# Honda Pioneer miles question



## MuleDeer123 (Dec 20, 2021)

How many miles would you expect a Honda Pioneer to go? I'm considering purchasing one but it has around 5,000 miles on it, but has pretty much everything done to it that I want. Would you feel fine buying it with that many miles on it? I've had 2 Formans that have went well past 15,000 miles and have been nothing but reliable. I forget if the Pioneers have that same motor in them or not.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

As long as it has been taken care of there should be no problems, but a lot of owners out there don't worry about changing the oil or taking care of things until it breaks down. 

I have no idea of how many miles a 2000 Yamaha Kodiak 400 had on it when I sold it, but I do know that I went through 5 sets of tires and was on the 6th set. My 2016 Yamaha Kodiak 700 now has 3,000 miles on it and runs like it was new. But then I change the oil and take care of things before they break.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

There are several different Pioneer's... the smaller 500cc version is the same motor as the Foreman. As for the bigger machines, they are different powerplants. IIRC, there is a 500cc, 700cc and 1000cc versions of the Pioneer line.

I love Foreman ATVs, we have 3 now. My personal one is a 1997 that I bought new. It looks great... until you look under it, the bottom skidplates show a history of brutal rock crawling. I ride in some very rough places up hunting, first gear grinding over obstacles. Lots of SxS's have trouble going where I can go. I added a 2" lift kit to it which helped immensely without raising the center of gravity too much.

I've packed out 7 whole elk on that machine. Just do the "tip up" method to load them then drive off. I've had as much as 900lbs of drymix cement on the back. Its a tank.

I've got 3400 miles on Foreman, started to do some maintenance related work because A) the machine is worth it, and B) I can afford it. I replaced all my tie rod ends last fall, along with the front wheel bearings (had a minor squeak that bugged me). I replaced the right side cv axle that was just starting to "tick" (no doubt from extra stress of the lift). I have a left side axle ready to go this spring (existing cv boots are cracking and a full axle kit isn't all that much more than just buying boots, and its super easy to R&R). I have new rear wheel bearings ready to go (again, they have a minor and occasional squeak when loaded) and new rear brakes... my rear brakes were starting to squeal something fierce when its cold this past winter.

None of those things needed immediate replacement, some could have lasted another 10 years ... but, its easy to work on and fun. Well worth the effort for what I get out of the machine.

Sooo back to the Pioneer. If the engine has had regular maintenance, its should be good for quite some time... but, honestly you probably should plan for a top-end refresh. Honda motors are really easy to rebuild. You may just need a hone and a set of rings, and relap the valves. That would easily last you another 5000 miles. A compression test would tell you alot. Look for puffs of oil when first started, that will be an indicator too. When you go look at the machine, feel the exhaust and hopefully the engine is cold. Then you can really get a feel for it when it starts up. IMO, a "warmed up" motor is a bad sign when I go look at a machine, the owner is trying to hide something... hard to start, blowing smoke etc etc.

I'd be more concerned with the other components and possible damage. Look under the machine for frame / skid damage... see how its been used. Check the CV boots for cracks, or even replacements (china boots feel strange, its a lower quality rubber than OEM boots). Jack up one wheel, try moving it to feel for loose bearings or tie rods. I cant imagine ball joints being bad, but feel for those as well. Check the air cleaner. How does it look? Dirty or well serviced? If the seller will let you, remove the filter and run a clean finger inside the boot to feel for dust. I bought a 400ex once that had a ton of dust getting through the filter... that one needed a complete top end rebuild. Assume it needs brakes from the get-go, they dont cost alot.

So... in the end its going to come down to how the machine has been used. If its owned by a older couple who drove the great western trail for 5000 miles and kept up on maintenance, it should be in fine shape. If it was driven by the son of an older couple and beat to shxt, there will be witness marks under the frame to show it, and unless the machine was cheap it could be a hard pass.

-DallanC


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I have a 2017 General with almost 1000 miles, radial tires, street legal kit, full cab enclosure, heat/defrost, auto glass windshield, rear window and custom wrack. I've considered selling it (just don't use it) I was offered 15K cash last year and still have it. If I were to sell it, I'd order a new Honda Talon 4 seater with all the goodies. Honda is a machine that's hard to beat.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

taxidermist said:


> I have a 2017 General with almost 1000 miles, radial tires, street legal kit, full cab enclosure, heat/defrost, auto glass windshield, rear window and custom wrack. I've considered selling it (just don't use it) I was offered 15K cash last year and still have it. If I were to sell it, I'd order a new Honda Talon 4 seater with all the goodies. Honda is a machine that's hard to beat.


