In short, Awesome! Did 130 miles this weekend at Coal Creek in east Tenn. 75% of those miles were on tight, washed out, boulder strewn, muddy, rocky, mountainous trails! Most of the quads there were utilities and you could see why. I really didn't know if the cannibal(#20) would be up to it and fixed up an enduro bag with all kinds of tools for anticipated trailside repairs. As it turned out the only thing I needed it for was r/r of a raptor tie rod! Really gave the 'cann a workout and have a bent lower frame rail and 6 new dings/dents in the ITP's.
HANDLING: The cannibal never got unsettled by the off camber corners or jumps and was confidence inspiring with great stability. The gas tank low under the seat keeps the center of gravity low.The steering was precise and quick, though my kid thought it heavy. The short turning radius seemed to make every tight spot easy and I didn't get caught up by trees as often as the warriors/raptor. Suprised that the wide holeshots were great for this ride even in the mud. They skated over a lot of the 4x ruts.
SUSPENSION: I reduced the front/rear spring preload and ran 4.5psi in the tires for a very comfortable ride with no botoming. In this terrain it didn't feel stiff at all. The firm seat felt good even after 7 hours.
ENGINE: Wow, out of the box, my 'bull would have given me a fit on these slow,1-3rd gear trails with so many obstacles. Now that we are broken in together it felt perfect! I was able to lug up trails in 1st and 2nd and maintain momentum at slow speeds with minimum throttle. For a faster pace, keeping it in the mid rpm's, a jab of the thumb closed gaps(or created them) instantaneously! No lo end is BS! Engine braking is smooth and useful. This engine has gotten smoother and quieter over 140 hours use(never fouled a plug) and stilll brings a huge grin as it screams to redline. It has'nt let me down and may be bulletproof. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
BRAKES: Could this be the best part of the quad? You wanna stopp? The cannon will stop, NOW.
FRAME: I tested the Famed cannondale aluminum on several big@ss rocks with some pretty violent hits. The best one left me sitting on the quads balance point, stuck, teetering, with a 5 foot drop backwards and 3 ft forwards. lol, it was great. the stock case guard did it's job and the right frame rail bent about 1/4" up. When I go back I'll look into a prm chassis skid to go along with the swingarm skid that did it's job over and over.
MUDDING: Had the 'bull up to the front fenders in thin mud a couple times and she just kept churnin.The recessed bolts on the front plastics are a bad idea, as mud/ water is just drawn to em.
WATER: The high mounted air box was a real plus here, Had her in over the front and rear fenders a couple times and spent 1/2 hour in 1-2 feet of clear, running water. That was fun on a warm day.
HILLCLIMBS: again the low C.O.G. and great suspension inspires confidence and that engine will not let you down. Literally. the cannon will shoot up a hill.
GENERAL: though I could have used reverse a few times i can't say it was missed. Prior Proper Planning Prevents **** Poor Position, hehe. When stuck though, the low and comfortable grab bar and bumper, and low weight make the 'dale easy to muscle around. I had expected to have to slip the clutch in real technical stuff but was surprised how often it would just motor over obstacles. I did kill the engine 8- 10 times to my brothers 2-3 on a warrior. Oh yeah, the short, reversed head pipe will not leave you in a cloud of steam at every water crossing like most quads! The new material chain slide cures the premature wear problem. The cotton Cannondale jersey stains easy but is bleach safe.
Conclusion: the cannondales can and will kick butt on the trails and in the woods.
comfortably, reliably, and faster than most. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] :0

 

Great long Review!!! In the 130+ hours you have on your bike have you checked or adjusted the valves?? Are you going to try to bend the frame back??? www.atvaddiction.com has the PRM full skid plate for $79. I picked up a used one there when I bought my quad for $50.



Mac

 

Great review!!! I cannot wait to take my Cannibal to the woods. Are you going to leave the bend in the frame, or are you going to try to straighten it out?

 

I'm right there with you 3tv, sorry I missed you at ls.

I guess my biggest question is for a recreational rider are these quads the best choice. It seems they are more suited for the racer. But I may be wrong. I really like the idea of fuel injection and not having to play with jetting. I ride anywhere from about 1500 feet up to about 9000 feet.

I mainly ride dunes, with some desert riding thrown in. Just wondering if these are more setup for the racers. My local dealer still has a brand new fx400 and an early cannibal with the itps and ohlins shocks.

Bat

 

Thanks for the comments fellas, glad you liked the review. I'm gonna bend the frame back when i remove it for valve adjustment in a couple months. As is, it's barely noticeable. I have not yet adjusted the valves, or replaced the spark plug chrismac. believe it.
Batouta, I haven't thought the dales were ideal for average rec riders previously but may have changed my mind. The raptor i rode with had an extended swingarm and spider tracs. Compared to it, the cannibal was easy to ride on these technical trails. I guess you have to match your riding style to the quad that suits it best. The 'dale does prefer to run a little faster, but this ride proved it's all around talents to me.

 

hey ryan
you mentioned everything but the cap
nice post!

 

Hey Cannitor! do you mean the cool red cannondale hat with the big grease spot i was wearing? Or the cracked cap/cover on your r/v satellite reciever? hahahaaa. Low clearance means you! No, sorry 'bout that. I hope you can fix the damage cheap.

I would like to read some trail stories from some of you other cannondale owners. come on guys!

 

that hurts man...that really hurts...
$180.00 to replace it
i got my cannondale cap in the mail yesterday/looks to good to wear

 

did you get to try trail 21,if so ,did you take it all the way down to the graveyard?
that trail at night with rain and lightning everywhere was like something out of a stephen king novel...spooky.