Just ran across this post, just wanted to add that I agree with all of your comments. Coming from 60 years of motorcycle riding I was also disappointed that every SXS I drove seemed a bit noisy and clunky in comparison. That said, they certainly serve a purpose and are very capable offroad. My P520 is a well built machine, but it is noisier (especially gear noise) than my 1951 Ford Tractor.

Mine works great for local hiking trail maintenance where the narrow width helps vs other options. I used to use a dual sport motorcycle fitted with tool racks, and in that application the sxs is clearly a better choice.

 

SILLY GREARING PHILOSOPHY
Typical for many a motorcycle is increasing noise and intensity at and beyond the 'top gear.' I get why. It's more exciting for the speed-racer brain and it limits
manufacturer liability by clipping off the top speed. If that was done with cars and trucks, it would be highway speeds at a screaming 6,000 rpm.

In the case of the 520, the 5 speeds are REALLY close in ratio. First gear is really quite low, and there is nothing one can do to change the gearing except by
increasing the wheel rolling radius (forward progression of one wheel revolution and thus speed in each gear by engine rpm).

I will first use the machine as is. It might be just fine for my limited-usage scenario. But if I find the gear ratios to be hyper and irritating, I will change to 14" rims and select the maximum rolling radius tires without interference turning the front wheels and without tire contact with the 'bed' on the rear when the suspension is fully compressed. I have looked at a number of tires and found some that are narrow and with larger diameter within the general spec for tires of a nominal size. Narrower means more chance the larger size won't interfere with the front wheel wells when at the limits of steering, but then there's the suspension bottoming out and clearance issues. Unfortunately no way to know without risking the money on tires and backing off to a smaller size if there is interference.

And then there's the 520 already being laterally less stable from the narrow stance / track width. Stock, the tilt table test spec of
is a rather low 33.3 degrees. Taller and more compliant tires will drop that number. Then again, operator awareness of tilt with good line selection and other
skills is more important than tilt table numbers. Any four-wheel vehicle requires being very aware of what the uphill side is rolling over. One missed rock and
whee! Over she can go. I have thousand of hours on a backhoe and am super aware of the tipping issue.

 

Mark, thanks SO much for the reply! I have been publishing a long time, all the way back to listserves, and have experienced a number of forums, some great,
some poorly lead. Some do nothing about toxic psychopaths while they are quick to censor, in the way Elon says when, "Moderation is a propaganda word for censorship." I'm a hands-on degreed engineer with a lot of design history and products who love technical writing as a form of meditative relaxation, usually with the one cup of morning coffee.

Your 1000-3 certainly is great machine for the gravel road trips. I looked at one, fairly new, with all the expensive add-ons, including Fox suspension. At this time it seemed a bit much, and my first need in this new explorations of SXSs is on my properties and being able to get from one area to another on the ONE
route I found on a property I bought to expand another. We were walking it the day before closing and found some ribbon marked trees. We followed that from a ridge into a valley and I did a dance saying, "We're buying a road!" I traverse that property easily on trials bikes, but that day, finding that one road, is when it clicked that a SXS would be a good idea.

This first SXS is a learning experience and might diversify out. I spent a lot of years flying by hordes of SXS in the vast west. Me and my fellow high skill
trials riders when on street legal off road competition bikes could reel in 250 miles of difficult terrain, looping back at the end of the day to find the same
SXS we passed in the morning plodding along....

It can be fun TO plod along, in the company of others, with the stuff on board to camp out more than with no, or the the bare minimum of, kit for camping.

I have so much to do on property, including supporting annual trials competition events, that even a trip into the national forests on the SXS may not happen for years....

 

Howdy and welcome from Northern Iowa
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Your post could go as an Introduction,

https://www.hondapioneerforum.com/forums/new-member-introductions.98/

or, as in depth as it is, as a review,

https://www.hondapioneerforum.com/forums/honda-pioneer-reviews.122/

or, it is fine here in the 500 Tech Talk, which also covers the 520.
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I am glad you like the 520.
It was what I wanted, but could not get or find at the time I was looking.
At the time, I had no need for speed. haha
I wanted a snow plow/farm use/trail riding here on the farm SxS.
And the 520 would have been perfect.
All I could find, 8 hour round trip, was a used 2018, 1000-3, and very glad I did.
Iowa changed our laws, and now the wife and I love our gravel travel trips.
We will pack a lunch and do a full day of back country road sight seeing.
With a 520, we probably would not, to slow.
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I am a member and help on a few other SxS forums, and know what you mean about forum problem people.
I am usually on here in the evening after work helping where I can.
I was asked to be an Admin, and I figured why not, pretty much doing the job already.
We do not have very active members, it's pretty much me and occasionally a few others.
Usually owners will come on when they have a problem.
I help if I can, and then they won't be back until the next problem.
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If you see a 500/520 owner problem that you can help with, jump on in.
Haha, all I know is what I can find on the web and other SxS sites.
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Have a good day