2019 Talon 1000X Suspension issue

[McCarthy]

Hey folks,

So I picked up a 2019 Talon 1000X a couple days ago, took it for its first ride today of about 100 miles. Coming from a Rzr 1k XP for comparisons sake, really looking forward to Honda reliability, I can assure you that.

First off, the DCT in this thing is magical in most situations, just absolutely transforms a side by side from a moped to a sport bike (if that makes sense). Really jumpy at low speeds, but that's okay.

Now, I think something is seriously wrong with my suspension, I have all clickers on the softest (1) setting, and the ride is ridiculously harsh. It's a sport side by side, much like my RZR was, yet somehow this thing rides 1000x worse, and is downright dangerous on rough terrain, basically hopping all over the place... I have a Polaris Ranger, with something like 9 inches of suspension travel, that handles large and small bumps better than the Talon, and that just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. One could probably carry a higher speed and be more comfy in a friggin golf cart than this thing... Especially compared to the XP, this thing sucks in the suspension dept. (1000x nicer fit and finish, tranny is 10x better, engine is awesome, once I get this suspension thing sorted i'll be 100% happy with the Talon!

Is there some setting i'm missing? Something broken perhaps? What the hell is wrong with this thing?

 

[CID]

1. It'll soften up as it breaks in.
2. But not much.
3. Remove the links and tie up your sway bar. On the R, the SB ends will hit the upper trailing arms so we can't just remove one link, not sure on the X.
4. Yep, the DCT is magic, throttle response all the way to the tires. 👍 I rest my foot against the 'transmission' hump and haven't had much lurching problem, it does take some discipline.
5. Hopefully someone will chime in with suggested aftermarket spring kits. Yeah, not what you wanted to hear but ... I had planned on doing suspension work on my R anyway so I was ready for it.

If you're in the mood for a video, you can hear I'm not having any throttle control problems in the rocks. (highlight at 6:20)

 

[906UP]

Welcome to aboard and unfortunately welcome to the club.... yes, I agree, Honda really "screwed the pooch" in the suspension dept. on these things. There are a few things that can drastically improve the ride depending on what you want. IMO the first thing is to get rid of the springs, check out Bandit Suspension, they have several options available. I went with the full kit, new main & tender springs that really softened up the ride.

 

[McCarthy]

Thanks for the advice guys,

I really don't want to spend more money on it, but i'll probably have to...

EDIT: Hmm... Two things... The rear tender springs are completely collapsed at ride height with 0 extra weight/accessories on it, and the drivers side rear shock adjuster spins freely- That would mean it has no gas charge, would it not?

And I thought my polaris had build issues... This thing has problems after one ride. The RZR at least waited 1000 miles before having problems...

 

[906UP]

Thanks for the advice guys,

I really don't want to spend more money on it, but i'll probably have to...

EDIT: Hmm... Two things... The rear tender springs are completely collapsed at ride height with 0 extra weight/accessories on it, and the drivers side rear shock adjuster spins freely- That would mean it has no gas charge, would it not?

And I thought my polaris had build issues... This thing has problems after one ride. The RZR at least waited 1000 miles before having problems...

It sucks to spend more $$ but it's worth it, if I remember correctly it was under $500 usd for the whole kit. If your tenders are collapsed they're not doing anything, it's pretty common.....they're junk.

Adjuster knob??? at the top of the shock? If it's spinning freely something is either broken or stripped. I'm assuming you bought this used so there's no warranty.

 

[McCarthy]

It sucks to spend more $$ but it's worth it, if I remember correctly it was under $500 usd for the whole kit. If your tenders are collapsed they're not doing anything, it's pretty common.....they're junk.

Adjuster knob??? at the top of the shock? If it's spinning freely something is either broken or stripped. I'm assuming you bought this used so there's no warranty.

Bought it brand new about 3 days ago, left over 2019 with 0 miles. Went for a ~100 mile ride yesterday that's all that's on it.

I bet the collapsed tenders, and the one shock having no gas is the issue. Crazy it's right off the showroom floor...

I googled the adjuster (the 3 position clicker that changes the stiffness/compression/whatever it does) spinning freely and the general consensus is the shock has lost its nitrogen charge.

 

[CID]

Honda Tech fusses regularly about poor dealer prep. If your tender springs are collapsed they should have caught that IMO.

 

[906UP]

Bought it brand new about 3 days ago, left over 2019 with 0 miles. Went for a ~100 mile ride yesterday that's all that's on it.

I bet the collapsed tenders, and the one shock having no gas is the issue. Crazy it's right off the showroom floor...

I googled the adjuster (the 3 position clicker that changes the stiffness/compression/whatever it does) spinning freely and the general consensus is the shock has lost its nitrogen charge.

That's good news! It sucks you have to make a visit back to the dealer but at least you can get it repaired without $$$ out of your pocket.

 

[906UP]

......and check the subtrans oil. There were quite a few that were low or empty from the factory.

 

[CID]

Cool things to know here -

New Talon Owners - First Things to Know and Check

I'm new to the SxS world - damn, there's a lot to learn, hence this thread - maybe we can make it easier for others new to the Talon and put it in one thread. 1. If you're a motorcyclist, you already know that sometimes your bike won't shift into gear at a stop without rocking the bike back and...

hondasxs.com

 

[Lil_Steve]

Really jumpy at low speeds, but that's okay.

