12 Hour Torture Test

Before we start, we have a small announcement to make. Our illustrious 12-Hour event actually fell a little short of the full 12 hours ... it was more like a 101⁄2-Hour event. Heavy rains and foggy conditions (to say nothing of flattened rims and tires) cut short our riding just shy of the 11-hour mark. But we had fun, and that's what it's all about, isn't it? Actually, no, that's not what it was all about. Let's rewind ...

Last year when we did our big 2004 sport machine shootout (April '04), we took all the sport quads to North Carolina, where we enlisted the services of Bill Ballance and Jeremiah Jones to help with our testing. We thoroughly thrashed the machines on a closed woods course and later at an MX track to see which quad was best. That machine ended up being the Yamaha YFZ450. This year we had a much-different plan of action. We wanted to see how the machines would fare during an extended endurance test on a more-typical trail-riding type of terrain (with a little MX mixed in). We decided to follow a format similar to the 24-hour test our sister publication, Dirt Rider, has been doing for almost a decade now. This being our first time, we opted to go small and try for only 12 hours of testing.

We needed an epic venue, so we called up our buddy Quinn Lickman of Rausch Creek Motorsports Park in Tremont, Penn-sylvania. He gladly offered the park as the proving ground. Its crew worked feverishly for weeks to prep for the event, and they put together a torturous trail loop for us.

Instead of inviting only two pro riders as we did last year, we invited a whole host of them; and the ones who put in a full four hours (one hour per machine) would get to vote for the winner.

Our format was to run the machines over a 13-hour period (with an hour break for routine maintenance). If a quad went down due to mechanical failure, we would make note of it and factor that in at the end of the test. Most of our problems were flat tires (and flattened rims)--and we had plenty of them. Rausch Creek has an abundance of rocks, and we estimate we hit them all.

The pro riders on our panel (in addition to our staff riders) would take each machine for a timed hour-long ride, and once the hour was up they would move on to the next quad.The course was based loosely on the 6 Hours of ATV America event held previously at Rausch Creek. The riders began on a relatively mellow MX course (about 1 mile long) and made their way 4 miles deep into the challenging woods. It was definitely a brutal course, and it tested each stock machine to its limit. The woods course had an excellent mix of features; it was mostly fast and rocky, with some smoother sections, tight GNCC-style stuff and a few challenging hills and off-cambers. When night (and the rain) came, it all turned to mud and rocks--great fun but slow going.

A test in this format stresses not only the machines but also the riders. It's easy to say the YFZ is the best high-performance mount on the planet, but would you want to ride it for an hour on a rough course? The big question in our minds was: Would the YFZ reclaim the title, or would the different testing parameters offer up a new winner? Let's see.

#4 Yamaha YFZ450

Yamaha came in as the defending champ, but unfortunately, it went out on its shield. The potent YFZ shines in actual competition--just not in ours. More pro racers ride YFZs than any other model by a wide margin. There's a good reason, too: The YFZ, when modified, is a killer, and it can be easily tailored for all kinds of aggressive riding. GNCC pro Bill Ballance used a YFZ to capture his fifth title, and Keith Little recently wrapped up the ATVA GNC TT championship aboard his Yamaha. How-ever, when it comes to everyday trail riding, the YFZ is uncomfortable and somewhat unforgiving.

The funny thing is all the changes from last year are comfort-oriented: slightly softer damping and spring rates and a better seat. They all work as advertised, but it's the overall moto orientation that hurts the Yamie in a test such as this. Stiffer sidewalls on the tires and an aggressive ergonomics package work wonders for the quad on the track but cause it to wear down a rider on a rough off-road course. Even the usually YFZ-mounted pros had some colorful descriptions for the Yamaha after their hour-long stints, none of which we can print here.

What's changed from last year: Revisions for `05 include front suspension tweaks (a new front spring rate and damping help reduce rider fatigue through increased low-speed bump absorption) and Yamaha's addressing its stiff seat (the seat now has softer, more-durable foam and a nonslip cover). The `05 YFZ also received forged-aluminum shift and brake pedals.

What broke: As with most of the machines, the Yamaha suffered from repeated flats, but the wheels held up pretty well. The rear plastic skid plate and rear brake disc also were fairly hammered early on in the event. In fact, the rear brake disc had to be pounded into a somewhat flat shape on at least two occasions, just so it wouldn't keep the rear wheels from turning.

+ Best MX platform
+ Super-strong engine
- Flat-prone tires
- Hand-numbing thumb throttle
= Great MX quad ...

#3 Suzuki QuadSport Z400

Many riders felt the Z had one of the best-handling chassis of the group and extremely user-friendly ergonomics. It simply lacked the grunt in the engine department to compete against the other machines in this shootout. But when you factor in its price in comparison with the others (especially after taking into account all the updates it received this year), that may be enough for most casual trail riders to boost it to the top of their list.

