Anytime a new machine that is unique for a manufacturer is to be released, it will cause a lot of hype(Fever).

Imagine if Cannondale released a utility quad. What kind of stir would that cause? I know Polaris has sport quads already, but nothing like this.

Just can't get over how they played down the fact of how fast this Predator is. If the new Honda coming out, or the current Z400 was faster than a Raptor, you would see bold print on the front cover: RAPTOR KILLER! But nooooo, not for Polaris. It was hidden somewhere in the depths of a paragraph hoping the "sponsors" wouldn't read it.

 

Bigger is better,
I kind of agree with you. It's like Polaris finally made a sport quad & is so happy they can't believe it themselves.
Ken,
Comsumer Reports is run by a bunch of liberal wimps. They should just say "little car good, big fuel hog truck bad." They say things like... "The new 4X4 Dodge doesn't handle as good as the new Honda Accord."
That is plain stupidity!

 

The new Dodge probably doesnt handle as well as the accord. Havent we gone throught this discussion on more than 5 occasions already? All I know is I'm gittin me a Pred!!

 

Let's face it, Suzuki did one SERIOUS wine and dine job on the publication industry when they released the Z400.

It was on the cover of all the magazines, in every review, etc etc.

ATV Rider had it on their cover last months with big writing saying "Z400 - The Quad Everyone Wants".

That is one BOLD statement to make without staking claim to HUGE biases.

It is NOT the quad everyone wants. I don't want one, for example.

They AREN'T biased towards who wants to pay for advertising though... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I can't understand why the z and the raptor get all of the attention. Especially the Z. All suzuki did was take the Raptors frame, suspension, and plastic; Paint it yellow. Take a motor out of one of their dirtbikes; and sell it as their own idea. They must have paid off all the magazines with the money they saved by not engineering their own design. I agree with the first post. ATV Sport said the same thing. First they say its a prototype, then they say it sucks because it doesn't look finished. Then its faster than a Z, handles better than a
400EX but it still isn't that great. The best quad I have ever ridden was a DS650 Baja. It doesn't feel like your driving a little toy. Also its the only one that looks different from the rest.
Just my 2cent

 

Andrew, I agree about the wimp part, just meant the "unbiased" kinda, no advertizing influenced publication. I think ATV Sport is pretty close, but a publication like Snowtech, but for quads. I think the Dirty Wheels crew is still finishing up their nippers of Saki. The vision is obviously blurred. I think you'd find that the sales of the Z-400 have probably tapered quite a bit since the Pred info came out (nothing against the Z) Kinda got to confess, I was climbing all over a Z last month, another guy started making some comments, then I mentioned the Predator. He had never heard of it....hence didn't know it was coming. Turns out he was a hard-core Polaris sled neck. No kidding, he walked right out of the dealer. Once again, nothing against the Z, like Wyo stated, it's all good for the consumer (great competition).

Ken...who still doesn't care what you ride, just ride!!!

 

Well, Dirtwheels did have the honesty to say the suspension was better for trails than an MX course. (No Duh!) Still I wonder why the reliability question wasn't brought up for the Suzuki LTZ400? Gee, it's a new machine too (like the Predator). Could it be that the Suzuki people wined, dined and did everything for these editors but buy them female "escorts" for them while they were there (they might have done that too, remember Japanese culture is a lot less "woman's rights" and less P.C. than our own).

Just something to think about....

 

OK, I've calmed down a little now and came to this conclusion: Dirtwheels can kiss my Troy Lee Predator owning butt. I don't care what anyone else prints, That black beast will look good on my black trailer behind my black truck, with my white butt planted in the seat!

 

I agree. After riding almost all sport bikes and owning a majority of them. The Baja IMO is the best all around bike with one of the best engines and suspention the industry has ever seen.

However the Mags dont agknowladge this at all. They talk about raptors and Z400 raising and setting the bar meenwhile the DS IMO is well above both. How many baja races and endurance races do you have to win to get the respect of the test riding punks that work for these mags.

Look at the last endurance race at La Tuque was won by a DSbaja bought from a local dealer in stock form only 2 days before the race and it won all the modded yamaha raptors, banshees, 400ex by over 8 laps.

Mags dont seem to realize that theres only so much crap we are willing to swallow. Its emmbarrissing to even quote a mag nowadays.

 

I guess a three page ad is not enough to get a good review from dirt wheels.