After a lavish 2006 that saw Suzuki introduce its LT-R450 (our Sport ATV of the Year), Polaris its very all-terrain Outlaw and Yamaha its excellent Raptor redux, '07 is a bit more calm in sport ATVland. This year most of the sport models are based to some extent on technology more common to utility models.
The lone exception is Kawasaki's sneak look at its '08 KFX450. Details are still sketchy, but it appears as if this new sport ATV will be the best of the trail and race worlds, with reverse finally making an appearance on a machine that looks close to race-ready.
Can-Am introduced its Renegade this past summer. It takes a page out of the KFX700's playbook by taking the powerplant from a sporty ute, but it actually keeps truer to its roots by retaining the chassis and 4WD system, only stripping the racks to save weight.
Polaris' Outlaw, featuring independent rear suspension (mostly found on 4x4s), is back with an upgraded version. The Outlaw 525 takes advantage of Polaris' strategic alliance with KTM to give the Outlaw the option of a lighter and more powerful engine, which might just elevate this supreme trail machine's game enough to become a serious race weapon.
In other news, Honda's oldest unchanged model, the TRX300EX, finally receives an '07 facelift with new plastic and a revised reverse mechanism (thank God). Yamaha's special-edition sport models get more than just fancy graphics and blacked-out paint; this year they received upgraded front shocks to go with their stunning good looks.
UtilityThe buzzword this year is "power steering." Both Yamaha and Honda introduced models equipped with this technology. For years ATV designers (and, by extension, riders) have had to choose between light-steering ATVs that get bounced off their lines easily in rough terrain and are less precise in and machines that are more work to ride. With power steering the point is moot, as the technology both dampens inputs from the wheels and eases effort at the bar. With Yamaha's sporty Open-class Grizzly and Honda's utility-centric Foreman on the cutting edge, there's a model for just about any rider interested.
Speaking of Yamaha's Grizzly lineup, all of the automatic utility quads in Blue's stable are now called Grizzly, leaving only the old Big Bear, which features some significant improvements after years in the wilderness. Honda's venerable Rancher models also saw the surgeon's touch with now-standard EFI and a bigger motor to keep up with some stepped-up lightweight ute competition.
Suzuki's KingQuad 450 is one of a slew of value-priced midsize machines based on flagship models. In the case of the 450, it loses none of the features of the big King, the displacement is just adjusted.
Can-Am looks to become champ of the 500 class this year with a 499cc version of its V-twin powered Outlander. Although it retains the V-twin powerplant of the bigger models, it actually has more in common with the Outlander 400 in the chassis department. Still, it should be powerful enough to shake up the competition at its price range.
Another new mid-displacement machine is Kawasaki's Brute Force 650i. Also featuring a V-twin powerplant, the green machine shares the IRS-equipped chassis of the big Brute.