It also had the most serious problems in our test (maybe it was the racers trying to keep up with the faster test mules). About halfway through the event, the rear shock gave out, mostly blowing through its stroke. Still, it was more comfortable to ride than the YFZ; you simply had to go slower (try telling that to some of these guys). It was actually a good thing we called the test when we did, as we had just run out of round wheels for the Z, and the tires looked like pincushions with all the plugs in them.

What's changed from last year: The Z received a new aluminum front bumper and rear grab bar; a larger (37mm Mikuni) carb with a throttle position sensor linked to the ignition system; redesigned cam profiles for increased power output; an additional clutch drive plate (from eight to nine); a new aluminum gear shift pedal for weight reduction; a magnesium clutch cover, valve cover and ignition cover; and new reservoir-type front shocks.

What broke: While pro Matt Smiley was riding the Z, it suffered a mysterious glitch that killed the engine under power. Smiley eventually limped it back to the pits, and after we cleaned out the carb's float bowl and blew out the spark plug vent hole, the Zook fired back to life. We also encountered numerous flat tires. The wheels were pretty susceptible to flat spots (contributing to the flat total). The rear shock damping and rear brake were lost at around hour five. After that slowed the testers down, there were far fewer "incidents" with it.

+ Great-handling chassis
+ Considerably lower price
- Engine lacks snap
- Rear suspension mildly harsh
= Ultimate "normal guy's" machine

#2 Polaris Predator 500

In last year's shootout, the Polaris finished dead last ... and by dead last, we mean the gap between it and the other machines was an insurmountable one. Things change. While this 2005 Troy Lee Edition Predator may resemble the '04 model, it's not fair to compare the two. Major mods have transformed the quad, the most notable being the addition of reverse gear and a significant tweak in the ergonomic department. Most of our pro riders were quick to throw us that surprised look of "Wow, this machine's pretty good" after getting off the Polaris.

The most-striking revelation about the Predator was that in years past testers would always comment about how the front end seemed stuck to the ground and the rear end would want to spin out, whereas this year all the pros talked about the Pred's "light front end." The revised suspension geometry negated some of the quad's anti-wheelie characteristics, while the new grippy Maxxis radials did the rest. They might be our favorite stock sport tires, with killer flat resistance and good performance.

The Predator's main enemy is still weight, but some of those heavy-duty components may have saved it from the abuse we dished out at Rausch.

What's changed from last year: The Predator has seen the most-radical changes and now comes with reverse, revised ergo-nomics, a better-shifting tranny and enhanced shock damping. The riding position has been improved through a seat redesign, a relocation of the handlebar and an extension of the steering post. The seat has more foam padding than last year's and is configured so riders are positioned farther back with the ability to slide ahead more easily.

The Troy Lee Edition, which we tested, has an increased rev-limiter; aluminum-body Fox shocks with remote reservoirs (the fronts); Maxxis radial tires; an LED taillight; and improved gear ratios that better match the new rev-limiter.

What broke: Technical Editor Todd Canavan managed to introduce the Predator's front end to a couple of trees along the rugged Rausch course (at speed each time). The first time, the bumper/frame cracked, and we had to weld it back into shape. The second time, we had to weld Canavan back into shape ... Other than the "Todd Tax," there were no major breakdowns on this unit. The Maxxis radials gave us the smallest number of headaches during our test, and the Douglas wheels showed only one dent.

+ Very plush ride
+ Now has reverse
- Twitchy front end
- A little heavy
= Rugged, sporty, but heavy

#1 Honda TRX450R

Heading into its second year of production, the Honda TRX450R has had its fair share of moments in the sun. Factory rider Tim Farr and crew won the brutal Baja 1000 in 2003 with the machine, and Farr went on to capture the Pace Indoor stadium series aboard his 450R. At the final round of 2004 GNC MX competition, Joe Byrd nabbed the 450R its first National win. Most riders in our test felt the Honda offers the best blend of power and handling of all the machines. Somewhat surprisingly, every pro rider gracing our panel made the Honda his or her top choice (all the more wild considering most of them actually compete aboard a YFZ). The 2005 Honda 450R is now the proud recipient of a target on its back until next year's shootout.

While there were no changes for '05, the very nature of this test took away the performance edge of the Yamaha and brought out the trail-friendly features of the Honda. Relaxed ergonomics, a broad powerband, a big 3.2-gallon gas tank and a light thumb-throttle spring made for easy going; while a stout motor and neutral handling rounded out the package. The frequent oil changes mandated by the 450R are a bit of a drag, however. Honda's race mechanic Steve Litz did one before the test (after our photo sessions) and one at the break, and we can safely assume that it was ready for another when the day was done. Not having an electric starter is still a liability, but with an electric-start 450 dirt bike (the CRF450X) out now, will Honda keep up with the Joneses next year?

What's changed from last year:
You can now get it in black, and that's about it.

What broke: Over the duration of the test, there were no major mechanical failures. The only problem worth noting was the rims seemed to take more of a beating than any other machine's rims, despite an equivalent number of flat tires. East Coast Editor John "Doogie" Howell provided us with the best flat tire of the session on the 450R--you could put your hand through the hole!

