00:00 We are here with the 2024 Honda Talon 1000 R4.
00:04 We've been having a great time with this rig.
00:06 We've had it in the shop for about a month.
00:07 We've taken it to our local trails.
00:09 We've bombed around in it.
00:10 We have thoroughly tested this machine,
00:12 but the thing that we have not done is get numbers on it.
00:15 So today we're going to change that.
00:16 We are going to put it on our RTI ramp
00:18 and see how much flex you can expect from the Honda Talon.
00:21 Now, the RTI ramp, for those of you who don't remember,
00:24 stands for ramp travel index,
00:26 basically a numerical measure of flex.
00:28 You drive the driver's side front tire up the ramp
00:31 until a back tire comes off the ground.
00:33 Then you measure that distance.
00:35 You divide that distance by the rig's wheelbase.
00:37 Multiply by a thousand.
00:40 And you get a three-digit numerical score
00:45 and that tells you how well the rig flexes.
00:47 You can compare it to other machines.
00:49 The last Honda Talon we did, did a 556.
00:52 Now, for some reference, an amazing score is anything over 700.
00:56 A bad score is anything 350 or below.
00:59 So let's see how this sucker does.
01:01 But before we do that, let's play a little game.
01:04 How about a little Price is Right?
01:05 We've tested Talons before.
01:06 We've tested 4-seaters before.
01:07 We've never tested a Talon 4-seater on the ramp.
01:09 So let's guess some scores.
01:11 What do you think it's going to do?
01:12 The last 2-seater we had did a 556.
01:15 I expect a little bit better from the 4-seater.
01:17 I'm going to go...
01:19 I'm going to do a 590.
01:20 I'm going to say 590.
01:21 590.
01:21 Yeah.
01:22 All right.
01:22 Yeah, I'm optimistic.
01:23 Let's see.
01:24 What did the KRX-4 do?
01:26 The KRX-4...
01:27 A 585.
01:28 KRX-4 did a 585.
01:31 So we think this is going to be better or worse than a KRX-4?
01:33 I think it's going to be better.
01:34 I like the live valve.
01:36 Yeah, I'm going...
01:36 I'm sticking with that.
01:37 590.
01:38 What do you think?
01:38 Come on.
01:39 570.
01:39 570.
01:40 570.
01:40 Okay.
01:41 All right.
01:41 So we got a nice bracket.
01:42 You can't go over.
01:42 You can't go over.
01:43 No.
01:44 You want to change your answer.
01:47 No.
01:48 590.
01:48 Let's do it.
01:49 All right.
01:49 Get your lid on.
01:50 Let's find out.
01:50 All right.
01:51 Let's go.
01:51 All right.
01:52 So just to recap, this thing's going to go up that ramp.
01:54 In the first second, it lifts a tire.
01:56 We're going to back that tire back down until it's hitting on the ground.
01:59 Then we'll take a measurement.
02:00 That's how we're going to get our score.
02:01 We've already set our tire pressures to the factory recommended pressures.
02:03 That's 20 psi in the front, 18 in the rear.
02:06 Tire pressures are super important.
02:07 We've got a video on just how much that can change a score.
02:10 All that's going to be dialed.
02:11 Since this has multiple suspension settings, we're going to try it in normal.
02:14 We're going to try it in sport, get the best possible setting we can get.
02:17 I'm ready.
02:17 Let's do it.
02:19 [MAKING NOISES]
02:24 Whoa.
02:25 Back just a-- oh, right there.
02:28 Pretty good.
02:29 Pretty good.
02:30 That feels pretty good.
02:31 That feels pretty flexing.
02:32 Are we flexing?
02:32 We're flexing.
02:33 I'm liking my answer.
02:34 You're liking the answer?
02:35 I'm liking my answer.
02:36 Call it 61 and 5/16.
02:46 A few moments later.
02:47 That was pretty good.
02:48 That was not bad.
02:49 That felt pretty flexy.
02:50 I'm feeling good about my choice.
02:52 I think I'm feeling pretty good.
02:54 You want to know the score?
02:55 Yeah, I want to know the score.
02:56 They want to know the score.
02:56 They want to know the score.
02:58 It's 5/16.
03:00 What?
03:00 So the interesting thing there is that's almost exactly what the 1000X got,
03:04 the two-seat 1000X got.
03:05 Was that a live valve?
03:06 I can't remember.
03:06 No, that was not a live valve.
03:08 So the standard two-seat--
03:09 OK.
03:09 All right.
03:10 So that feels pretty good.
03:11 I think what's surprising here is this is the 1000R.
03:15 So this is the one that's made for the desert.
