Honda tends to play it conservatively, which is why we were pleasantly surprised by the announcement of a new 999cc parallel twin in an all-new Pioneer chassis. After riding the 3-seater version we walked away with some pretty strong impressions.

First off, this mill is powerful. It snarls out a throaty growl at trail speeds and power delivery to the ground is competitive for this class. Its bottom end torque is very evident enabling it to climb steep grades with ease. Even when fully loaded with three bodies and cargo in the bed, there’s enough power on tap to keep the ride more than spirited.

The Pioneer 1000 utilizes Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission, a fully automatic 6-speed mechanical system that ends up working surprisingly similar to a CVT providing smooth upshifts and responsive downshifts as RPM levels and loads change.

How does it compare to CVTs found in competitive UTVs? We found the biggest shortcomings of the DCT tend to come when climbing hills or transitioning into and out of corners at speed. In these situations, in automatic mode, it felt as though the DCT was searching for the right gear, upshifting and downshifting until it made up its mind.

Granted, it gets better as the driver gets more used to the tranny but It was annoying at first. The good news: Power levels tended to remain pretty consistent regardless. All this said, these are small problems and the more we drove the Pioneer 1000 the less issue we took with it. Truthfully, red undie-wearing loyals and those inclined toward gear-on-gear transmissions will love this setup and the benefits that come along with eliminating belt wear and belt maintenance.

The coolest feature of DCT is its ability to go to full manual mode via the dashboard mounted toggle switch and utilize the paddle shifters located just behind the steering wheel at the nine and three o’clock positions.

We spent quite a bit of our ride in manual which put us fully in control as we transitioned those same corners and steep inclines, downshifting as we entered the corner, holding the shifts a little longer as power built, then with a quick flick of the finger feeling the acceleration hit as the Pioneer transitions out of the turn. If Honda responds to Yamaha’s YXZ with a pure sport SxS someday, we suspect we’ll find a version of this engine with these same manual paddle shifters.

The Pioneer has an impressive ride and, pretty much like any Honda off-road vehicle we’ve ever tested, the handling is top drawer. Its electrically assisted power steering (EPS) is among the best in the industry providing a near-perfect amount of very linear assist to make navigating tight trials easier and soaking up big hits from trail chatter without bringing negative feedback into the rider’s hands. When steering effort regresses gradually as speeds build, handling remains predictable.

The KYB monotube gas shocks at all four corners provide adequate suspension compliance. We did find the rear shocks to be set too soft in their stock setting and a slight adjustment dramatically improved the Pioneer’s ride. We recommend dealers tune in a slightly stiffer stock setting out of the crate as we doubt the average rider will take the time to make the adjustment themselves. Furthermore, under load or weighted down with cargo, ride quality could suffer.

Our biggest recommendation in the suspension department is for the 3-seater to be placed on par with the 5-seater Deluxe equipped with Sachs Nivomat self-leveling rear shocks. These are awesome shocks and would add a ton of sizzle to this “sportier” Pioneer.

Strange marketing, but Honda released both the 3-seater and 5-seater at the same time and it seems the 5-seater got all the hot accessories. Those Nivomat shocks would give the 3-seater an advantage over the Polaris Ranger and the new Can-Am Defender and would provide unmatched ride quality and infinite adjustability for this utility class.

Just dreaming here, but we’d love to see a Deluxe version of the 3-seater equipped with EPS, painted body panels, cool wheels, ultra bright LED headlights and the Nivomats.

Though sporty and powerful, the Pioneer 1000’s primary directive is still utility-focused. Its dumping cargo box can hold up to an impressive 1000 pounds and it can tow up to 2000 pounds. Turf mode and full diff-lock are also standard as well as low range so the Pioneer is ready to handle whatever drill you can throw at it.

At the end of the workday though, open up the standard half doors and drop your butt into its durable, comfortable seats and it’s ready to be ridden as gently or as roughly as you can handle.

We expect Honda to continue this hard-hitting approach to its powersports division and as sales of the Pioneer 1000 continue to grow, we think this influx of cash will be reinvested into still more competitive offerings.

As for the Pioneer’s 999cc inline twin, we think it would look great tucked under the seat of a Rincon. Don’t you?

