Suzuki

-- Suzuki 250 2-stroke vs. Suzuki 450 4-stroke -- This 1991 Quadracer 250 and 2011 Quadracer 450 are 20 years apart. How are they different and how are they the same? Find out by reading this reprint below from the April 2011 issue of Dirt Wheels. Get $25 gift card here> https://hi-torque.com/product/dirt-wheels-holiday/ . . .

-- SUZUKI'S 500cc MONSTER 2-STROKE QUAD -- Suzuki gets credit for coming out with the first quads as we know them today. First they introduced some little 4-stroke versions and then in 1985 they unleashed a high-performance 2-stroke machine known as the Quadracer 250. Suzuki gave us a couple of years to get used to that great machine and then in 1987 they totally blew us away with a 500cc version. Its official name was the LT500R Quadracer, but it was such a beast that everyone began calling it Quadzilla. You had to be a…

-- 3 great shocks for $999 ---- By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Most sport quad riders are weekend warriors who love upgrading their machines. One of the smartest purchases you can make is in the suspension department. A lot of riders think that adding power parts will make your quad faster. That can be true; however, if you don’t have the suspension to handle the added power, you won’t go much faster. While racers get the best and most tunable shocks they can find, most of us just want something better than stock…

-- Doing what a quad can't -- In most states a 3-wheeler is considered a motorcycle and is regulated under those rules. Motorcycles are street legal if they come with the required equipment, so therefore, 3-wheelers can fall under the street legal category too. The easiest way to make a 3-wheeler street legal is to begin with a street legal dirt bike. These have been called Dual-Sports and lately the bigger ones get the Adventure Bike title. If you add brake lights, turn signals, mirrors and such to your Honda ATC250R,…

-- Raptor, Banshee, Z400, DS650 & Cannondale 440 -- Since the first issue of Dirt Wheels back in 1980, the editors and test crew have done shootouts to see which ATV is best. We did that again in the January 2003 issue. At that time the five fastest machines were Yamaha's Raptor and Banshee, Suzuki's Z400, Bombardier's DS650 (Can-Am) and Cannondale's 440. So, how did each one rate for power, handling and suspension? Well, you can find out by reading the article below as it originally appeared.…

-- Testing the KingQuad 750’s talented little brother -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Suzuki was the creator of the modern quad. During a time of three-wheelers, the difference a quad made was simply stunning. The upgrades came fast after those early quads, and in many cases it was Suzuki coming up with the innovations. Recently, though, the Suzuki quad line-up has been unchanged for too long. Never fear, an all-new 2019 Suzuki KingQuad 500AXi is here, and it is a welcome revision of a model that we have always liked.…

-- Custom rebuild on the first 2-stroke performance quad -- Honda's TRX250R gets most of the attention, but it actually owes its existence to Suzuki. The Quadracer 250 came out in 1985 while Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki were focussed only on 3-wheelers. At that point Honda set its engineers on building a high-performance 2-stroke 4-wheeler to compete with the Suzuki. Granted, Honda did a good job with their very first effort, but that wouldn't have happened without using the Quadracer 250 as a reference. Here is Jay…

 -- 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…

-- Ding dong… Trick or Treat!!! -- Our feature project quad for October has a scary Halloween theme. It was built by Michael Quinn in Ohio and he has been known to give his custom machines a unique visual appearance. For this one he went with the spider look. He began with a Suzuki LT-R450 and gave it a heavy dosage of Yoshimura engine work which includes a JE piston, Web Cam, Falicon crankshaft, Cometic gaskets and Gardner-Westcott fasteners. It has a Hinson clutch, Rebel gears and a full Yoshimura exhaust. Michael…

Auto-clutch manual vs. CVT automatic—which is better?  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Sport quad riders love their manual transmissions because of the absolute control they give over your machine’s power output. Plus, they can be more fun to ride. 4x4 riders or ranch-goers tend to stick to automatic transmissions due to ease of use. Few 4x4 quads still offer manual shifting, but that is because customers demand automatic transmissions. Suzuki makes two 2019 KingQuad 400s. The ASi comes with a CVT automatic, and the…

-- ATV Project Build: A racer comes back for fun -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Cory Hinsz was a factory-supported pro ATV racer in the mid-2000s. Injuries convinced him to retire from racing, and he was away for 11 years. Missing the sport way too much, he decided to get back in and support his beloved sport by racing for fun. He runs the Vet class in Quadcross and Pro class in cross-country races. Trail excursions in Idaho are also on the program. Suzuki’s LT-R450 is his choice of a quad to build. Although it has…

-- First test of a new 4x4 quad from Suzuki -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Suzuki has stayed almost out of range of the new-ATV radar for the past 10 years. The lineup has had minimal changes, except for the discontinuation of Suzuki’s legendary sport quads, including the LT-R450 and QuadSport 400. The KingQuad line has remained strong, but without many alterations or improvements to the machines. Finally, Suzuki has introduced the most extensive and biggest improvements to its ATV line in a decade. The all-new 2019…