On the tight trails that we have around here, I have no problem keeping up with the sports quads while on my Ozark. Your speed on narrow, twisty trails is more limited by rider skill than it is by engine size.

If I am riding out in the open or on the sand, I can't keep up with the sports quads--not even close, but most of my riding is on tight trails.

Which type of riding are you doing?

If you have been riding street bikes for a long time, then you know if you are the type of rider who is always craving more power from your machine. If this is you, don't get an Ozark. Start with something faster.

Remember that the Ozark is much slower than nearly all street bikes so don't expect it to be comparable at all. The top speed is 47mph.

 

Grnxnham,

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but have you done any mods to your Ozark at all?

 

Another vote for the Ozark here. I have the Z250 and weigh 180 lbs and it hauls me through the woods great. I love the auto clutch and shaft drive. In tight woods I usually just put it in 2nd or 3rd gear and ride it like a CVT auto. Do I race Z400, raptor's, etc. No. You'll like it, all I have done to mine is yank the spark arrestor to make it sound more like a "real" quad ha ha.

 

2 Ozarks. Both stock so far.

 

ok i'm an owner of the king quad 450 , just got it saturday. and my wife's machine is the ozark. i been riding her machine the past month or so with the fellas with their 700's u can keep up with them in the tight mud, and puddle trails. but u have to go faster in those area not to get stuck. that thing never got me stuck. now u say ur not impressed with the bigger ones. i'm in love with my 450. it toasts my ozark and where i need to go. and the added security of 4x4 in case the wife gets stuck is a bonus. but can u live with the ozark. absolutly. its a great buy. and don't let anyone tell ya differently. but we ride 50 miles plus each ride. in mtns with huge mud and huge rocks. after i ride the ozark my shoulders hurt for days. but it still fun. i'll tell ya the difference when i get the king quad out there.

 

I don't think that it's a fair comparison between a King Quad and an Ozark. The King Quad has IRS, 4 wheel drive, fuel injected, and a considerably bigger wheel and tire combo. Not to mention it is a CVT, 6 inches wider, and 200 lbs. heavier. Not even near the same class for a comparison. Oh, did I mention it's 3000$ more? dm1333, you will be perfectly satisfied with your Ozark. Of course it won't keep up with 700's, but then who expected it to? For your case of zipping around back roads, going to a national forest for a little trail riding, you don't need the rest of the expensive bling bling.

 

it was'nt a comparison ding dong. it just happens to be the 2 quads i have in my stable. u get the ozark u need to overwork ur self. is basically what u need to do. the fuuny thing is is on regular trails ur not going to apreciate the gears on the ozark. where ur friends say u might get bored. but is that what concerns ya. i did this toys for tot ride in dece,ber and took her ozark , cause it was new and needed to be broken in. i was bored out of my mind. cause those trails were snowmobile flat trails. so i took it again to the big mud, and streams and rock ride did 56 miles, and thats where i appreciated it. ya sure in some huge rock situations it was a rough ride. and some straight aways i had issues but for the most part it impressed me. and i had great respect for it afterwards. don't hit the mud in first gear always have it in second and don't let up till ur out of the mud. it gets tricky some times if u have a big bore in front of u that rides slow. so just wait till hes done before u attack it.

 

"ding dong"?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Now that's funny. Whenever you catch a break from voting "yes" to same se)( marriages, stop and look at your statement, "i'll tell ya the difference when i get the king quad out there.". Sure sounds like a comparison to me.

 

Guys,
Don't get into a fight over the difference between a King Quad and the Ozark. When I said I wasn't impressed by riding a friends Kodiak that was because of the weight and the slow acceleration, especially when compared to a street or dirt bike. Today I borrowed his wifes Kodiak 450 and we went 4 wheeling on some very steep trails. That thing is one heck of a quad once you get it off a logging road and onto some trails. I have ridden a Raptor 660 on trails and roads and it felt more like the dirt bikes I used to ride. The Kodiak did not impress me at all until hitting these trails. I never even used 4 wheel drive and only shifted into low range once, for a down hill that scared the crap out of me. The CVT make the bike accelerate pretty slowly on a road but it sure was easy to use on the trail. I may have to start rethinking my decision to buy an Ozark and look at something like the new Honda Rancher.

 

Yet another vote for the Ozark. My friends too ride Grizzlies and big Popos but there is some stuff that I have no problems getting through that they get stuck in because my Ozark is soo much lighter. I've owned my Ozark for 2 years now and I am not planning on getting anything bigger. I love it!!