P500 Why buy a P500

[scottp500]

Hi all,
I have been watching this forum for awhile and really don't hear anything bad about the P500. I just sold a Rubicon and a Sportsman X2 so now I'm in the market for a SXS. I used the other machines I sold for trailriding, snow plowing, mowing with a pull behind and general work around the property. The P500 looks and sounds like the machine I need for work and play. Any negatives I should be aware of.
Thanks and a by the way this is a great forum!

 

[Moose308]

Hi all,
I have been watching this forum for awhile and really don't hear anything bad about the P500. I just sold a Rubicon and a Sportsman X2 so now I'm in the market for a SXS. I used the other machines I sold for trailriding, snow plowing, mowing with a pull behind and general work around the property. The P500 looks and sounds like the machine I need for work and play. Any negatives I should be aware of.
Thanks and a by the way this is a great forum!

Definitely won't regret it and worth the money.

 

[bobbyhill]

Welcome to the Club @scottp500 !!

 

[ncred02]

I'm happy. Only regret is not buying one sooner

 

[JACKAL]

@scottp500 Welcome to the Club! I am very happy with mine, surprisingly nimble in the woods and definitely worth the money. You can see one being fully transformed from showroom stock to about everything you can add in my build thread.

P500 - Uncle Buck's Trail Buggy | The Honda Side by Side Club!

 

[Akfishbum]

I'm sitting on the side of the mountain at about 3500 feet day 5 of a 9 day moose hunt in Alaska taking a break from hunting during the afternoon while the moose snooze and I will say this is my first trip with my P500 and so far it goes like this:
Positives:
1) goes places no other sxs can go (took it between 12" diameter spruce trees today on a wheeler trail where I had to adjust my gun boot because it stuck out 3" and would not fit.)
2) power is good I have taken it up 45 degree inclines covered in rocks and tree roots low gear four wheel she climbs straight up also hauled out half a moose( roughly 4 to 5 hundred pound + the two of us) through brush that was chest high and so thick it was hard to walk through.
3) load capacity is good I'm 5'11" 185 my buddy that riding with me is 6'2" 265 and we have room too spare not quite shoulder to shoulder, the back rack works well. See above.
4) taken her through the moose swamp where I swear we should have had paddles instead of tires pulled right through and I had to pull my other partners 700 grizzly out when he got stuck.....tires make a huge difference see negatives below
5) price compared to other sxs's, even with the add ins I have done I'm still less then can-ams or Polaris machines

Negatives:
1) no decent front bumper (added a Strongmade bumper it is fantastic)
2) factory tires are horrible swapped out for Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12 and they have worked great
3) ground clearance larger tires helped but I still dented the frame some on a big rock and I drag when I'm on the main trail where it's rutted up and I can't move to avoid the ruts.
4) ride is rougher then a four wheeler over roots and rocks but still not bad, way better then an Argo

Over all I love my P500 and so far she has way out performed my expectations. For some pictures see my thread P500 - Loaded for Moose | The Honda Side by Side Club! I'll be posting more when I get back to town.

 

[JACKAL]

I'm sitting on the side of the mountain at about 3500 feet day 5 of a 9 day moose hunt in Alaska taking a break from hunting during the afternoon while the moose snooze and I will say this is my first trip with my P500 and so far it goes like this:
Positives:
1) goes places no other sxs can go (took it between 12" diameter spruce trees today on a wheeler trail where I had to adjust my gun boot because it stuck out 3" and would not fit.)
2) power is good I have taken it up 45 degree inclines covered in rocks and tree roots low gear four wheel she climbs straight up also hauled out half a moose( roughly 4 to 5 hundred pound + the two of us) through brush that was chest high and so thick it was hard to walk through.
3) load capacity is good I'm 5'11" 185 my buddy that riding with me is 6'2" 265 and we have room too spare not quite shoulder to shoulder, the back rack works well. See above.
4) taken her through the moose swamp where I swear we should have had paddles instead of tires pulled right through and I had to pull my other partners 700 grizzly out when he got stuck.....tires make a huge difference see negatives below
5) price compared to other sxs's, even with the add ins I have done I'm still less then can-ams or Polaris machines

Negatives:
1) no decent front bumper (added a Strongmade bumper it is fantastic)
2) factory tires are horrible swapped out for Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12 and they have worked great
3) ground clearance larger tires helped but I still dented the frame some on a big rock and I drag when I'm on the main trail where it's rutted up and I can't move to avoid the ruts.
4) ride is rougher then a four wheeler over roots and rocks but still not bad, way better then an Argo

Over all I love my P500 and so far she has way out performed my expectations. For some pictures see my thread P500 - Loaded for Moose | The Honda Side by Side Club! I'll be posting more when I get back to town.

