ok guys you all are the experts here.
i want to know the good, the bad and the ugly about the king quad.....
i plan to try to get an atv in the spring. my heart is set on a polaris sportsman 500, but wallet is set on a mountain bike......
let me know your thoughts on the quad(KQ). is it a good/great general purpose machine?
i hear that at high speeds it gets interesting to handle one....(this doesn't really bother me cause i ain't gonna be racin' it any time soon)
Is the independant rear suspension as good as the polaris?
any other information is welcome....
thanx for you thoughts
ps----i will use it for hunting and plain ole goofing off


[This message has been edited by cartman308 (edited 12-02-1999).]

 

Well, if you can swing the Sportsman, get it. The Sportsman has more power, liquid cooling, awesome suspension, great ground clearance, push button true 4 wheel drive. Let's see, what else is there? Corners pretty good, pulls a lot, and is a good mudder. Anything else you need to know?

 

Cartman,I owned 87 KQ,and 97 KQ.I currently own a 99 Sportsman.The KQ is a dependable little 4x4.It does nothing the best,but yet,remains very versatile.Good points?True 4x4 when in diff lock.Selectable 2wd-4wd.Extremly good pulling power with it's Super Low Range.A really good,dependable engine.Bad points?This quad remained vertually unchanged from 1987-1998.It has to small of an engine,it has the worst turning radius of any 4x4 on the market,and lastly,dont plan on mudding with this 4x4,or you'll spend an afternoon removing the brake drums for a good cleaning.Keep the KQ out of the mud and water,and everything is ok.You'll not break any speed records with the KQ,it is just so so on trails,suspension is not the best.After owning the big 500cc Sportsman,I'd never go back to the smaller KQ.I'd like to see Suzuki put a 500cc in the KQ,Maybe I'D try one than.BILL

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I own a 00 King Quad and love it. I think it funny that guys want to compare their 500 cc quads with Suzuki's 300. That shows you just how good the Suzy King Quad is. Polaris? How would a Polaris 300 compare? Not well. The belt-driven torque converter gives you little control over your torque and rpms. If you want to navigate steep inclines, the Polaris has to have a 500cc, not the Suzi King Quad! Want to use your gears to slow you down hill? Well, belt-driven quads can't do that. You have to rely on Polaris's braking system, which is an attempted substitute.

I have mudded with my King Quad and driven it through streams, water holes, and a lake - without any brake problems. Oh, by the way, let the Polaris guys tell you what happens to their belt drive in the water....It slips and can strand you with your motor roaring but no power to the wheels. If you want a comparbale 4X4 with disc brakes, then there is the Arctic Cat, similarly priced, and with a Suzui motor, and you can get a 500cc power plant.

I get great service from my dealer and have found the KQ to be a superb machine. the only KQ owner I ever spoke with was some kid at Tasker's Gap (Va) who complained that it didn't jump as well as a Banshee. I guess the KQ was so irresistable to him that he bought it, even though he really wanted a sports machine.

The Suzi King Quad does not have as good a turning radius as some other quads. Frankly, I don't know how it compares, but I haven't had any problems.

I wouldn't trade my KQ300 for a Polaris Sportsman, sorry!

 

I have never ridden the polaris so I am unable to compare them. However I own an 96 King Quad and love it.

It may not be as fast as the Polaris, but I was able to cruise along at Tour de Forest at about 35 mph. Of course I was in high range, two wheel drive.

I have jumped it but not much, after all it is a 4x4 utility quad. It helps in learning the capability of the machine, which I am still learning.

Hill climbing is great, as long as the wheels have traction it will climb anything. It will dig holes before it quits.

The lockable front end makes it the only true four wheel drive on the market. I know Polaris makes that claim but then you are in four wheel drive only when the rear wheels spin faster then the front. When you lock the King all four and I emphasize four wheels are turning. Granted when you do that steering is a pain, to put it nicely. I would not lock them when trail riding but when you want to go thru or over something there won't be anything stopping you.

Which is better for you? I can't honestly say. I believe that the best quad is the one you own not matter what make it is. I like my King Quad. I don't plan on changing for quite a while.

Good luck with your decision and please let us know which you chose and why. I enjoy learning about all quads.



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Eric Baatz 1996 Suzuki KING QUAD Remember the KING Lives!!

