Got what I feel is a good quote on a new 2011 King Quad with EFI.

This one is black with auto tranny.

The 2011 Suzuki looks plain mean and I actually love the black.

What do you guys think about this platform and should I be shopping for something else? I am mainly a hunter and occasionally like a good morning ride of 2-3 hours, not to mention scouting between hunting seasons. I really don't mud bog or ride rocky terrain, I just need a good, reliable quad with a good size and decent power.

Conversely, the dealer has a Big Bear 400 (2010 leftover new) for a good price as well. Camo to boot.

Big question is the carb vs. EFI, plus I like the IRS on the Yammy.

Thoughts? Input? Much appreciated!

 

hmmm- that's tough. EFI or IRS...?

I guess it comes down to application- the dependability of an efi over carb is comforting- but the ride of an IRS in the trails is easier on the body and provides greater ground clearance then an SRA... I'd probably take the irs with a carb.

What about a grizzly 550? It has an IRS and EFI...


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ride both of them, that should help your decision alot. good luck!

 

If you're planning on snowplowing, then the KQ400 with its fuel injection and SRA is the better quad. If all you do is trail riding, then it is a toss-up--push the dealer for their lowest "out-the-door" price and see what happens. Either way, it is a buyers market, so PUSH-PUSH-PUSH the dealer.

 

The KQ 400 has been around since 2002 (Originally the Eiger) It's reliable as can be and makes decent power and speed. EFI is certainly nice to have. Black color basically sucks. Take a good look at it now as it sits in the showroom, because it's never going to look like that again. When it's clean and shiny it looks Great, but getting it clean and shiny is a real chore. Add to that, any scratches really show - once they are there, then they are there forever. Did I mention that the black color really sucks?

OTOH, camo is great for hiding all the sins of running your ATV through the woods. Minor scratches cannot be seen and a quick hosing off will make it look great, even if it still has dirt on it. Plus, since you are planning on using this for hunting, camo is a natural. I used to never consider spending the extra cash for a camo color but it turned out that my current ride (purchased slightly used) was camo. Unless I found a super deal on another colored quad, I will never buy another color other than camo.

 

Got the KQ 400 ASi. Not really much plowing to do where I live (except this winter LOL). I felt like the positives outweighed any of the negatives. I think the dual shock/spring setup is not a big deal. Not that it compares to IRS by any means, but I think it is better than a single swing arm.

I know the Polaris is a fine machine. Maybe a tad more reliability challenged (I have had three Polaris' in my family). Overall I felt like the KQ was a better long term investment.

The Sporty had the storage, big size and cool factor, but the Zukes are super tough and I always see very positive reviews on all the King Quads.

Pics tomorrow!

 

Great choice !

 

Oh, and the black will definitely show more scratches, but it can't be avoided on any quad. Camo is great when it's new but in a few years I've seen them fade and look like crap.

In the end I thing the KQ was a good choice, slightly better than the Big Bear (even though it's an awesome quad) and a bot better than the Polaris, mainly due to reliability.

 

You will notice IRS vs Straight axle alot more than a carb or EFI. I rode many efi sleds and ATVs and could not tell them from a carb model. Carb or EFI, you give them throttle and they both go.

But your A$$ on a rough trail with tell you in a instant if it has a IRS or straight axle rear suspension I can tell you that.LOL

Plus IRS has much more ground clearance than a straight axle. Take a efi atv and carb atv for a test ride and try to tell them apart ,good luck with that. Anyone who says they can tell one from the other is just kidding themselves.

 

All I've ever ridden were straight axle, and it's never been too big an issue. It's mainly a hunting quad and I will not be taking it extreme rock crawling or through peanut butter waist high mud.

I realize IRS is much more comfortable, but there are trade offs in everything. I am happy with my purchase for the price.