King Quad, Grizzly or Twin Peaks
#1
10-13-2004, 04:53 PM
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King Quad, Grizzly or Twin Peaks
I would appreciate some advice from knowledgable riders.
I am considering moving from my Eiger to a larger bike. Initially I wanted a King Quad due to all the positive comments but it looks like the dealers are going to price them high due to limited supply here in Canada (still none yet).
People do not seem enthousiastic about the T P although it seems to be a fast an manouverable bike.
I was also considering a Grizzly as it seems to a proven performer.
I am looking for a machine that has a fair bit of top end for long rides and yet is fun, manouverable and tough. I ride everything from rocks, snow, fire roads. Price difference here is about $500 more expected for KQ as compared to TP or Grizzly.
Any non partisan advice welcome (realizing this is a Suzuki forum) Thanks
I am considering moving from my Eiger to a larger bike. Initially I wanted a King Quad due to all the positive comments but it looks like the dealers are going to price them high due to limited supply here in Canada (still none yet).
People do not seem enthousiastic about the T P although it seems to be a fast an manouverable bike.
I was also considering a Grizzly as it seems to a proven performer.
I am looking for a machine that has a fair bit of top end for long rides and yet is fun, manouverable and tough. I ride everything from rocks, snow, fire roads. Price difference here is about $500 more expected for KQ as compared to TP or Grizzly.
Any non partisan advice welcome (realizing this is a Suzuki forum) Thanks
#3
10-13-2004, 06:59 PM
Pro Rider
Sound advice there. "Hey, watch this........"
Sound advice there. "Hey, watch this........"
King Quad, Grizzly or Twin Peaks
Of your three choices, the Twin Peaks is the odd one out, as it's SRA. No question that the KQ will outperform the Griz in all areas and it's a fairly easy comparison as both the KQ and Griz are the same "type" of machine (big single cyl, IRS, locking dif, similar size and weight etc)
A comparison to the TP is not quite as even. Some riders style will be better suited for the V-twin power and SRA handling while others may require IRS. Comparing these two will come down more to how and where you ride.
I'll admit to a certain amount of bias as there's a fair chance that I'll be changing my Eiger into a KQ soon.
Jaybee
A comparison to the TP is not quite as even. Some riders style will be better suited for the V-twin power and SRA handling while others may require IRS. Comparing these two will come down more to how and where you ride.
I'll admit to a certain amount of bias as there's a fair chance that I'll be changing my Eiger into a KQ soon.
Jaybee
#4
10-13-2004, 08:22 PM
#6
10-13-2004, 09:29 PM
King Quad, Grizzly or Twin Peaks
If not having a softer ride is ok get the twin peaks.The power is smooth from bottom to top and it has been around for a while now.I was thinking of a KQ but now I am not so sure.At the very least I think it would be wise to let them build this for a year or two.There are posts complaining about hesitation with the KQ.The only one I saw at HM had reverse out already.......I am sure it will be a great machine but IMO I think they will need to work some bugs out.You just watch...in 06 there will be changes that you would wish the 05 had.......same thing happened on my Prairie and my 00 Kodiak too.
02 650 camo
02 650 camo
#7
10-13-2004, 10:27 PM
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#8
10-13-2004, 11:30 PM
#9
10-13-2004, 11:39 PM
King Quad, Grizzly or Twin Peaks
i'd get the King Quad. it's the flagship model of the Suzuki lineup. IRS means a comfortable ride and awesome ground clearance (no rear axle dragging), and early rider reports indicate it may be the best handling IRS quad on the market. It also has great power and i personally really like the styling of it, although I want a Brute Force, but you didn't list that as an option.
