Talon Another FNG, this one's from Colorado

[CID]

I'm a long time dirt rider and after 51 years, I'm aging out, and have decided I should voluntarily retire before I get hurt (again, but many years ago). A friend invited me to the SxS rally in Hurricane, Utah last November. This was perfect timing and showed me that SxSs would be the perfect replacement for my dirt bikes. I bought a '20 Talon and had to wait an extra week for backordered parts (shipping damage). I just picked it up today and I'm running around like a kid on Christmas morning.

I got invited to Lake Powell, Utah in 1972 and have been back to the desert southwest almost every year since - I swear I have red sandstone in my DNA helix. I'm usually solo and riding a motorcycle alone in the backcountry, this late in life is downright foolish, so here I am. This should keep me exploring the desert for the rest of my life. I'm also headed to Alaska in June and the Talon will be with me, doG willing and the creek don't rise.



I have 84" between the corner of the garage and the retaining wall, so trailer width was limited. The Echo Elite EE-14-14 is 82" wide (with 14" tires), making it too narrow to drive between the fenders. This is how I fixed the issue. The rear is steeper so I could pull up tight to the fenders, assuring sufficient tongue weight. Hope to meet some of you in the desert.

 

[1border4manu]

Welcome from Central Florida.

 

[CID]

Welcome from Central Florida.

Thanks. I visited friends in New Smyrna Beach in December and visited another friend in Brooksville on my way back. I got chased out of the northern states by that Arctic blast we got before Christmas. You missed all the shivering.

 

[Todd627]

Welcome from The Great Lakes State

#NTC

 

[Todd627]

BTW....nice avatar 👍

 

[DaddyDubbs]

Welcome from Alabama

 

[ProudDadOf5]

Welcome to the club from WV!!

 

[CID]

BTW....nice avatar 👍

Thanks, guys.

I've been using this avatar since shortly after 9-11-2001.

 

[Mudwing]

A formal welcome from the snowy mud holes of WNY. 😉
#NTC

 

[JenElio]

Welcome from South FL! Nice ride!

 

[Russ989]

Welcome from NE Missouri

 

[JimmyA]

Welcome aboard from Northeast Texas! Nice rig.

 

[Backwoods]

Welcome from soggy west Georgia

 

[hoghead76]

Welcome from Oklahoma

 

[Buggyman]

I'm a long time dirt rider and after 51 years, I'm aging out, and have decided I should voluntarily retire before I get hurt (again, but many years ago). A friend invited me to the SxS rally in Hurricane, Utah last November. This was perfect timing and showed me that SxSs would be the perfect replacement for my dirt bikes. I bought a '20 Talon and had to wait an extra week for backordered parts (shipping damage). I just picked it up today and I'm running around like a kid on Christmas morning.

I got invited to Lake Powell, Utah in 1972 and have been back to the desert southwest almost every year since - I swear I have red sandstone in my DNA helix. I'm usually solo and riding a motorcycle alone in the backcountry, this late in life is downright foolish, so here I am. This should keep me exploring the desert for the rest of my life. I'm also headed to Alaska in June and the Talon will be with me, doG willing and the creek don't rise.

View attachment 182540

I have 84" between the corner of the garage and the retaining wall, so trailer width was limited. The Echo Elite EE-14-14 is 82" wide (with 14" tires), making it too narrow to drive between the fenders. This is how I fixed the issue. The rear is steeper so I could pull up tight to the fenders, assuring sufficient tongue weight. Hope to meet some of you in the desert.
View attachment 182541

Welcome from Ohio

 

[stellarpod]

Welcome to the forum! I'm in Oklahoma and also use an Echo trailer for my Talon. My trailer was used for years to carry two Yamaha Grizzly 700's (mounted sideways) to the Rockies each year. It is the 9' Overwide Elite with upgraded capacity axle and it is just BARELY long enough to fit my Talon X. But, the Talon X is narrow enough to fit between the fenders, so I don't have that issue to deal with. I highly recommend getting ratchet straps and E-Track plates mounted so that you can secure the Talon with straps over the tires. Actually, I strap the front tires and then use a single one in the back, routed through the tow point at the rear diff. It really expedites loading and unloading and holds the rig really securely. Here's a couple of shots of my trailer loaded:

You'll notice I also secure the Talon to the trailer using a couple of massive Kryptonite cable locks threaded through wheels, A-arms/frame and to the trailer rails. Echo builds a fine trailer. You will not be disappointed.

