I Took the Plunge. New 2017 Honda Pioneer 500

Drago said:
Nice looking rig. Enjoy. Drago...... I have a new Polaris 570 and lit me tell the big boys in there 1000 cc rigs may be faster but they have not lost me yet. Little engine, but a big heart !
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Ha, the big boys... Owning a 30k, 1000cc SxS is like being the smartest kid on the short bus. A 1990 250cc motocross bike will out perform it all day long. I still want one!
 
$30K? Some of the sand guys out at Glamis are getting into the $50k range, as are the guys racing in King of the Hammer's and the Baja races. Some of the KoH/Baja racers are running 35" tires these days.
 
I just found out from Sara at KFI in MN that all of their winches are made in China too. As for Warn all of their parts area made in China but assembled here in America. CarpCrap!
 
^^^^Huh, I looked at their website as I had never heard of them before. I was led to believe that their stuff was made in the US by their mission statement.

Just went back and reread their statement...apparently I skimmed over the key word "MANY"!

"Many KFI Products and accessories are made in our 40,000 sq. ft. Manufacturing Facility and 18,000 sq. Ft. Powder Coating Facility in Spring Valley, MN. Our base of operations is in our new 40,000 sq. ft. building just off the back of our manufacturing plant. We also thoroughly research any possible partnerships with other manufacturers and use our own ATV riders to rigorously test the products we bring to our home facility. Because quality and customer satisfaction are our top two priorities, we only sell items that meet our most demanding standards. Our highly-skilled engineers and production team work together to create custom ATV accessories from the highest quality materials. Once completed, all KFI Products are inspected to confirm the exact specifications needed for your ATV model. We strive for a precise fit with ease of installation."
 
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Why worry about it? American made isn't what it used to be.

I focus on small American companies when it's one off stuff. If it's something like a winch, just go with a reputable brand. You're probably only getting lower grade steel from a brand like Harbor Freight. A company like Warn or Superwinch is going to inspect all of that stuff with more stringent standards.
 
I just ordered the KFI winch Mount part number 101215, The KFI Snatch Block, And the Superwinch Terra 35 Synthetic. I went with the Super winch because It was $30 cheaper and water proof Up to 1 meter in stagnant conditions for 1 hour. As opposed to the just water resistant KFI. Especially since both are made in China. I'd loved to have bought a Warn but even their parts are made in China, and assembled here but for $150-$200 more than most other brands.

Since I'm using a 36" Hi-Lift as my front bumper, I ordered the Jack, Neoprene cover for it and the Tube mount.
Amazon.com: Hi-Lift Jack UTV-364 36" UTV Jack: Automotive
Amazon.com: Hi-Lift Jack NJC Neoprene Jack Cover: Automotive
Amazon.com: Hi-Lift Jack TM-700 1"-2" Adjustable Tube Mount: Automotive
 
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Today I received the UTV 36" Hi-Lift Jack and purpose used bumper. I got the neoprene cover and the tube mount, plus I also got the KFI snatch block and KFI winch mount. Still waiting on the Accessory Sub Harness and maybe something else.... Tomorrow having the Bighorns mounted and maybe filled with Quad Boss if I have time or tire dealership can do it. So freaking busy lately....
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I got the SSS OffRoad UMHW skiiiiiiiiid plates in yesterday with rockers and A arm guards. $800 for full package.
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Got the winch, ordered and received a Tusk horn, turn signal, and side mirror kit. Tusk Fire Extinguisher kit. KFI winch line hook stop. A bunch of Quad Boss Tire Sealant. It's like Christmas in June!
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Join us next time in the continuing Saga of the Sanguine Scarab.....
Sanguin Scarab does sound better than Gnomobikle....Nothing is written in stone except from the oil and tar of my wheels etched in time on the stones of the Scarab's tenacious grip upon the rock of creation going back into the earth from whence it came.. "and the forests will echo with laughter". Yes, me likes it!
Toady I got the Maxxis BigHorns mounted on my stock rims and filled with 32oz of Quad Boss in each tire. Currently at 10 psi. Looking Better. Needs a bath though.
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Today I went out looking for cargo storage boxes. I decided to not worry about a back seat for the dog. I hardly ever have a guest and no significant other, so Me Dag will ride up front with me and if there be another human in need of a lift, Me Dag can stay in the camper or at home. In the meantime....I 1st ventured to lowes and bought a kobalt 40" shiny black aluminum tool box for $240 and then in hindsight I thought I should check out tractor supply. They had one that is .5" over on each end of the rack and was shorter in height than the lowes one. Nonetheless, I drove home to see how the cobalt would fit and it was shorter in length than the rack, it was extraordinarily tall and took up most of my rear view even with me being so tall. So without any further thoughts I went back and returned the kobalt for the TSC model which was right at the same price with a 20% fathers day weekend discount. The shorter in height TSC model also had a better seal, two heavier duty locks and SIDE HANDLES, was a heavier grade of aluminum, and was a matte or flat black compared to the kobalt's one weak lock, lighter aluminum and shinyness. I plan on either mounting a thin sheet of plywood or rubber mat between the rack and box and mount the FuelPax 3.5 gal can on the back. I painted it flat green then rubbed it across the bushes for a broken pattern/distressed look. The Red was just too much. I may do it a few more times in different earth tones for a really interesting camouflage layered look.
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Another cool thing about the TSC box is that my Maxx Traxx fit nicely down inside it. As well as my recovery gear and compressor, tent, shovel, ax, etc.... Although I'm not sure I need the compressor due to having loaded each tire with 32 oz of Quad boss tire sealant.
 
I ordered this foil sided sticky black foam material with paper backing off of amazon. I then attached a piece of Reflectix to the top to go up behind the roll cage and around the rear window at the bottom. I used the Peel and Seal flashing tape used for roofing to adhere the two materials together and then proceeded to cover the rest of the black foam material with the peel and seal tape. It took a bit of pressing to really get everything to adhere together properly, because it's 100% humidity here. I'm gonna let it sit in there a few days to meld together and then I still need to cut two more slits to allow the rear window Velcro straps to wrap around the lower part of the roll cage bar.
I also found it was much easier to set in the bottom part 1st, then put the Reflectix in through the top between the roll cage and rear panel and lower it down to meet the bottom piece. After removing the paper backing on the bottom piece I then over lapped the two materials by about 4-6. Then covered the seam with peel and seal, of which I had enough to go back over to cover as much of the exposed black foam. Finally I dropped a piece of plywood behind the Reflectix and between the rear window and used a razor knife to slice out an area to still access the window. Everywhere except the upper portion against the window is really thick and should repel water and block the noise and heat well. In theory anyways...actually it does seem to reduce the noise quite a bit.
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