 

KCLAYD,Whats so funny about comparing a 500cc Polaris to a King Quad?The originator [cartman] is the one that ask for information on these two quads.I just give him my honest[experienced] opionions on them.Your response to Cartman indicated how little you really know about Polaris quads.First,you say the belt driven quad gives little control over your torque and rpms.You say that Pols need a 500cc to navigate steep hills,but not the KQ.What hog wash.In fact,this Spring,there was a very winding,steep, long, loose packed hill that the KQ could'nt make after SEVERAL tries,While my Sportsman walked right up and over the top.The underpowerd KQ could not develope enough wheel speed to conquer that hill.He got up about 3/4 way and done nothing more than spin his wheels. You say that EBS is an ATTEMTED substitute to gearing down them steep hills?Some more hog wash.The EBS on the Pols is excellant.Im betting you have NO experience at all on the Sportsman.Your post indicates that.I have yrs experience on both quads,thats what I based my opionions on,not heresay.BILL

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I have seen good riders like you on a Polaris, Bill. In the hands of such riders, it is an excellent machine. I'll bet you could have got that Suzy KQ up the hill,too! But I bet not even you could have got a Polaris Sportsman "300" up it, if one existed (at least not without a winch). Polaris is an excellent brand, and to my knowledge the only one made in the USA. I love my Suzy KQ, and sorry, but I will not trade it for a Polaris Sportsman 500 - that's just the way it is.

As for the engine braking system, it is Polaris's answer to having no downshift. I prefer having a real downshift and gears. Others may not. That's what makes the world so great. Different strokes for different folks!

Bill, I am glad you enjoy your ride . Since you do enjoy it, I think it is entirely appropriate to tell people why. But, I still enjoy my Suzuki KQ 300. No matter how ignorant I am supposed to be, I have a blast with it! Love my Suzy KQ! I do! I do!

Good riding Brother Bill!


[This message has been edited by kclayd (edited 12-03-1999).]

 

Ride them,than decide.In fact ride a bunch of them. Good Luck

 

Cartman, Thoughts of nationalism aside, if you want to judge a machine on it's merits, the Suzuki King Quad comes out on top. Here's the scoop:

3 range subtranny. Hi&Lo need no explaining. Super-lo is VERY nice when terrain gets particularly difficult. Look at what fullsize 4wd owners will do (and the big$$$ they're spending) to achieve lower crawl ratios: tranny swaps, custom t-cases, DUAL t-cases!,r&p,etc.

Selectable ft. diff. lock. You decide when it's time for all 4 to pull 100%. It's awesome. It's reliable.

Power. It's got enough. It's not underpowered. Obviously won't have the kind of power a 500cc machine has, but plenty sufficient. Besides, more power usually translates to more reliability problems. You know, the Cummins engine in my pickup is a mild version compared to the same installed in larger commercial vehicles. Why? Drivetrain reliability. You can expect a King Quad to give many years of reliable service.

Low center of gravity due to it's unique engine placement and drivetrain design. Very stable feel.
Off camber situations don't pose as much of a rollover threat as to a quad of conventional design.

My 93 KQ has good original brakes at 1700 miles and living in one of the more precipitous parts of the US, I've been through plenty of mud. Mind you, I do try to drive through some water after muddin' to keep things from getting caked. So far I haven't had to remove brake drums for cleaning although that's not a bad idea.
I think the King Quad is the leader in difficult terrain and for all-around use.

[This message has been edited by Zukimoto (edited 12-04-1999).]

 

As a KQ rider, I would have to say it is a great machine. It's not gonna win any drag races, but it's not supposed to. I ride with a 425xped, Foreman400, Fourtrax300, and a Grizzly. There is no place that the others go the the KQ cannot. Notice I said the KQ, and not me. The 425xped rider in our group is far more experienced (and daring) than I. There have been a couple instances that I could not make it up a severe, rutted out incline. I have yielded my quad to him and he has made it up. I ride alot in mud and water, and once I did indeed have to take my rear drum off to clean it. It is a great rock climber. The only things I don't like are where the battery is, and the fact that I seem to always get water in my airbox. I do ride seat-deep water through a creek alot. Once I had to take the spark plug out and crank it to pump the water out.

I have never owned any other, but have ridden Polaris, Honda, and Yamaha. I find no fault in any of the others, except the Grizzly was a bit too big (top heavy it seemed) for my liking. Again, in my opinion, the KQ is a great quad.