Pioneer vs Talon feedback

[Bow4life]

Hey all, I have had a 2020 Pioneer 1k5 deluxe for a little over 4 years now. I purchased it new, and I think it has around 2000 miles currently. I'm thinking of making the switch to a Talon X4 live valve and am looking for some feedback from those who have had (or have significant time riding) both. I have not driven a Talon yet which is part of the reason for the post as well. I searched the site and really didnt find what I was looking for so here goes. First off let me just say that I love my Pioneer, it has done everything I have asked of it and more, the issues I have with it are mainly comfort related. I have also always found the handling on the Pioneer somewhat underwhelming. A couple months ago when I picked up a new TRX90 for my youngest, the dealer I purchased from had several Talons on their lot so I checked a couple out. I should have driven one but I didnt. I noticed the seats and seat positions are much more comfortable than the Pioneer. We are an atv family and love trail riding together in the Pioneer. One of the main issues is my kids are getting old enough that the back seats on the Pioneer are not comfortable for them anymore, not to mention the rear seat heat. Uncomfy kids and wife means nobody wants to ride. We mainly ride trails in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. I'm looking for feedback on the Pioneer vs Talon in a few areas:

General comfort
Back seat comfort
Under seat heat (mainly back seat)
Ride quality
Handling
Performance
Things you dont like (if any) on the Talon vs Pioneer
Things you dont like (if any) on the Pioneer vs Talon

Any other areas you might think relevant to my concerns with the Pioneer. Thanks very much in advance.

 

[Admin]

 

[Remington]

Really no comparison between the two.
2 completely different machines. I have both but a 2 seater TalonX have had my P1 8yrs. Love that pioneer. Use it for everything and have been everywhere access the country with it. Moded the hell out of it as close as you can get to a Trail rig but its still a Farm rig. The Talon has better seats, shock/suspension travel and you can just trail ride it all day. The mods are also endless. We rarely us the P1 anymore to the point im contemplating getting rid of it and buying a better tractor Id use more often.
Just remember, we are all different on the way we do things.

 

[CID]

I've had my '21 Talon R2 for four years and have 14,740 miles on it. Saying I love it would be this decade's biggest understatement. 😍 Recently retired dirt biker, first SxS and this dual range, six speed, paddle shiftin' dirt kart will keep me exploring the backcountry for the rest of my life.

RE comfort - the Talon has 17" front, 20" rear travel ... the Pioneer doesn't.

12,500 feet -

 

[JenElio]

Hey all, I have had a 2020 Pioneer 1k5 deluxe for a little over 4 years now. I purchased it new, and I think it has around 2000 miles currently. I'm thinking of making the switch to a Talon X4 live valve and am looking for some feedback from those who have had (or have significant time riding) both. I have not driven a Talon yet which is part of the reason for the post as well. I searched the site and really didnt find what I was looking for so here goes. First off let me just say that I love my Pioneer, it has done everything I have asked of it and more, the issues I have with it are mainly comfort related. I have also always found the handling on the Pioneer somewhat underwhelming. A couple months ago when I picked up a new TRX90 for my youngest, the dealer I purchased from had several Talons on their lot so I checked a couple out. I should have driven one but I didnt. I noticed the seats and seat positions are much more comfortable than the Pioneer. We are an atv family and love trail riding together in the Pioneer. One of the main issues is my kids are getting old enough that the back seats on the Pioneer are not comfortable for them anymore, not to mention the rear seat heat. Uncomfy kids and wife means nobody wants to ride. We mainly ride trails in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. I'm looking for feedback on the Pioneer vs Talon in a few areas:

General comfort
Back seat comfort
Under seat heat (mainly back seat)
Ride quality
Handling
Performance
Things you dont like (if any) on the Talon vs Pioneer
Things you dont like (if any) on the Pioneer vs Talon

Any other areas you might think relevant to my concerns with the Pioneer. Thanks very much in advance.

For your comparison I think @Coeus, @gparks or @Plumber32 are some of the guys that can give you a fair comparison. All three have gone from a P1K to a Talon. I'm not sure how old your kids are, mine are 9 and 10. A few years ago I installed a set of RZR bucket seats in the back for them along with the existing 4 point harnesses and it made a tremendous difference in comfort for the rear passengers. The P1K will NEVER be a Talon but you can sure modify them enough to get the most use out of them.

 

[ODAMO]

The Pioneer can work and play.
The Talon can really play.

