i am in the market for a zilla just cause i want some power under my butt. i had looked into getting a ds 650 but way to much money to hop up. some shop that does the ds charges 4k for their top kit. buying a ds and doing the kit is over 10k, i could have one hella of a zilla. i mean you can get a full prep motor from tudar (sp) for 1k go figure. and that kit for the ds is nothing but a pipe piston porting and a coffie can.

ok what i want to know is what years of the zilla i should stay away from or what year is the good one. the reason i ask is i was reading that a pre prodution model that hit over 100 mph and then they toned them down. if this is true how hard is it to change it back.

thanks for any help

 

i dont know this for a fact and i cant tell you were i heard it buti think the 87 had fewer head bolt and the blew head gaskets easier then the restbut i think i have also heard that the 87 had more horse pawer than the rest.but just like anything newer is usually better so i would look for a 88-90. but honestly if i had a chance to get my hands on a zilla i would no matter what year it was.

good luck

 

Yeah the 87 has six head studs and can blow headgaskets if you increase the compression or don't maintain them. The 88 - 90 models have seven studs. But if you want to keep it relatively stock and find an 87 for a good price, you may want to get it. A guy I rode with recently has had several Zillas of different years, modded them extensively, but due to the increased maintenance and lack of reliability, he is now back to a relatively stock 87 model. He said the best setup is nearly stock, as have other Zilla owners. Chances are you won't need much more than that anyway!

I think the DS650 big bore kit you refer to is by Team Pami. I choked when I saw that price. That's why I got my 88 Zilla a couple of months ago. It's almost stock but it climbs any dune I dare to climb, and I try all of them! It's noticeably heavier than my 250 Quadracer but I'm learning I can't fly into berms and corners like I used to. If you ride dunes a lot, this is the bike to have, especially on a budget. A good one can be found around $3,200 - 3,600. However keep in mind the bottom ends can fall apart (i.e. the main bearing recesses in the cases were weak in the early years, so I hear) and the upgrade can cost you $300 to $500 depending if you get case inserts or heavy duty cases. Besides that a bottom end rebuild can cost around $400 without replacing the gearset or shift forks which can approach $600 or more for parts. I don't mean to scare you but you need to know this so you can find a clean bike. Try to find one not heavily moddded and preferably one that was babied. That way the chance of something being worn out is reduced.

Good luck.

 

no the kit i was talking about had said nothing about a bore kit. it was nothing but a high compresion piston and pipes for 4k. that bike is just a plain rip off.

the place i plan on getting a zilla gets them every now and then for about 1k to 2.5k. i have not seen them go any higher. ganted those might be beat up but i like to work on my own stuff so its not a real prob. only problem is getting the parts. that brings up onther qeustion, are parts hard to find for this thing?

oh also this thing will be riddin on a track mostly, because my budy has a track in his back yard (vary fun to lanch my s-10 into the air). ya it might be a little much for a small track but i want the power for when i do hit silver lake.

thanks guys the info about the head it was real helpful.

 

Just to let you know, dont be detered by the 87 and its head problems. When buying my zilla i too was told about the head problems. But of course i didnt listen and i simply bought the best condition bike. That would be my best advice for you. Ive never blown a head gasket and even if it did develope a problem with that, it can be fixed with oversized head studs. Mines also had the head shaved (Higher compression)My advice - The zilla is so old that the old problems are quickly outweighed with a worn out bike. Simply get the best condition for the best price. Like you I bought a bike which did need some TLC, but the price was too good to pass up. Now with some new paint and chrome, she looks like new... Hope that helps dude.

 

Hey bigwink, what is the name and location of the place that u can get them from 1k to 2.5k? Just wondering.....if they might be able ta hook me with a quad for a good price like that.......

Thanx

 

Where in the WORLD are you finding 'zillas for $1000.00? I need another one for posterity. I do a little work on mine now and again, but nothing ever beats it. Nothing.

 

try snowmobileauction.com look in the price reports. if you happen to be looking for a banshee that place gets lots of those and go out the door cheap

 

My Zilla happens to be an 87, and besides the normal wear and tear one puts on these things I haven't had any problems. A sure fix for the notorious blown head gasket on the 87s is too O-ring the head this, will solve that problem, or you can purchase one of the cool/power heads that comes O-ringed. With regards to reliability, I've had mine for 8 years, that's 8 years of hard riding in every type of terrain, and I've only had a complete rebuild once. I would also suggest you do very little in the modification department if you want to keep it rideable and/or reliable. Of all the modifications I have done to mine, I kept the bore and stroke stock.

As AussieZilla suggested, try and buy one that is in good condition in the first place, don't worry you will still get plenty of wrench time on it.

 

Hey zoo, im looking to sell my zilla. I never thought i would but its gotta go. (Ill be getting another in the future for sure). How much do u reckon mines worth dude? got pics on my site. Later