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Has any one taken their pioneer or pioneer4 up above 12,000ft in elevation? if so how was the power?
Pioneer in the Mountains?
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LOL! we go to Colorado every summer to ride and I was wondering how the pioneer did power wise on some of the steep long climbs......I took my ranger up mt antero....13,800ft!
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Haha! Man I remember first time I went up Pikes Peak. Coming from a 600ft elevation, I jogged up and climbed a little tiny rock face at about 9-10k ft on the way up. I was wheezing and coughing and half dead by the time I got back to the truck.
I learned exactly how much oxygen us Moose suck that day.
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we run a 2012 and 2014 foreman 500 up to about 11,000 feet without much of a problem (both fuel injected ) but we do run the highest octain we can (91) and make sure the air filter is clean ............ but the old foreman 450 didn't like it above 10,000 ft (it's carbed)
this is a picture of a rancher 420 (FI) 2012 foreman 500 (FI) and a 2000 foreman 450 es (carbed) below this place called the "bowl" .... we were at 10,101 ft and the top is over 11,000
there was still snow there in july of this year
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this is a picture of a rancher 420 (FI) 2012 foreman 500 (FI) and a 2000 foreman 450 es (carbed) below this place called the "bowl" .... we were at 10,101 ft and the top is over 11,000
there was still snow there in july of this year
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we go to taylor park at least once a year and theirs a climb up to American flag mtn we take that my ranger 800 had a hard time climbing. now my 900 has no problem doing it, but I wondered how a pioneer 4 700 would do especially with no low range or at least a lower 1st gear to crawl.
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so no one had a pioneer in the mountains yet?
gonna bring the Pioneer up there?we run a 2012 and 2014 foreman 500 up to about 11,000 feet without much of a problem (both fuel injected ) but we do run the highest octain we can (91) and make sure the air filter is clean ............ but the old foreman 450 didn't like it above 10,000 ft (it's carbed)
this is a picture of a rancher 420 (FI) 2012 foreman 500 (FI) and a 2000 foreman 450 es (carbed) below this place called the "bowl" .... we were at 10,101 ft and the top is over 11,000
there was still snow there in july of this year
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903 Posts
I sent you a PM with a link. Try it.
Have you ridden in a Pioneer yet?
I was definitely an ATV favorite also but getting older and wife goes with me almost everywhere, decided to go with something more comfortable. There is places where I know the pioneer won't make it because of it's bigger size so the Rubicon will always be around and ready to go.
The highest I've been so far with the pioneer is only about 8,000 ft. and it ran the same.
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Thanks for the information, and welcome to the forum. I personally prefer a much lower elevation for my bike riding.i have been over 12K feet and it did just fine. As an aside, I also do a bike race in leadville every year and that starts at 10K and goes up over 12K 6 times over 50 miles. The HP does better than I do, I can assure you.
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why couldn't Honda put a transfer case in the pioneer? so in situations where you needed added power and torque for a steep climb or a technical rocky section the "4 low" would gear down the machine much the same as what my gmc pickup truck has?
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They could have, but I think they were trying to compete in the market by selling the Honda brand, but at a lower cost than their main competition in the market Polaris.
They like to say the Pioneer was the quickest from concept to completion, but it used a proven drive train and many of the components from the Big Red.
Not saying that's a bad thing. Keeping costs down and a lower sticker really gave them an edge in my shopping anyway. Low side isn't something 90% of us will probably ever "really" need anyhow.
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I would have to respectfully disagree, whether they offer a transfer case option or just add a low gear within their current transmission setup, I believe its warranted. I've read several reviews, watched the dirt trax tv review and they mentioned the pioneer needing a low range to plow snow. I've also read countless reviews of the Rincon and Big Red with much the same opinion. yes, a large percentage of the time it will work flawlessly, but that small percentage of the time when it bogs down or struggles to pull a load up hill, climb over a rock or tree obstacle when you need it the most, the customer will remember. I want to buy a Honda, but this reason alone will keep me on the fence. I like that Honda uses proven systems in the machines for reliability, durability and longevity. but from a safety aspect I'd hate to be driving up mt antero, American flag mtn, or any other climb I've taken my side by side with children in toe, and have this thing power out. and after reading the reviews I don't think anyone on here can confidently say this thing will carry itself and payload in that situation.
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No machine is perfect for every situation. How far you choose to trust any brand is a personal choice we all have to make. Personally, I would hate to be in the same position and have a Rangers drive belt start to slip, or god forbid break. Now that happens a lot as an internet search will reveal. Does that mean the Polaris is a bad product? No, it's just a different technology at a different price point, that different critical failures can occur with. These are all things we have to accept when shopping and buying a SxS.
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130 Posts
I have been in those same situations and never had a belt slip or break. does that mean mine may fail tomorrow...LOL! probably so. but I can carry a spare belt and change it if breaks. I've racked up over 6000 miles on 2 rangers with no belt failures. in reading on the forums and through personal experience watching friends abuse their machines most belt failures are self inflicted by lack of common sense, abuse...way to big of tires and lack of maintenance. but if a pioneer powers out climbing a steep rocky mtn trail what's the fix? you are right, their are no perfect machines and almost all of them you have to compromise one thing to get another. I just believe Honda dropped the ball on this part of the machine and I'm not the only one ( especially after reading this forum) who believes it. do I think the pioneer is a bad machine, no way. do I think the pioneer is a good machine, you bet. do I think a Polaris ranger is the best machine out there? in some aspects they are, but in other aspects not even close. is it any coincidence the pioneer looks a lot like a ranger?...I think not. I've test drove 2 pioneers and think they are the quietest side by sides I've ever ridden and have some great features. I really like the idea of an auto tranny on these things, but they need a lower 1st gear to be able to do the things customers currently do with their rangers, rhinos, Vikings, prowlers and commanders.
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