 

[Bow4life]

I've had my '21 Talon R2 for four years and have 14,740 miles on it. Saying I love it would be this decade's biggest understatement. 😍 Recently retired dirt biker, first SxS and this dual range, six speed, paddle shiftin' dirt kart will keep me exploring the backcountry for the rest of my life.

RE comfort - the Talon has 17" front, 20" rear travel ... the Pioneer doesn't.

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12,500 feet -
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Thanks for the info and awesome pics, is that Utah or where?

 

[Bow4life]

For your comparison I think @Coeus, @gparks or @Plumber32 are some of the guys that can give you a fair comparison. All three have gone from a P1K to a Talon. I'm not sure how old your kids are, mine are 9 and 10. A few years ago I installed a set of RZR bucket seats in the back for them along with the existing 4 point harnesses and it made a tremendous difference in comfort for the rear passengers. The P1K will NEVER be a Talon but you can sure modify them enough to get the most use out of them.

Thanks, I have looked into that very mod some, how do the rzr seats mount to the pioneer?

 

[Tramguage1]

I have been fortunate enough to start with a Pioneer 700, then move up to a P1k LE. Then pickup a 2 seat Talon X when they came out. When the 4 seat Talon R4 was announced I pick one up and ABSOLUTLY love this machine. The 4 seat Talon is comfortable, nimble, fun and passengers have a great seating position for riding.
I have actually traded in my 2 seat X and sold my LE to pretty much exclusively use the Talon for all our trail riding and my annual Overland trip.
The wife and I have approximately 6000 trail miles total between these machines.
She loves the Talon ride and secure feel and safety.

The Talon is not a good farm/ranch machine but is a awesome trail machine.

 

[JenElio]

Thanks, I have looked into that very mod some, how do the rzr seats mount to the pioneer?

Mine are through bolted to the frame of the bed, not the mod with just the seat bottoms, I have the entire bucket seats installed. You could probably modify/install the original quick release latches the RZR seat come with but I hardly ever use the bed of my P1K so it wasn't a need for me. I can unblock the seats to remove in about 3 minutes, I've done it a few times but not often, the bed still dumps for access to underneath. This was by far one of the best mods I've done to keep the fam happy. Kids are WAY more comfortable and the sides help keep them more in place when riding the rough trails.

 

[Bow4life]

I have been fortunate enough to start with a Pioneer 700, then move up to a P1k LE. Then pickup a 2 seat Talon X when they came out. When the 4 seat Talon R4 was announced I pick one up and ABSOLUTLY love this machine. The 4 seat Talon is comfortable, nimble, fun and passengers have a great seating position for riding.
I have actually traded in my 2 seat X and sold my LE to pretty much exclusively use the Talon for all our trail riding and my annual Overland trip.
The wife and I have approximately 6000 trail miles total between these machines.
She loves the Talon ride and secure feel and safety.

The Talon is not a good farm/ranch machine but is a awesome trail machine.

View attachment 441083 View attachment 441084

That's awesome, thanks for the info. Do the 4 seat talons have rear seat heat like the pioneer 1k5? I am glad to hear the ride is better in the talon, the few times my wife has ridden in the back of the 1k5 she said the ride was, let's just say poor....I cant quote her exact language here....

 

[Bow4life]

Mine are through bolted to the frame of the bed, not the mod with just the seat bottoms, I have the entire bucket seats installed. You could probably modify/install the original quick release latches the RZR seat come with but I hardly ever use the bed of my P1K so it wasn't a need for me. I can unblock the seats to remove in about 3 minutes, I've done it a few times but not often, the bed still dumps for access to underneath. This was by far one of the best mods I've done to keep the fam happy. Kids are WAY more comfortable and the sides help keep them more in place when riding the rough trails.

That's great, any chance you have a link to the build on that mod? Thanks

 

[Tramguage1]

That's awesome, thanks for the info. Do the 4 seat talons have rear seat heat like the pioneer 1k5? I am glad to hear the ride is better in the talon, the few times my wife has ridden in the back of the 1k5 she said the ride was, let's just say poor....I cant quote her exact language here....

I would say there is 80 -90% less heat in the Talon seating positions. There is still heat but nothing like the P1k. I live in Central Texas, so it's always hot here!

 

[JenElio]

That's great, any chance you have a link to the build on that mod? Thanks

I haven't done a great job of documenting everything in my build thread but here's some pics of what I did. Pretty simple and haven't had a problem in almost 4 years. But like I mentioned, if you use your bed often I would suggest a quicker way of removing the seats. Few minutes each side isn't a deal breaker for me but if I used the bed on a daily basis I wouldn't want to mess with the bolts.

