Honda unveils more 2018 ATVs, Pioneer 500

Honda has released its final new model announcement for the year, with four 2018 models, including the FourTrax Rancher, FourTrax Foreman, the sporty TRX90X and the Pioneer 500 side-by-side.

“Customers have demonstrated that they continue to appreciate multipurpose ATVs, which are still the market’s most popular models,” said Lee Edmunds, American Honda’s manager of Motorcycle Marketing Communications. “Honda is obviously a believer as well, dominating the segment with a lineup of incredibly versatile models, and much of that success is thanks to the amazingly popular FourTrax Rancher, which is equally at home hunting, ranching, or hitting the trail.”

FourTrax Rancher

Available in six configurations, the FourTrax Rancher is offered with manual transmission, push-button Electric Shift Program ESP, or automatic DCT, and there are also choices between IRS and a solid rear axle, as well as 2WD and 4×4. The 420cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine offers the sort of unrivaled reliability that keeps Rancher owners using their vehicles for many years, and the spread of power is well suited for almost any situation.

• Colors
  • FourTrax Rancher 4×4 Automatic IRS EPS: Active Yellow, Honda Phantom Camo
  • FourTrax Rancher 4×4 Automatic IRS: Red, Olive
  • FourTrax Rancher 4×4 Automatic EPS: Red, Vapor White, Honda Phantom Camo
  • FourTrax Rancher 4×4 ES: Red, Olive, Honda Phantom Camo
  • FourTrax Rancher 4×4: Red, Olive, Orange
  • FourTrax Rancher: Red, Olive
• Price: Starting at $5,349
• Availability: July-September (depending on model)

FourTrax Foreman

With a solid rear axle and swingarm rear suspension, along with a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected single-cylinder 500-class engine that is longitudinally mounted in the chassis (thereby placing the crankshaft inline with the drive system for a more efficient transfer of power), this midsize ATV is an absolute workaholic. TraxLok is standard, enabling the rider to switch between 2WD and 4×4 with the push of a button, or to lock the front differential when traction is at a premium. Electric power steering is available, and cargo can be carried on the heavy-duty front and rear racks. With three headlights (two frame-mounted and one on the handlebar to increase visibility in corners), the work doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down.

• Colors
  • FourTrax Foreman 4×4 ES EPS: Red, Shale Blue, Honda Phantom Camo
  • FourTrax Foreman 4×4: Red, Olive, Shale Blue
• Price: Starting at $7,299
• Availability: July-September (depending on model)

TRX90X

This air-cooled four-stroke has all the right ingredients to be the ultimate first machine: electric starting, manageable power, consistent handling, compliant suspension and uncomplicated controls. The TRX90X is routinely used as a first-time trainer, as a platform for sharpening skills on family trail rides, and for burning lap after lap with a dusty, grinning, energetic young rider behind the handlebar. 

• Colors: Red, Olive
• Price: $3,049
• Availability: August

Pioneer 500

This no-nonsense side-by-side is both beginner-friendly and expertly tuned; it can be easily operated by a first-time side-by-side owner and still be enjoyed by an experienced pilot. In the dirt, its longitudinally mounted four-stroke engine allows for comfortable cruising, while the automatic five-speed (plus reverse) gearbox can be operated in both automatic and manual modes for superb ascending, skillful rock crawling, and dependable exploration. Although compact in design to fit easily in garages, full-size pickup-truck beds, and narrow trails, the Pioneer 500’s 8.5-inch ground clearance and 450-pound payload capacity are nothing to scoff at.

• Colors: Red, Olive, Honda Phantom Camo
• Price: TBA
• Availability: October