26 TALON GUIDE
Manufacturers continue to make UTV's quieter, simpler to
operate, and smoother running to deliver a more comfort-
able experience for the driver and passenger(s). A well-bal-
anced engine, seating that holds you comfortably and even
a performance transmission that feels like a well-tuned
automobile system can make a big difference. Considering
the advanced technology engineered into the newest UTVs
on the market, it is surprising that some still use older tech-
nology when it comes to getting the power to the ground. It
was not surprising however, for Honda to bring something
updated and innovative to the world of pure sport UTV.
In the new Honda Talon, getting the power to the ground
is handled by a technology initially developed years ago
in their powersports line. This is known as the Dual Clutch
Transmission (DCT).
This specific feature in the transmission of the Honda
Talon UTV was fine tuned to fit the chassis and driving
capability of this new off-road Talon UTV. As mentioned
previously, Honda has used DCT in their on-road vehicles
like the famous NSX sports car as well as their motorcy-
cles and ATV's for some time now. The smooth shifting,
gear on gear power delivery consumers experience in the
transmission has this DCT to thank for it. In the simplest of
terms, this transmission literally has two clutches or clutch
packs. It also has a high and low gearbox for even more
adaptable overall performance in any terrain.
Looking deeper into the gear box you will find that the
odd gears have a separate clutch from the even numbers.
This allows the DCT to stage the next gear that it deter-
mines to be required. The series of speed and input sensors