At one time Suzuki seemed unstoppable. The LTR450 was putting a rider on the podium every race and was the focus of every ad campaign.

Then the market collapsed, the LTR450 got the axe and Suzuki more than any other Japanese manufacturers became withdrawn. Ad budgets disappeared, any sign of progression in its offroad division was sidelined and the most anyone heard were rumors of updated stickers. It didn’t look good for Suzuki and like many in the offroad community; we’d begun to lose hope.

Last summer marked the first communication from a Suzuki representative to grace our inboxes since the QuadSport Z400 press event six years ago! We were invited to Georgia for a re-introduction of the KingQuad 500 and 750 and also to get a tour of Suzuki’s Rome, GA assembly and manufacturing facility.

Our opinion of the KingQuad has been something our viewers and readers have been asking us about for years, however without press units available, we’ve been unable to properly evaluate one or compare it to other units on the market.

The KingQuad was always a great ATV and in its hay day stood shoulder to shoulder with any sport utility ATV on the market and it is still relevant today, though we do see some shortcomings.

Where we’ve seen advancements from other manufacturers over the past five years – even the smallest steps year to year over time have left the KingQuad feeling dated. Updates to front end geometry and suspension calibration is needed to put ride and handling at the level of a Grizzly or Sportsman and a bodywork update should definitely be on Suzuki’s shortlist. That said, it is still a well-built and relevant ATV and there’s something there for Suzuki’s marketing team to work with, which will inject some much needed inspiration into its dealer network.

Takahashi Hayasaki was recently appointed President of Suzuki Motor Of America and appears to be driven to put Suzuki ATVs back on the map and re-establishing communication with the offroad media and highlight the KingQuad as the company’s flagship ATV.

Our tour of the Rome, GA manufacturing and assembly facility showed us plenty of hard working Americans diligently assembling the KingQuad from the ground up. The 500 and 750 engines are both assembled in this plant, the bodywork is manufactured in Georgia and the whole ATV is assembled on its state of the art line.

There’s clearly a dedication to the brand and as Suzuki works its way back into the hearts and minds of loyal Suzuki brand junkies we anticipate this newly found enthusiasm will result in new, and groundbreaking technology.

So what’s new from Suzuki’s ATV division? In a word, hope.

Until we had some seat time on the Gator 825i we had no idea a utility side-x-side could be such a pleasure to operate. In fact, this alone puts the 825i at the very top of our list of fave work UTVs.

The key to this smoothness is John Deere’s use of a Chinese developed and manufactured 812cc Cheri DOHC EFI triple. This 50-hp inline three is so smooth it reminds us of BMW’s famous inline six. It simply hums a happy little theme at low RPM and even when wound out it exudes velvety, creamy smoothness.

It’s hard to describe how pleasant it is to operate a vehicle with no vibrations coming through the seat, steering wheel or floorboards. In fact, the whole Gator 825i is so integrated and solid feeling it behaves more like a little truck than a side-x-side.

In typical John Deere style, the engineering team has thrown a series of curve balls across the plate and when they’re combined, they add up to an absolute win. You only have to stand back and squint at this Gator to notice its shape is different than most of its competitors.

There’s a gaping hole in the front where a windshield could fit between the roll cage and the dashboard and the odd-shaped, two-tiered doors look different than anything else. The front hoodline looks low – lower than the cargo bed further back. When you sit in the driver’s seat the view is, uh, panoramic, to say the least. You almost feel like you could fall forward over the hood if you weren’t belted in.

Instead of these differences making you feel uncomfortable, they add up to a great riding position that provides an unobstructed view of the trail right up to the headlights.

The doors could have been designed by Bentley and wouldn’t have been any more solid. They snap shut with a nice “thunk” and stay latched on the first try… always.

Even though you’re perched like someone sitting in a kitchen chair, there’s ample legroom and the controls are easy to reach for a wide variety of body shapes.

Maybe JD learned something about ergonomics from building all those tractors, dozers and combines people sit in all day.

Here’s something else smooth on this Gator. The dump box is hydraulically operated!

There’s plenty of capacity in that bed and it’s built like the USS Missouri, but who cares, it just operates so smoothly, I want it.

