Talon What We (The Consumer) Recommend Honda Change on the Talon

[jasond]

As the title suggests my goal with this thread is to create a concise and objective list of improvement suggestions that consumers would like Honda to review and potentially revise about the Honda Talon 1000X and 1000R.

Forums are great with dedicated threads with specific issues, but I'm looking to compile a list of things we'd like to see revised straight from the factory in one place.

So first, some ground rules:

1. If you do not own a Talon please reserve your comments for actual owner feedback.
2. Specify which model(s) you're referring to in your posts so we can differentiate where needed.
3. Be objective and state the issue(s) as well as a proposed solution.
   • "Issue" isn't always a negative word, but it tends to have a negative connotation. If it's important to you and you have suggestions for improvement feel free to include them. It doesn't have to be a "problem".
   • This is not the thread to vent about an experience with a service manager, salesman, dealership, shipping company, etc...
4. Include as much objective information as possible to help guide readers toward what remedied your issue if a solution was implemented.
   • (Part numbers, links, photos, sources for parts, etc...)

I'll start with what I've experienced in the next post and eventually compile them here.

 

[Admin]

 

[jasond]

Model:

2019 Honda Talon 1000R

Issue(s):

1. Passenger seat has no seat slider or adjustment. I've got a short passenger (5'1") and she can't comfortably rest her feet on anything since the plastic in front of the passenger seat protrudes forward and creates an awkward leg angle which makes her legs dangle.
   • My Solution: Aftermarket seats from PRP. PRP GT3 suspension seats.
2. Turning radius is very poor on the R model. A 72" competitor (RZR Turbo S) turns much sharper and is more nimble in tight trails.
   • My Solution: Nothing as of now. I've been watching for an aftermarket solution to the rack & pinion that may address this.
3. The instrument panel seems to be very "bare bones" and has a poor viewing angle. It's also difficult to see in harsh lighting conditions.
   • My Solution: Nothing as of now. I"m considering a relocation kit from All Thingz UTV or Avenger Motorsports.
4. There isn't a factory-installed busbar for easily adding aftermarket electrical accessories.
   • My Solution: Waterproof Fuse Relay Box
5. Factory tires are too small for a flagship sport SxS in today's industry.
   • My Solution: 32x10x15 Maxxis Carnivores
6. The factory steering wheel doesn't match the sport aesthetics of the machine and is oversized. It appears to be straight out of the Pioneer.
   • My Solution: Nothing as of now. Plan to purchase a Hess Motorsports hub adapter and D-shaped steering wheel.

Proposed Factory Solution:

1. Add an adjustment slider to the front passenger seat similar to the driver's side for more adjust-ability/comfort.
2. Update the rack & pinion design to allow for sharper turning similar to the 1000 X model.
3. Relocate the instrument panel to be over the steering column.
4. Add an under-dash busbar with posts for 12V + constant, 12V + accessory, and a ground post similar to how Polaris provides this on RZR models.
5. Include 30" tire standard from the factory. The tread pattern on the factory tires is actually a nice pattern, but the size is way too small.
6. Redesign the wheel to a smaller (13-14") steering wheel with a more aggressive/sport-oriented design.

 

[Vondy]

2019 1000X 2 seater
-Reasonable quality skid plate. Put a 3/8 UHMV skid on it at minimum. Stock one is worthless.
-Suspension - Machine of this price should have a smoother more comfortable suspension. At minimum better spring rates, Better valving would help also.
-Better tires - Stock tires are soft and easily punctured and damaged. Also, should have 30s on from factory. Tread lacks as well. Carnivores or bighorns like other manufacturers would be more acceptable.

 

[Backfar]

2020 talon X, 1st side x side for me and overall im happy with the machine, but the one thing honda failed at would be the air filter issue. I didn't buy a Polaris and didn't plan on spending 400 dollars to fix a poorly engineered product.

 

[PaulF]

