2025 Honda Talon 1000-4 First Ride: Side-By-Side Sparkles With The Optional Turbo

Open-air motoring is one of my favorite activities, and I don't mean dropping the top on a Miata and going for a cruise up the coast (even though that does sound pretty delightful now that I mention it). Instead, what I'm talking about are the kind of gasoline-powered activities that require a helmet, maybe goggles, some gloves, and–most likely–a shower afterwards. It's the kind of motoring that can be done on two wheels, but for people who want to travel with four wheels on the ground, side-by-sides like the Honda Talon get pretty close to the feeling of riding a motorcycle without the same risk of falling over.

The Honda Talon provides the same rushing wind through your hair, the sand in your teeth, and the freedom to open up the taps and see just how fast your nerves will take you across sketchy terrain. Along with the Honda Pioneer and the Can-Am Maverick R, I recently got tossed the keys to a few versions of the Honda Talon 1000 out in the desert at King of the Hammers (one of the world's most-infamous off-road race destinations). So I took it for a spin, getting all the open-air motoring I was looking for and then some.

Honda has two categories of side-by-side vehicles: Sport and Utility. Utility vehicles like the Pioneer 1000-5 (which I also had a chance to test out at KOH) offer a large bed for carrying cargo, several seating configurations, and a general can-do attitude. The Talon, however, is of the sporty variety of side-by-side and it's focused a bit more on play instead of work.

Like the Pioneer, the Talon 1000 is powered by a 999cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin four-stroke engine, which offers reasonable power, but nothing too wild. It's worth noting that the Talon platform launched back in 2019 and the same engine has powered the series over the last six years, leaving it to be outgunned by several competitors. Ultra-fast side-by-sides like the Can-Am Maverick R and the RZR Pro are hard to argue against, maximizing smiles while rocketing over sand dunes and traversing massive whoops at scarcely-believable speeds. But for most purposes, the Talon has plenty of grunt. It provides just enough power without feeling unmanageable or intimidating.

Honda doesn't currently say just how much power or torque the Talon has — at least not on the spec sheets – for 2025 models. In previous model years, however, reports pegged it at around 100 horses. It's a nice round number, but that's not a lot of grunt, even for a vehicle that weighs just 1,845 pounds. Steep uphills aren't quite as easy to deal with, and you won't be going for any big passing maneuvers on the desert floor to get around slightly-slower-moving side-by-sides.

While I was driving the Talon around in the desert, however, enjoying the fresh air and getting familiar with controls, I didn't feel the need to flat-foot it as much as I thought I would. Sure, going wide open throttle is fun, but so is carrying a bit of momentum across the backcountry. Maintaining a moderate pace is entertaining, while giving you a bit of mental and physical relief from the harsh conditions and demanding terrain. 

Throttle and braking inputs were appropriately sensitive, providing power and reigning it in at the right pace, but there certainly was space for more of the latter. And thankfully, if you want more power with your Talon, you can turn to companies like Jackson Racing, who make it very accessible.

After driving the Talon 1000R-4 Fox Live Valve (or FLV) around for a bit, I got the opportunity to test out a turbocharged version, brought out by the folks at Jackson Racing. The turbocharged version of the 999cc engine feels much better and they claim a 60 percent increase in power. If that's the case, the turbocharged Talon likely puts out around 160-170 hp: a much more respectable number that's closer to competitors from Can Am and Polaris. The RZR Pro XP 4 Sport, for example, has 181 hp while the Can-Am Maverick X3 Max DS Turbo RR offers 200 hp.

With the Talon, adding the Jackson Racing Turbocharger System to the mix makes things feel much more lively. Throttle sensitivity is up, but it's not twitchy. The extra power feels appropriately suited to the package, like an OEM add-on. The extra power is delivered smoothly across the rev range. The gauges in my test model were mounted a bit wonky, but otherwise, it was hard to find fault with adding the turbo. 