I am a die hard Honda fan. I had absolute high hopes for the Talon's... but now that they've been out for a while and people putting alot of miles on them... problems are surfacing. Weak axles (especially u-joints), rear hubs breaking if you run on pavement alot, the suspension is terrible due to the trailing arm geometry and weight. Go look up the youtube video from the "Shock Therapy" guys... they said the only way they really get the suspension dialed in properly is to put on a back rack extension, then hang a spare tire off that) .

If I had to buy that type of machine tomorrow in that class range, judging by the countless youtube video reviews and Shock Therapy guys recommendations (these guys are the premier suspension tuning company for these types of machines), it looks like hands down like the KRX 1000 is the best machine out there (in that style and price range). You can find them for 18-20k.

If money is no object, the new Polaris Pro R beats the new Maverick in most categories... but I ain't spending $50k on a machine without a winning lotto ticket.

-DallanC


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

I bought a 2016 last summer that had about 5000 on it. It has been fine so far. I also have a 2002 Foreman. Can't go wrong with a Honda.
IMHO most people try to drive a SXS like they are competing in the Baja 1000. Like any other vehicle the harder you use it the more you have to take care of it.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Thanks for the info on the Talon Dallan! I just don't care for the belt driven machines. One of the dumbest moves I made was selling my Honda Rubicon. I've owned Honda, Polaris and Suzuki wheelers, and the Honda was the best machine IMO. 
My Nephew has a Razor Pro and Bro-in-Law has the KRX. Nice machines and great ride. They play in Moab quit a bit, so, they have spent a ton of money beefing them up for that.

Middlefork, your right saying some folks have to go ride/drive like they're pants are on fire. I'm not one of those people and family members give me crap about not having thousands of miles on my General. last summer we all went for a ride up Hobble Creek, over to the Daniels lodge and had lunch. They would stop and wait for me to catch up and give me crap AGAIN. I said we have all day and if we go faster, we'll be eating breakfast, not lunch. I just don't get it.  

Ya, I wouldn't be worried about the Honda Pioneer at all. Look it over closely and look at the skid plates to see if there is, and how much trail/rock rash there is. That can indicate if its been beat up and how hard it's been driven.


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## MuleDeer123 (Dec 20, 2021)

taxidermist said:


> Thanks for the info on the Talon Dallan! I just don't care for the belt driven machines. One of the dumbest moves I made was selling my Honda Rubicon. I've owned Honda, Polaris and Suzuki wheelers, and the Honda was the best machine IMO.
> My Nephew has a Razor Pro and Bro-in-Law has the KRX. Nice machines and great ride. They play in Moab quit a bit, so, they have spent a ton of money beefing them up for that.
> 
> Middlefork, your right saying some folks have to go ride/drive like they're pants are on fire. I'm not one of those people and family members give me crap about not having thousands of miles on my General. last summer we all went for a ride up Hobble Creek, over to the Daniels lodge and had lunch. They would stop and wait for me to catch up and give me crap AGAIN. I said we have all day and if we go faster, we'll be eating breakfast, not lunch. I just don't get it.
> ...


Honestly everything looks pristine on the machine. The skid plate has obviously some scrapes, but no big dings or anything like that, boots are all good, it is very clean and does look like it has been taken care of and stored in away from weather most its life honestly. They had 2 pioneers available, one had the 5,000 miles, the other had around 1,200 miles. The one with more miles had a lot more features added to it, and had clearly been taken care of better than the one with less miles. I am in the process of purchasing it, I appreciate everyones input. For some reason I was thinking the 500s had the Rubicon motor in them, but seeing as they have the Forman 475cc motor in them, I trust it quite well. I have a 98, and 03 Forman four-wheeler and the 03' has around 8,000 miles on it, the 98' has around 30,000 miles on it. The 98' burns a little oil but not a ton, and has never had a thing done to the engine. All 30,000 miles have been on some very rough roads lol. Other than a broken frame a couple times, and the fact it rides far worse than a tank, it has been nothing but reliable.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

The Pioneers suspension is a lot like the Foreman. They are not nearly as comfortable as a lot of other SXS. Just an FYI.


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