[yoannyrj]

I have sold mu polariz rzr 4 seats, I need a new one and I am undecided, could you help me and give me reasons to buy or not to buy honda talon.
My use is mud and rock in Colombia, they are beautiful and difficult terrain. unfortunately here they do not have vehicles to do testdrive

 

[BlueDog1210]

That is a decision you will have to make!: No worries, I am in Florida and love the mud and have rocks as well. If that is your driving style the Talon will need some upgrades, I would recommend SuperATV portals, extended front and rear A arms and their 35" warriors (I use the stock rims). Coupled with an internal reduction in the transmission, a bit more HP with exhaust and a tuner and you will have the power to turn the Warriors no problem. I took over a year to get mine set up and I am in an 1000 X happy with the results. The two seat versions do well for both the mud and rocks, but if you have a large family that would be key in making your decision. Just look at the vehicle and all of the upgrades and compare with other rides set up in a similar fashion. Pricing for the total package even if you do not purchase everything at once. Everyone will probably give you recommendations on what they run, I have friends that love the rzr. We all have fun, my best advice is do your homework and a spread sheet is a good way to compare.

Have fun and be happy with whatever you decide.

Do let us know what your decide and of course a few pictures are welcome (even if you do not decide to get a Talon).

 

[dburt]

The Talon engine and transmission combo is the best, hands down. No transmission drive belts to break. You can add a turbo to the Talon if maximum horsepower is your thing!

 

[BlueDog1210]

Dburt, is correct the engine and transmission are super strong, not so much with the sub-transmission. As far as the belts, I kind of think that is a thing of the past. At least one manufacturer is guaranteeing them for 10 years. Most of the folks I run with have drive belts, we run in bud and water, from time to time someone will complain about one slipping but, only one I have witnessed breaking was from someone stuck and not realizing the gray smoke all around them was from the belt! We also run a Kawasaki Teryx 800 and no problems so far. Not trying to make this belt vs non belt just saying that argument has been around for years, and not one I would solely make my decision on. No worries.

 

[dburt]

Yamaha warranties the belt on the Rmax 1000 for 10 years. Ask a Polaris salesperson to do the same and they just laugh in your face. A buddy of mine is looking to buy a 4 seat side by side and has been shopping around for a Talon X-4 or possibly a 4-seat Polaris RZR if he cannot find a Talon X-4 by May. Yesterday he called a large dealership that sells Polaris, Kawasaki, and Honda. He asked the salesperson what his thoughts were on the 'transmission' drive belts on a Polaris. The sales person said that if you run a Polaris you should always carry a spare belt. The sales person said you could change one out on the trail in about 30 minutes. The sales person did say that if you are a conservative driver a belt should last at least 2,500 miles. The belt failures seem to be on the machines that get run very hard in the sand dunes, hard rock crawling and mud bogging. There are drivers out there that can break the horn off an anvil, they can break anything they touch. But if you are a conservative to moderate driver a belt drive should last a good while and always carry a spare and learn how to change it if it breaks.

 

[BlueDog1210]

dburt, you are correct you can break anything if you try, driving style is a key to that for sure. The belts are cheap compared to a sub-transmission and you can not find an entire sub-trans for a spare -- they are NOT available as a unit or I would probably have one (not for trail).

 

[bbaker45152talon]

I have owned both the RZR (XP1000) an currently have a STOCK 2020 Talon 1000R 2 seater. I have 1500 miles on the Talon and I have not touched one wearable part. I have been in West Virginia (outlaw trails), Tennessee, Kentucky, Nebraska and recently Ocala National Forest this month with the Talon. I don't beat the rides to death but we don't putt around either. I had about the same amount of mileage on the Polaris and I had multiple issues with:

A-Arm Bushings
Trailing Arm Bushings
Bent Rear Radius Arms ( I helped that one)
Front and Rear Wheel Bearings (at least two sets)
Steering Rack
Ball Joints
Front Axle Slop (terrible engineering)

My decision to move to Honda was not based on the belt drive systems of competitors. I had two Polaris units and logged over 5000 miles between the two of them and never replaced a belt.

