A Majority of complaitants about the results of these Shootouts, are from persons that ALREADY Own one of the Quads that did not win the comparison test. These tests are not a sporting event, where you pick your Favorite and Cheer it on to victory or Boo when it looses. That has NEVER been what these Shootouts are about. REMEMBER, these shootouts are intended to supply POTENTIAL BUYERS with the qualities of each Quad so that they can make an informed decision as to which Quad suits their riding style Best.

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that they are not doing this. But they are, by showing you the results of each test and where each Quad placed in that particular comparison. The BIGGEST controversy comes when they choose an overall winner. I made the suggestion in another Thread that maybe they shouldn't pick a winner, and the responce was that if you are going to have a Shootout, you have to pick a winner.

Is the format of these Shootouts wrong? They may very well be. The trouble is that unless you want to take all the Facts and Particulars on each Quad and put the data into a computer and let it decide the winner, you are going to have a Human element involved in the decision making process. With that Human element, you are going to have oppinions that not everyone is going to agree with. That is just the way it works and untill we come up with another way we are going to have to live with it.

As far as the Z400 winning all of the Shootouts, I said this once before in another Thread, but it is worth repeating.

Right or Wrong, the ATV Publications have ALWAYS like the Quad that does everything Well and is not always the Best in every catagory. Example, a few years ago, the Honda 400EX won every shootout in every ATV Magazine. It didn't do it by winning every one of the different test that they put it through. It did it by having an even well balanced platform at a reasonable price. It was easy to ride for everyone from Pro to Amateur. There is No way that it could keep up with the speed of the Raptor or the DS, but speed was not the deciding factor. Handeling, Suspension, Ride, Brakeing, Maintenance, Price. These were all important factors to someone looking to purchase a Sport Quad and it just so happened that the 400EX fit that criteria best, making it the winner.

The same is true for the Z400. A lot of people say that the Z is just a 400EX with a little more power and Reverse. I think that is a pretty reasonable description of it. The bikes do have a lot of similar caracteristics. Suzuki set out to build an ALL AROUND Performance Quad and that is what they did. Does it do everything the Best? NO. Does it do everything Well? YES.

As far as the Alba Shootout. Everyone needs to understand that Alba decided which Quads to supply to the Magazine, not the other way around. It is Alba that sent a Moto instead of a Cannibal and like it or not, having a sticker price that is nearly double the cost of all the other quads, is something that Needs to be pointed out to the POTENTIAL BUYER.

 

Jeez, I haven't read this much whining since the day after Bush beat Gore ! I thought the writers of the article framed the parameters of the shootout very well. RPM said it very well! Chill out guys, it's just a magazine article, not an order for you to buy what they prefer!!
Personally, I have ridden the Raptor, loved the power but liked the Z-400 overall package better. I suspected the Pred to be much like it was described in the shootout and have reservations about Polaris products in general. If that makes me a Japanese product bigot, so be it! Polaris has earned their suspect rep and the big 4 Japanese have earned their good one too!
Bottom line, it's your money--buy what you want! I spent mine the way I wanted too!

 

RPM,
I think your way off. No one is complaining because their quad didn't win I own a 400ex and I've stuck up for Dales as well as Bombardiers. I would just like to read a shootout that stands on it's own from beginning to end without some lame:

"I know this quad every category but we're going to give it to this quad anyways" That sucks, why have a shootout why not just write an article about why this quad is the best of the bunch? The criteria obviously meant nothing to them and apparently you too so why have it? It serves no purpose. Then to turn around not only misquote specs but to use those misquoted specs as a detraction from the bike is insane. If all this means nothing to you then I guess these two sides of the coing are always going to exist and we should all agree to disagree.

 

I meant "I know this quad won every category...."

How about this:

Instead of a shootout have a Sport Quad or whatever kind of quad for that matter analysis. Develop a rating system to judge each category of quad just like Consumer Reports does for cars. Give each quad being analyzed a page or two to make all the specs as well as performance statements about the bike. Then rate the quad in each category and average the categories for an overall rating. No winners don't even mention the other quads in the analysis just zone in on them as individual quads. The they could even say why each quad may be the best for which type of rider. The way it's done now doesn't work and the 3 threads going on right now are a good demonstration of people on each side of the fence. I think the "sore losers" theory falls flat because a majority of the people on these forums who have a lot of experience and knowledge have facts to back up their complaints.
C-YA, Diggler

 

I agree with bobcat and RPM. Its just a magazine article!

 

Dirt Diggler,
I suggest you read the shootout in ATV Action instead of going off of past shootouts. I feel ATV Action is heading in the right direction. I think Dirtwheels has gotten too big, and that means the quality of their stuff has gone down hill. Keep in mind that ATV Action and Dirtwheels both are put out by the same company but they do have different opinions.

ATV Action actually gives a believable explanation for why the Z won THEIR shootout.

 

Luecker,
I suggest you read the sport shoot out in the last six months that ATV Action did where the Cannibal won almost every criteria and won every race and they declared it #2. The past makes up your track record you have to go by it. Not to mention DW and ATVA seem to sare a lot of info becuase you'll see an article in one of them and then it'll show up in the other one with slightly different pictures and a slightly different edit job. I bailed on ATVA and I only get DW because I like the news section and all the pics of reader rides and race bikes with their specs.Again I don't even own a Cannondale but I can't stand to see someone or something wronged.

I also think and this isn't a reference to you either that if someone is going to say "Thier just mad because their quad didn't win" to ruin someone's credibility. The other person could say "Your just ignoring the BS and going along with it because your quad did win" to ruin the other sides credibility.
Diggler

 

because suzuki paid dirt wheels the most!! certainly not for the quality of their product thats for sure!!

 

Here is part of the shootout,

How is the shootout winner going to be selected?

Good Question. Judging by some of the mail we got after the Z400 vs. Cannondale Cannibal 440 shootout, a few of our readers don't quite understand our criteria for selecting a shootout winner in the high-performance category. Most importantly, it's not a race quad shootout. If it were we'd be running the Cannondale Moto and Blaxe 440s--the only two trues production race quads. That means you can't just look at the drag race and lap times and pick a winner. Stock high-performance quads are rarely used for racing. Instead they're primarily used for fun in the woods, dunes, desert and old mining pits, and these quads are overwhelmingly operated by non-racers possessing a wide range of skills. Taking this reality into account, the shootout winner is the machine that we most enjoy riding, adn still delivers the performance, versatality, and reliability we expect from a high performance recreational ATV. At the same time, we work to offer you enough information to determine which quad is right for YOU, even if it doesn't happen to be the winner based on our shootout standards.

Th Suzuki doesn't win with flashiness. The Z wins with a superbly balanced package that has no distracting flaws. All it needs is a few more ponies, and pumping up the motor is a lot easier than fixing the problems of it's competitors. As a bonus, it's also the least expensive of the three quads, leaving you with a few extra dollars to get it just the way you want it.

There, they explained themselves. If your going to tell me that the Cannondale should have beaten the Z on those criteria forget it.

 

no distracting flaws? i have had quit a few atv's and never had my frame break in half i guess thats not considered a flaw