P500 Worried about flopping

[Sledge]

I may still buy that P500 I posted about earlier. Or a new one.

Seller was very cool with my concerns, which made me trust him more. Scoundrels tend to bow up when questioned, in my experience.

$2+k off new, plus a spare set of high-performance wheels/tires and a roof, with only 420 miles, is not an insignificant savings.

Now I'm concerned as to whether the P500 suits my needs again, though.

Lots of folks seem to turn 'em over! One was doing donuts, and another put the right wheels off the road into a ditch at speed.

Those don't concern me.

I'm a careful man, and am not looking to see how fast I can go. This is a tool to me. I enjoy trail riding, but am not aggressive. At all.

What concerns me is whether it will stay upright when carefully driven on Colorado mountain trails. Sometimes you have to drive around a deadfall, or turn around on a steep fall-line trail.

Maybe with an elk aboard.

The fact that it survives tip overs without damage is comforting, but I won't likely have the manpower handy to set it upright.

Any thoughts?

Joe

 

[Admin]

 

[JACKAL]

The P500 is a very capable machine but being only 50" wide it is not as stable as a 60"+ SXS. Will it tip or flip on you unexpectedly probably not but here is the thing. I have driven 50" SXS for a little over 4 years and have learned the peculiarities of them, you do not drive the same lines with a 50" SXS that you do with the larger ones. This is especially true with regards to deep ruts in the trail and more concerning uphill or down hill. Where you may straddle a rut comfortably on a wider SXS sometimes there is no way around it you may be safer putting the P500 in the rut even if it is seemingly riding on its door up or down hill it will pull right through, the key is to keep the front end biting, compared to trying to straddle have it slide into the rut and tip over even the big machines do that occasionally. If you are on your drivers side keep the front wheel slightly left in 4WD gripping the outer edge of the rut, just the opposite of the passenger side.

As far as routine off camber driving obviously it will tip before a wider model will but if you are carrying a load such as an elk just strap it to the rear rack and try to keep you center of gravity as low as possible if negotiating tricky terrain. I would not hesitate one bit to take the P500 to CO or UT in the mountains, even though I have both a P1K and a P500 if I had to choose one it would be the P500 due to where it can go the larger models cannot especially such as the 50" gated trails in UT. My thoughts is it will make an excellent hunting recreational machine that you can fit in a full size truck bed and still tow a camper or trailer, that means everything to some people. A P500 will go everywhere the bigger machines can it just doesn't get there as fast, due to the limitations of the suspension geometry and power plant.

 

[Akfishbum]

I ride a lot of mountain trails here in Alaska fully loaded and as long as you are careful I have been able to take it on any trail I would take my four wheeler down. I have Maxxis Bighorn 2 26-11-12 tires all the way around so I increased the height and width slightly but did not notice much of a difference in stability. Huge improvement in steering, traction, and ride with the bighorns.
Probable jinx myself but to date I have not tipped her over and only been completely stuck once.....my own stupidity went through the ice last fall into a deep mud hole I could have gone around.

 

[hoggr9]

If you are careful man then I would say u will have no problem.
the butt pucker factor will kick in way before it tips.
my bet is that it will treat u well.
I bought mine primarily as a hunting vehicle. The small size lets it easily fit thru trees when in the timber. I also purchased a Polar brand trailer with the tandem wheels that pivot. And that this behind the pioneer is a very nice recovery team. I have crossed ditches etc with it. Pioneer is pretty stable..never tipped mine.

 

[Talen]

Disconnect the sway bar. Allows for more articulation. It's been much more stable and comfortable since doing this.

 

[SBuckJ]

After having a 50" RZR for 2 1/2 years and never tipping it, I will say I have tipped the 500 over twice...both low speed. The center of gravity is higher so, as stated above, learn how to hit certain off camber situations right...but be aware they CAN tip even if you are an experienced rider...but they ARE easy to tip back up

 

[ehart814]

I have been concerned about the tippiness since the first time I saw a P500. Having put around 250 miles on now, it still concerns me. However I have been in some crazy situations without catastrophe. Jackal makes a great point about ruts. I was climbing a steep, very washed out hill. It had deep, narrow ruts from snowmelt. I tried strattling the ruts but it didn't work. One side fell in, and I thought it was going to tip. I just kept going and was amazed that it kept crawling along without getting high centered.


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[Alan aka Davinci]

I may still buy that P500 I posted about earlier. Or a new one.

Seller was very cool with my concerns, which made me trust him more. Scoundrels tend to bow up when questioned, in my experience.

$2+k off new, plus a spare set of high-performance wheels/tires and a roof, with only 420 miles, is not an insignificant savings.

Now I'm concerned as to whether the P500 suits my needs again, though.

Lots of folks seem to turn 'em over! One was doing donuts, and another put the right wheels off the road into a ditch at speed.

Those don't concern me.

I'm a careful man, and am not looking to see how fast I can go. This is a tool to me. I enjoy trail riding, but am not aggressive. At all.

What concerns me is whether it will stay upright when carefully driven on Colorado mountain trails. Sometimes you have to drive around a deadfall, or turn around on a steep fall-line trail.