I've rode in the back and it's way better then the stock seats, this helps the angle of your knees when sitting down. This along with the many other small mods to mediate heat, dust, noise, etc make it much more enjoyable for the rear passengers. When we ride in areas like TN, a 10-12 hr riding day is common and kids hardly ever complain about comfort in the back seats.

Now, all this being said..........a Talon is BADASS 😂😂 there's really no comparison so if you want one and have the green light then I'd definitely switch or like many around here do and keep the P1K and still get a Talon 😂😂😂😂😂

 

[CID]

Thanks for the info and awesome pics, is that Utah or where?

1, 2, 4, 5 are in Utah. 3 is in the Colorado high country and 6 is in southern Arizona.

 

[Bow4life]

I haven't done a great job of documenting everything in my build thread but here's some pics of what I did. Pretty simple and haven't had a problem in almost 4 years. But like I mentioned, if you use your bed often I would suggest a quicker way of removing the seats. Few minutes each side isn't a deal breaker for me but if I used the bed on a daily basis I wouldn't want to mess with the bolts.
View attachment 441085View attachment 441086View attachment 441087View attachment 441088

I've rode in the back and it's way better then the stock seats, this helps the angle of your knees when sitting down. This along with the many other small mods to mediate heat, dust, noise, etc make it much more enjoyable for the rear passengers. When we ride in areas like TN, a 10-12 hr riding day is common and kids hardly ever complain about comfort in the back seats.

Now, all this being said..........a Talon is BADASS 😂😂 there's really no comparison so if you want one and have the green light then I'd definitely switch or like many around here do and keep the P1K and still get a Talon 😂😂😂😂😂

Thanks for the awesome pics and info. That said, keeping the 1k5 and buying a talon is not really an option or I wouldn't have had to start this thread....😎

 

[Bow4life]

1, 2, 4, 5 are in Utah. 3 is in the Colorado high country and 6 is in southern Arizona.

Dang you've seen some sweet country, wish I could say the same!

 

[CID]

Dang you've seen some sweet country, wish I could say the same!

Retirement has been awe full for me. However, with retirement came age.

 

[Scoop]

Really no comparison between the two.
2 completely different machines. I have both but a 2 seater TalonX have had my P1 8yrs. Love that pioneer. Use it for everything and have been everywhere access the country with it. Moded the hell out of it as close as you can get to a Trail rig but its still a Farm rig. The Talon has better seats, shock/suspension travel and you can just trail ride it all day. The mods are also endless. We rarely us the P1 anymore to the point im contemplating getting rid of it and buying a better tractor Id use more often.
Just remember, we are all different on the way we do things.

@Bow4life, my experience pretty much mirrors that of @Remington (above). In fact, I blame him - at least in part - for why I bought the '23 Talon just a couple years after the '21 P1K5.

I've modded my P1K5 to be as much of a trail machine as possible (well in excess of $12K in mods), but it doesn't compare to the Talon on the trail (which, full disclosure, has also been heavily modded, but not to the extent of the P1K5). I actually would have opted for the 4-seater, but Mrs Scoop wanted the 2-seater, so ... we know how that works.

I do still have both as well, but not sure keeping a heavily modded P1K5 around for use around the property/house is the best option. Time will tell.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Remington]

@Remington (above). In fact, I blame him

😂🤣🥳

 

[Bow4life]

@Bow4life, my experience pretty much mirrors that of @Remington (above). In fact, I blame him - at least in part - for why I bought the '23 Talon just a couple years after the '21 P1K5.

I've modded my P1K5 to be as much of a trail machine as possible (well in excess of $12K in mods), but it doesn't compare to the Talon on the trail (which, full disclosure, has also been heavily modded, but not to the extent of the P1K5). I actually would have opted for the 4-seater, but Mrs Scoop wanted the 2-seater, so ... we know how that works.

I do still have both as well, but not sure keeping a heavily modded P1K5 around for use around the property/house is the best option. Time will tell.

Good luck with your decision.

Thanks @Scoop, this is great info. I appreciate all the help. I'm starting to lean towards a talon more based on everyone's experiences. I think it may suit my current needs without significant modification. My 1k5 has been modded too but more adding lights, second battery, etc. No suspension changes. I feel like many people on here have gone from the pioneer to the talon but not the other way.