Although our ears are flooded with news about ATVs punishing the environment, the irony is it's often the terrain that brutalizes the machines. We experienced this abuse first-hand in the thick woods and treacherous mountains of Georgia.
We were in the southern state to pit five of the world's roughest and toughest big-bore utility devils-the Bombardier Outlander 650, Honda Rincon 680, Kawasaki Prairie 700, Suzuki KingQuad 700 and Yamaha Grizzly 660-in a head-to-head battle. And they might have made their way to Georgia looking to steal our highest praise (as well as our souls), but they wound up getting pounded and tortured by rocks, roots, mud and the occasional tree in Georgia's Durhamtown Plantation near Union Point (706/486-4603; www.durhamtown.com) and the Whissenhunt National Forest (contact the Whissenhunt ORV area via the USFS at 706/632-3031; www.fs.fed.us/conf).
After the 2006 Suzuki Vinson took home an astounding victory in our 500cc shootout (March '06) coupled with the KingQuad earning runner-up status in last year's big-bore test (April '05), we were anxious to sample the big Suzook. Despite its seat at the rear of the pack, the KingQuad is really a functional and capable utility ATV, however, the competition is just that good. The power was decent but did not have the thrill factor that many of the others in this test possessed. At low to mid-range speeds, the suspension reacted moderately well. Once this bull reached mid to high speeds and began its bucking and kicking, we felt like the star rider at the local rodeo
Out of our seven testers, five were truly bothered by some bizarre steering characteristics of this machine. For some reason, the KQ has an alarming tendency to snatch the bars from one side or the other at the end of the travel. This issue would often result in two-wheeling around most corners and turns-even though it railed bermed corners. But hit any uneven ground at speed and it was rodeo time. It kept us on our toes and extremely nervous when at a fast pace.
Keep the speed down and one of the finer points of the KQ is revealed-its ability to easily climb even the toughest of obstacles. The easy-locking differential made overcoming treacherous terrain a cinch because you did not have to hold in a button, and the big machine tackled anything in Mother Nature's furious landscape.
Overall, we did like the KingQuad's strong power and its extreme ability to climb. It even had a great storage space for holding a few small necessary items. But because most of us could not get past the skittish steering, this quad fell to the bottom of our list for 2006. If a rider enjoys a slower pace or takes pleasure in crawling over the gnarliest of obstacles, the KQ would be an excellent choice. If you get your kicks out of a sportier ride, then you might want to read on.
| + | Extreme climbing ability |
| + | Diff-lock that locks away |
| – | Skittish steering |
| – | Unstable at high speeds |
| = | Trail explorer |
Suzuki KingQuad 700 4x4
Retail price: $7299; camo, $7599
Engine
Type: Single-cylinder, four-stroke,four-valve DOHC
Displacement: 695cc
Bore x stroke: 102x85mm
Cooling: Liquid-cooled
Carburetion: Fuel injection
Lubrication: Wet sump
Ignition: CDI
Starting: Electric with auxiliary recoil
Drivetrain
Drive system: Shaft, 2x4/4x4
Transmission: Automatic CVT with high/low range, reverse, engine-braking, diffLock
Suspension (Type/Travel)
Front: Dual A-arms, independent/7.1 in.
Rear: Dual A-arms, independent/8.1 in.
Tires
Front: 25x8-12; rear: 25x10-12
Brakes
Front: Dual hydraulic discs; rear: sealedhydraulic disc
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 50.4 in.
Claimed dry weight: 602 lb
Ground clearance: 10.2 in.
Length/width/height: 83.5/47.6/48.0 in.
Seat height: 33.9 in.
Fuel capacity: 4.6 gal.
Electrical
Taillight: Yes
Headlight: Dual 30-watt high/low beam with 40-watt auxiliary
Instrumentation: Fuel gauge, speedometer, odometer, hourmeter, clock, dual tripmeters; neutral/reverse, high-temperature indicator
Colors: Green, red, yellow; Advantage Max-4 HD camo
The Yamaha Grizzly 660 is one of the older models in the group and does not seem to be following the sportier utility trend. Although this bear almost appears to be past its prime, it still maintains a certain stature and is packed full of exceptional features that make it useful. It offers good power, a fair suspension and looks to be aimed more at the outdoorsman rather than the trail rider.
The Grizzly is propelled by a 660cc, four-stroke, five-valve SOHC motor that outputs an exceptional and usable amount of power to the ground. This angry carnivore is not going to be breaking any speed records anytime soon, but it seems to have a remarkable amount of grunt to take you up and over just about anything you desire. With the help of an easily lockable differential-lock switch and independent rear suspension, the Grizz was quite wicked at climbing over and through the thick landscape of Georgia's forests. The wide and sturdy front bumper offers an unbeatable amount of protection from the harmful elements-taking on several trees during the test. It was probably an even tie, but the front end was protected.
At a faster velocity, the Yamaha fared well but felt a little large. The front racks are wide and square, which can give you a strange illusion of being very wide when navigating through thick brush and trees. The suspension performs decently but does not possess the finer tuning that the Honda and Bombardier have. One of the more disappointing items was its braking capabilities. Although our braking tests under the radar gun showed that it halted quickly, on the trail the halting action did feel precise and we required a few extra feet for stopping.