What the deciding factor to making the switch to Honda was simply the engineering. Time will tell but so far it was a wise choice.

 

[BlueDog1210]

Nothing like experience and side-by-side comparisons. I must admit I am very rough with the Talon and it has done well.

 

[Go Talon]

Don’t do it you will be sorry!
1. All your spare money will be spent on accessories
2. Your wife will want new Honda signature clothing (and possibly even have custom jewelry made)
3. No more time for fishing (you will go, but in your Talon and you’ll want to rip around instead of fish)
4. You won’t have time for your old friends anymore (unless they buy one too)
5. You will make a bunch of new friends who will suck your time away riding around in the desert, mountains or just down the road to lunch!
6. Your life will irreversibly change!
DONT DO IT!

 

[BlueDog1210]

Don’t do it you will be sorry!
1. All your spare money will be spent on accessories
2. Your wife will want new Honda signature clothing (and possibly even have custom jewelry made)
3. No more time for fishing (you will go, but in your Talon and you’ll want to rip around instead of fish)
4. You won’t have time for your old friends anymore (unless they buy one too)
5. You will make a bunch of new friends who will suck your time away riding around in the desert, mountains or just down the road to lunch!
6. Your life will irreversibly change!
DONT DO IT!

And what were the negatives?

 

[BlueDog1210]

Shucks, she may even want her own Side by Side to pull you out of the mud!!

 

[19PSU88]

Eastern PA - RZR’s everywhere.

I had 2 RZR’s - my barn is the repair shop for everyone that rides.

I went with Talon 2x- front diff leak, shocks with no gas, steering seemed to jump a tooth or something - so it’s not perfect - love the motor/tranny.

-Belts, depends, add the big tires and lots of weight and belt failures. Stock machines seemgood.
-Wheel bearings - every 500 miles and that’s with greasing every 100 miles
-Carrier bearing - maybe lucky to get to 1000 miles - pita to change - especially with aluminum skid plates that can’t be taken off since they will never go back on.
-Ball joints - about every 750 miles
-Axles - depends, stock machines with moderate hammering - fine. Add the big tires and axles and they seem to snap at will - every ride we have to pull over - remove the broken axle from someone’s machine and keep going (big tires).
-A arm and Frame - lots of cracked paint at the stress points - some joints need re-welded.
-Voltage regulators - weird. Some last forever - some have a short shelf life.

 

[volkspower]

I had a RZR XP 1000. Loved it but hated it. I loved it when I was riding, but hated it when I got home because something was always broken. I hated the sloppy front axles, it had the worst wheel bearings known to man, and I was replacing belts about two or three times a year. I admit I rode it hard and was mostly riding extreme stuff in TN, KY and Indiana. I've had my Talon X now since July 3 and have ridden those same exact trails with no broken parts. The Honda feels solid and well-built, my RZR felt like it was going to shake itself apart every time I rode it. The one thing about the RZR I never complained about was it had an awesome motor.

 

[dburt]

Lots of younger riders don't mind wrenching on their rides, and when I was younger I fit that profile. But the older I get I want to ride, not wrench. No doubt the RZR motor is good and can be had with a factory turbo, that says something about the confidence Polaris has in that engine. Now if Polaris would address some of the other issues they might become the gold standard for side by sides. In the mean time . . . . .

 

[yoannyrj]

Thank you for all your comments, today buy the Honda 4 seats. next week they deliver it to me now comes the purchase of accessories..

 

[BlueDog1210]

Do send pictures and also some of the riding spots you like. Have fun and be safe.

 

[McCarthy]

I don't like the rubber band brigade's machines for driving feel, I don't get why everyone says so they don't break belts. I've put a lot of belt driven machines through hell for years and never once had a belt fail. That said I much prefer the feel of the DCT, just talking pure belt reliability.

And i'm talking POS Polaris Rangers with ~5000 k of plowing snow all winter with chains on all 4 (read: REALLY hard on belts) and hauling firewood/trailers all summer and sold it with the original belt.