R
Here we sit pondering a few days after Honda's release of the Talon 1000X and 1000R. For some, the excitement may have worn off already, but for this guy and the industry as a whole, we're still RED hot with excitement! Why?
I'll explain with my thoughts.
Honda has been on cruise control for years, playing it safe with well designed, well made and just down right durable powersports. For those of us who haven't won the lottery, we want all those traits Honds is famous for, especially durable, but where are the exciting, insane toys of past years been hiding?
The downside of those Honda traits, they just aren't that exciting to some of us. I remember the Honda's of the 80's and early 90's. Give me the 250sx, 250R, 350X, CR500 or the Baja King XR650R. Crazy machines for sure, most of us survived just fine, a few scars here and there but damn those toys would bring us smiles for miles....
Unfortunately, the lawyers ruined it and Honda went into "Safe Mode". Heck, riders were transplanting CR and CRF dirtbike motors into the trx400ex frame cause Honda just wouldn't produce what we all wanted, an untamed beast. Instead we got warning label after warning label.
Honda just sat in "Safe Mode". The positive of "Safe Mode" was Honda absolutely perfected durability. Since my 4th birthday to present date, I've only had one Honda leave me stranded in the woods. A raced for several seasons, abused in the woods and creeks 1988 CR125. Unfortunately it was my mistake, after a tip over in a creek and rushed to get back in the race, I didn't get all the water out, once the power rolled on, well, it was a long push out of the woods. Honda's are just incredibly durable.
The Talon 1000X and 100R on paper certainly aren't something from the 80's and early 90's. I'll admit, 104Hp just didn't excite me that much but once I've digested the spec sheet, a few things started to bring back that smile I had seeing the 250R for the first time.
The whole sport SxS industry should be excited or very worried. Ever shred a CVT belt mid mud hole with no winch by yourself in the rain? That 172Hp turbo 1000 just became a turd in the punch bowl. Speaking of those high horsepower Turbo SxS's, those beasts of motors are mated to a Horsepower robbing CVT transmission. How much horsepower? Just look at the base run dyno results, 172hp at the crank turns into 125-130hp at the rear wheels, still respectable numbers, but you paid for so much more. Honda tells us 104hp at the crank, the Dual Clutch transmission won't rob as much horsepower compared to the CVT's on most of our current machines. The Talon isn't out to beat the Turbo's, more in line to take on 1000 XP. We'll have to wait for dyno numbers to really get an understanding of where the Talon fits in but we should be excited since belt replacement will be a thing of the past!!!
Still excited about the Talon and rightfully so, Honda just made the other manufacturers wake up and hopefully those manufacturers look at durability and dependability instead of seeking 200hp. Nothing makes me happier than twisting, thumbing or stomping on the gas and turning dead dinosaurs into noise and acceleration, but without durability and dependability, pushing that high horsepower beast sucks.
Knowing the Honda of the 80's and 90's and the little gems Honda HRC tossed at the street bike world in the shape of the RC 30, RC 45 and RC 51, maybe, just maybe Honda will let the magicians at HRC get their hands on the Talon and give us the Talon 1000RR......
Is the Honda of our youth back??????
I'll explain with my thoughts.
Honda has been on cruise control for years, playing it safe with well designed, well made and just down right durable powersports. For those of us who haven't won the lottery, we want all those traits Honds is famous for, especially durable, but where are the exciting, insane toys of past years been hiding?
The downside of those Honda traits, they just aren't that exciting to some of us. I remember the Honda's of the 80's and early 90's. Give me the 250sx, 250R, 350X, CR500 or the Baja King XR650R. Crazy machines for sure, most of us survived just fine, a few scars here and there but damn those toys would bring us smiles for miles....
Unfortunately, the lawyers ruined it and Honda went into "Safe Mode". Heck, riders were transplanting CR and CRF dirtbike motors into the trx400ex frame cause Honda just wouldn't produce what we all wanted, an untamed beast. Instead we got warning label after warning label.
Honda just sat in "Safe Mode". The positive of "Safe Mode" was Honda absolutely perfected durability. Since my 4th birthday to present date, I've only had one Honda leave me stranded in the woods. A raced for several seasons, abused in the woods and creeks 1988 CR125. Unfortunately it was my mistake, after a tip over in a creek and rushed to get back in the race, I didn't get all the water out, once the power rolled on, well, it was a long push out of the woods. Honda's are just incredibly durable.
The Talon 1000X and 100R on paper certainly aren't something from the 80's and early 90's. I'll admit, 104Hp just didn't excite me that much but once I've digested the spec sheet, a few things started to bring back that smile I had seeing the 250R for the first time.
The whole sport SxS industry should be excited or very worried. Ever shred a CVT belt mid mud hole with no winch by yourself in the rain? That 172Hp turbo 1000 just became a turd in the punch bowl. Speaking of those high horsepower Turbo SxS's, those beasts of motors are mated to a Horsepower robbing CVT transmission. How much horsepower? Just look at the base run dyno results, 172hp at the crank turns into 125-130hp at the rear wheels, still respectable numbers, but you paid for so much more. Honda tells us 104hp at the crank, the Dual Clutch transmission won't rob as much horsepower compared to the CVT's on most of our current machines. The Talon isn't out to beat the Turbo's, more in line to take on 1000 XP. We'll have to wait for dyno numbers to really get an understanding of where the Talon fits in but we should be excited since belt replacement will be a thing of the past!!!
Still excited about the Talon and rightfully so, Honda just made the other manufacturers wake up and hopefully those manufacturers look at durability and dependability instead of seeking 200hp. Nothing makes me happier than twisting, thumbing or stomping on the gas and turning dead dinosaurs into noise and acceleration, but without durability and dependability, pushing that high horsepower beast sucks.
Knowing the Honda of the 80's and 90's and the little gems Honda HRC tossed at the street bike world in the shape of the RC 30, RC 45 and RC 51, maybe, just maybe Honda will let the magicians at HRC get their hands on the Talon and give us the Talon 1000RR......
Is the Honda of our youth back??????