Throttle response is touchy, especially with the stock sized tires. You can probably make your own version, but this little gizmo supports your right heel which in turn makes it much easier to control the throttle without that jerky/jumpy result.

https://bruteperformance.com/products/ols/products/honda-talon-throttle-controller-foot-rest

Have the dealer that you purchased it from check the nitrogen pressure, I've seen this mentioned enough times to warrant concern. They should be able to warranty the shocks if they cant hold pressure.

 

[Montecresto]

Hey folks,

So I picked up a 2019 Talon 1000X a couple days ago, took it for its first ride today of about 100 miles. Coming from a Rzr 1k XP for comparisons sake, really looking forward to Honda reliability, I can assure you that.

First off, the DCT in this thing is magical in most situations, just absolutely transforms a side by side from a moped to a sport bike (if that makes sense). Really jumpy at low speeds, but that's okay.

Now, I think something is seriously wrong with my suspension, I have all clickers on the softest (1) setting, and the ride is ridiculously harsh. It's a sport side by side, much like my RZR was, yet somehow this thing rides 1000x worse, and is downright dangerous on rough terrain, basically hopping all over the place... I have a Polaris Ranger, with something like 9 inches of suspension travel, that handles large and small bumps better than the Talon, and that just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. One could probably carry a higher speed and be more comfy in a friggin golf cart than this thing... Especially compared to the XP, this thing sucks in the suspension dept. (1000x nicer fit and finish, tranny is 10x better, engine is awesome, once I get this suspension thing sorted i'll be 100% happy with the Talon!

Is there some setting i'm missing? Something broken perhaps? What the hell is wrong with this thing?

Yeah, my 2009 Polaris Ranger 700 XP has a better ride than the Talon two seater for sure. But the four seater is much better ride than the two seater.

 

[McCarthy]

This is embarrassing on Honda's part, I seriously wonder if I bought a Honda, or a Changzhou off shore side by side... I get nothing on the dipstick when I check the sub transmission oil. What a piece of SH** this thing is...

-Shock is blown from the factory
-Tender springs are collapsed, from factory
-Sub-transmission has little/no oil in it...

I bought this thing for its reliability, so far it gets about a -500 for that.............

 

[906UP]

This is embarrassing on Honda's part, I seriously wonder if I bought a Honda, or a Changzhou off shore side by side... I get nothing on the dipstick when I check the sub transmission oil. What a piece of SH** this thing is...

-Shock is blown from the factory
-Tender springs are collapsed, from factory
-Sub-transmission has little/no oil in it...

I bought this thing for its reliability, so far it gets about a -500 for that.............

Fox shocks (not Honda) & poor dealer set up.....

 

[McCarthy]

I guess. It's still Honda shipping the machine with low oil... I really like this thing (other than the suspension, but looks like that's a few repairs away from being good!) so hopefully once I get this buttoned up we're back to 100% and stay that way for a long time! I took a pic of the tender springs just for fun.

 

[McCarthy]

Luckily I had some 10w30 (manual called for) GN4 Honda oil left over from a dirt bike I used to own, topped it off. I didn't measure how much it took, but probably a half cup of oil. Not sure how much it holds so that may be nothing, or half its capacity lol

EDIT: It holds 1.35 quarts (5.4 cups) so a half cup of oil means it wasn't low enough to damage anything I don't think.

 

[Lil_Steve]

Thanks for the advice guys,

I really don't want to spend more money on it, but i'll probably have to...

Just wanted to throw this out there, even if the shocks/springs were/are at 100% as intended from Honda, that set up leaves a lot to be desired, especially with the X model. Having bought a slightly used Talon R with a few thousand dollars in aftermarket goodies, I thought I'd be all set. Nope, spent thousands more and still considering a few odds and ends. While everyone will have different preferences, it's hard to not spend more money on it setting it up uniquely to your needs. That said, I've no regrets.

 

[CID]

Just wanted to throw this out there, even if the shocks/springs were/are at 100% as intended from Honda, that set up leaves a lot to be desired, especially with the X model. Having bought a slightly used Talon R with a few thousand dollars in aftermarket goodies, I thought I'd be all set. Nope, spent thousands more and still considering a few odds and ends. While everyone will have different preferences, it's hard to not spend more money on it setting it up uniquely to your needs. That said, I've no regrets.

We have no money left either. 😭

 

[McCarthy]

Just wanted to throw this out there, even if the shocks/springs were/are at 100% as intended from Honda, that set up leaves a lot to be desired, especially with the X model. Having bought a slightly used Talon R with a few thousand dollars in aftermarket goodies, I thought I'd be all set. Nope, spent thousands more and still considering a few odds and ends. While everyone will have different preferences, it's hard to not spend more money on it setting it up uniquely to your needs. That said, I've no regrets.

I have no problem spending money on stuff, but I expected the suspension to be perfectly adequate, much like my RZR was, but it's just not. I've already ordered a winch, bumpers, light bar, tires, etc etc, just now I get to spend a bunch on something that, in my opinion, should be a want, not a need.

 

[906UP]

Bandit Suspension
Looks like they're out of stock again