Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

Off-road: Honda enters sport side-by-side ATV market

Honda TALON 1000R.

 

 

So many fun vehicles to get through before the end of the year, and so little time ...

Honda has just unveiled its Talon 1000X and Talon 1000R off-road sport side-by-side ATVs. The line is a new category entry for the brand known for high-performance dirt bikes like its CR and CRF lineups and its high-grade Pioneer family of work/play side-by-sides. The Talon line is an attempt to marry the two.

Drawing on countless hours of collaborative development in both two- and four-wheel design and racing, as well as automotive and motorcycle manufacturing knowhow and safety expertise, the Talon aims to push the envelope of what is possible in a production sport side-by-side.

Each Talon vehicle works across a broad array of conditions but specializes in a different area of the off-road spectrum. The two vehicles share a common frame and engine but have wheelbases and suspension configurations that are designed to shine in different applications. Both models function at a high level in a wide variety of terrain types, bringing a new level of control, style, and refinement to a sport side-by-side market that seems hungry for innovation, reliability, and an improved driving experience.

VIDEO: Honda Talon launch.
Introducing the TALON 1000X
At 64 in. wide, the Talon 1000X is maneuverable and precise. Its 2-in. body Fox Podium Quick Switch 3 shocks (QS3) have 5/8-in. shafts and combine with the double-wishbone front-suspension design and 3 Link rear system to offer suspension travel of 14.6 and 15.1 in., front and rear.

The one-piece frame retains consistent geometry even when pushed under the hardest loads, for a controlled, confidence-inspiring ride. A performance-tuned 999cc four-valve Unicam parallel-twin engine works with Honda's high-tech, six-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), which offers two automatic modes (Drive and Sport), plus Manual with steering column-mounted paddle shifters.

Honda's I-4WD, the powersports industry's first and only brake traction control system, manages the amount of slip between the front wheels in four-wheel drive, and electronic brakeforce distribution strategically optimizes brakeforce to the most effective wheels during braking in two-wheel drive. Hill-start assist temporarily holds the vehicle in place when stopped on an ascent, simplifying the process of resuming motion. As a package, the Talon 1000X is incredibly agile and sure-footed, yet it performs admirably in a broad range of applications.

• Colors: Pearl Red/Metallic Gray, Metallic Gray/Metallic Blue
• Availability: Spring 2019
• Pricing: TBA
• More info: powersports.honda.com/2019/talon1000x.aspx

Introducing the TALON 1000R
Designed to excel when bump absorption and high-speed tracking are the priority, the Talon 1000R shares 85 percent of its parts with the Talon 1000X, including the entire 999cc parallel-twin engine and one-piece frame, yet it diverges when it comes to vehicle width (68.4 in., which is 4.4 in. wider than its sibling), wheelbase (5 in. longer than the X), and suspension arrangement.

The Talon 1000R has a double-wishbone front-suspension layout and a 4+ Link rear configuration, while the shocks are 2.5-in. body Fox Podium QS3 units that have 17.7 and 20.1 in. of front and rear suspension travel, respectively, or 3.1 and 5 in. more than the 1000X. The combination results in remarkable performance in diverse situations, but is particularly impressive in high-speed, rough conditions.

• Colors: Pearl Red, Pearl Green
• Availability: Spring 2019
• Pricing: TBA
• More info: powersports.honda.com/2019/talon1000r.aspx

Note: Honda does not detail top speed.

Source: Honda North America

Published December 2018

Rate this article