03:16 It's made for going out and ripping around.
03:18 This is the wide boy.
03:18 And what we found is the high-speed units, the units that are made for ripping around
03:22 in the desert, don't do that well, typically.
03:24 No, not in the RTI test.
03:26 That's not what they're for.
03:28 But I got to say, this was in normal mode, so that's your flexiest mode.
03:30 And on paper is one thing.
03:32 We have had this thing in the rocks plenty.
03:34 It does really well.
03:35 It feels really planted.
03:36 And I got to say, I've been up that RTI ramp a time or two.
03:39 It can feel pretty puckery, and I was more than comfortable sitting in here.
03:43 You know, I would not have guessed when you told me to go back that I had lifted a wheel yet.
03:47 So, I mean, that's a mark in the Honda's column, even though the numerical score, you know,
03:52 maybe isn't as high as I thought.
03:53 You know, a 5.16 is pretty solid, pretty solid middle of the pack.
03:56 That's right in the middle.
03:57 That's nothing to be embarrassed about.
03:58 No, no, no.
03:59 And again, we said 700 is exceptional.
04:01 350 is bad.
04:02 We're way above bad.
04:04 Yeah, yeah.
04:05 So it's pretty good.
04:05 All right.
04:06 Well, I am curious to know if changing it to sport on the live valve changes anything at all.
04:10 Yeah, let's see.
04:11 All right, before we get on to the second part of the RTI ramp test, I need you to like, comment, and subscribe.
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04:33 Nope, right there.
04:40 It's identical.
04:41 Maybe slightly worse.
04:45 60 and 7/8.
04:48 Feels the same from up here.
04:49 Does it?
04:50 Yeah, it's less than an inch.
04:51 Yeah.
04:52 All right.
04:53 All right, so that only hurt us by about, how, less than an inch.
04:58 Less than an inch.
04:58 Yeah, 60 and 3/4 up the ramp.
05:00 So, you know, drop the score to about a 512, somewhere around there.
05:03 All right.
05:04 So, you know, marginal.
05:05 And that makes sense, right?
05:06 You're not changing geometry.
05:07 You're not changing spring rate, any of that fun stuff.
05:09 You're literally just changing what the shocks can do and how quickly they do it.
05:13 You're stiffening up the damping.
05:14 So, yeah, it's going to, it might flex a little less quickly.
05:17 It felt the same.
05:19 Yeah.
05:19 I mean, same level of confidence, same level of flex.
05:22 I really didn't even notice it being that much stiffer, I'm going to be honest.
05:25 So, cool.
05:26 All right.
05:26 Rock and roll.
05:27 Good work, Talon.
05:28 Yeah, dude.
05:28 Sorry about the score.
05:29 What do you win?
05:30 I don't have to wash this thing.
05:33 God.
05:36 That is it for our RTI ramp test on the 2023 Honda Talon 1000 R4.
05:42 This thing did great.
05:44 It's not the highest scoring rig we've ever seen, but you know what it scored better than, Zach?
05:48 It scored better than a Polaris RZR Pro R Ultimate with Dynamics suspension.
05:53 That is wild to me.
05:55 Yeah, well, like we were saying, right?
05:56 An open class rig, a desert rig, they typically don't perform as well on an RTI test.
06:01 And that typically is because they have more sway bars.
06:03 Sway bars front and rear.
06:05 A rear sway bar specifically will hinder you on an RTI test.
06:09 This one does have a rear.
06:11 Yeah, I got to say, this thing did remarkably well.
06:14 Honda should be proud of how this thing performed.
06:16 Yeah, absolutely.
06:17 And I got to say, it felt really stable going up the ramp.
06:19 I mentioned it earlier.
06:21 Sometimes the ramp's a little puckery.
06:23 In this thing, it was not.
06:25 And it got the same or pretty much level scores, whether it was in sport mode or normal mode.
06:29 So, you put the live valve in stiff or trail, everything is pretty much the same.
06:34 You are going to have a good time in the rocks or the desert in this rig.
06:39 I think that wraps us up.
06:40 Absolutely.
06:40 So, keep in mind, we RTI test every vehicle that comes through the shop.
06:44 We have a full list of everything and how everything's performed.
06:47 Head over to UTVdriver.com to check that out.
06:49 We also have buyer's guides, news, reviews, galleries five days out of the week.
06:53 You can also catch us on all of our social media channels.
06:56 We'll see you there.
06:57 [MUSIC]
07:02 Fire ramp test on the 2023 Honda Talon 1000 R4.
07:08 1000 what?
07:09 What?
07:10 What?
07:10 What?
07:13 Must be nice.
07:14 Be free real estate.
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