OK, I'm down to 3 choices for new quads... which has me at 2 engine choices...

DVX400 (has LTZ engine/chassis)

Outlaw 500 IRS (has the Fugi 500HO engine)


I know there is a displacement advantage and stuff. But what I am more interested in is "down the road".

I'm considering maintenance, upkeep, repairs/parts, mods, etc

 

Can't speak for the Outlaw, but the LTZ has been a great quad for me, minimal up-keep, and there's mods for it out the ****... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Outlaw 500 IRS (has the Fugi 500HO engine) </end quote></div>

The Outlaw and Predator 500 do not use the 35hp SOHC 40mm carb 500 h.o motor found in the Scrambler and Sportsman, They used the 42hp DOHC motor with a 42mm carb.

Different motor altogether.

500 Outlaw review

The Goods

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Power The Predator 500 has plenty of it. All of our riders liked the power that it provided. The Predator easily smoked Z400s, beat stock Raptors, and would beat many piped and jetted Raptors depending on the weight of the rider. In the lower RPMs, the Predator does not have quite the torque that the Raptor 660 provides and does not lug around as well. But get after it and the dual overhead cam Fuji motor revs nicely and the power really comes on in the higher RPMs. The 42-mm BSR carb and the pulse fuel pump worked flawlessly during all of our testing. At 42 HP on the Dyno the Predator has the Raptor easily beat, but on the track the Predator loses some of that advantage since it carries an extra 40 lbs.</end quote></div>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Top Speed With our hand-held GPS we set out to test the top speed of the Predator. Our test area had a very slight incline to it so we took readings in both directions with a smaller 139 lb rider and with a heavier 185 lb rider. The lighter rider was able to reach a top speed of 73 MPH in the uphill direction and 74 MPH in the downhill direction. The heavier rider was only able to coax 72 MPH out of the Predator uphill and 73 MPH downhill. One thing that both riders immediately noticed when doing top speed testing is that the Predator 500 becomes very twitchy at 70+ MPH and feels much less stable than our highly modified Project Desert Raptor. We think some more caster is needed in the front suspension if you plan on spending much time at these speeds</end quote></div>

 

So both of these are change the fluids, change the plug, gas up and go type of engines right?

I don't want to be adjusting valves every other ride and whatnot...

 

I would say both of the motors are pretty reliable. I would recommend the suzuki for a number of reasons though. The after market is much larger and parts are cheaper. The Z400 is much more light and nimble. It is fun to ride for sure. So for less hassle in the future I would go with the Zuk/KFX/or DVX for sure. They still make Z400's so parts are very readily available if you ever need them.

 

The best part of the outlaw is that it uses Fox shocks. (I'm 90% sure)

The rear shocks on the outlaw already have reservoirs and are fully adjustable. The fronts- you can buy the reservoirs for (about $500? I think) and hook them right up- making your normal Fox Podiums into Fox Podium X's.

Just by looking at the specifications, you can tell that the outlaw is heavier, but has a bigger motor. They are both fairly tall, but the outlaw is 1.5" wider. One more thing- I'm not sure, but the outlaw may have MAXXIS RAZR tires on it just like the predator did.
Apparently the outlaw has a crappy fit/finish (little things that can seal the deal or break the deal depending on the person). Example: some people complain about the seat latch and mix and matched bolts on the outlaw.

EDIT: It seems the outlaw has a similar carb to the ds650. That may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending which way you look at it. You MAY have wanted EFI or the fcr carb off the 525.

edit: fixed some dumb typos