The original design of the reverse is defective. Simple as that. No way around it. If you use the reverse enough it will fail eventually. Some people even have had them fail with very little use.

The safe bet at this point to not buy one with the defect. Knowingly buying one with the defect, warranty or no warranty is simply stupid in my book. It isn't bashing and isn't an adolescent mindset to try to make sure people don't get stuck with a defective machine that Suzuki flatly refuses to fix unless it breaks and leaves you stranded. Suzuki listened to the lawyers and accountants and decided to screw their customers both current and unsuspecting ones who buy a defective machine.

Don't let your dealer try to unload a defective machine on you. Hold out for one with the corrected reverse not one with just a modified ECM which fixes nothing. Check to make sure it has a "good" VIN. Don't trust your dealer that is has the corrected reverse check the VIN to make sure. With the redesigned reverse the kq appears to be a fine machine, probably the best handling atv on the market but don't be so blinded by the hype that you buy one with a defective part and hope for the best. Unless you like blind hype then go ahead and drink the Kool-Aid.

Maybe if dealers keep bitching that they can't unload the defective ones because prospective buyers are informed and won't spend 7 grand on a defective machine Suzuki will get the message and do the right thing and fix ALL of the defective ones and be done with it.

 

shortbus; if you talked to suzuki service rep and salesman and they said they know nothing about reverse prob on early 05 kq they just landed from another planet. all 05 kq before a certain vin# were recalled to have an updated ecm installed to hopefully stop rev gear from blowng. if you go to highlifter or nyroc forum, guys have even posted pictures of engine cases split and blown gear exposed. all 05 kq have a 5 yr warranty on reverse gear and related components. later models have an updated roller bearing and shaft. obviously there were enough probs nation wide to mandate a total recall but i do believe this has been blown way out of proportion. myself and two of my friends have early 05 kq and none of us has had any probs with rev and we ride them hard. besides three trips to the mtns of ky last fall i plowed snow all winter going in and out of rev hundreds of times with no prob. all before the ecm update. lucky? who knows. im sure if i were one of the unfortunate few that blew up and my quad set in the shop for a month while suzuki decided what to do my story would be quite different. as for myself, after adding some decent tires my kq has chewed up and spit out everything that has gotten in its way with 0 probs of any kind. well after 8 months of hard riding thats my story. i think the kq is one of many fine machines on the market today and that suzuki has stepped up to the plate to back their product. good luck and safe riding with whatever you choose! p.s. i dont care for cool-aid

 

No issues with mine (KQ) yet. I did have the chance to ride with a Polaris 700 and it was not even close as far as speed. The KQ walked away from him. As far as muddin- we both got stuck and had to be pulled out.... everyone had a good time and made it home with everything running.

But he was a little pissed about getting spanked. I ride sleds with this guy too and my sled is faster than his too. So he is used to it LOL!!!

Marshall

 

Back to the topic...

The 800 Polaris is faster than a 700 Polaris by a long shot and the KQ is faster than the 800 Polaris. This is a fact, believe it or not.

However The Polaris is still an awesome machine with tuns of grunt!

 

Not according to ATV Action's May issue. "In our drag races, the Polaris smoked the Suzuki time and time again."
100 Yard drag times
SP800.......6.20 sec.
KQ700.......6.46 sec.

That's not even close.

 

I bought an 800 Poo and my wife kicked my **** on the KQ "time and time again"!

So I traded it in on a king and rode with a buddy this weekend that has an 800 and well let's just say he was not happy!

 

Is this going to be another thread about the reverse issue? I thought this thread was about the 700vs. the King Quad. Even with the reverse issue the Polaris is no match for the K.Q.