My brother will be outgrowing his bayou soon so I figure ill do some research on what his next quad can be. I like the sounds of the King Quad due to its IRS and Locking front but I never hear anything about them on these forums, that means its either great and noone ever has problems with them or noone has one so there is nothing to say. So would some KQ owners give me some information on this machine, things like mud performance, power, reliability (very important), and overall how it holds up. Your information is greatly appreciated.

 

My father-in-law has a King Quad and I've ridden it several times. I used to have a '96 Wolverine so I have have experience with 4x4 quads. Presently I have a Mojave and don't miss the 4x4 quads at all. The King Quad was a gutless, heavy monster when I rode it. But after a few miles I began to appreiciate its good points, like ride quality, easy to use controls, low center of gravity and lack of vibration. Basically it felt more refined that the Wolverine I used to own. Even though the Wolverine could spank the King Quad when it came to sport riding, I would pick the Suzuki if I was looking for a utility quad. I was impressed with the low speed handling and refinement of the machine. If you want to go fast then forget it. The King Quad sucks for that type of riding. But if you have work to do or simply want to putt around and look at the scenery than the King Quad makes a good choice. In my town, in Alaska, King Quads are the most popular machines people own.

 

the king quad is reliable, good handling, good suspension, has the best traction of anyquad in its class. the only bad parts about it are the heavy weight for such a small engined quad, and some handling problems at higher speeds. it is a great all around quad that will outlast the rider. as long as you don't want lots of power, go with the king quad.

laterz

 

I do not personally own a KQ, I have seen them in action....quite impressive! We were doing some hog hunting in a river swamp when a friend and I became bogged up in the mud, a friend on his KQ got behind both of us and pushed us through the bog, then went around and kept leading the pack. That was impressive!

 

The KQ is a versatile 4x4 ATV.It does many things well,has a reliable engine and tranny,and does a pretty damn good job for allmost all the things that you ask of it.

Some of its short comings are its small 280cc engine.Past owners[including myself] have asked for yrs for a bigger CC engine in the King Quad,Suzuki did'nt hear anyone though.For CASUAL trail riding,this 280cc engine will do fine.The suspension is also ok for CASUAL trail riding,however,trying to keep up with your buddies bigger bore 4x4 could be alot to ask for from both the engine and suspension in the King.The Kings suspension does not ride well at all at faster speeds or on harsher/tighter trails.

The turning radius is not all that good either.Tight turns will have your King begging to find reverse.

The stock tires are ok for everyday ''normal'' use.Attempting to mud in some serious mud or stomping thru the heavy snow will leave you wondering what good the stock tires do?A set of aftermarket mudders will bring a smile back on your face.Ground clearance is not real good for the deeper/muckier mud.On the bright side of the ground clearance thing,the Kings lower center of gravity leaves you with a very confident feeling of stability on off camber hills,while the higher centered 4x4s like Polaris [my Xplorer 4x4]keeps you feeling un-easy at times in similer situations.

A day in the serious mud will contaminate the brake linings with mud/debree.This is a real pain in the butt and something that Suzuki has ignored for yrs.You will have to remove all 3 drums to service and clean your braking components after a serious mudding event.This problem is NOT just something that happens to the KQ,its a drum brake sealing problem found on ALOT of drum style brakes,but this sealing problem has been REAL appearant on KQ model 4x4s since the Kings earlier introduction to he 4x4 market.Stay out of these situations and you'll have no braking problems with your King.

Asking the King to work hard around the ranch/house ect is like going into work for 1hr and getting paid for 8hrs[great feeling].It is a workhorse.With its Super Low tranny range and Diff Lock,the King makes working a pleasure.If the King finds traction,it will move whatever you can give it.This is definately one of the Kings finer attributes.

In closing,
if you are not asking for the best suspended utility 4x4,if speed is not a real issue,and you dont plan on spending all your time in the mud,the King Quad is a pretty good value.

Bill

00 400cc Xplorer 4x4
26 inch Mudrunners
PSI pipe w/Scrambler silencer
Heel Clickers clutch kit
RcR air box mods
Delta V-Force reeds w/spacer kit
SideWinder Titanium sprockets/chain
KN Filter-Uni Filter
Brass Brakes
Custom Cargo Box
GPS

 

I'll add my two cents. I'm not an advanced rider, I'd rate myself as intermediate.

