Any magazine (or television show) that accepts advertising or test items from product manufacturers and then does product reviews of those same products the reviews must be taken with a HUGE grain of salt. A salt block like they sell for cattle would be about right. These magazines live on ad money.

For the sake of argument lets say "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation" makes $750,000 ad buy with "MotorSports Publications Corporation" magazine division. ATV Hoo-Haa magazine is one of the publications of the above corporation-a cog in the machine. Do you think ATV Hoo-Haa magazine is going to risk pissing off the following:
The advertising suits at "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation".
The advertising suits at "MotorSports Publications Corporation".
The suits at "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation" who provide you free gear to test and the free trips they give you to "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation" events.
The suits at "MotorSports Publications Corporation" who sign your paycheck and also send you on free trips and events and give you gear to test.
Your other colleagues in "MotorSports Publications Corporation" who won't get gear to test or free stuff because you trashed the new ATV from"Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation".

I also have little doubt that when the ad buys are being negotiated that "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation" is shown a good product review that "Complicated Manufacturing Concern" got when they made a $750,000 ad buy and the less flattering review that "Whoduhhellaredey Manufacturing Concern" got when they made a measly $500,000 ad buy and the scathing review that "Poandbroke Manufacturing Concern" got when they didn't even advertise in their publication.

You think if you submit a review to the editors that says that "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation's" new SuperDuper 900 ATV is a lumbering deathtrap that you will not get a call from the suits telling you that you damn well better find something nice to write about the SuperDuper 900 ATV because "Heavy Manufacturing Concern Corporation" made a $800,000 ad buy and are interested in making another unless you snafu the whole works. The suits will tell you to write a flattering review or they will find some other ATV riding article writing monkey who will.

Like most everything else in life follow the money and you will find out where the influence is. You, dear magazine subscriber, are not where the real money is. You will buy their rag simply because it has "reviews", flashy pics, stories and because you need something to read while taking a dump and your wife's Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan are either too boring or too emasculating.

 

Coyotechaser-I think that 400EX in the article was stock, except for the plastic. I don't remember anywhere where they said it had mods??? Taking a good look at it, the front end looks stock, and the muffler certainly is stock.

If Honda comes out with a new 250, I am looking for a WHOLE NEW CLASS of machine here (the Wolverine concept, taken to the extreme). Light and fast (under 400lbs.) with a great trail chassis. Most people are recreational trail riders (and don't need a work quad based monster), but can occasionally use 4wd. I too, am skeptical that a 250 will cut it. Now a 450, that would be something else!

 

The plastic isn't stock though. They really didn't comment on anything else. My main concern is that someone that doesn't know any better might be looking to buy a new 400ex with the cool racing plastic with the number 4.

They did comment in the Rincon article (in another issue) about the better skid coverage on the Rincon. It had all aftermarket skids.

I just think that everything should be kept stock (looks and all) for these shootouts. Unless the shootout is between quads that all have similar changes.

Maybe the magazines should admit that everything is fake like in wrestling. Once they admitted in tv wrestling that everything was fake. It opened up things so they could put on a more extravagant show. Things just aren't the same as when the Ivan the Polish Power or Super Fly Snuka used to wrestle. This would open things up so the magazines could have shootouts between quads in totally different cc classes. Now riding out of the red corner is the Brute Force 750. The Brute Force 750 will be going up against the Grizzly 80 riding out of the blue corner. What a match this will be! Who will win?

 

no the question is not to much power its how much power can the chassie handel? if the chassie was buit better it would be awesome they will never be to much power! i cant wait till the test the new KING QUAD 750 EFI

 

And, why are manufacturers willing to put huge engines in huge heavy utilitys, and not in light (way better handling!) sport bikes????

 

I've always wondered why they put the speedos on the slow quads. The sport and race quads should come with the speedos.

 

The King Quad is a 700 EFI Single. not a 750

 

I'll throw in my 75 cents (that's adjusted for inflation)

I was a little concerned when I first got my new 04 Yamaha Kodiak 450. There isn't really fast acceleration in the lower gears like I expected considering the size of the engine. Later on, I noticed that there is more pickup in the mid range than I expected, say between 20 and 35 mph. But after having spent a week at the Hatfield McCoy trails, I came to realize its a very good thing for me and my riding style. First off, I don't want to do a wheelie. But secondly, when riding up mountain trails, I've only recently come to know about the importance of momentum getting you over an obstacle and makking the diff between finishing a hill climb and loosing it...

At Hatfield last year, I rolled my quad end over end because I was going too slow on a hill climb, and when I came to an obstacle, I then pushed the gas too hard. My slow speed, the rock, and my engine (a little Kawasaki Bayou) all conspired to lift the front wheels up vertically. I stepped off and the rest went down in history. Actually, the Bayou rolled a few times before landing on its wheels, rolled about 100 yards before a kindly old tree jumped out in front of it to save it. Damage was lite and I was able to continue riding it the rest of the week.

To contrast, this year I went up there again with my new Kodiak and handled many hill climbs with ease becasue there was always plenty of power. If I saw what looked like a potential obstacle, I just put on a little extra power well before and bounced over. I was suprised to find that I always seemed to have plenty of power in reserve. You know how sometimes as you bounce arround you squeeze the accelerator harder than you intended too? Well, no matter how hard I squeezed the accellerator, I got power without ever loosinjg front wheel traction.

 

so how powerful is the TwinPeaks....i love the looks of it, and the styling. I want a BEAST!!!!!!!!

something i can take anywhere and stay fairly clean compared to my sport quads which i get CAKED!

how is it in mud and hillclimbs and things of that sort????

-bLuRRRR27-

 

I saw the 2005 honda lineup on there website a few weeks ago. what was new? I just saw a few color changes, even the Ruby still has fulltime 4wd. I think the Ruby has a great powertrain and could be a lot of fun to play around on if you shut the front wheels off.

I would also like to Yamaha drop the 660 in the wolverine and add a switchable 4wd to it and keep auto clutch or go manual clutch, That would be an awsome 4x4.