2021 Honda Talon 1000X RTI Score

The 2021 Honda Talon 1000X is built for trail duty. With its narrow 64-inch width, 12.7 inches of ground clearance, and 14.6 inches of front suspension travel, it’s a capable machine. Throw in a $19,999 base price, and you have a machine that’s right at home on the tight and technical routes we love on the East Coast. We recently aimed our base-model Talon 1000X at our ramp travel index test to find out what it offers in terms of articulation.

We’ve been pleasantly surprised by just where the base Talon will go, but the machine does have its limitations. The 15/16-inch rear sway bar is great for providing high-speed stability, but that benefit comes at the expense of articulation.

Still, the Talon 1000X managed to climb 44.75 inches up our 20-degree RTI ramp before lifting a wheel. Given the Talon 1000X’s 87.6-inch wheelbase, that nets the Honda an RTI score of 510.8. That’s not bad, especially given the Talon’s desert roots. Stay tuned for more tests, including the 2021 Yamaha Wolverine RMAX2 1000.