I've just returned from the National ATV Jamboree in Fillmore, Utah last week. I have a '00 King Quad and an '00 QuadRunner 4X4. Each has a DynoJet carb kit and K&N air filter with an Outerware pre-filter. Since I do most of my riding above 6000 ft. in the Rocky Mtns., I've jetted both machines for the altitude, and adjusted the idle mixture accordingly. BTW, these minor mods did boost performance significantly. The claims are a 15-20% boost but I can't verify that. But I can tell the difference, especially at half to full throttle.

The King Quad has been very reliable and has never overheated. I have had an occasional problem with starting the KQ at altitude when parked on an incline. Other than that, it has run fine.

During the Jamboree, the KQ and Quadrunner were able to easily keep up with the 40 mph frontage road speeds on the group rides. When it came to climbing the steep stuff, I've found that if I kept the KQ revved, it climbed well too.

The Quadrunner overheated one very hot day (95+ F) of slow, technical climbing in low range. Since it's air cooled, and the wind was at our backs, it's understandable. The next morning I installed a cooler running spark plug which seemed to help. I plan on purchasing the cooling fan for it.

The KQ is oil cooled and has an oil temp warning light. Another KQ ('96) owner I talked with at the Jamboree was having problems with his overheating. He had mounted a big winch in front of the oil cooler.

I agree with others that have stated that high speed handling over rough terrain is not the KQ's strong point. It is heavy too. If you want to go fast, it won't keep up with a bigger machine on the rough trails. However, it does do well against other machines in it's class.

I use mine to take me places I wouldn't take my 4x4 pickup, like remote hunting and fishing spots. I also like to enjoy the scenery when I ride. On rough, rocky trails, I don't go over 10-15 mph on the KQ because that is the most enjoyable speed for me to travel and still see the country.

I have found that the gas mileage on the KQ is very good. It has a 3.2 gallon tank (including reserve). I've been getting between 34-41 mpg, depending on the terrain and speed. That's a plus if you plan to go on a long ride. Bigger machines will require you to stop for gas. We did a Poker Run of 85 miles last Friday during the Jamboree. The route took us from Fillmore, UT at 5000 ft., up the mountains to over 10000 ft and down to Richfield, Utah, and then back. When I filled the KQ up the next morning, it took slightly less than 2 gallons of gas.

Mark

 

A word about my KQ brakes; I bought my King Quad in 93. I don't spend all of one day riding through mud, but over the years I've been through mud of various types from gritty black peat to orange clay to brown watery soup. This year for the first time I opened up the sealed rear drum to inspect the rear brakes. Not one trace of mud or any foreign matter. Clean aluminum and some brake dust. After looking over how the drum is sealed I wasn't too surprised. Both shoes and drum looked excellent. I have over 1800 miles on it. The front brakes had only trace amounts of brown "staining" but no buildup of crud. Front pads are still original but are due for changing.

I love the King Quad. If ever there was a quad for trials type terrain, this is the one. Does it accelerate like a Quadmaster 500? Of course not, but neither do any of the other 4 stroke 300 utes. Who would expect them to? It fares well in it's class. Dirt wheels 8/92 was of the opinion that King Quad felt more powerful than the Honda 4wd 300.

Great reliability, nice smooth running motor, incredible features, darn good value.

King Quad has been excellent for riding/exploring the rugged, mountainous terrain of the northwest. If I were in the market, I'd buy another one.

John

 

John,
Not to discredit your above post,but it sure dont sound like you spend to much time on your KQ much less in the SERIOUS MUD.I mean,only 1800 miles in allmost 9 yrs?I ride that in a year on ONE ATV.

Dispite your shoes not being contamenated from ''YOUR'' style of mudding,it IS a problem on the KQs that ride Michigan MUD.I dont ride with you and I therefore dont discredit your findings.I do however wish you would give me the secret to keeping the KQs shoes dry in the worst of mudding conditions?I have some friends that would like to know to?

Bill

 

Now Bill, You know as well as I do 1800 miles is 1800 miles no matter how long it takes to put them on.

 

Robh,
sure is,but that really is not very much for an ATV of allmost 9 yrs old.That indicates that he rides his ATV very little and probably does not ride in the mud very much.

I beleive Eric Baatz has 3000 miles on his 97 King Quad,and he to has not had contaminated brakes yet,but he stays out of the mud allmost completely.My bet is that this guy does the same thing?If this guy has the secret to keeping the shoes dry,inquiring minds want to know.

Bill