Ok, im looking at buying my first atv. And i like the suzukis. Im looking for something small but 4wd. I found the lt250 and lt300 to be pretty nice. Is there that much of a diff between the power on them? Also how good is it to have the front diff locking? Just wondering in your oppions. I love it for trucks. I do a lot of wheeling with trucks, but now im getting into the 4wheelers =)
If anyone knows of a good site on the net with good info let me know.


Nick

 

The 300 has a little more power than the 250. A 4wd with diff lock will out perform an atv with a limited slip easily. You would no believe how good the quadrunners can climb in 4wd. They just keep clawing at the terrain and pulling you. Both quads are VERY stable but are pretty slow and Very heavy. 3 of my friends have suzuki quads..quadrunner 250 2wd, king quad, and lt160. They have each had them for at least 4 years with not ONE mechanical failure on either of them. Either quad you are looking at will have no problem being just as reliable as any honda, or any other brand for that matter.

Laterz

 

Heavy? They really that bad? My cus has a bayou 220 and it weighs about 450, the suk is like 560. Only 100 more. I guess 560 is kinda heavy though, but its the lightest they have. Just nice to have a light one because i put the 220 on its side a lot. And i have to sit there and hold it while i push the gas, kinda fun sometimes =)

Nick

 

I don't think the KQ can be beat as a workhorse only. I don't think you'll be satisfied if you use it much for play. I would look at the new Eigers and right now it sounds like you'd get a pretty good deal if you buy before the end of the year.

 

Well i like the 400cc engine on the Eiger, but i really like the 4wd lock on the quadrunner. Anyone driven the 250 and the 400? Is there that big of a difference?

Nick

 

I had the 4x4 250cc Quad Runner I bought back in late 86.It was a 87 model.Nice quad for WAY back than.With todays newer ATVs,it really dont compare in many areas like,ride,comfort,style,suspension,power and speed.

But hey,if you dont need something with all the above,the King Quad is an excellant choice.Just depends on what you need and want??

Good Luck!!

Bill

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]
I also had to pick between the two and came away with the 250. Big mistake ! If I had to do over again it would be the king. With the new ones out I also would be looking at the Eiger.

 

I agree,the new 2002 has some improvements,but the Eigor is more appealing.

Bill

 

Nick,
Not sure if I replied to you before or to a similar question from someone else. Sorry if this is redundant. I own both and love both. I don't ride in mud (pretty dry out west). But they'll go anywhere. I ride them both hard and baby them when I get them home. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

You may be putting too much importance on the locking front end. I've never needed it except in the snow. And you have to be in the Super Low range to use it. That means you won't be going much over 5 mph in Super Low. There is a King Quad upgrade site that will show you how to remove the rod that prohibits you from using the locker in any range but Super Low. With that removed, you can lock in any gear range.

The KQ weights around 600 and the 250 Quadrunner around 560. I think that performance wise, there is very little difference. The KQ extra engine displacement doesn't make up for the added weight in this case. They both top out at around 45 mph. They are not very fast as stock, but if you put a jet kit, exhaust, etc. on them like I have, they become a much more sporty, acceleration wise.

As someone else said, they are very stable and comfortable. I have my shocks adjusted to the softest setting.

If I had to choose, I'd pick the KQ because more aftermarket parts are available and Suzuki is dropping (correct me if I'm wrong) the 250 Quadrunner in favor of the 250 Ozark. I've heard that the KQ has been Suzuki's best seller in past years. That may change with the Eiger and Vinson and Z400.

I've put 1000 miles of abuse on mine this past year and have had no problems other than the 250 overheating in 97+ degrees high in the southern Utah mountains where you're crawling over narrow rough trails. I've bought Suzuki's cooling fans for both of mine this fall. I'll have to wait until next summer to see how well they work. I'm hoping for the best.

My dislikes: primarily the short suspension travel and lack of a gas gauge built into the tank. But these are utility quads right? For the trails I ride, they have enough guts and can go about anywhere. Sometimes when I ride my Vinson on these same trails, I'm thinking I have too much power that I'll never use.

Hope this helps.
Mark

 

Hi muppetz3,
I've had both 250QR and KQ300 and agree with markdf,you can modify the king,but they are all done with the 250QR.My King also had K&N power kit,pipe,but the the blackwater big wheel kit canceled out any gains the mods produced.Yes,the locker was nice peace of mind but the vinson ride's a lot nicer,and pull's my big rump around better(230#).I live in Northern New York state on the Canadien border,so we have lot's of mud and snow,and I only recall using the diff.lock (when I actually had to use it),6or7 times. I think the Vinson will be o.k. for my use w/out the locker,it's my understanding that the torque sensing diff. on the Vinson is set up for 50/50 power delivery per axle,where as conventional limited slip is 70/30.A word of wisdom,I pulled the lock out of my KQ300 and it was nice to be able to have diff.lock in all ranges but,if your coming out of a mud hole with it in low range,when she get's her traction on dry ground,hang on to her!! She does'nt steer so good with all 4 wheels turning the same speed!!Happy Holidays to everyone!!!