Talon vs X3

SpeedBuggy

SpeedBuggy

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Jan 1, 2020
1,289
10,214
113
WA
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. Talon R
See i'm okay spending money on a machine that comes 99% done... It has the power, it has the suspension, and is a well sorted car. The Talon, other than the problems mine had, needed a turbo (Big $$$), dramatically altered suspension (BIG $$$, no revalving the stock shocks won't fix the inherent issues the talon has, nor fix the 14/15" of travel it has). The X3 needs a gusset kit.

Again, If I had a need for two machines, the Talon would be #2. I have no doubt the Talon will be alive long after the X3 is worn out and junked, but it just can't compete. I would imagine i'd be lucky to get 5000 miles without a major failure (engine or trans or diff etc) on the X3, where I bet (once the laundry list of problems mine had were fixed) the Talon could probably go 3-4x that distance without a major failure.

I'm not entirely sure comparing a turbo car to a non turbo car is fair for reliability, but i'm a bit brutally honest.
I’m considering selling my Talon for the new 22 X3 RR. No dealer stock is slowing my roll. I’m a life long Honda guy from my first Trail 90 and overlooked some now known shortcomings for a transmission over a belt. Now after sinking more $$ into it than a well equipped X3 I have a good reliable machine with half the power and when I’m being honest, it simply isn’t as capable. Typical Honda development took so long they built the best machine money could buy for 2010.
 
Last edited:
SpeedBuggy

SpeedBuggy

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Jan 1, 2020
1,289
10,214
113
WA
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. Talon R
I’d still rather have a transmission but the lack of a factory turbo, zero HP increase in the 3rd model year and i4wd are making me look elsewhere.
 
M

McCarthy

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2020
267
537
93
Canada
Ownership

  1. Talon X
I’d still rather have a transmission but the lack of a factory turbo, zero HP increase in the 3rd model year and i4wd are making me look elsewhere.

In all honesty, coming from a die hard Honda (small engines, the vehicles suck now imo) guy, just order an X3. Trust me. Lol. Kicking myself for wasting a bunch of money on the Talon.
 
K

KenThompson

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2019
265
603
93
Mulino
Ownership

  1. Talon X
The fit and finish on the Honda is far superior to the Canned Ham. The Honda roll cage is the largest of any machine too. I’ve seen many videos of Canned Ham’s jumping, landing on the front end, the A arms folding back, and then pogo sticking it onto the cage. The cage then collapsed! The Canned Ham does have great shocks on it, even though the mounts bend. The Canned Ham also has good power, but requires constant belt replacement. The more power you build into it, the more $180 belts you have to buy. I wish the rubber band machine owners would at least pick up their broken belts. The dunes are littered with them.
 
M

McCarthy

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2020
267
537
93
Canada
Ownership

  1. Talon X
The fit and finish on the Honda is far superior to the Canned Ham. The Honda roll cage is the largest of any machine too. I’ve seen many videos of Canned Ham’s jumping, landing on the front end, the A arms folding back, and then pogo sticking it onto the cage. The cage then collapsed! The Canned Ham does have great shocks on it, even though the mounts bend. The Canned Ham also has good power, but requires constant belt replacement. The more power you build into it, the more $180 belts you have to buy. I wish the rubber band machine owners would at least pick up their broken belts. The dunes are littered with them.

Ya sorry bud but that's just not accurate info. First sentence is true though. Also, tube diameter is so irrelevant it's not even funny. 2" ultra thin pipe is not better in any way than say 1.75" pipe that is slightly thicker... obviously.
 
Last edited:
SLOWPOKE693

SLOWPOKE693

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Mar 10, 2020
1,607
6,094
113
Somewhere in Texas
Ownership

  1. Talon R
Make sure you buy a spare front diff for that X3. They like to blow up internally when the case bolts back out. Helped my buddy change one at the track this morning. It's only a 1k dollar part so it's no big deal....
 
M

McCarthy

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2020
267
537
93
Canada
Ownership

  1. Talon X
Make sure you buy a spare front diff for that X3. They like to blow up internally when the case bolts back out. Helped my buddy change one at the track this morning. It's only a 1k dollar part so it's no big deal....

Good to know.

We're doing much better so far, 200km and 0 days in the shop! The talon was at 6 days already, and I can actually use low range. Bonus!
 
M

McCarthy

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2020
267
537
93
Canada
Ownership

  1. Talon X
My car is a 2019 and has been in the shop zero times. Heck, I've raced it seven rounds and have only changed the oil twice and nut and bolt it after every round. Thing is more reliable than any racecar I've ever owned.
Good to hear! I think as you'll notice everyone has different experiences with machines. We have Bob, that has I think 25k on his talon with no issues, we have the guy earlier in the thread that has 14k on an X3 with no issues, then we have your buddy who's X3 blows a diff, and my talon that was constantly in the shop. Just because my talon sucked, doesn't mean they all do. Just because your buddies x3 broke, doesn't mean they all do. Not hard to figure out.