The Gator’s 4WD system engages without fanfare and can just be left in AWD if you don’t feel compelled to use 2WD. This is a no-brainer, user-friendly system that works (smoothly) even when you aren’t aware you’re using it.

When you need diff-lock, just flip the lever and it engages – smoothly. Same when you want to go from high to low range.

Suspension is double A-arm front and rear with a swaybar out back. Shocks are twin tube but this Gator has one of the nicest performing suspensions, front and back, of anything we’ve ridden and that includes some SxSs with real pricey gas shocks.

There’s eight inches travel up front and nine at the rear and no damping adjustment, just coil spring preload. It’s enough.

You can drive this vehicle over some pretty gnarly terrain at either low or high speed and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how well it performs. No harshness or jolts, it rarely bottoms out (in fact, it hasn’t yet) and remains far more compliant than you’d expect from a utility-targeted vehicle.

Brake action from four dual piston hydraulic discs is very buttery and predictable. We had Maxxis Bighorns on our press unit and those are good tires for the area we ride – plenty of bite in the greasy stuff and good grip on hard, rocky surfaces. You can factory order more aggressive Ancia MTs if you think you need them.

Our only gripe is that it’s a fairly heavy vehicle at 1649-lbs dry. If JD needed the weight to make this thing work the way it does, then, frankly, we don’t care. John Deere claims the 825 uses a truck-style cab frame and we don’t doubt it. It feels as solid as a rock. Its mass certainly doesn’t affect the way it works in any off-road situation and it has so many great attributes we’d hate to mess with such a good thing.

We’re not in love with the throttle governor, too, because it takes away some of this Gator’s fun factor. Besides being unnecessary, it’s set way too low.

This is the smoothest power steering system we’ve ever operated on an off-road conveyance. Its effort and feel are as good or better than any automotive system we’ve ever plied. Don’t buy the 825 without it.

This is flat-out a terrific vehicle and you need to take a close look at it before making up your mind on anything else.

My job is to wade through all the marketing and sales noise and help the average guy or gal buy the vehicle that will best suit his or her needs.

This is why I really like attending trade shows, talking to readers and viewers, going on group rides or just riding with people who don’t ride off-road for a living. Riding with you helps keep me grounded and helps me understand what your wants and needs really are.

So to do my job well, I have to take myself out of my own situation and put myself into yours. I have to ask and answer the right questions… the ones you’re asking. I have to remember the average buyer hasn’t ever peeked behind the industry’s curtain to know what’s coming in the future or what technology is on the horizon.

So, when I write or shoot a test ride segment on a new vehicle I try to look at it through the eyes of a consumer.

I ask: What features on that vehicle will be appealing, or what will a potential buyer want to know about it most? What aspects of this vehicle will either please or frustrate someone who might own it for many years? What is this vehicle intended to do? If a buyer were to believe the sales and marketing hype, would they be pleased or disappointed with their purchase? If a person were to spend their money on this vehicle, would they feel like they got their money’s worth?

I also try to keep in mind that not everyone wants, needs or can afford the biggest and baddest ATV or SxS in the brochure. As a consumer, it’s not smart to be spending money on vehicle that’s either way more or way less than you need it to be.

Sure, ego plays a large role here and the word “need” has lost most of its meaning these days. But if you’re looking for an ATV to go in and out of the hunt camp, trail ride on weekends and get some work done around the yard here and there, I really shouldn’t be suggesting you buy a Sportsman 1000.

A great example of this comes from the SxS industry right now. Much of the media attention is focused on 110-plus-horsepower vehicles with 18-inches of travel and $5000 shock packages. These are impressive pieces but the reality is they are the wrong choice for the majority of buyers because they are simply too big and too powerful.

If the average trail riding SxS driver were to ask me what they should be looking at, I would have to put my ego aside and start by recommending a 50 or 60-inch model. Both are less powerful than their top of the line counterparts, so my recommendation might not be as much fun… but that rider would be getting a vehicle much better suited to his needs.

At the end of the day, my job is to be an anti-salesman. It’s not about up-selling, it’s not about having the most features or the biggest engine. It’s about enjoying the ride, turning the key each morning with a smile on your face knowing yours is the perfect vehicle for you. If that’s the case, I did my job well.