Looking for anyone with knowledge on the 300 kingquad. Any information will be appriciated regarding the pros and cons about this machine.
Service, repair, likes and dislikes, problemes encountered, power, shifting, any problems with the motor/trans.etc
Many thanks for all response and Happy Holidays!!

 

I owned a 87 Suz Quad Runner [same as a King,but a smaller 250cc engine],and am the caretaker of my bro's 97 KQ.The King does many things very well.

Things I like about the King!
1.Very versatile 4x4
2.With its Super Low tranny range,it could pull a house if it could get the traction
3.True 4x4 option gives it the edge in traction over limited slip differentials
4.Very dependable
5.Selectable 2wd-4wd


Things I dislike about the King!
1.To small an engine[280cc]to compete on the larger, more serious hills/mud with the bigger displacement CC 4x4s
2.Stock tires provide horrible traction
3.Keep the King out of the serious mud/water because the drum style brakes are POORLY sealed against the elements of mud/water.If you mud alot with one,be prepared to remove all three drums and give the brakes/parts a complete cleaning.This is very time consuming and costly.The brakes will wear extremly fast if you ride in mud alot.Keep out of the bad mud/water,you wont have this problem!
4.Poor turning radius
5.Low ground clearance
6.Seat is to small

In 1987,I chose the KQ over the larger displacement [350cc Honda Foreman] because of its locking Diff.Honda only had a limited slip diff.The King was pretty good to me,however,with the bigger CC quads that are out here today,I would never concider ever buying another one.

The King will hold its own on casual trail rides, ect.If you dont have to be one of the ''FASTEST'' and ''BADDEST'' 4x4s out there,and can keep the King out of the bad mud,it very well could be the quad for you,
Bill

 

 

Hit the nail right on the head Bill! Except the 3 biggest reasons I bought the Cat. 1, Suz is so far behind in suspension travel 4.9" compared to Cats 6.5" & 2, here where I live Cat was $5-600 cheaper. 3, Cat has disc's all around.

 

sxr6,
I agree,Suz is certainly way behind in the suspension department.I took my Xplorer out today to my local riding area.It was a total mess there.There was 12 inches of VERY HEAVY wet snow,I was the first one to break ground on the new snow.Though the Xplorer did make it thru the snow completely,it did have a rough time.Im very certain that the KQ with stock tires would of had no chance to make it.It really does'nt have real good ground clearance either.
Bill

 

BILL, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY!!!
I Like my King, it gets me thru stuff.
It keeps me outta stuff.
And it's always runnin' even when the engine and pipe are buried in muck...
And I ain't gonna say nothin' about anybody elses quad.
But I do want to say this...
The King has a 280cc engine that puts out 26 horses. Other manufacturers build 500cc engines that put out 30 to 36 horses. When you think about it, that's not even a 30% gain in power. However the engine is almost twice the cubic centermeters of the King. I'll stick with the King...
Chuck, Suzuki KQ 300 (STOCK TIRES), GPS & lunch..

 

Preach on Brother!!

I am with you on this one.

 

What kind of gas mileage do you guys get on average? I know it depends on type of riding but my Rancher get around 25 mpg.

Looking for a medium size ATV (4x4) for my wife so the kid can move up to her quad.

 

Ecorman,
Im not asking you to dislike your KQ,nor am I slaming it.I will tell our audence this though,the KQ is your very first quad,and even YOU openly admitted that if you knew back then [when buying the King Quad] what you now know about quads,you would have NEVER bought a KQ!Your selected quad would of been with a larger engine size,thats YOUR quote,not mine.

My quad also gets me thru stuff,it also runs with the pipe and engine under water.Im not seeing your point here?

On the HP thing?So the KQ runs at 26HP?The 26HP does very little for the KQ on very steep and loose packed inclines.It just cant develope the wheel speed when compared to the 30-36HP quads.You and I can think of a hill at Tin Cup to verify this.

HP is often a very huge debated issue.Some quads also produce huge HP at the end of the crankshaft but that means NOTHING if it dont make it to the wheels!

In closing,the King is certainly a great entre level ATV,with MANY good features,however,I know of ABSOLUTLY NO ONE that has ever went back and bought another KQ with the larger displacemnet CC quads available today,
Happy Trailing,
Bill

 

Hi all,

I'm still really new to this, but it seems like something I will like to do. You know, message forums and all.
But, I really muust say Bill... It seems as though you are putting the KQ down by saying all these entry level things about it.
I can assure you this... The KQ is not only a entry level ATV but a all around good quad. Even though the KQ has a lack of power, it can hold its own under slow speed climbing of hills, and mud holes...
I have found with mine that at slow speeds it will crawl through just about any mudhole that comes in front of it. (This is with the stock tires).
As a matter of fact I was crawling through a "pond" as I call it, the other day. In my area there was a large mess of rain came through. One of my grandfather's hay fields was completely covered with water (due to two creeks merging in the middle). I slowly crawled my way to the water hole, so as to not sink in to where no one could get out. I then found myself getting deeper and deeper, and enjoying it. So... after thinking to myself for a few minutes I desided to "pop" it into 4x4 (not diff. lock) and see how deep I could get. (My grandfather has many tractors and my father has a honda 300 4x4, so I wasn't too worried about getting stuck).
I got to a point where I met the bank of one of the creeks. I said, "OK, wes, that's about as far as you go or you'll burry the atv completely". I stopped the ATV, I looked down to the tires, and noticed that the front tires were completely covered with water, and the back tires had about an inch and they would have been covered.
I had to go to work in about an hour so I thought to myself, theres no backing up. I put it in low range, 1st gear (normal) 4x4, and slowly eased into the throttle until it lurched forward. The front of the KQ lifted off the ground (as nature wants to make rubber tires float) and the KQ would spin slowly... I stood up to put weight on the front of the quad. The quad jumped to life as the front tires hit the ground and the KQ pulled its way out of the pond.
Now, you can believe this if you choose but this is as true as it gets. I was gonna take some pictures and add them to my web site, but it was raining out and I didn't want to get the camara wet, not to mention I was having too much fun to go back to the house.

One last thing Bill... You said that you have never heard of anybody buying a second King Quad... There is a first time for everything... I am deffinetely going to buy another KQ when this one dies (I hope not for a long time, and as you said the KQ is very reliable). (Mine is a 2000 model, so it should have a good 10 years or more left into it). My father is thinking of buying a KQ after seeing what mine will go through, and a buddy of mine is also thinking of moving up from a polaris Explorer 300 to a KQ.

-have fun ya'll, and keep all four wheels on the ground.

-2000 King Quad
-97 HOnda 300 4x4
CHECK OUT MY ATV PAGE!!!
http://atvmudbog16450.tripod.com/atvpower