Honda

-- Rincon 680 vs. Brute Force 750 vs. Kingquad 750 vs. Sportsman 570 -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels As time rolls on, technology advances, but the realities of the off-road market mean that the best-selling machines get the tech and marketing dollars. That means that big 4x4 quads keep improving, but they don’t get the attention UTVs do as they get more popular. Reductions in marketing dollars means it has gotten difficult to get enough of these big-bore brutes to perform shootouts. We managed to gather the Honda…

-- 1999 HONDA 400EX vs. 1989 250R -- When Honda came out with its TRX250R in 1986, the ATV world became a much better place. It wasn't long before  this two-stroke machine became known as the best high-performance quad ever made. Life was good for quad riders for four years, and then the bad news came. Honda announced that the 1989 model would be the last 250R  it would sell. For the next 10 years we all waited for Honda to introduce a new replacement for the 250R. Everyone was growing impatient and then the news finally…

-- Pioneers & Talons -- HONDA PIONEER 1000 There are three versions of this three-seat Pioneer 1000 for 2019. You can get the base model that has stamped steel wheels. Upgrading to the EPS version you have power steering, paddle shifters for changing gears and more. The Limited Edition model has Honda’s I-4WD that electronically controls the brakes to help keep traction constant. Engine type Uni-Cam twin Displacement 999cc Suspension: Front Dual A-arm/10.6” Rear Dual A-arm/10.0” Length/width/height…

-- Building the ultimate 2-stroke quad -- Honda TRX250Rs don’t have fans. They attract devotees—riders and owners with a two-stroke obsession that infests every cell with a sneaky efficiency that would make a papa virus proud. Like many TRX250R obsessions, Eric Christiansen’s started out many years ago. When he bought this machine 20 years ago, it was a wedding gift for his wife. Yes, we have all heard the “it’s for my wife” line before, but she actually spent a lot of time riding it for the first six years they owned…

-- Refresh your older quad with a big-bore kit -- With many ATV manufacturers not producing sport ATVs any longer, many riders are having to hold onto older quads and rebuild them to as-new condition. Luckily, there are many ways to use aftermarket parts to rebuild your older sport ATV into something that is better than what you could pick up on the dealer-room floor. The project can even be at a cheaper cost if you don’t go crazy with your build. We recently had the chance to resurrect a 2004 TRX450R that had a blown…

-- What to look for when shopping for a good deal -- As the UTV market expands, there are a lot of enthusiasts purchasing new machines and putting their old ones on the market. Those used machines can be where a smart buyer stakes their claim on a handsome deal for a (new to them) UTV. With sites like Craigslist and atvtrader, there are many options to view the available herd of UTVs, and begin the process of narrowing down the quality values and weeding out the not-so-promising SxSs. Research is key when it comes to…

Honda has said that the two all-new Honda Talon sport UTVs that were revealed to the public in November 2018 would be competitively priced, but no prices had been announced until now. Of the two the Talon X is the more compact platform. It is intended for woods and trail driving. The Talon X MSRP is $19,999. The wider and longer long-travel Talon R is aimed at more open terrain. It will retail for $20,999. Both machines are expected this spring.

-- Another Blast From The Past favorite -- Back in 2001 Honda was selling 400EX sport quads as fast and they could make them. It was an extremely popular machine and it seemed like every body had one.  The number one thing on their minds was to make these Hondas even better. Or, more to the point, how to make them faster.  That was what the Dirt Wheels crew did for a living and an aftermarket pipe was always the first thing we bolted on to a given quad. "Which pipe is best?" is a question we constantly got from our…

-- A man's dream comes alive -- Here is the classic Honda two-stroke three-wheeler that the fast guys used to ride back in the day. This one belongs to Mike Peterson and we'll let him describe it in his own words... Hi Dirt Wheels, I’ve always enjoyed reading your magazine! I’ve been riding on the Oregon coast for over 40 years. Started riding on a 1970 Honda ATC 90. Then a 110, 200 & finally bought a new '86 ATC 250R. Later bought an '85 ATC 250R. I was a long holdout of the quads. I liked the three-wheelers…

-- Remember the Mickey Thompson Grand Prix Series? -- It was quite a sight as you sat there watching from a comfortable seat. A pack of quads and riders lined up on the starting line, revving the engines of their finely tuned machines. Then, they'd all take off in a roar racing to the first turn. A little bumping and shoving might send a rider or two over the berm, but the rest would go sailing over jumps, flying across the whoops, roosting around the turns and fighting to be first to the finish line. This was the exciting…

For More Dirt Wheels Click HERE to Subscribe!  -- Interview with the Honda Talon's senior design engineer -- Erik Dunshee has been with Honda R&D America since 2009, which is based in the Torrance, California, office. He was responsible  for developing the look of the Talon and he gave us some insight on  that process with our interview. What word would you use to describe what you were going for with the Talon's look? "Capable." When you looked at this vehicle, we wanted you to know that it's able to take any…

-- A fast sand dune machine -- It's kind of like a dirt bike, but it's also like an ATV too. The fat tires allow it to carve across the sand better than skinny tires. If you've ever ridden a normal dirt bike at the dunes you had to deal with the front tire cutting in deep in the turns and the rear tire spinning wildly trying to find traction. This Fat Cat 650 is an effective solution to that problem. Although the Fat Cat 650 is a custom build, its concept was based on the original Honda Fat Cat 200 that was available…