#10
10-13-2004, 11:59 PM
King Quad, Grizzly or Twin Peaks
A lot of people will put down the Grizzly because it’s down on performance and handling when compared to the other two that you mentioned. However you need to weigh and prioritize the factors / features that are important to you. Of the three that you mentioned, the Grizzly should provide you with the most comfortable ride because of the IRS (that the TP / Prairie does not have) and it has more (albeit just a little bit more) suspension travel then the KQ does. Even though the Grizzly is down a little on power when compared to the other two, unless you plan to compete in races even the Grizzly will go through the woods faster than most people will want to push it. Other nice features that the Grizzly has to offer is a more reliable (but less tunable) belt drive system than a TP / Prairie has (and I hear the KQ has a similar belt drive setup as the Grizzly). With the Grizzly (and probably the KQ) you don’t have to worry about using low range for most trail riding situations as is recommended with a TP / Prairie / Brute Force (that are more susceptible to belt burn-out if you over-tax it in high range). Personally I have used high range on my Grizzly for every situation except when going down very steep / technical hills (because I wanted to go slower) or for towing something heavy such as dragging a large log (that strains the machine when it’s in high range).
As for the KQ the preliminary reports indicate that it has the IRS suspension that provides the most stable feel of the IRS group, which means better high speed handling characteristics (if high speed handling is important to you). It may however come at a cost of less comfort (such as when compared to a Grizzly), such as when going at a hurried pace over a rocky trail (rocks, not boulders that are better suited for crawling over rather than speeding over). The KQ should have more power throughout the entire rev range than the Grizzly (if you want that extra power). I could get my Grizzly to wheelie on demand, especially with a little tug on the bars when I wanted to lift the front end over a log or other obstacle on the trail, however when I put a winch on the front end and heavier after market tires it made bringing the front end up more difficult and always requires a tug on the bars now. The KQ should be able to pull the front end up with less effort than the Grizzly, winch or no winch. The KQ should provide you with a more comfortable ride than a TP / Prairie because of the IRS suspension. Performance-wise it will outperform the Grizzly if you want to push the machine to its maximum (i.e. want to race it).
If you want the ultimate in performance and high speed handling (and maximum performance is more important than better comfort) then the TP / Prairie is the machine that you want. The TP / Prairie can be snapped into a turn on a trail easier than any IRS quad because of the solid rear axle (SRA) suspension system. It will have less body roll than any IRS machine when turning at speed, however it also has less ground clearance than the IRS machines under most conditions. IRS does have an advantage over the SRA when dealing with boulders, mud or rutted trails (although the IRS machines will lose clearance when the suspension compresses, something to keep in mind should you land a jump over rocky terrain). The V-Twin engine of the TP / Prairie should (or be capable of with modifications) out-perform the single cylinder engine of the KQ and certainly does the Grizzly’s smaller engine.
It should be noted that high speed handling characteristics of IRS quads can be improved with something as simple as a change of tires. Also it can be further improved by widening the stance (different wheels and / or wheel spacers) and with more rider control input (body English), but you still won’t be able to match the high speed stability capabilities of the TP / Prairie (if this is important to you).
Up until now I did not talk about other quads in this league (such as the Brute Force) because it wasn’t on your list, however I’ll go on record as saying this; the Brute has a lot more power than a Grizzly, stock for stock it has better high speed handling characteristics than a Grizzly but at a cost of a harsher ride (stiffer suspension, harder seat and less suspension travel than the Grizzly has). However right now I can push my Grizzly faster on a twisty / rocky woods trail than I can my Brute Force because of the tire / wheel selection on the Grizzly that has improved its high speed manners plus it doesn’t knock you around as much (rides smoother than the Brute). Now if I change the tires / wheels on the Brute that may take away my personal high speed trail advantage the Grizzly has over it, but the Brute will still have a harsher ride. Also worth noting the 4WD engagement on the Grizzly (at least on my ’02 model) is nearly instantaneous when compared to the Brute (probably the TP / Prairie too), as when engaging 4WD on the Brute there is some delay as it seems to need to roll forward a little before it hooks up after pushing the switch. Unlike the Grizzly, the Brute’s 4WD will not engage if the gear selector is in reverse or if the quad cannot move (is stuck) so you kind of have to plan a couple of seconds (and feet) ahead of time as to when you want to engage 4WD.
The difference in the front diff lock between the Grizzly / KQ and the TP / Prairie / Brute Force has their plusses and minuses too depending on the situation. The TP / Prairie / Brute system is nice for short on the fly situations because all you have to do is pull in a lever (and you can do it while you are moving as long as you are already in 4WD) to engage a variable rate of locking (depends on how much you pull the lever in). However for extended situations you may like the push button engagement of the Grizzly / KQ better (the Grizzly must be stopped before the diff lock button is pushed though, I don’t know about the KQ but it might be the same way).