Just search Honda Talon problems, Polaris RZR problems, Can Am X3 problems, they all break...
 
advertisement
906UP

906UP

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Club Contributor
Jul 6, 2017
13,038
121,573
113
da Yoop
Ownership

  1. 1000-3

  2. Talon X
Good to hear! I think as you'll notice everyone has different experiences with machines. We have Bob, that has I think 25k on his talon with no issues, we have the guy earlier in the thread that has 14k on an X3 with no issues, then we have your buddy who's X3 blows a diff, and my talon that was constantly in the shop. Just because my talon sucked, doesn't mean they all do. Just because your buddies x3 broke, doesn't mean they all do. Not hard to figure out.

Just search Honda Talon problems, Polaris RZR problems, Can Am X3 problems, they all break...
This ^^^^^

The Can-Am is a good machine, is it bullet proof? NO, but neither is the Talon. Don't get me wrong, I love my Talon but Can-Am makes a good machine too. Different strokes for different folks.....choice is a good thing. It keeps manufacturers on their toes always striving to be better, or it should anyways.
 
K

KenThompson

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2019
265
603
93
Mulino
Ownership

  1. Talon X
Ya sorry bud but that's just not accurate info. First sentence is true though. Also, tube diameter is so irrelevant it's not even funny. 2" ultra thin pipe is not better in any way than say 1.75" pipe that is slightly thicker... obviously.
Do a cut away and look. Everyone knows Honda’s are built the strongest. They always have been. That’s why they are heavier than the rest
 
JACKAL

JACKAL

Ancient Honda fanboi
Moderator
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Club Contributor
Jun 11, 2015
39,197
265,578
113
Pioneer, TN
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. 1000-5
Do a cut away and look. Everyone knows Honda’s are built the strongest. They always have been. That’s why they are heavier than the rest
So the curb weight of a Talon 1000R is 1545 lbs and curb weight of the KRX 1000 is 1896 lbs. So based on your statement it's self contradiction. Either the heavier machine is the strongest and not a Honda, or the strongest machine is not necessarily the heaviest.
 
Teebow

Teebow

Well-Known Member
Nov 21, 2020
281
1,185
93
Kentucky
Ownership

  1. Talon X4
I love my talon and wouldn’t switch over to anything. (Maybe a Yamaha rmax 4seater).I’m just a slow trail cruiser and crawler. Btw I painted the bumpers black since this photo

1680C3C5 AE22 4A1A 82A8 69405D7572B6
 
M

McCarthy

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2020
267
537
93
Canada
Ownership

  1. Talon X
Do a cut away and look. Everyone knows Honda’s are built the strongest. They always have been. That’s why they are heavier than the rest

Look man I honestly can't tell if you're trying to troll or just don't know, but why is the KRX almost 400lbs heavier than the Talon? Does that make it the better machine? The reality of both stock cages is they're not very good. I'm going to play devils advocate for fun though, the X3's cage has a huge amount of triangulation in it, lots of gussets, and roof bars the talon does not. Of course, being as knowledgeable as you clearly are, you know triangulation is the strongest shape know to man.
 
SpeedBuggy

SpeedBuggy

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Jan 1, 2020
1,289
10,214
113
WA
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. Talon R
Stock cages are all crap for all brands. Made to take one rollover. I haven’t done mine but it should have been the first thing. KRX is a heavy slow Turd.
 
SLOWPOKE693

SLOWPOKE693

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Mar 10, 2020
1,607
6,094
113
Somewhere in Texas
Ownership

  1. Talon R
Good to know.

We're doing much better so far, 200km and 0 days in the shop! The talon was at 6 days already, and I can actually use low range. Bonus!
I was talking to Dustin Jones yesterday about Can-Ams. S3 Powersports makes a plate that captures the diff case bolts and prevents them from wrecking the front diff when they back out. It's a very common problem on the X3 and would be worth looking into that fix from S3 Powersports. He also said you can drill the heads of the allen bolts for safety wire to keep it from happening.
 
SLOWPOKE693

SLOWPOKE693

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Mar 10, 2020
1,607
6,094
113
Somewhere in Texas
Ownership

  1. Talon R
Look man I honestly can't tell if you're trying to troll or just don't know, but why is the KRX almost 400lbs heavier than the Talon? Does that make it the better machine? The reality of both stock cages is they're not very good. I'm going to play devils advocate for fun though, the X3's cage has a huge amount of triangulation in it, lots of gussets, and roof bars the talon does not. Of course, being as knowledgeable as you clearly are, you know triangulation is the strongest shape know to man.
The cages are not as strong as you think they are. All those fancy gussets they put on the poorly designed cage as bandaids just creates stress risers where they are welded on. This rig did a single backwards flop trying to climb a ledge. Wasn't a violent roll at all and the entire cage and chassis bent and tore in multiple places... A hard roll or rolling multiple times is going to result in a trip to the ER.

IMG 20190922 105846

IMG 20190922 105420

IMG 20190922 105858
 
advertisement

About us

  • Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. We are working every day to make sure our community is one of the best.

User Menu

Buy us a beer!

  • Lots of time and money has gone into making sure the community is running the best software, best designs, and all the other bells and whistles. Care to buy us a beer? We'd really appreciate it!

    Beer Fund!

    Club Membership!