2019 R

1. Leg Room. Much of their market is the US and we are TALL over here. This machine is huge and they could have easily designed a few more inches of legroom into it.
   • My solution was to fabricate some seat brackets that moves the driver seat up 1" and back 1" (didn't want to go up but it is the only way to go back). Would like to have 2" but there isn't any more room.
     • Honda should have located the seat back and/or move the dead pedal forward and that would have done the trick.
2. Cab heat and dust. I put these together because I believe these can both be fixed by sealing the firewall and insulating the tunnel. The air traveling down the tunnel picks up the heat from the radiator/hoses and dust from the front wheels and directs a lot of it into the cab. Even with a 1/2 windshield, it got unbearably hot and at certain speeds, the dust was pretty bad.
   • My solution was to insulate the cooling lines and build a deflector/firewall. Several iterations later and still in prototype stages but initial tests seem to work well before the weather turned cold on me. This spring when it warms up and the dust returns will be a better test.
3. Engine Air Inlet. Although (and thank goodness) the filter itself is top notch and stops every speck of dirt, the location of the inlet was a huge mistake. Honda's lame attempt to block off the fender area and have the fresh air enter the little grill and scoop are a disastrous failure. The right rear tire spins up dust, fills the fender well and the inlet causes a vacuum and sucks a lot of that dust through the multitude of small openings between the inner fender/body/air filter housing and the plastic piece around the inlet. I looked at sealing it off somehow but there are so many ways dusty air can get behind the inlet cover, I just gave up.
   • My solution was to install an S&B Particle Separator. This works and not a speck of dust on my filter in 750 miles. Although filters should last me 5000 miles or more and it will pay for itself, it is not what I consider an ideal solution. I would have rather had Honda properly design the air inlet and replaced filters every 2000 miles instead.
     • Honda's solution should be to redesign the inlet so that it gets its fresh air from somewhere else. Maybe even properly seal off that area or design a new inlet housing so that the air only enters from the grill and scoop. Although air from the little grill and scoop isn't always the cleanest when following others, it is MUCH better than the air in the fender well at 40 MPH down a dirt road. Even when riding solo, you are still sucking in dirty air and that is just not acceptable.
4. Wheels, Tires and Offsets. WHY are they different front to rear and why the 50mm front offset. Honda should have put the same wheels (and tires) all the way around with a smaller offset (like 30mm) to allow for rotation (my back tires are toast and my fronts are still in very good condition). It would also give us all a lot less aggravation when trying to upgrade our wheel and/or tires.
5. Cluster location. They should have either made it bigger and angled it towards the driver OR put it in front of the driver.
   • My solution was to relocate the cluster onto the steering column in between the paddle shifters. Didn't like the aftermarket ones so I designed and printed my own and a 6 switch panel to go where the cluster was.
     • Honda's solution, move the cluster to something similar to the Pioneer. Or better yet, put the new Africa Twin panel there.

 

[CID]

The shocks shouldn't top out with an audible klunk.

 

[Ezgoin]

I have to echo much of what has already been listed. I have the 1000 X 2 seater and here’s my top 3 where I think Honda missed the mark:

1. Engine air intake location: Seems like this should have been an immediately obvious problem within the first 100 miles of R&D testing and easily fixed... that is unless someone was looking at how much money could be made on replacement air filters.
2. Too stiff a suspension: I get trying to build a quick, flat handling trail machine, but I think the majority of trails have rocks and bumps and my kidneys should not have to pay the price for every one of them. If a small company like Shock Therapy can quickly develop and market a set of springs and Shock valving to make the Talon both handle and ride well, how come mega billion dollar companies like Honda / Fox can’t?
3. Overly sensitive throttle: In this day and age of drive by electronic throttle controls why would Honda come out with a trend setting UTV that has 50 year old throttle control technology, and a poor execution of that technology to boot! I should not have to drag the outside of my right foot on the center console to keep from jerking the machine around because there is poorly designed spring tension on the throttle. Borrow some technology from your competitors and develop an adjustable throttle control system. Not every situation is a mash the throttle to the floor scenario. The factory throttle makes slow technical driving more difficult than it should be.

There are other issues as others have listed like instrumentation placement and tire/wheel sizes etc, but those are things I knew about before I purchased and I purchased anyway, so I can’t really blame Honda at this point, but the 3 issues above are things I didn’t know about until after I had laid down my hard earned money, and things I feel Honda should have addressed early on in development.

 

[RidinRed]

As the title suggests my goal with this thread is to create a concise and objective list of improvement suggestions that consumers would like Honda to review and potentially revise about the Honda Talon 1000X and 1000R.

Forums are great with dedicated threads with specific issues, but I'm looking to compile a list of things we'd like to see revised straight from the factory in one place.

So first, some ground rules:

1. If you do not own a Talon please reserve your comments for actual owner feedback.
2. Specify which model(s) you're referring to in your posts so we can differentiate where needed.
3. Be objective and state the issue(s) as well as a proposed solution.
   • "Issue" isn't always a negative word, but it tends to have a negative connotation. If it's important to you and you have suggestions for improvement feel free to include them. It doesn't have to be a "problem".
   • This is not the thread to vent about an experience with a service manager, salesman, dealership, shipping company, etc...
4. Include as much objective information as possible to help guide readers toward what remedied your issue if a solution was implemented.
   • (Part numbers, links, photos, sources for parts, etc...)

I'll start with what I've experienced in the next post and eventually compile them here.

Has anyone used the hill assist? Seems to be a waste of space,thinking of installing winch switch in its place,2019R

 

[RidinRed]

As the title suggests my goal with this thread is to create a concise and objective list of improvement suggestions that consumers would like Honda to review and potentially revise about the Honda Talon 1000X and 1000R.

Forums are great with dedicated threads with specific issues, but I'm looking to compile a list of things we'd like to see revised straight from the factory in one place.

