New Talon Owners - First Things to Know and Check

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Interesting enough, Hess motorsports isn't running the Jackson airbox, they've installed a Donaldson airbox in its place.
Do you know what filter type each uses? or what the basic differences are? air intake location of either? etc.?
 
H

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Do you know what filter type each uses? or what the basic differences are? air intake location of either? etc.?

The Jackson uses an off the shelf K&N airbox and filter with foam outer filter. Its branded Jackson Racing, but we found out the K&N part number, but i can't remeber it off the top of my head. The filters are priced about the same from Jackson or K&N. The airbox mounts in the inner right rear fender, sort of where the srock air intake tube is. We found it can easily be filled with water when washing the Talon due to the intake grate being open and directly above the airbox inlet. My GM has taken his off twice and found water in it both times, and jot just a little bit either. At the moment we have some plastic blocking the grate and lower fender vent to alleviate it.

This is basically what the Jackson box looks like, without the intake tube.

57 1133



The Donaldson that Hess is using is just a temp thing because they don't like K&N filters (neither do I for that matter). They have it mounted on top of the bed behind the passenger seat for now. I believe their looking for a better setup.
 
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K & N sucks in every filter comparison, rarely finishing above the bottom third of those tested. They have high flow rates because they're flowing so much dirt too.
 
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K & N sucks in every filter comparison, rarely finishing above the bottom third of those tested. They have high flow rates because they're flowing so much dirt too.

I've seen too many engines meet their fate because of one.

I won't even run them on street stuff.
 
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Sheetmetalfab

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K&N filters are trash.
 
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Like the Pioneer, the Talon has a clutch reinitialization procedure that's recommended 'occasionally'.

A few more details here -

Video thanks to Davis Motorsports. The process is the same as the Pioneer.
 
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For a 250 pound tongue weight, this is where my Talon sits on the Echo Elite 14' trailer (which has a 125 pound TW empty). Tongue weight should be 12-15% of total trailer weight, I'm right at 2500 pounds - Talon + trailer. Your Talon will be similar. I'm a little light at 250 pounds because the RV has a 350 pound rated hitch and I wanted a cushion - luckily it tows with no swaying, the giveaway that I'm light on TW. This will change when I add the bed extender and spare hanging off the back, I'll post that photo when I have it.
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Adding two spares and a bed extender for solo desert exploration plus a storage box full of 'stuff' added about 200 pounds to the rear of the Talon. Setting it to the same 250 pound tongue weight only moved it forward 2-3". This is most noticeable in front of the rear tire. (the red one was stolen, recovered and heavily damaged, this is its replacement)
I SWv6W2c XL
 
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You're a grown up or you wouldn't have a SxS, the following information is for your information only, if you follow it, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.

Honda has an OSHA tube in the gas tank filler. Its purpose is to trap an air pocket and keep you from completely filling the tank. I chose to remove that inlet tube and gained 1.3 more gallons, from 7.3 (spec) to 8.612 measured from completely empty. This mod earned me the smell of fuel in the cab on steep rocky descents when the tank was full. I rode hundreds of miles before that happened, so it will depend on your environment.

Some guys were able to remove the tube without damaging it, I wasn't. It's only held in by a plastic ridge molded into the tube, some will pop right out with a tug, mine didn't. I pushed one side of a long nose pliers in between the plastic tube and the steel one, twisted the pliers to reduce the diameter and pulled it out - thx Lil_Steve. 👍 You can see the retaining ridge toward the left end, that's all that's holding it in place.

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Gone -
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Fuel pump. If you look closely, you can see the small white dot (glare) on the bottom right of the pump, that's the fuel level when it runs out of gas (on the trailer and how I know it took 8.612 gallons to fill).
I WLS9f82 XL

Tank vent and where the heck izzit?

