New Pioneer 520 Arrived

[Rdrcr]

I signed up. At least the guys there are honest about trying to spend your money, lol

That said, I know I’m going with larger wheels/tire and suspension (either WE or Elka)

Mike

 

[Code54]

Oh, they will spend it, alright!
There is a lot of knowledge there, and the guys are really helpful. Have fun with the mods!

 

[DK35vince]

I’m considering adding taller tires. I’m not looking for mud tires since most of my driving is around the property and on trails. I’d like to get 27’s or maybe 28’s if they’d fit. However, I would like to maintain the width if at all possible. Anyone have any suggestions?

Mike

I only have about 500 miles on the Tusk Megabite radial tires.
But I like them so far.
Haven't had the chance to see how they do in the snow yet.

 

[Root Cause]

I signed up. At least the guys there are honest about trying to spend your money, lol

That said, I know I’m going with larger wheels/tire and suspension (either WE or Elka)

Mike

Rdrcr,

Just thought about one other thing.
Maybe you are aware but for anyone looking here, tire weight/size is going to have some negative affect on torque and take off speed. Some may not matter and maybe it doesn't. I don't know how the 520 is set up but it was hotly debated with our 700's. Honestly, I think weight would be more concerning for me as you are trying to get that much more weight and mass moving from zero. I wouldn't let this talk you out of doing it. I think you will be pleased but if you have 2 tires and can't decide then this might help you make that choice.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Much appreciated, thank you.

I think the 520 has plenty of torque in first gear. I don’t mind giving up some power and take off speed in first. It would be a shame, however, if I could no longer do donuts, lol

My biggest complaint with this machine is the gearing. The gearing is too low…it would be great if it had 6 forward gears…or slightly higher gearing.

Mike

 

[gatorguy7]

I run 27x9 and 27x11 Tusk Terrabite radials on my 2015 Pioneer 500. It was a great upgrade! The radial tires ride much better than the stock bias ply tires. The 27" size looks like it belongs on the P5 and I did not notice much of a power difference at all. These machines do not boast huge power ratings but their gearing is so low it really doesn't matter (not for 27" anyway).

I would say the Tusk Terrabite's are the second best thing I've done to my P5 because the Elka Stage 1 shocks has been my favorite upgrade! They really help the limited 5" of travel improve ride quality and rebound.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
So, the question is...would you purchase and install the suspension first? Or, the 27" wheel/tires?

Mike

 

[gatorguy7]

^^^^
So, the question is...would you purchase and install the suspension first? Or, the 27" wheel/tires?

Mike

Good question! If the budget is tight I would do the tires first. Plus, tires are readily available and the shocks will take ~8-12 weeks last I heard. Both are a big improvement though

 

[Rdrcr]

Well, I bought the GPS Wednesday....and the lady will get pissed if I buy everything all at once, lol.

So, I was planning buying either the wheel/tires or the suspension next month and the other item, the month afterwards.
I don't NEED anything immediately, just want to maximize my enjoyment.

We both noted on the last adventure that the suspension is quite unforgiving. So, I was thinking maybe springing for the suspension first, then go for the wheels/tires since they're readily available.

Mike

 

[Root Cause]

Sounds like you have a good plan.
Time flies and you will have it all soon enough.

BTW, I got $400 for my OEM tires/wheels and they sold pretty quickly-someone with a smaller ATV wanting to upgrade his ride. That might take some sting out of the project cost.

I kept mine for about a year thinking I might use them for some reason but I never needed them as the terribites were so much better. And tire repair kit takes up a lot less space than a spare tire.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Good question! If the budget is tight I would do the tires first. Plus, tires are readily available and the shocks will take ~8-12 weeks last I heard. Both are a big improvement though

In addition to garguy7's suggestion, I'll add - The 27" tires correct the speedometer reading exactly.

I went from the 24" (read absurdly faster than actual) to 26". The 26" still reads somewhat faster than actual. Not a great deal but enough to be a problem when riding trails and depending on trail markers.

 

[Rdrcr]

Sounds like you have a good plan.
Time flies and you will have it all soon enough.

BTW, I got $400 for my OEM tires/wheels and they sold pretty quickly-someone with a smaller ATV wanting to upgrade his ride. That might take some sting out of the project cost.

I kept mine for about a year thinking I might use them for some reason but I never needed them as the terribites were so much better. And tire repair kit takes up a lot less space than a spare tire.

That’s a good idea!
Which tire repair kit are you using?

Mike

 

[Root Cause]

You can find a cheap kit (less than $10) on amazon or at Walmart.

I frequently travel where there is no one but me to fix a battery or tire issue so I keep a toolbox with essentials in it. I keep it in my Jeep most of the time but can easily move it to SXS when needed.

Others have different experiences, my experiences dictated what is in my box.

---

Hulkman alpha 85 battery starter (works on my diesel tractor, charges phone etc.
Tire inflator- plugs into aux. outlet
Tire repair kit (T handle, rubber glue, and plugs)
1/2 inch impact driver with all the sockets needed to fit my vehicles, trailers, and SXS
Scissors jack
1-quart oil
1-gallon anti-freeze
gloves
paper towels
zip ties
duct tape

I've seen group discussions on what to pack and it soon becomes apparent that you need a U-haul to pull behind your SXS. So you may want to consider what you might want to carry.
All of this fits into a Ridgid stackable toolbox (bottom with wheels). It still takes less room than a spare in the cargo area. Others have installed spare tire mounts and that is a great option. I needed other things that I could use for any vehicle so I didn't see the need to spend more to carry a spare.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Thank you! I’m starting to get a list going on the items I wish to carry with me on our adventures. Once I get a good detailed list, I can tackle the challenge on where to put/store them.

Thus far, I always carry;

Water
Gloves
Microfiber towels
Zip tie
Duct tape
Tow strap

….that’s all, lol

I just purchased the GPS and a foldable saw (lots of fallen timber where I go). I need to start looking at tire repair and tools for emergency.

Mike

 

[Code54]

We normally carry a paintball compressed air container and an adapter to fill tires. On my SxS I have an inflator in my rear box but have the bottle mounted on the cage. It will fully inflate a 32x10x15 tire VERY quickly, way way way faster than one of those little 12v pumps. I don't recall exactly what the pressure in the bottle is about, thinking around 3000psi - it costs around $5- 7 bucks to fill but is fairly small and super handy. If you are running smaller tires of course, you may get two complete tire fills with a bottle.

 

[Milo]

I carry along a battery chain saw, loppers, and tow strap. And sometimes a beverage.

 

[Code54]

The 20v Dewalt is a GREAT SxS/UTV saw. It will cut a lot of wood on a 5AH battery and is fairly small.

 

[Rdrcr]

I still haven't decided on wheels/tires but, I ordered the Walker Evans coilovers for my P520.

Mike

 

[Rdrcr]

The Honda SxS forum is dangerous. They’re giving me too many ideas, lol.
Today, I did the reverse lever modification and the seatbelt bypass. And, I installed my GPS bracket. It was a good day!

Mike

 

[Rdrcr]

I added my folding saw, fire extinguisher, RotoPax 2 gallon fuel container and Axia Alloys mounting brackets;

Mike