That's the best reasons I can think of!

 

[Code54]

I'm sitting on the side of the mountain at about 3500 feet day 5 of a 9 day moose hunt in Alaska taking a break from hunting during the afternoon while the moose snooze and I will say this is my first trip with my P500 and so far it goes like this:
Positives:
1) goes places no other sxs can go (took it between 12" diameter spruce trees today on a wheeler trail where I had to adjust my gun boot because it stuck out 3" and would not fit.)
2) power is good I have taken it up 45 degree inclines covered in rocks and tree roots low gear four wheel she climbs straight up also hauled out half a moose( roughly 4 to 5 hundred pound + the two of us) through brush that was chest high and so thick it was hard to walk through.
3) load capacity is good I'm 5'11" 185 my buddy that riding with me is 6'2" 265 and we have room too spare not quite shoulder to shoulder, the back rack works well. See above.
4) taken her through the moose swamp where I swear we should have had paddles instead of tires pulled right through and I had to pull my other partners 700 grizzly out when he got stuck.....tires make a huge difference see negatives below
5) price compared to other sxs's, even with the add ins I have done I'm still less then can-ams or Polaris machines

Negatives:
1) no decent front bumper (added a Strongmade bumper it is fantastic)
2) factory tires are horrible swapped out for Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12 and they have worked great
3) ground clearance larger tires helped but I still dented the frame some on a big rock and I drag when I'm on the main trail where it's rutted up and I can't move to avoid the ruts.
4) ride is rougher then a four wheeler over roots and rocks but still not bad, way better then an Argo

Over all I love my P500 and so far she has way out performed my expectations. For some pictures see my thread loaded for moose I'll be posting more when I get back to town.

All good points - when I bought mine I figured I needed to spend about 1500 bucks to get it close to perfect for us - strongman bumper, full skids, winch, and new tires (sold the factory ones before I used them to get some more money towards new) - worked out very well in our case and we are very happy with it.

 

[Moose308]

I'm sitting on the side of the mountain at about 3500 feet day 5 of a 9 day moose hunt in Alaska taking a break from hunting during the afternoon while the moose snooze and I will say this is my first trip with my P500 and so far it goes like this:
Positives:
1) goes places no other sxs can go (took it between 12" diameter spruce trees today on a wheeler trail where I had to adjust my gun boot because it stuck out 3" and would not fit.)
2) power is good I have taken it up 45 degree inclines covered in rocks and tree roots low gear four wheel she climbs straight up also hauled out half a moose( roughly 4 to 5 hundred pound + the two of us) through brush that was chest high and so thick it was hard to walk through.
3) load capacity is good I'm 5'11" 185 my buddy that riding with me is 6'2" 265 and we have room too spare not quite shoulder to shoulder, the back rack works well. See above.
4) taken her through the moose swamp where I swear we should have had paddles instead of tires pulled right through and I had to pull my other partners 700 grizzly out when he got stuck.....tires make a huge difference see negatives below
5) price compared to other sxs's, even with the add ins I have done I'm still less then can-ams or Polaris machines

Negatives:
1) no decent front bumper (added a Strongmade bumper it is fantastic)
2) factory tires are horrible swapped out for Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12 and they have worked great
3) ground clearance larger tires helped but I still dented the frame some on a big rock and I drag when I'm on the main trail where it's rutted up and I can't move to avoid the ruts.
4) ride is rougher then a four wheeler over roots and rocks but still not bad, way better then an Argo

Over all I love my P500 and so far she has way out performed my expectations. For some pictures see my thread loaded for moose I'll be posting more when I get back to town.

