which I'll save for later in the weekend.

 

[eolesen]

Yeah, you're not wrong on that.... but it's because I got side tracked?...

Used the drill press with a step bit to open up one of the center mounting holes that won't be used by the winch, and then bolted down the front 2" receiver. That meant removing the bumper and bracket...

But it's what I wanted - a winch -and- a front receiver for easier positioning of my trailer in the back of our property... can't think of a case where I might need both, but it could provide a hard point for anchoring a snatch block.

Now I need to break out the stick welder and put a bead across the front edge to keep it in place.... and all this before I've turned a single socket on the winch attachment bolts....

Before drilling out:

While drilling:

Drilled out:

Bolted on:


Nasty ass welding job later, I finally got around to mounting the winch:



That receiver should be good enough to push a trailer around as needed, or to hold a hitch-haul with a cooler or the canoe T... the shackle mount will make a good place to hang the hook if nothing else.

 

[eolesen]

When your football team is losing, that's a good time to take a walk outside and work on wiring....



I did a dry run of the wiring just to discover the power tap to the switch didn't actually have power... Rather than rely on the inline splice, I clipped the feed wire, stripped both ends, and twisted those plus the tap wire into a crimp cap (sort of like a wire nut, but permanent).

That did the trick, so I took everything apart again, fed the wires where they were going to live, and then locked down the solenoid to the inside of the hood.



In case there was any doubt.... this is what I'm using the front ball for: maneuvering the trailer into a parking spot along the side of the garage. It's more or less convinced me to do the same on my F-150 for parking the travel trailer (something I've wanted to do for a while but just haven't gotten around to yet).

While I don't have trouble backing it up with the truck or the Pioneer, it's definitely a lot easier to push the trailer with a good view...




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[eolesen]

Last comment on the long and drawn out install... I hooked up the wireless remote, which at first I wasn't sure I'd use, but am now thinking otherwise if I ever have to do a solo recovery....

The wiring instructions for the wireless remove are reversed -- the black and yellow go together, and the white and green go together. When I hooked it up per the instructions, the out and in functions were reversed on the remote. Not an insurmountable fix, but a little annoying in 40 degree weather.

Hopefully this is a little like insurance -- all the work/money won't be necessary anytime soon.

 

[trigger]

Last comment on the long and drawn out install... I hooked up the wireless remote, which at first I wasn't sure I'd use, but am now thinking otherwise if I ever have to do a solo recovery....

The wiring instructions for the wireless remove are reversed -- the black and yellow go together, and the white and green go together. When I hooked it up per the instructions, the out and in functions were reversed on the remote. Not an insurmountable fix, but a little annoying in 40 degree weather.

Hopefully this is a little like insurance -- all the work/money won't be necessary anytime soon.

Heads up on that wireless remote, some are known to draw down the battery even when not in use.

 

[eolesen]

Good to know -- it's all on the keyed power feed, but it's easy enough to put a line disconnect in place and only connect it when needed...