Maybe with an elk aboard.

The fact that it survives tip overs without damage is comforting, but I won't likely have the manpower handy to set it upright.

Any thoughts?

Joe

I live in Colorado and do a lot of mountain riding and have not yet tipped my P5. I have had one wheel up in the air but not a big deal. I do carry a come along and keep it under the hood. If it turns over on the down hill side you can use it to pull you back over if you cannot push it. I do not recommend disconnecting the sway bar if you are driving off camber trails. It will make them squirrely and they want to tip over more so than with the sway bar connected. If you are riding rough and rocky terrain it is smother with the bar in disconnected so having said that I leave mine connected and just deal with the rougher ride over boulders because in Colorado the next minute you will be from a boulder field to riding a hillside.

 

[Carleton]

Disconnect the sway bar. Allows for more articulation. It's been much more stable and comfortable since doing this.

I'm really considering doing this to mine. Did you lose any ground clearance?

Sounds dumb, but I'm not even sure which the sway bar is. Would you mind explaining to me how to disconnect it?

 

[Sledge]

I'm really considering doing this to mine. Did you lose any ground clearance?

Sounds dumb, but I'm not even sure which the sway bar is. Would you mind explaining to me how to disconnect it?

Learning a lot, thanks all!

The come-along is a great idea. My use on tough terrain will be in well-timbered country, so a 20' strap and a come-along should get me upright if I tip her over.

I have read elsewhere about removing the swaybar, all positive. It struck me as odd that Honda would put it on if it served no useful purpose. So it does, at least in some circumstances.

Assuming it's easy to remove and replace, I may fool with it. Staying upright trumps performance at speed for me.

Further thoughts on that would be most welcome.

I have a tentative deal for a blue 2016 in Oklahoma for $7600 otd. New. $9300 otd local.

I'll save $1700 by driving 400 miles. Local dealers all have terrible reviews on service, and I would not use them for maintenance, so it seems like a no-brainer.

Part of savings will be avoiding sales tax. I see no problem with that. I'll have a title, it will just be an OK title instead of a TX title.

Am I missing something on that front?

Thanks again for all the help.

Joe

 

[Montecresto]

The P-5 is a tippy machine, it just is. Unlike my Polaris Ranger which I rarely concern myself, such is the articulation of it. But here's the deal, caution is all that's needed. I've got a thousand miles of rough trail use on mine without tipping it over once. I've never been dangerously close to tipping over even. But I have been in multiple situations where one wheel is off the ground, and occasionally two. In one solitary instance, I was in sufficient bind that I pulled the break, excited the passenger side (because there was a hundred foot near vertical drop on the drivers side) of the P-5 and gathered some rocks and filled the void between two tires and the ground and then drove right off easily. You'll be fine Sledge.

 

[Sledge]

The P-5 is a tippy machine, it just is. Unlike my Polaris Ranger which I rarely concern myself, such is the articulation of it. But here's the deal, caution is all that's needed. I've got a thousand miles of rough trail use on mine without tipping it over once. I've never been dangerously close to tipping over even. But I have been in multiple situations where one wheel is off the ground, and occasionally two. In one solitary instance, I was in sufficient bind that I pulled the break, excited the passenger side (because there was a hundred foot near vertical drop on the drivers side) of the P-5 and gathered some rocks and filled the void between two tires and the ground and then drove right off easily. You'll be fine Sledge.

Cool. I think I'm in. I have a rule to always sleep on big decisions, though.

Montecresto, I was hoping to hear from ehart and you. Y'all may not like each other much, but I value you both. Very much.

Hey, since you're in eastern OK, and I'm picking this rascal up in Shawnee, any chance of us getting together and you showing me the ropes?

Joe

 

[Sledge]

Cool. I think I'm in. I have a rule to always sleep on big decisions, though.

Montecresto, I was hoping to hear from ehart and you. Y'all may not like each other much, but I value you both. Very much.

Hey, since you're in eastern OK, and I'm picking this rascal up in Shawnee, any chance of us getting together and you showing me the ropes?

Joe

Alan!

I just noticed that you are in Grand Junction! I retired from PSCO there 5 years ago.

My 85 year old mother needs me here in Texas now, but my heart remains there, and that's where I will use the p500 in extreme conditions.

I hunt the Uncompahgre and the Grand Mesa.

If the swaybar is an overall plus for you, I suspect it will be for me as well.

Thanks.

Joe

 

[Montecresto]

Cool. I think I'm in. I have a rule to always sleep on big decisions, though.

Montecresto, I was hoping to hear from ehart and you. Y'all may not like each other much, but I value you both. Very much.

Hey, since you're in eastern OK, and I'm picking this rascal up in Shawnee, any chance of us getting together and you showing me the ropes?

Joe

Well great, I'm glad to hear you're going to go ahead and make that purchase. I'd be happy to hook up with you if I'm at my eastern Oklahoma ranch. I'll be in Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico and California during the next four weeks, so I may be out of pocket when your picking up your ride. Just let me know when you're coming.

I have no quarrels with ehart. We may have had a disagreement on an issue, but I have no problems with him and I'm glad that he's been of value to you during your process of deciding on the P-5!!!!

