Hello, I am considering getting a Quadzilla. I would like to know what is the best year for them and what do they usually sell for. Also, what problem area's do they have? I have heard alot about the LT250R's breaking frames and stuff like that, do these also have that problem? How reliable are they? Are parts expensive or rare? What kind of performance can be had from one of these compared to the newer quads, like the YFZ450, Raptor, DS650??

Thanks for the help.

 

get a 90' if you can. $2,500to 3,000 should be reasonable.

 

you can get a nervous twitch from riding a 500 2-stroke. it's from throwing roost on every one! the dust storm from a LT 500 make most go home!

 

87's had the head gasket troubles with only 6 head studs, and had a larger reed cage than the 88-92's. Which is good for high-end dragging or hill-climbing, but harder to find aftermarket reed valves. (I think only FMF makes one). The 88's and up have 7 head studs, and there are more available reed valves. Other than those two things, the upper A-arms are more squared and have one long shaft on the 87, whereas the 88's and up are round and have two small shafts.

I sold my 90 to my cousin for $3300, and it was pretty well all re-done, but I would have sold it for more if he wasn't my cousin.

If you find a good one and keep it maintained, its very reliable.

You can still get alot of aftermarket accessories for what they usually cost for other quads, but some OEM parts from a dealer can get pricey, tho....

And as far as comparing to other quads, its sized like a DS, has the power of a Banshee but with 4-stroke like grunt down low. I've never seen a YFZ450 go, but I know a stock Zilla will beat a piped Raptor, and just about any stock machine out there, and once you get into a few modifications, you'll feel untouchable

 

i found one before for $1000.00 needed a top end...i should of bought it GRRR

 

they made them from 87 to 90, not 92. The best year is the 1989 becaues the only changes made from 89 to 90 were a few minor cost cutting on materials. really 88 to 90 are the same. 1987 was the year they sold the most zillas but the 6 stud head is a concern. 2500 to 3500 is a resonable price range depending on what they have put into them. MAKE SURE THE FRAME IS STRAIT. found out the hard way with mine on that note. mine was tweaked and pulled hard right. i bent it back but that definatly hampers my resale value.

performance wise to beat the 450s and raptors all you have to do is start them up. They had great suspention setup and obviously the motor is a bear. you will spank any of those quads time after time if your dragging them. Zilla is the fastest production quad ever produced. They are wide so in the trails it has to do with your riding ability and other factors. Aftermarket pipe and running your airbox without a lid (of course you have to rejet) are two things you will want to look into. If it comes with a DG or FMF pipe other than weight being less they wont outperform stock by that much. The paul Turner or the LRD pipe are known to be two of the best for the quadzilla so if you find one with one of those pipes thats a good thing. If it has the FMF or DG i woulnt worry about it too much, mine has a DG and i dont see myself looking for more power in the very near future.

Another problem area they zilla's are known for is the crank bearing boss in the bottom end of the engine. as long as the crank is tight your ok but if it has any play in it you need to have the bearing boss sleved with i think steel bronze or brass because the different metal types in there from the factory expand at different rates and can cause the boss to be loose. go to www.off-road.com and in the atv section find the past projects. there is one called Quadzilla reborn. they go in depth on a complete restoration of an LT500 they pick up in boxes and make like new, or better.

people talk about the reliability of them and some say it is poor but i dont think it is any different than any other bike. It all depends on how you maintain it and how you ride it. if you dont take proper care of it and beat the hell out of it it wont be reliable. also, if you work on it yourself and dont know enough about what your doing (jetting is a fine example of many peoples problems) then you are likely to continue having problems. I knew I wasnt overly technical and that my buddy down at 2stroke performance knows the zilla inside and out so i brought it to him and have had no problems since. Im runnin 32:1 spectro synthetic blend and it always starts by 3rd kick.