Steve

 

[CID]

Thanks @stellarpod I really like that idea, it does look quick to secure. That's a nicely compact towing package. 👍 Thanks for the positive feedback on the Echo trailers. I'm new to SxSs and one of my concerns is tongue weight with our engines in the rear. I made sure I could pull up 'tight' to the fenders for that reason. Do you have sufficient tongue weight, parked a little to the rear of the fenders like you are? I noticed in the pic of my the Ranger with trailer that it looks like it's squatted a little, suggesting that I'm tongue heavy.

We're buried in snow here so I can't load up and measure my TW until we get a little melting. I have the trailer parked across the northern exposure garage door, so it will be a few days before it melts enough that I can move things around.

I have a small class C motorhome with a limited 350 pound tongue weight rating so I want to keep it as low as possible and still tow safely. It's built on a 3500 van chassis and they extend the frames to get the length - that extension is of questionable engineering 'excellence'.

 

[stellarpod]

Thanks @stellarpod I really like that idea, it does look quick to secure. That's a nicely compact towing package. 👍 Thanks for the positive feedback on the Echo trailers. I'm new to SxSs and one of my concerns is tongue weight with our engines in the rear. I made sure I could pull up 'tight' to the fenders for that reason. Do you have sufficient tongue weight, parked a little to the rear of the fenders like you are? I noticed in the pic of my the Ranger with trailer that it looks like it's squatted a little, suggesting that I'm tongue heavy.

We're buried in snow here so I can't load up and measure my TW until we get a little melting. I have the trailer parked across the northern exposure garage door, so it will be a few days before it melts enough that I can move things around.

I have a small class C motorhome with a limited 350 pound tongue weight rating so I want to keep it as low as possible and still tow safely. It's built on a 3500 van chassis and they extend the frames to get the length - that extension is of questionable engineering 'excellence'.

Tongue weight doesn't pose a problem for me, particularly since I've always got a couple of 6 gal fuel cans in the rack on the tongue, which adds about 70 pounds. I am considering building a platform that would sit above the hood of the Talon, upon which I could mount a rooftop tent. That would certainly add substantial tongue weight, as the tent itself weighs 100 lbs or so. I might have to relocate the gas cans to the back (behind the fenders) if I do that, but I'm still in the brainstorming stage. Here's a rendering on the same photo showing kind of what I've got in mind:

This would allow me to set up a base camp, unhook the truck and have it available to run into town and such. I'd have to put some jackstands on the back of the trailer to keep it stable at camp.

BTW - I had to weld some angle iron tabs to the front rail on which to mount the E-track plates, as I have to bump the Talon up snug against the front rail to fit this small trailer. Here's a couple of pics showing that layout (sorry about the wet surfaces, raining here).

It pulls like a dream and I love having a metal deck instead of wood.

Steve

 

[CID]

@stellarpod That's a pretty cool idea on the rooftop tent. Computers came along too late in my life to learn SketchUp or whatever program you used, that's so much better that a typed description. Thanks for the pics on the tie downs, more questions answered. I already had Erickson's site bookmarked.

 

[stellarpod]

@stellarpod That's a pretty cool idea on the rooftop tent. Computers came along too late in my life to learn SketchUp or whatever program you used, that's so much better that a typed description. Thanks for the pics on the tie downs, more questions answered. I already had Erickson's site bookmarked.

I use CorelDraw, as I did some graphic illustrating in a previous life. But, I'm WAY out of practice. It doesn't come as quickly as it used to. Thanks for the compliment. Have fun with your new toy!

Steve