Perhaps I will be educated here (that isn't sarcasm)...but from what I know, the center of gravity is directly related to the ATVs height. And it just so happens I was studying this issue the other day (I have a 06 800 Polaris as you may have surmised). But the Polaris comes in @ 48" high. The 2007 King Quad sits at the same height. Perhaps it is the width with the King Quad coming in @ 47.6 and the Polaris @ 48? I suspect not. The length? 83" for the Polaris....83.5 for the Suzuki. Hmmm. I did find this site useful:

ATV Control

So how would the King Quad offer a lower center of gravity than the Polaris? And considering a King Quad has less CCs than the Polaris 800 how would it offer more torque? Again, I know this could sound sarcastic, but it is sincerely not intended as such. I'm really only looking to increase my own understanding.

Myself I would go with a smaller Quad...a Yamaha Big Bear for example might be desirable.

 

Where is your gas tank? Im only asking because mine is in the back, which helps the center of gravity thing.

 

My tank is in the front. Gasoline weighs about 6.25 lbs a gallon. The polaris holds 4.13 gallons of gas. AT 6.25 lbs per gallon, this would shift 25 lbs to the front (roughly). The Suzuki holds 4.6 gallons of gas for roughly 28 lbs. I'm not sure where the tank is on the King Quad, but if it is like other Suzuki's I have had it is in the same place as the Polaris, it wouldn't seem to offer a advantage.

However, the Suzuki does weigh a fair amount less @ 602 lbs vs the Polaris 800s 770. Perhaps that is where the center of gravity change is in this equation? It would just be nice if one could figure this sort of thing out clearly in advance prior to a purchase. The link I supplied to the other site makes it sound as though many factors come into play and the center of gravity on a bike changes with every rider.

 

The gas in the back is lower, and distibutes weight better, so all the weight isnt in the same area. It actually makes the ride alot more different than you think. Bringing a chunk of weight any closer to the ground helps with the topp heaviness

 

Interesting. I could experiment with a gas can and see what improvements I found. This is a subject of interest for me because frankly my bike does feel a bit tippy. But for power, she snorts like a beast [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] At least for what I need.

I'm happy. But heck...who says one quad fits all? One of the things I find interesting is people who put lift kits on their quads. That would seem dangerous? I have been away from the sport for several years so I'm trying to get up to speed.

 

the center of gravity is dependant on the mass, and not the height of the handlebars or overall length. they can both be the same height, but one may have the weight lower in the frame, thus lower CG.

but i don't know which machine has the lowest CG, just the physics a little bit...

monty

 

So it all depends on the weights distribution and perhaps the traditional metrics (size and weight) are just blind benchmarks people use because we can't really tell how the weight is distributed on the bike? Are there mods for this sort of thing?

Apologize for hi-jacking the thread. I guess we are getting off topic. This is good info though in my opinion.

In retrospect, most likely no mods exist for such a thing as the center of gravity would vary with each rider and position on the seat?

 

Well I know firsthand that the King Quad has a MUCH lower center of gravity than a Polaris Sportsman because I had a 400 Sportsman before my King Quad. I couldn't make a turn with my Sportsman over 10mph without 3 wheeling one of the rear tires off the ground...it felt very tippy in comparasion to my King Quad. I can take corners with my King Quad at 20 or 30 mph and all tires stay planted to the ground.
The gas tank location of the king Quad is under the seat, it has 1" less ground clearance than the Sportsman, and it weighs less so that all must equate to the King Quad's lower center of gravity.

 

accually lots of mods affect the CG one way or the other. Bighorn tires will improve the CG, they will put weight below the CG of the machine, thus lowering the CG. replacing skid plates with heavier ones will help.

i try to factor this in all of my mods. keep the weight as low and to the middle of the machine as i can. the low mount for my winch, Kolpin flat fuel pack has a few inch lower CG than a cheaper gas can, Elkas set at lower than stock height (there is a compromise between center of gravity and ground clearance) and so on.

but i ain't getting into the mine is better thing. my little suzuki quadrunner 4x4 couldn't be flipped with a forklift, but lacks in other departments (like suspension travel and power). so run what you have and make it work for you. most of the CG advantage of any one machine can be overcame by experience and the willingness to gamble with your machine. i won't roll mine and play it a little conservative, but have only chickened out once (Moab Rim trail riding alone).

monty

 

Thanks everyone who has contributed pertinent info. The brand bushing does me no good at all. Facts and experience are very helpful.

I gave it a go and tried to get my 05 Rincon 650 up the mountain. Unfortunately it did not make it. The ATV has to high of gearing to be able to negotiate the terrain properly. It does have alot of power though. It wil climb anything it can get traction on, and will flip itself over if it is given the chance.

I stopped about one third of the way up and was winching myself up with a warn 2.5CI and the winch gave loose inside and dropped me about 6 feet. I tried again and it let me down again. I was a little shook up so I left it there for a couple days and came back to it later. I decided to reset the winch gear and try it again and was winching the unit up when the large rock I was tied off to pulled out of the mountain enough to slip off my winch cable and let me loose. I bailed and the ATV rolled a couple times and came to rest upside down in a hole.

I hired a pack train to come support us and men have been leading pack mules and horses up the mountain.

One of the real problems I had is that the ATV would kick fairly large boulders out of the ground while trying to climb the steep stuff. This would really hurt my progress. I think after this experience I would definately go with gearing over ground clearance and power.

The ATV is now repaired and I am looking forward to useing it for mundane tasks like hauling the family down to the lake. It is a really nice 4 wheeler but not suitable for mountain climbing.

Someone mentioned that honda does not have locking diffs. I must not have had loose enough terrain because the tires appeared locked when opposite tires where not contacting the ground properly.

Cheers!
Kris