ATV Tests

-- Honda vs. Yamaha vs. Polaris vs. Kawasaki vs. Can-Am vs. Suzuki vs. Kymco -- We understand what it's like when you want a 4x4 quad so bad, but you don't have a lot of money to spend on one. The good news is that you don't have to get the biggest monster 4x4s to have fun riding off-road. The smaller models will do just fine and they can cost nearly half of what the big boys go for. And, you save even more money if buy used instead of new. There are really good deals on 400 class 4x4s that are around 7 years old. Which…

THE HISTORY OF YAMAHA'S BIG SPORT QUAD -- The 1990s maintained a stagnant state of limbo for ATV manufacturers of sport quads. Of the potential manufacturers, Yamaha was the strongest player with the famed Banshee 350 and Blaster 200 two-strokes and the Warrior 350 four-stroke. Yamaha had a strong hold on the market, but it also knew that those beloved two-strokes would slowly be forced from the line-up by increasingly strict emissions standards. The fight to stay ahead of the competition lit a fire beneath…

-- Budget performance quad for teens -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels It’s easy to assume that machines made in China are inexpensive because they are of poor quality. While this stereotype can be true of some brands and models, the Kayo Storm’s performance and finish have assured us that it is not in that category. When we first received the little quad, we immediately noticed a few things. First and foremost the suspension. Most teen-sized Chinese quads come with limited front and rear suspension that aren’t…

-- Still a top contender -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Kawasaki’s Brute Force 750 has been a staple in the 4x4 ATV market for quite a while now. Revisions have been small over the years, and that is due to how well the big-bore works. Power is plenty, suspension is supple and the Brute can tackle tough jobs around the ranch and rapid-transit trails while spitting rocks or slinging mud. We picked up the 2018 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4x4i with electronic power steering in Metallic Stardust White for a test in the…

 -- ATV TEST: Small quads kids and parents will love -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Until seeing them parked together side by side, you could be forgiven for thinking the 2018 Suzuki QuadSport Z50 and QuadSport Z90 are the same machine but in different colors. Both machines share many features and technical specifications but are physically distinct. For example, they have a sturdy but compact steel frame with single-A-arm front suspension and swingarm rear suspension. The same is true of the drum brakes—two front…

-- Built by Lonestar Racing to win! --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels We’ve seen a large number of ATV enthusiasts rebuilding the beloved Honda TRX250R to its former glory. Retro is in right now, and the TRX250R is over 30 years old, so it’s retro for real. For the last decade most TRX250R projects we’ve seen were play machines, but now many riders have started building them to race against modern machinery. The Bosemer family never stopped living the two-stroke lifestyle. You may recall that we featured Rachel…

-- Big power and big fun are always on tap, By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Have you ever heard the expression, “Legends never die”? Well, that has been Yamaha’s sport quad mantra for years. Back in the 1990s they didn’t let the Blaster, Banshee or Warrior fall into the depths of despair like Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki did with their sport quads. That was a hard time for sport quads. Even though big sales numbers weren’t there, Yamaha continued building them for the masses. That is still the case. Yamaha is…

-- Common-sense mods from TUSK --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels, photos by Pat Carrigan Our 2018 Polaris RZR XP 4 Turbo Dynamix is the upper end of the price range for the Polaris range. We have around 500 hard miles on the Dynamix at this point, with 200 of those miles being in the sand dunes. So far, the machine has been pretty wonderful. As we live with the Dynamix computerized suspension, the more we appreciate it. When it was new, it was great in the dunes, but with many miles on it now, it is working extremely…

Suzuki just released their 2019 KingQuad 500AXi and 750AXi. We got to test the new 4x4 ATV model in the woods of North Carolina. The quad handles great and looks just as good as it rides!

-- 1999 HONDA 400EX vs. 1989 250R -- When Honda came out with its TRX250R in 1986, the ATV world became a much better place. It wasn't long before  this two-stroke machine became known as the best high-performance quad ever made. Life was good for quad riders for four years, and then the bad news came. Honda announced that the 1989 model would be the last 250R  it would sell. For the next 10 years we all waited for Honda to introduce a new replacement for the 250R. Everyone was growing impatient and then the news finally…

-- ATV TEST By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- The better we get to know the Polaris Sportsman 570 SP, the more impressed we become with its performance and handling characteristics. This mid-bore single-cylinder ATV has potent power delivery, generous suspension, and light and nimble handling, in addition to being quite useful as a workhorse. There weren’t many changes made to this machine for the 2018 model year, but it is nevertheless one of the most changed quads of 2018. The Sunset Red color scheme is brilliant, and…

-- The Blackwater 100 was dominated by this fast 2-stroke quad -- In 1975 a race was born in the muddy waters of Davis, West Virginia. Dave Coombs, owner of the famed GNCC racing series, was contacted by a small-town preacher in West Virginia regarding the economy of his struggling town. He was interested in hosting a motorcycle race to bring money into the area. Coombs saw the enormous potential, and the Blackwater 100 was born! The Blackwater race was aptly named after nearby Blackwater Falls and Blackwater…