There it is.Nice write up.

 

[p500fan]

My P500 is my daily transportation. I live on a small Island off the Aleutian Chain, and off of the road system. I will be running paved streets to mountain "goat trails" on any given day. It has never failed to impress me, or anyone seeing it in action. I agree with @Akfishbum , new tires and a few accessories are a must, but it is the best execution of the UTV concept out there, in my opinion.

 

[Fordman]

We absolutely love ours! welcome

 

[scottp500]

Thanks for all the replies, I will be shopping for one this week. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[p500fan]

I hope you find one to your liking.

 

[joey400ex]

No belts! No slipping belts is a major positive, this plagues most other UTVs. But this thing is like no other, I hog hunt and bolts a big custom box on it and it gets the job done.

 

[JACKAL]

My P500 is my daily transportation. I live on a small Island off the Aleutian Chain, and off of the road system. I will be running paved streets to mountain "goat trails" on any given day. It has never failed to impress me, or anyone seeing it in action. I agree with @Akfishbum , new tires and a few accessories are a must, but it is the best execution of the UTV concept out there, in my opinion.

If the guys in Alaska trust it, that should speak volumes on the capability / quality of the machine. You get stranded up there with something unreliable it can be a life altering event.

 

[SBuckJ]

Simple...buy it because you will enjoy the heck out of....the power, the quickness, and the fun

 

[scottp500]

Thanks for all the replies, I've sold a couple of ATV's and will start shopping for a P500 this week.

 

[scottp500]

Well I pulled the trigger on a new 500. Bought a yellow one cause that' s all they had in stock and didn't want to wait. Anyway I just ordered a Strongmade bumper and Superwinch to mount when I get it. Need to get a plow setup also, any suggestions on a plow?
After all that is installed I plan to get a roof, windsheild, back window, gun boot and some type of box for the back rack. Haven't decided yet on what I what back there. Seen some good ideas on this forum. Thanks.

 

[coloradofogey]

I'm an older guy going from a lifetime of dirt bikes to something with four wheels. I am down to considering the Pioneer 500 or the Polaris RZR 570 or 900 EPS. The Honda price is more in my retirement budget, but I'm nervous about the power and clearance on the high altitude Colorado roads and trails that can be steep with switchbacks, and very rocky and loose. The dealer I went to this week sells both Honda and Polaris products. The salesman was steering me away from the Honda with comments about being under-powered with much less clearance and remarking about how the paddle shifters don't turn with the steering wheel, thereby causing issues when turning hard on rocks and such, particularly without power steering. The Polaris RZRs have quite a bit more clearance and horsepower, but the low/high transmission feels really weird after shifting gears on a dirt bike for years. Having to stop to shift between low and high seems very inconvenient in difficult situations. I probably won't be able to try both on trails I like to ride. I haven't found anyone yet who has had experience with both. Any feedback on this forum would be appreciated.
I did notice the comments from the Alaska moose hunter who mentioned problems with clearance and such.

 

[500oneer]

I'm an older guy going from a lifetime of dirt bikes to something with four wheels. I am down to considering the Pioneer 500 or the Polaris RZR 570 or 900 EPS. The Honda price is more in my retirement budget, but I'm nervous about the power and clearance on the high altitude Colorado roads and trails that can be steep with switchbacks, and very rocky and loose. The dealer I went to this week sells both Honda and Polaris products. The salesman was steering me away from the Honda with comments about being under-powered with much less clearance and remarking about how the paddle shifters don't turn with the steering wheel, thereby causing issues when turning hard on rocks and such, particularly without power steering. The Polaris RZRs have quite a bit more clearance and horsepower, but the low/high transmission feels really weird after shifting gears on a dirt bike for years. Having to stop to shift between low and high seems very inconvenient in difficult situations. I probably won't be able to try both on trails I like to ride. I haven't found anyone yet who has had experience with both. Any feedback on this forum would be appreciated.
I did notice the comments from the Alaska moose hunter who mentioned problems with clearance and such.

The paddle shifter is perfect,I don't even miss auto. If your going to ride a lot of roads the top speed is 42 mph which may be a concern.