The system uses a Garrett turbocharger that provides 8 psi of boost along with all the additional hardware you'll need to install it, an ECU re-flash, and re-tuning of the dual-clutch transmission. Like the Talon itself, Jackson Racing has a one year warranty on their Turbocharger System and it can be installed at Honda dealers. At $5,799.00, the kit isn't cheap, but it certainly improves the Talon's overall vibe.

Whether you go with the standard version of the four-door Talon (the 1000X-4) or the beefed-up Talon 1000R-4 Fox Live Valve, there's a lot of aesthetically pleasing engineering to gawk at underneath. The Talon 1000X-4 gets Showa socks, front and rear, along with 14.6 inches of front suspension travel and 15.0 inches of suspension travel in the rear. It's enough to make the Talon comfortable in rocky terrain, with 12-position dual-speed compression adjustment, but the Fox Live Valve system goes further.

The Talon 1000X-4 FLV has slightly less suspension travel up front (14.4 inches) but the same travel in the rear and the Fox live valves adjust suspension damping on the fly. They are designed with absorption of larger bumps in mind, monitoring steering, braking, throttle position, compression speed, and a number of other factors to provide the best ride. 

From there, the Talon 1000R-4 FLV adds even more capability with taller suspension (17.7 inches of travel up front and 20.1 inches in the rear) and a wider stance (68.1 inches compared to the standard 64 inches). The FLV version of the Talon seemed to behave as advertised, with impressive comfort and excellent bump absorption. It was stable at high speeds, able to change direction quickly without much fuss as I introduced some extracurricular speed throughout the day. If I were in the market for a Talon, I'd look at this version first. 

Everything inside the Talon feels functional and designed in a way that makes it usable in off-road scenarios. The buttons are large and have big, legible font. Want to throw a switch and change from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive? You won't have to slow down to a crawl to do it. Flipping on Sport mode or putting the Talon into Launch mode is just as easy, even with gloves on. All of the switches and dials are large and easy to read, and they're in locations that you can glance down quickly and not miss.

This might seem like something small in a side-by-side, but the more I drove the Talon, the more I appreciated these little things. Even when my tinted goggles were covered in dust, I could still make out the controls easily; that's especially helpful when you're just getting to know a vehicle. Like the well-labeled buttons, the digital driver screen uses basic high-contrast numbers and letters. It's pretty old-school compared to some of the big touchscreens offered by competitors, but it offers appeal by being easy to see and understand. If you ask me, the fewer distractions from the task of driving off-road, the better.

As with pretty much any off-roading experience, your comfort levels depend on the kind of terrain you're tackling and just how fast you're going. At a reasonable speed over stiff, rocky terrain, the Talon is decently comfortable. The aforementioned long suspension travel easily handled most of the big bumps and I didn't find myself being bounced out of the bucket seats. The Talon's seats are a bit stiff and the seating position was relatively upright, but that felt like the right layout for the tasks at hand: these machines aren't meant for lounging.

The Talon's exhaust note, in both the standard and turbocharged test models, was relatively tame. Sure, it has the typical sounds and vibrations I associate with parallel-twin, open-seat motoring, but it wasn't abrasive or harsh. Even though I forgot my earplugs at home, my ears weren't ringing after a day of driving. If you want to bring some friends, and maybe a cooler or some extra gear along for your adventure, the Talon has enough space to accommodate the family too. The rear seats are large enough for adults, and there's a cargo capacity of 299 lbs.

Like a lot of Honda products, the Talon is well-rounded, but its performance metrics aren't off the charts. I like to think of it as the Civic Si of side-by-sides. The Talon is engaging, powerful enough to have a bit of fun, and well-built. Function likely got top billing during the built process, but form isn't disregarded entirely. You likely won't buy it if your only goal is spec-sheet comparisons or standing quarter-mile races.

The Talon has relatively docile performance in stock form, but it's extremely capable over uneven terrain, and there are lots of upgrades to be had. The available JR Turbocharger kit is a nice add-on, but the hefty price tag makes things a bit harder to swallow. If you're looking for an enjoyable experience, whether you want to use it on desert trails or somewhere with a bit more foliage, the Talon is up to the task.