So first, some ground rules:

1. If you do not own a Talon please reserve your comments for actual owner feedback.
2. Specify which model(s) you're referring to in your posts so we can differentiate where needed.
3. Be objective and state the issue(s) as well as a proposed solution.
   • "Issue" isn't always a negative word, but it tends to have a negative connotation. If it's important to you and you have suggestions for improvement feel free to include them. It doesn't have to be a "problem".
   • This is not the thread to vent about an experience with a service manager, salesman, dealership, shipping company, etc...
4. Include as much objective information as possible to help guide readers toward what remedied your issue if a solution was implemented.
   • (Part numbers, links, photos, sources for parts, etc...)

I'll start with what I've experienced in the next post and eventually compile them here.

Having a issue finding why pre wiring for winch isn't getting power,Honda should give you a diagram of accessorie harness, could use some feedback

 

[MFG]

Having a issue finding why pre wiring for winch isn't getting power,Honda should give you a diagram of accessorie harness, could use some feedback

The power wire needs to be connected in the battery box to the left side of the starter solenoid.
Download the winch install instructions from this site. I believe it tells you this on the last page. There is a mistake because it tells you to use the black wire in the battery box. There is no black wire, it is red.

 

[Jefferson87]

Give me a real locker in the front, weather it's an auto locker like the Polaris or a selectable like Yamaha and others. Just something that locks both fronts together.

Real Guages in front of the driver would be cool also.

Some sort of better access and cover for the space under the driver seat. Bonus points if it was sealed. Also, what's under the pass seat in the 4 seater? It looks like it's empty but has no access?

Reverse lights. It's my first sxs, so I don't know if it's normal to not have reverse lights, but I know it sucks.

 

[RidinRed]

Give me a real locker in the front, weather it's an auto locker like the Polaris or a selectable like Yamaha and others. Just something that locks both fronts together.

Real Guages in front of the driver would be cool also.

Some sort of better access and cover for the space under the driver seat. Bonus points if it was sealed. Also, what's under the pass seat in the 4 seater? It looks like it's empty but has no access?

Reverse lights. It's my first sxs, so I don't know if it's normal to not have reverse lights, but I know it sucks.

Does any use hill assistance?

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Give me a real locker in the front, weather it's an auto locker like the Polaris or a selectable like Yamaha and others. Just something that locks both fronts together.

Real Guages in front of the driver would be cool also.

Some sort of better access and cover for the space under the driver seat. Bonus points if it was sealed. Also, what's under the pass seat in the 4 seater? It looks like it's empty but has no access?

Reverse lights. It's my first sxs, so I don't know if it's normal to not have reverse lights, but I know it sucks.

under the passenger in the 4 seat is empty space.

I think a drawer would be perfect there.

 

[Jefferson87]

Does any use hill assistance?

Not following, no I don't use it. Honestly, I'm not sure it works in mine.

under the passenger in the 4 seat is empty space.

I think a drawer would be perfect there.

But there is no access to it? What the heck?!?

Would be cool if someone came out with an aftermarket drawer or at least an access door that you could rivet in and look nice.

 

[PhilCod]

I agree with most of these.
1. Better tender springs, easy fix with Bandit tender springs. Also, how about a better shock with a valve for the nitrogen instead of the Fox ones you can't add nitrogen to? Easy fix with shock caps from Schmidity Racing or I know another guy put some on that had a recessed valve.
2. Skid plate is worthless if you ride in any kind of rocky area - replaced mine with a Super ATV one
3. A-arm guards and trailing arm guards should come stock. I'd been happy to pay the extra $400 if they were a good quality product. I did buy the Honda ones and I think they are good.
4. I can't understand why lower doors don't come on the Talon or the RZR for that matter. Anyone not add lowers for a good reason? Maybe riding in the desert you don't want the lowers. I don't know.
5. Stock hitch receiver.

 

[Jamie-in-WV]

2019 R
A longer bed with a tall lip to keep things in the bed. I made a extension and soon will make a gate that swings open.

 

[Jefferson87]

Give me a real locker in the front, weather it's an auto locker like the Polaris or a selectable like Yamaha and others. Just something that locks both fronts together.

Real Guages in front of the driver would be cool also.

Some sort of better access and cover for the space under the driver seat. Bonus points if it was sealed. Also, what's under the pass seat in the 4 seater? It looks like it's empty but has no access?

Reverse lights. It's my first sxs, so I don't know if it's normal to not have reverse lights, but I know it sucks.

More sealed firewall and floor, water easily splashes up through the floor and shift gate.

Better low shift gate, mine is at the dealer right now because of it. Why is it so large? It should also be further back imo.

 

[906UP]

Does any use hill assistance?

I used it once to see if it worked. It did, haven't used it since.

 

[Killer223]

real adjustability on the suspension and a real skid plate like the one factoryutv has.
give us RC2 shocks and and a metal plate sandwiched between the plastic one and the frame.

all else i'm ok with. Honda should be ashamed of it's self for sending this machine out with the POS QS3 shocks. it's not a bloody pioneer.!!!!!

 

[RCI]

Use mine all the time !