It lives under the console and Honda was kind enough to put a splice right there, easy to extend. :)
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You could also extend from here but I think I'd have to remove the tire to do that - I had enough 1/4" fuel line to use the console access, so I did. As seen from the right front. And I didn't need another 1/4" nipple.
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I left the original in place, zip tied it and the new one to the conveniently located frame angle. The small hose clamp made up for the slight difference in the 1/4" fuel line I had 'in stock' and the one Honda used.
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I had a piece of 1/4" fuel line that was 67" long and used all of it. There are 3 red arrows in the pic showing where I ran the new vent. Doing the same but on the other side would be a shorter run (no reason to be on the driver's side)
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It was my intention to run the vent to the right front corner of the Talon but there's nothing up there so the vent ended up lying on the small bumper skid just in front of and below the winch, dead center. The red line shows where the line runs, the arrow shows the zip tie holding it in place. I have a 1/4" fuel filter to install when I find time, I'll put it behind the zip tie. This has solved the in cab fuel smell. :cool:
I PKMpqjx L
 
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CID

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Oil Change Info -
Honda's spec says the Talon takes 6.08 quarts of oil (engine oil and filter), not a particularly 'round' number. How much is .08 oz? Simple - 32 oz. times .08 = 2.56 oz. Engine oil and filter plus the DCT filter is 6.1 quarts = 6 qt. 3.2 oz.

Oil filter part # 15412-HP7-A01
DCT filter part # 15412-MGS-D21
O-ring part numbers are at the bottom of this post.

Where are the damn oil drain plugs?!?! 🤔 Note that the stock skid plate is clearly stenciled (although a bit hard to see when yer lying on the floor) but that didn't help once I replaced it with a 1/2" full Trail Armor skid.

One drain bolt is horizontal, 17 mm and can be seen/reached from in front of the LR tire with a long extension and universal joint (it's not a straight shot). The other is 12 mm and pointed 'almost' straight down (the small red hole in the pic). The 'almost' is important so you can get the socket on straight and not strip the bolt head.

I D3ddQQF XL


I'd guess there are about 2 cups of oil lurking behind the filters waiting to dump on yer garage floor. I happened to have a ~7" x 10" pan that fits just right for catching that oil, the filters and springs on their way to the floor.

The pan is 7-5/8" x 11-3/8" OD.
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About replacing the filter 0-rings and drain plug crush washers on every oil change as recommended - I don't do it, I reuse them until I get leakage. The crush washers don't crush like the old days, they're simply flat aluminum washers that conform to the harder bolt and good for 'many' reuses. The o-rings in my dirt bikes lasted for years, so I replace them if/when they seep. IMO, YMMV, yada, yada, yada

The following was posted by PaulF in another thread and I thought it fit here too.

Like others have said here, I have used the original factory ones for 3 oil changes (3000+ miles) and the oil filter O Ring just started to seep (collects a tiny bit of dust after a ride). None of the drain washers leak. Since the filter O Ring leaks, I will change all of them next service and be good for another 3000 miles.

That said, if you really need them...

Your local dealer if you need them fast (but expensive).
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC if you need other items totaling $75 or more so you can get free shipping.
Ron Ayres has good prices and reasonable shipping.

91301-107-000 Oil filter O Ring (75X2.5)
91302-PA9-003 DCT filter O Ring (39.8X2.2)
94109-12000 Small Washer (12 MM)
94109-14000 Large Washer (14 MM)
 
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The Talon's cigarette plug is switched and I wanted an always hot plug for my GPS. This is where I put it, under the dash so it's sheltered from a full on drenching when it's raining. When I got it I noticed that it didn't grip the GPS plug very well and I didn't want to be plugging it back in a dozen times a day so I made a latch. It's not as elegant as I'd like but I can plug and unplug it with one hand, so it serves its purpose. It's controlled by a plain Jane toggle switch over by the headlight switch so I can shut it off when hosing down the interior.

It's 8"-10" above and in front of the passenger's knee and I never have a passenger so OSHA won't be involved. :oops: The latch is plug specific but right now it's GPS only. The studs are a bit long allowing for different cig plugs. Nylock nuts hold their position.
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Completed and ready to install.
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Clamped for welding the studs -
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I grPpjvP M
 
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With the radiator up front and door lowers (which I thought were mandatory 🤔), cab heat will cook you like a lobster on warm days.

Keep Smiling PowerSports makes these cool latches to hold the doors open - I like 'em.

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Driver's -
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Passenger's -
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Although they're captured by the door latch, if you pull the handle they'll fall off and you'll be going back to the last place you pee'd to retrieve 'em. 😊
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Anytime I drove through water fast enough to splash, I'd get my butt steamed. :oops: Looking in that area it became obvious why.

