SCORE JOURNAL
50
FACTORY UTV WARS - HONDA
Sharpening The Talon
Heavy competition in the SXS market has manufacturers like Honda constantly
improving the reliability of the product. "When we race off-road, there's direct
feedback that goes back to the Talon research and development team in Ohio," said
Proctor. "There's always a concern about the durability of every component. In a
race environment, our direct communication back to Honda affects the outcome of
the changes that continue to happen on the Talon."
One example that Proctor mentioned came early in the vehicle's introduction. "In
2009 the Honda Talon came to market, and we noticed, when racing it, the steering
rack and assist motor were the weak links in the system. There was a lot of steering
feedback when running 32–33-inch tires. Now, many are running 35-inch tires, so
we needed a stronger steering assist motor. Within a year or two, Honda updated
the steering system using one of its automobile steering motors which completely
solved the issue."
As with most of the SXS on the market now, many of the actual race vehicles
have mostly stock components. "In our off-road racing pursuits, we essentially
demonstrate to consumers that you can go out and win a race with a relatively
stock car," says Proctor. "We're proud of that and prefer to use original equipment
(OE) parts. Things like ball joints, knuckles, drivetrain components, even the engine
is bone-stock. It's a testament to how durable and reliable the Talon is."