Finally you really need to try each one and see which machine “feels” best to you and weight that factor in with the rest of the features as to how they rank in order of preference to your needs...
As for the KQ the preliminary reports indicate that it has the IRS suspension that provides the most stable feel of the IRS group, which means better high speed handling characteristics (if high speed handling is important to you). It may however come at a cost of less comfort (such as when compared to a Grizzly), such as when going at a hurried pace over a rocky trail (rocks, not boulders that are better suited for crawling over rather than speeding over). The KQ should have more power throughout the entire rev range than the Grizzly (if you want that extra power). I could get my Grizzly to wheelie on demand, especially with a little tug on the bars when I wanted to lift the front end over a log or other obstacle on the trail, however when I put a winch on the front end and heavier after market tires it made bringing the front end up more difficult and always requires a tug on the bars now. The KQ should be able to pull the front end up with less effort than the Grizzly, winch or no winch. The KQ should provide you with a more comfortable ride than a TP / Prairie because of the IRS suspension. Performance-wise it will outperform the Grizzly if you want to push the machine to its maximum (i.e. want to race it).
If you want the ultimate in performance and high speed handling (and maximum performance is more important than better comfort) then the TP / Prairie is the machine that you want. The TP / Prairie can be snapped into a turn on a trail easier than any IRS quad because of the solid rear axle (SRA) suspension system. It will have less body roll than any IRS machine when turning at speed, however it also has less ground clearance than the IRS machines under most conditions. IRS does have an advantage over the SRA when dealing with boulders, mud or rutted trails (although the IRS machines will lose clearance when the suspension compresses, something to keep in mind should you land a jump over rocky terrain). The V-Twin engine of the TP / Prairie should (or be capable of with modifications) out-perform the single cylinder engine of the KQ and certainly does the Grizzly’s smaller engine.
It should be noted that high speed handling characteristics of IRS quads can be improved with something as simple as a change of tires. Also it can be further improved by widening the stance (different wheels and / or wheel spacers) and with more rider control input (body English), but you still won’t be able to match the high speed stability capabilities of the TP / Prairie (if this is important to you).
Up until now I did not talk about other quads in this league (such as the Brute Force) because it wasn’t on your list, however I’ll go on record as saying this; the Brute has a lot more power than a Grizzly, stock for stock it has better high speed handling characteristics than a Grizzly but at a cost of a harsher ride (stiffer suspension, harder seat and less suspension travel than the Grizzly has). However right now I can push my Grizzly faster on a twisty / rocky woods trail than I can my Brute Force because of the tire / wheel selection on the Grizzly that has improved its high speed manners plus it doesn’t knock you around as much (rides smoother than the Brute). Now if I change the tires / wheels on the Brute that may take away my personal high speed trail advantage the Grizzly has over it, but the Brute will still have a harsher ride. Also worth noting the 4WD engagement on the Grizzly (at least on my ’02 model) is nearly instantaneous when compared to the Brute (probably the TP / Prairie too), as when engaging 4WD on the Brute there is some delay as it seems to need to roll forward a little before it hooks up after pushing the switch. Unlike the Grizzly, the Brute’s 4WD will not engage if the gear selector is in reverse or if the quad cannot move (is stuck) so you kind of have to plan a couple of seconds (and feet) ahead of time as to when you want to engage 4WD.
The difference in the front diff lock between the Grizzly / KQ and the TP / Prairie / Brute Force has their plusses and minuses too depending on the situation. The TP / Prairie / Brute system is nice for short on the fly situations because all you have to do is pull in a lever (and you can do it while you are moving as long as you are already in 4WD) to engage a variable rate of locking (depends on how much you pull the lever in). However for extended situations you may like the push button engagement of the Grizzly / KQ better (the Grizzly must be stopped before the diff lock button is pushed though, I don’t know about the KQ but it might be the same way).
Finally you really need to try each one and see which machine “feels” best to you and weight that factor in with the rest of the features as to how they rank in order of preference to your needs...