I was told by a dealer that a 250cc beginner sport will be released after the Z400, sometime next spring. It will be made off of the Ozark frame and drivetrain. Compitition will be with the 250ex and Blaster.

The dealer also said a Suzuki Rep told him Suzuki will possibly have 3 sport quads by 2004. He did not say what the other would be though. Maybe a biggun??500cc??600cc?? We can only hope.

 

I wish my dealer could predict the future like that. Everyone seems to try, and yet no one can really do it succcessfully, if we could there would be CR500 quads and the old zilla back in business!

 

A big bore is quite possible. They already have the engine, the DRZ650 dual sport. I don't know how fast it would be. I would think that Suzuki would make it faster than the 400 hopefully. And probably faster than the Raptor or in the same league.

 

if this quad comes out it would be awesome. did he say wether it was a 2-stroke or 4-stroke?

 

Sorry, I asked him said "a 4-stroke" The life of new 2-stroke quad is numbered, just like carbs on cars went to EFI to get cleaner emissions. If you notice some of the bullet sport bikes are going EFI. Mainly for performance but also for emissions.

 

what would be very smart action on suzuki's part would be manufacturing a 250 thumper machine using an identical chassis as the LTZ, slightly different plastic, lower seat height, and maybe a 1"-2" narrower track width... the more models that share parts, the cost of parts(usually) is less to match.


unfortuneately the life of 2-stroke bikes in all forms of racing is numbered.(a number of us just don't like the idea at all- including me) the FIM recently changed the rules for world GP sport bike racing, giving a slight advantage to 4-stroke bikes in the GP1 class. sorry to say it, but the industry is trying it's best to declare 2-strokes dead. i see it as only a matter of time until the manufacturers lobby to have changes made favoring thumpers in off road, watercraft, and snowmobile racing as well...