YAMAHA RAPTOR 700R ($8399) |
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CAN-AM DS450 X mx ($9199) The Can-Am Motoworks team has won everything in sight for 2011, and this is the machine behind it all. The X mx is aimed at hardcore MX racing and decked out with wider A-arms and axle, bringing the width to 50 inches. It has upgraded suspension and wheels, plus nerf bars, bumpers and a very cool color scheme. |
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CAN-AM DS450 X xc ($8999) |
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CAN-AM DS450 ($7799) The DS450 is the platform on which all of Can-Am’s championship winners are based. The DS450 has a Rotax single-cylinder motor and a composite steel/aluminum frame. The liquid-cooled, DOHC motor’s top end is actually taken directly from the Aprilia RSV1000 sport bike, with its massive intake valves and throttle body. |
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HONDA TRX450R ($7999) |
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KAWASAKI KFX450R ($8099) Kawasaki has done very well in the pages of Dirt Wheels over the past two years. A race-team replica KFX450R dazzled our test riders in a modified 450MX shootout, and the stocker won our cross-country shootout, thanks mostly to having a reverse gear. In stock form, the KFX is narrow enough for trails and fast enough for the track. |
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YAMAHA YFZ450R ($8599) |
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YAMAHA YFZ450 ($6799) Yamaha has some very smart people at the helm. They know the economy isn’t in the greatest shape, so they responded by offering a bargain. The YFZ450 is essentially the original carbureted YFZ with more affordable parts sprinkled here and there. The bottom line is that it’s priced more like an entry-level 400 than what it is—a pro-level ATV. |
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HONDA TRX400X ($6299) |
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SUZUKI QUADSPORT Z400 ($7099) A few years ago, this was the 400 that beat all the 450s in the National MX Championship. Suzuki is apparently hoping that history will repeat itself, because the R450 has been dropped from the line, leaving the 400 as Suzuki’s main sport quad once again. It is fuel injected these days and still quite competitive on the trail. |
YAMAHA RAPTOR 350 ($5499) |
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POLARIS TRAIL BLAZER 330 ($4399) The Trail Blazer is a very basic two-wheel-drive machine with an air-cooled, four-stroke motor, a CV transmission, and single-lever braking for all four wheels. It has a fairly long travel suspension in the rear, at 10.5 inches. It got a cosmetic makeover two years ago, and, in 2012, it will be available in a new color scheme of white and blue. |
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ARCTIC CAT 300DVX ($4099) |
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KYMCO MONGOOSE 300 ($3749) You can see a lot of shared DNA in the Kymco Mongoose and the Arctic Cat 300. Kymco makes many parts for other ATV and motorcycle manufacturers, including such upscale brands as BMW. The Mongoose has a CV transmission, a driveshaft, reverse and a 270cc, liquid-cooled motor. |
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CAN-AM DS250 ($3799) |
HONDA TRX250X ($4299) The Honda 250X is actually a 225. Like the quads in Honda’s utility line, the X has a longitudinal motor with a driveshaft. The coolest part about the TRX is the SportClutch, which is actually two clutches in line—a manual one and a centrifugal one—that allows you to learn the art of the clutch without consequences. |
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APEX 250
Apex is a group of dedicated quad nuts in Arizona who design high-end race quads that major manufacturers won’t build. The 250 has a five-valve YZ250F motorcycle motor stuffed into a competition-quad chassis. The frame and many of the components are manufactured overseas, but the engineering is as American as the Grand Canyon. |
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YAMAHA RAPTOR 250 ($4599) If you find someone who doesn’t love the Raptor 250, call the doctor. He’s sick. The Raptor 250 is fun for beginners and experts because it’s light and handles so well. The old-school air-cooled motor isn’t particularly powerful, but in the world of 250 sport quads, there isn’t much competition from major manufacturers. We still wish it had reverse. |
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POLARIS PHOENIX 200 ($3599) |
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YAMAHA RAPTOR 125 ($3399) Yamaha likes to explore strange little corners of the ATV market. The Raptor 125 has essentially the same chassis as the Raptor 250, but with a smaller, stone-axe-simple 125 four-stroke motor. It turns out that having an admittedly slow motor in a premium, high-tech chassis is a recipe for sheer fun. No reverse, just a manual, five-speed gearbox. |