MEGA GALLERY & FIRST RIDE: 2016 Honda Pioneer 1000
What makes the 2016 Honda Pioneer 1000 stand out in the side-by-side market? Three letters: DCT. That stands for dual-clutch transmission, which is what channels power from the Pioneer’s 999cc parallel-twin engine to the rear wheels, or all four wheels.
Dual-clutch transmissions have been steadily displacing manual transmissions as the choice for sports car enthusiasts, but it’s taken all the way until the 2016 model year for a DCT to show up in a side-by-side. Better late than never, but more importantly, with Honda’s DCT, the SxS driving experience has never been better.
In side-by-sides with a CVT, the power delivery feels “rubber-bandy”, and that’s because some CVTs use rubber belts to transmit drive. As a result, typical CVTs transfer only 88 percent of power to the ground. That percentage is significantly higher with a dual-clutch transmission; up to 98 percent. As a result, the Pioneer 1000’s power delivery feels more sporty than the competition. The free-revving parallel-twin’s motor is unencumbered by driveline slack. Power delivery is direct, responsive and inspiring, especially in two-wheel-drive mode where a flick of the throttle, and a bit of lock in the steering exhibits some sports-car-like antics.
Will the Honda Pioneer 1000 drift? Yes, it will. And once you’re going straight again, you can appreciate all the power that comes from those industry-leading 999ccs. This thing is quick. It rides pretty well, too, with fully independent, dual A-arm suspension that gives you 10.5 inches of travel in front, and 10.0 inches in back. We were only able to get the Pioneer 1000 on urban trails when we had it, but we got an interesting preview of how the Pioneer would behave on much more demanding terrain. Let’s just say there’s no such thing as speed bumps as far as the Honda Pioneer 1000 is concerned. I even tested the vehicle’s behavior crawling up and over curbs. Ha! Curbs in the Pioneer 1000 feel like holograms appearing to be solid obstructions.
So what’s wrong with the Pioneer 1000? It’s deceptively quiet at idle, but the engine gets loud as RPM climbs. I’d be fine with the loud engine if this thing were powered by a GM eRod LS3, or the 3.2-liter V6 from the original Acura NSX, but at wide-open throttle, I’d prefer to hear less of the parallel twin’s song. It very well may be quieter than the competition, but I still wish the quiet attitude would last above idle. If my only problem with this machine is a slight noise issue, then we have a stellar product on our hands.
Honda calls the Pioneer 1000 “the powersports industry’s new benchmark flagship multipurpose side-by-side”. Is it really the new benchmark? I haven’t had enough time with it to determine if it’s better than the Kawasaki MULE PRO-FX, (which somewhat competes with the Pioneer), but so far as I can tell, it’s on its way to becoming a benchmark in my eyes.
