I will agree with you on the mags seem to play favorites. Heck when I had Arctic Cats they talked about how much better the 450, and Rubicon were than the Cats. But I still kicked both of these quads at the pulls every time, beat them in the mud and never had to work on my wheel bearings or brakes.
I have just recently got back on a sport quad after allmost 20 years. My last one was a ATC250R back in 83. I had never even gave any of the current crop of sport quads a second look until the z400 came out. Then I was at the dealer climbing on them and drooling all over them like a little kid. I hadn't even heard any talk about them let alone rode one or anything else for that matter. I started doing a little reading on them and it was easy to spot the seemingly biased articles and shootouts, there just wasn't anyway it could be that good.
I took my 450 Kodiak in for some warranty work (4 months old) and to look at a Blaster for my son and saw the KFX400. I fell in love all over again. I looked at it but didn't ride it, I had test rode the Z before. I thought about it all weekend and finally called the dealer on Monday to see about trading. Well I took off of work Tuesday to go pick the Blaster and KFX up. I got ther and the dealer tried to get me on a Raptor for the same $ I took it for a spin and while it is nice just doesn't turn my crank. He tried the 400EX for $500 less but I had really wanted reverse and had tried one before. The dealer told me that it was hard to sell anything else with the KFX on the floor even cutting the price. I traded for $100.
I'm not going to even pretend that I know what I'm talking about when you get into the racing aspect and have never ridden in sand in my life (except for a Hummer in the desert). I got this quad to trail ride with and just ride more aggresive with. I like to climb hills and it does seem to work good for that, but I haven't tackled anything too big yet still breaking it in. We ride all over Turkey Bay, Windrock and some other local places.
What I am getting at is that I too hate the way the rags seem to pick a favorite and keep it for a while. I have been on both sides, one that looses every shoot out that it is and one that wins every one. You just have to take the rags for what they are. If you want to believe them go ahead if you want to disagree do that too. I tried to not buy them for awhile but like was said earlier there isn't very many places to get any info on what we all like. You get the same thing on here most everyone tries to push their own brand or model. Even if they have had some trouble with it. You just have to go out and buy what is right for you. I just use the mags for the specs and heck half the time they can't even get that right.

 

It wasn't always like this. I remember back in the late eighties when I was a teen. It seemed like the best quad always won. The mags were pretty consistent. I can still remember the 250 high performance shootouts ( and still have a lot of them!). The 250R won every shootout EXCEPT one...and that was the 87 shootout in ATV SPORTS ( no longer in publication). The same went for the motocrossers. Nowadays, whatever is newest and most attractive to the biggest audience wins no matter what the comparison is for. In the bike mags, the 4 stroke motocrossers win EVERYTHING now...even when it doesn't make sense. For example, one mag did a shootout between the YZ250, which is considered the best 250 right now, and the YZ426F 4 stroker. Of course the 426 won. Last month, they did a full blown shootout w/ all the 250's and also the all new CRF450 and the new, more powerful 2004 YZ450F because it was released early (Yamaha loves spittin out new machines every few months anymore!). Ofcourse, the CRF450 won. But guess who came in 2nd! Not the YZ450F but the YZ250! So the 426 could beat the 250 1 on 1 but when they aleady had another 4 stroke in mind to win the shootout, it was OK to let the YZ250 finish 2nd and the bigger, improved YZ450 3rd.

What BS!

 

Yes that is stupid of them to have different winners in different tests. When asked about instances like you described they try to say that it must be the differences in quads, or it didn't run like some of the others we have tested. Only thing it could be is they can't remember who they picked last time or someone was a little late on their addvertising payment.lol.
I feel for you man. I have had quads that never won a shootout and now one that wins all of them. To be honest it sure does feel better to ride a winner. Then again I always liked my losers too. I just take them for what they are, rags.
Don't be bummed all that matters is you like what you ride.

 

ZTN that is very true with the moto mags. I know the thumper 250's race with 125's. But they put a 250 against a 125 in a shootout and talk about how much more power a 250 has. Well jesus i hope so. The 4 stroke needs twice the displacement to run the hp numbers that the 2 stroker does. Moto mags just want everybody on the thumper band waggon. WHich i am not. I dont like thumpers at all, never have or will, and i have ridden a yz400. But when i talk to other people the mags are suceeding. People believe that the thumpers are incredible and cant be beaten. False. These mags just gotta dust their knees off and get the manufacterers dong outa their mouths.

 

Why rag the moto's price they could've got a Cannibal with a pipe and remap(all the other quads had pipes and other mods), sand tires, tag bars and a gripper seat and they wouldn't have had to cry about the price. I would also like to know how the second widest quad with the lowest seat hieght and lowest weight is tippy. DirtWheels sucks up to whatever sport quad is put out by one of the big four. Want to bet the kfx700 will be the most incredible quad ever. Especially if Kawi starts running multiple 2page adds like Yamaha and Suzuki.

 

is there a mag that you would suggest getting, i dont recieve any mags relating to atvs, most of the info i get is from these forums, im not big into whats new, im more into being different, thats how i got the ds 650, everyone who i work with had yamahas, and hondas, kaw didnt have anything a like, so the big o bus was left for me to get. im glad i went with it, in the group of about 10 of us there is only one bike that could outrun me and its was a banshee what has some mods, a couple of raptors were close but im was in front by a bike lenght or so

 

Personally with all mags your r not safe from false articles. But the most accurate i have seen is the snowmobile mag "Snogoer" and when they can get their head out of a thumpers anus the motocross mag "MXA" but thats it. Most quad mags copy dirtwheels

 

they're only good for the ads and new products. they are very biased towards the quad they like. sounds like these guys grew up on suzukis.

 

The mags are trying to help all of us out. The more the Z wins the faster the other companies have to improve their machines. I think they don't like the Cannondale because it is different. Cannondale doesn't fit into DW's "standards". REVERSE is becoming a standard. If Honda comes out with a new quad and it doesn't have reverse, it still won't beat the Z or Raptor in shootouts. If the Cannondale had reverse it would probaly be the best quad out right now.

They all miss the 250R. Plain and simple.
Back in 2000, ATV Action did a shootout between the 400EX, DS650, Banshee and 250R. They gave the win to the 400EX but the 250R would have won if it was still available.


The best quad out right now is the one that fits your needs the best. My Z400 does everything I need it to do. And I wanted it before it ever won a shootout.

 

"They all miss the 250R. Plain and simple.
Back in 2000, ATV Action did a shootout between the 400EX, DS650, Banshee and 250R. They gave the win to the 400EX but the 250R would have won if it was still available."


This is exactly what I'm talking about. The winner is no longer picked on sheer performance. There's always something else involved in the decision that has nothing to do with the quads themselves. It's corrupt and I don't like it. It's fixed.