By Rick Sosebee
The four-seat 2020 Honda Talon 1000X-4 was designed to carry family and friends well beyond the campground without sacrificing the performance that made the original two-seat Talon 1000X such an interesting sport UTV. To find out how well Honda accomplished that goal, we joined Honda Powersports for an 80-mile adventure across Nevada’s Silver State trails near Caliente.
This was our first opportunity to spend a full day driving both versions of Honda’s original four-seat Talon: the standard Talon 1000X-4 with manually adjustable FOX shocks and the Talon 1000X-4 FOX Live Valve with electronically controlled suspension.
For background on the models and their original specifications, see our 2020 Honda Talon 1000X-4 first look. You can also read our original Honda Talon 1000X and 1000R review for more detail about the platform’s engine, Dual-Clutch Transmission and trail performance.
Camping and Riding Near Caliente, Nevada
Honda established its base camp in the Chief Mountain West OHV area, where motorhomes gave the assembled journalists, friends and family members a comfortable place to gather before the ride. Bringing passengers along was important because this event was about more than testing outright performance. It was also an opportunity to see how effectively the Talon 1000X-4 could share an off-road adventure with four people.
That fits Honda’s “Life is Better Side-by-Side” message. Much of the appeal of a four-seat UTV comes from sharing the scenery, trail challenges and unexpected moments with the people riding beside you.
2020 Honda Talon 1000X-4 Overview
The Talon 1000X-4 is based on Honda’s 64-inch-wide Talon 1000X platform, but it is more than a two-seat chassis with extra seats added behind the driver. Honda reengineered the platform around its longer, four-passenger configuration while retaining the 999cc parallel-twin engine and six-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission.
The gear-driven DCT distinguishes the Talon from most sport side-by-sides because it does not use a continuously variable transmission or drive belt. Drivers can leave it in an automatic mode or select gears with the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Four-Passenger Seating
Honda elevated the rear seats to improve the passengers’ view of the trail ahead. The rear seats are also positioned slightly closer together, helping their occupants feel more connected to the ride instead of simply sitting behind the front passengers.
All four seating positions were designed to accommodate four-point harnesses. Even as a taller rider, I found the rear seating comfortable and reasonably spacious. That matters in a four-seat UTV intended for longer trail rides rather than short trips around camp.
Standard FOX Shocks vs. FOX Live Valve
The Talon 1000X-4 retained the three-link rear suspension layout associated with the Talon 1000X. Its handling felt similarly flat, predictable and confident through corners. Rough straight sections also presented few problems for the longer four-seat chassis.
The standard Talon 1000X-4 used FOX Podium shocks with QS3 compression adjusters. These give the owner simple manual control over the damping but require stopping and adjusting the shocks when trail conditions change.
The FOX Live Valve model handled those adjustments electronically. The system continually evaluated vehicle and terrain inputs and changed compression damping in milliseconds. The driver could choose between Normal and Sport settings from inside the cab.
Normal mode worked well while cruising, while Sport provided firmer control as speeds increased or the terrain became more aggressive. Because Live Valve continued adapting within the selected mode, the driver did not have to make constant adjustments as the trail changed.
Driving the QS3 and FOX Live Valve models over the same Nevada terrain made the benefits easier to recognize. The Live Valve version delivered more comfort through changing trail conditions, while its additional damping control was noticeable during hard cornering.
Exploring the Silver State Trails
The Silver State trail system provided an effective mix of terrain for testing the Talon 1000X-4. Smooth graded roads allowed us to settle into the vehicle, while rougher and rockier sections exposed the suspension to more demanding conditions.
The Chief Mountain West area offers many types of trails and challenges, but its scenery and history make the region especially memorable. From the higher elevations, riders can take in views across Dry Lake Valley and toward the Pahroc Range. The surrounding rock formations also contain petroglyphs and other evidence of the region’s long human history.
Our overlook was located near 37°40’51.3″N, 114°40’52.6″W. Anyone exploring this remote country should carry reliable offline navigation, extra water and basic recovery equipment rather than depending entirely on cellular service.
An Unexpected Nevada Desert Flyby
Champion desert racer Scott Harden served as our guide and described the landscape from the highest point of the ride. The area is not far from the restricted military ranges surrounding Area 51, which added another dimension to the trip.
During the first 40-mile portion of the ride, we noticed what initially appeared to be other off-road vehicles moving across Dry Lake Valley. We soon realized that something very different was approaching: three A-10 aircraft passed low between the mountains and directly over our group. It was an unexpected and unforgettable moment that became one of the highlights of the entire adventure.
Visiting the Delamar Ghost Town
The second part of our Talon 1000X-4 ride took us to Delamar, an abandoned Nevada mining town. Once a booming settlement, Delamar still contains stone ruins, mine tailings, pieces of ore-processing equipment and weathered timbers from structures that once supported the community.
Seeing those remains makes it easier to appreciate the difficult and dangerous conditions endured by the people who lived and worked there. The destination also demonstrated what makes a capable four-seat UTV appealing: the Talon allowed a group of people to cover significant desert mileage and experience a historical site that would be difficult to reach in a conventional passenger vehicle.
Honda Talon 1000X-4 Review: Final Impressions
The 2020 Honda Talon 1000X-4 performed well throughout our full day on the Silver State trails. Its four-passenger layout was comfortable enough for a long desert ride, the stadium-style rear seating improved passenger visibility and the longer chassis retained the predictable handling character of the two-seat Talon 1000X.
Our back-to-back time in the standard and FOX Live Valve versions also demonstrated that Live Valve was more than a marketing feature. The electronically controlled suspension produced a more composed ride as the terrain changed and provided additional support during aggressive cornering. The manually adjustable QS3 version remained capable, but Live Valve made it easier to move between relaxed trail cruising and faster, rougher sections without stopping to change shock settings.
Most importantly, this trip showed what the four-seat Talon was built to do. It carried family and friends across roughly 80 miles of remote Nevada terrain, reached a fascinating historic destination and delivered an experience everyone in the vehicle could share.
For the latest generation of the platform, see our coverage of the 2026 Honda Talon 1000 lineup and factory 30-inch tire update.