 

[trigger]

Learning a lot, thanks all!

The come-along is a great idea. My use on tough terrain will be in well-timbered country, so a 20' strap and a come-along should get me upright if I tip her over.

I have read elsewhere about removing the swaybar, all positive. It struck me as odd that Honda would put it on if it served no useful purpose. So it does, at least in some circumstances.

Assuming it's easy to remove and replace, I may fool with it. Staying upright trumps performance at speed for me.

Further thoughts on that would be most welcome.

I have a tentative deal for a blue 2016 in Oklahoma for $7600 otd. New. $9300 otd local.

I'll save $1700 by driving 400 miles. Local dealers all have terrible reviews on service, and I would not use them for maintenance, so it seems like a no-brainer.

Part of savings will be avoiding sales tax. I see no problem with that. I'll have a title, it will just be an OK title instead of a TX title.

Am I missing something on that front?

Thanks again for all the help.

Joe

Wow, $7600 OTD is a good deal. I shopped MI and OH and $8600 OTD was the best deal I found. I put 26" Big Horns on mine and I am seriously considering 1" wheel spacers. Right now, sidewall to sidewall I'm at 51". 53" wouldn't be much more and would add some stability. Rode some 50" trails here in MI and probably won't do it again. I got through them but they are definitely better suited for quads.

 

[Alan aka Davinci]

Alan!

I just noticed that you are in Grand Junction! I retired from PSCO there 5 years ago.

My 85 year old mother needs me here in Texas now, but my heart remains there, and that's where I will use the p500 in extreme conditions.

I hunt the Uncompahgre and the Grand Mesa.

If the swaybar is an overall plus for you, I suspect it will be for me as well.

Thanks.

Joe

Hey Joe, too bad you had to leave Grand Junction for Texas but you gotta to what you gotta do. Being retired and not in GJ is a real bummer. We moved here 4 years ago from Denver when we retired, I was born and raised he gone for 46 years and came back and I'm not leaving.

Hunting on the Uncompahgre and some of the Mesa you could disconnect if you stay off the steeper hillsides but you know how it goes, one minute level and next a nightmare and with so much slow going I don't have an issue with the SB connected.

Alan

 

[ehart814]

Cool. I think I'm in. I have a rule to always sleep on big decisions, though.

Montecresto, I was hoping to hear from ehart and you. Y'all may not like each other much, but I value you both. Very much.

Hey, since you're in eastern OK, and I'm picking this rascal up in Shawnee, any chance of us getting together and you showing me the ropes?

Joe

Like montecresto said, it's all love here. If we all had the same experiences and opinions, then we wouldn't need forums like this one. When it comes to experience with the machine in question (P500), I'm still new!

Sounds like you're getting a fantastic deal on the new one! I would LOVE to have been able to get out of sales tax...

Basic maintenance won't be an issue for you. You can get all that info here...

Man, $7600 OTD is fantastic...

I'm looking forward to the pics of your shiny new machine.

 

[shep]

Have a 2013 Foreman 500 that I'm thinking about trading in for a P500 (want to get a dog to ride with me or wife). Haven't seen a P500 in several years. Is center of gravity a lot higher?

 

[ehart814]

The P-5 is a tippy machine, it just is. Unlike my Polaris Ranger which I rarely concern myself, such is the articulation of it. But here's the deal, caution is all that's needed. I've got a thousand miles of rough trail use on mine without tipping it over once. I've never been dangerously close to tipping over even. But I have been in multiple situations where one wheel is off the ground, and occasionally two. In one solitary instance, I was in sufficient bind that I pulled the break, excited the passenger side (because there was a hundred foot near vertical drop on the drivers side) of the P-5 and gathered some rocks and filled the void between two tires and the ground and then drove right off easily. You'll be fine Sledge.

Nice. A little ingenuity goes a long way when you're off the beaten path. Recently helped my father get a different machine out of a bind using a similar method... A picture says a thousand words so...


No cliff to fall down, but stuck nonetheless. This thing didn't have enough power to pull itself out like it should, but he was able to lift the tracks up out of the mud one at a time. He did that, I grabbed the biggest logs I could find laying in the woods and stuffed them under the tracks in the mud. Then it crawled right down the stream to a solid enough spot to get out. I snapped the pic right after he got it moving. U can see how deep it was by looking at the back... The mud splattered up high was from the exhaust. It was under the mud. Haha

All this to open up more trails to ride on...

 

[ehart814]

Wow, $7600 OTD is a good deal. I shopped MI and OH and $8600 OTD was the best deal I found. I put 26" Big Horns on mine and I am seriously considering 1" wheel spacers. Right now, sidewall to sidewall I'm at 51". 53" wouldn't be much more and would add some stability. Rode some 50" trails here in MI and probably won't do it again. I got through them but they are definitely better suited for quads.

My 26" tires will be coming in the next month and I too am considering the spacers to add a bit of stability. Adding a couple inches will have no disadvantage for me. My only concern is the added stress on the wheel bearings and suspension components. I've never used spacers so I don't know what kinds of problems they could cause long term.