Passenger side, directly in front of the exhaust. 🥵 🥵 🥵
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I had aluminum duct tape so that's what I used. Don't miss the 4 holes at the front seat bolts. Driver's side -
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Passenger's side -
I zWb9SRT XL

The hole sizes and shapes are all over the place, it took dozens of pieces to do both sides, a real PITA.
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This happens even though I have the MudBusters covering the hole in the lower fender well because the MudBusters are open on the inside, they could be longer (yellow arrow). MudBuster's link in post #5.
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Doogle

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This is an excellent thread. I'm new to SXS's. But I'd read about the air filter problems. I found the air intake route and thought what idiot designed this. I only have 70 miles on mine. But your system is about what I had decided to do. Air intake behind the passenger seat. I was going to use flex ducting. But your ducting would be much better. I also wanted to have a filter cover to block rain from entry. I don't know what flow can go through a UNI Filter. I thought possibly tee off and have 2 prefilters for better flow. Great having your part numbers and pictures to help me decide what I want to do.
 
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This is an excellent thread. I'm new to SXS's. But I'd read about the air filter problems. I found the air intake route and thought what idiot designed this. I only have 70 miles on mine. But your system is about what I had decided to do. Air intake behind the passenger seat. I was going to use flex ducting. But your ducting would be much better. I also wanted to have a filter cover to block rain from entry. I don't know what flow can go through a UNI Filter. I thought possibly tee off and have 2 prefilters for better flow. Great having your part numbers and pictures to help me decide what I want to do.
Thanks for the kind words, Doogle and welcome to the site. 👍 For the record, the snorkel idea is HondaBob's, I just put the information, all provided by Bob, in an easy to find thread.

Although the Uni has less surface area than the stock pleated filter, I didn't clean mine until 1066 miles, the stock filter may be done in 250-350 miles and it isn't cleanable. There's no doubt that mine was FILTHY at 1066 but that's one of the strengths of an oiled foam filter, they don't need frequent cleaning (many guys overclean their foam filters - just look at a Baja racer's filter after a race :oops:). Oiled properly (heavily IMO), they'll filter until dry spots start to appear on the foam surface.

You're in Arizona, I doubt rain will be a problem for you. I rode in an all day drizzle, forgetting about the filter (new to SxSs), and didn't have a problem. I think it's Filter Wears that makes a water resistant 'sock' to put over filters and what I'd recommend. IF they flow air properly (no experience with them), your filter will rarely need cleaning. Because of my experience with a similar product for snowmobiles, I wouldn't run it all the time, only when needed. The snomo filters didn't flow as much air as advertised, so I'm a bit leery of such products - surface friction causes more loss of airflow than expected.
 
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Lil_Steve

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I was greasing my rear wheel bearings yesterday and took the opportunity to grease the trailing arm ball joint as well. I'm not aware that this is something that needs to be looked out for, just sharing the info here.

I cant remember where I got this grease injector needle but this is a good use for it. CA Tech wheel bearing grease tool on the right.

IMG 20201218 132125636 XL


Since I had the rear knuckle off to grease the wheel bearings, it was easy enough to slide the greasing needle under the ball joint boot.

IMG 20201218 132200183 XL


IMG 20201218 132239650 XL


I gave it a few pumps of grease and worked it around by pushing on the boot, then wiped away any excess grease.

IMG 20201218 132630063 XL


Now I don't have to worry/wonder if those ball joints are sufficiently greased.
 
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What shock preload spanner do I need? 🤔

I can confirm that this one fits the FOX 2.5" G3S shocks on the Talon R properly, I just tightened my rear preload 3/4" to compensate for the 200 extra poundage I've added (to the Talon's butt, not mine 😊). The 3/4" was a guess, it's sitting on the trailer and I had to start somewhere (it's cold here, I didn't feel like unloading and the season is over so ... sue me :p ).

Amazon.com: Fox 2.5" Spring Preload Spanner Wrench Kit: Automotive

The lettering says FX 2.5-2 (top) and FX 2.5-1 (bottom). They're 3/16" thick, so good heft and will last a long time.
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