P1000 Clutches burnt up

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hondabob

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Got over 1000 miles on mine. The reverse gear is a bit high. I get a slight shudder taking off slowly in reverse. I give it enough throttle to get it moving and avoid inching around in reverse. I always turn around if I need to go very slow and use low range. Very slow stop and go driving in reverse especially going up a steep hill may be slipping the clutch causing it to over heat and fail. Honda should warranty the clutch failure even if its an unfortunate driving condition. The only warning in most owners manuals is don't use the throttle to hold it on a hill. That will burn up a clutch or belt on all side by sides except the Pioneer 700 with a torque converter. I use my Pioneer 700 for extremely slow rock crawling. I expect the mud riders with large tires will have clutch failure backing out of a gumbo mud hole unless they can get the wheels spinning.
 
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hondabob

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Like I said Honda should cover this failure no matter what. Its very difficult to back up and especially with the high reverse gear going up a long steep hill and there is no warning in the owners manual. My 05 Yamaha Rhino had a high reverse gear. The Suzuki King Quad has a high reverse gear. Most sport quads also have a very high reverse gear. I just hate a high reverse gear.
 
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Serial_Fordicator

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It really sucks because i couldn't turn around because of trees and it was too steep and I may have flipped. By the time I could get turned around, I started to notice.
 
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Fullthrottle

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How slow are we talking and how big of Hill what am I missing here.
 
PioneerPete

PioneerPete

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this sounds like a warning for all of us 1000 owners. I have noticed my clutches shuddering some when I'm trying to creep around under a load, and I figured it would be wise to limit that exposure time so as not to foul up a clutch. it sounds as though my concern was valid.
I'll be sure and redouble the attention I pay to this and not let the machine remain long in that "clutch zone".
Fordicator, I hope that your manufacturer warranty covers this. Please let us know how this plays out with Honda service. My opinion is that with thousands of these machines on the trail, each with hundreds of electrical/mechanical components, there will be failures. The true test of the brand will be to see how Honda responds...
 
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Serial_Fordicator

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Barnett replied that they have no plans to make clutches for it unless popular public demand.
 
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jak9922

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Barnett replied that they have no plans to make clutches for it unless popular public demand.
This a the reply by every aftermarket company for all pioneer wtf it like if its not a rzr they want nothing to do with it like the Mustang and civic of the sxs world pisses me off
 
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Serial_Fordicator

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This a the reply by every aftermarket company for all pioneer wtf it like if its not a rzr they want nothing to do with it like the Mustang and civic of the sxs world pisses me off
Something tells me someone will be making a stout aftermarket clutch for these
 
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Stauvo

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I cannot help but be nervous because the more this subject is discussed the more people are coming forward saying their clutches shutter doing this or that and frankly I will not pay $20,000 bucks for this until i know more about it. We would never settle for a pickup that shuttered while crawling along in the woods or in inching along in rush hour traffic.
 
PioneerPete

PioneerPete

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I cannot help but be nervous because the more this subject is discussed the more people are coming forward saying their clutches shutter doing this or that and frankly I will not pay $20,000 bucks for this until i know more about it. We would never settle for a pickup that shuttered while crawling along in the woods or in inching along in rush hour traffic.
The p1k is apparently similar to a manual clutch type transmission in an old jeep, except you don't have to actually engage the clutch, the machine does it for you. As with other clutch type trannys, once I understand how the mechanics work, I just drive it accordingly. Would I go around riding the clutch on a manual tranny 4x4? Of course not, I would maintain enough speed so I didn't have to ride the clutch. It's a limitation/tradeoff inherent in the design of the machine. I've put mine through a lot, and it has performed very well, but I understand the limitations of the machine and work within those bounds. If I needed to creep around under load at less than 3 or 4mph, then I would probably consider looking at machines that were more similar to a traditional automatic with torque converter or cvt. Hopefully the cumulative experiences of the people on this forum combined with an understanding of the design of the machine will help you decide what is right for your needs.
 
Stauvo

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Yes, I think this could be a deal breaker for me as my family are cattle/crop farmers so at times we herd cattle through the woods very slowly if need while hauling people. You cannot take the loads like those published in all there commercials and be forced to stay on the gas for the clutches sake and be able to maneuver in and out of gates buildings and feed lots. It sounds like it may not be geared quiet low enough forward or back. I sure am glad all i have purchased is bed cables. Damn! I been waiting like a little kid all winter to get one.:(
 
PioneerPete

PioneerPete

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Yes, I think this could be a deal breaker for me as my family are cattle/crop farmers so at times we herd cattle through the woods very slowly if need while hauling people. You cannot take the loads like those published in all there commercials and be forced to stay on the gas for the clutches sake and be able to maneuver in and out of gates buildings and feed lots. It sounds like it may not be geared quiet low enough forward or back. I sure am glad all i have purchased is bed cables. Damn! I been waiting like a little kid all winter to get one.:(
LOL, I feel for you man! Let me clarify that I've only ever experienced it on steep hills when I wanted to go less than 3 or 4 mph. I will try to do a test for you on fairly normal slopes in the next day or so and see how slow I can go before the clutch tries to engage.
 
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muley190

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The rancher at dct transmission has centrifugal clutch that drives the transmission input, is the pioneer the same way?
 
dezs1775

dezs1775

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This is on one machine. How hard is it used? Step hill, loaded down, there are many other factors to this problem. Did they hammer the throttle? Cvt belt would burn up or break. Hung up full throttle, boom. Sorry it happened but it is one of two things. Operator error or defective. Honda will warranty it if it's a bad clutch.
 
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Jack39

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I appreciate your concern, fordicator, but my opinion is talk to your dealer. Honda is a company with a very high reputation. I would be very surprised if they didn't take care of you. If it turns out to be a big problem with this model, they would probably come out with a modification to correct it. It would be cheaper in the long run to cure the problem rather than keep replacing clutches out of their pocket. Besides, this is a new product to the mrket, and with competition what it is in this market, it would be disastrous in terms of future sales. I wish you the best of luck. Jack
 
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Test_Eng

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Wow, I cannot believe how so many can jump to conclusions without the facts. Hopefully the facts from Honda will be posted up so we can all make educated decisions going forward. One failed transmission abused or not will not stop me or make me baby this UTV. I'd rather find the weak points and fix them, for myself or others, than second guess how I operate.

I am sure this is how Honda R&D operates and how my R&D team operates.

Drive it like you want to and get the extended warranty if you are worried.
 
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Fullthrottle

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Well hopefully it's not contagious. The clutch is the only reason for me considering the Honda.
 
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PioneerPete

PioneerPete

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Wow, I cannot believe how so many can jump to conclusions without the facts. Hopefully the facts from Honda will be posted up so we can all make educated decisions going forward. One failed transmission abused or not will not stop me or make me baby this UTV. I'd rather find the weak points and fix them, for myself or others, than second guess how I operate.

I am sure this is how Honda R&D operates and how my R&D team operates.

Drive it like you want to and get the extended warranty if you are worried.
I tend to consider my personal experience as "fact". What Fordicator experienced is exactly what I expected would happen if I let the machine remain in the clutch zone for too long. I don't think anyone is jumping to conclusions. If the machine is allowed to operate for too long under load with the clutch partially engaged, it will fail. It is a limitation of the design. There is no single design that is 100% perfect for every situation. I love my p1k and do not regret my decision to purchase it at all. I am confident that it will give me and my family years of enjoyment. But I have that confidence because I know the limitations of my machine and I don't have too much hubris to accept them.
 
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