+ Superb ergonomics
+ Tractable powerhouse engine
- Doesn't always kick easily
- Gearing a little tall for casual woods riding
= Does all well

Mere Mortals
Sure, we're not pro riders, but we're probably closer to the average rider than the MX and GNCC elite we included in this test. Want to read some real-world thoughts and opinions? Here's how our staffers rated the machines.

Billy Bartels, Editor
Skills: Advanced trail rider, novice motocrosser
Boy, what a difference a change of locale and a whole lot of seat time make. In last year's 450 sport test, I ranked them 450R, YFZ, Predator, Z400. This year, much has changed for me.

Catapulting right into my first-place spot is Polaris' Predator. While I applaud Suzuki and Yamaha for making the modest upgrades on their machines that they did for '05, I feel no sport machine has gotten better in such a short time than the Predator, tested here in TLD form. In two years, it has gone from having bad ergonomics, a misfiring gear shifter and a loose rear end to having a very positive-shifting transmission (with that sweet close-ratio box ... can you even buy that for another quad?), much-improved ergos and handling that gives you all the traction you need. With its killer durability and good mix of comfort and performance, it is the only winner of this shootout.

Second was a close race for me between Honda's 450R and Suzuki's Z. On one hand, the Honda is lighter and more powerful; on the other, the Suzuki is geared better, is suspended plusher, requires less maintenance, is lower priced and has a nice powerband. What tips the scale in the Honda's favor is the adjustability of the suspension, the greater durability of its components and the outright performance advantage.

Down in the basement is the mighty YFZ. Yamaha made a few too many nods to moto to let this quad finish very high on my list. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for specializing our mounts as two-wheelers have done for years, but in this particular test, it was just too much work to ride at a moderate pace. The two minutes of bliss on the MX track were countered by 15 minutes of thumb- and bum-numbing pain out on the trail.

John Howell, East Coast Editor
Skills: Intermediate trail rider and motocrosser
Heading into this test, I thought I knew exactly which machine I was going to pick as the winner, but surprisingly, that quad finished last on my list. As mentioned, this test centered around getting a lot of seat time on each for an extended period.

With that said, up front on my list is the Honda 450R. I agreed with most testers that the R offers the best blend of outrageous, wild-eyed horsepower coupled with the most-neutral-handling chassis. Ever hear the phrase "It inspires confidence"? Well, the Honda does just that. It has a great engine, ridiculously strong brakes and very good suspension, and most important, it's comfortable, whereas the YFZ (its closest competitor on the track) is not.

My second-place pick goes to the Polaris Predator. More than once you could hear me woo-hooin' on the track while riding in the rain during the nighttime portion--I actually found myself enjoying my seat time more than I thought I would. The updates from '04 to '05 have totally transformed the Predator. The front end is still a little twitchy, but the improved ergos have really won me over. It's a total blast on the trail, and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone.

Third place goes to the Z400. This is such an awesome little machine that it's hard to relegate it to third. But my previous wording--"awesome little machine"--really sums up the problem. The Z lacks the snap the others have in abundance. Sure, it's probably one of the best-handling machines, but without that pure grunt when you grab full throttle, it's hard to place it any higher. Factor in the price, though (which to many is the deciding factor), and it can definitely hold its chin high.

Ah, the mighty YFZ ... What can I say? Last year, it was my favorite. I will still say that if I were going to race at a local track, this is the weapon I would choose. But as a trail-riding machine, it's simply too uncomfortable in too many areas. Everyone complained of the Popeye-arm-inducing thumb-throttle problem, and I concur. After riding for an hour, I found it difficult to control the throttle with any sort of manliness. I got off the thing wringing out my wrist like a little wuss, and that just ain't cool in front of a group of pro riders.

Len Nelson, Contributing Editor
Skills: Advanced trail rider, intermediate motocrosser
Polaris brought a gun to a knife fight with the new Predator at the ATVR 12-Hour. Having ridden this machine at the new-model intro earlier this year, I am still fascinated by how well it works. I enjoyed every minute of my time on the 500--especially in the tight woods. Reverse gear is just the icing on the cake.

I love the look, feel and sound of the Honda TRX450R. The engine is solid and fast to respond. As delivered, the gearing was too tall for woods riding--an easy fix. The brakes are strong, and everything about the TRX is top-notch. The price is not bad considering what you get. Electric start would be nice to have. The Honda does everything well, it's just that I think the Polaris does it better.

The Yamaha YFZ450 offers a potent engine that I connected with immediately. I found the Yamie user-friendly and an incredibly fast package. The thumb-throttle effort required is just stupid and needs to be fixed--someone at Yamaha is asleep at the wheel for still not resolving this. With an MSRP of $6899, the thumb throttle ought to be made of gold--it's not.

If you've ridden dirt bikes, you know the Kawa-saki KDX200--it's user-friendly, reliable, tractable and fun, and it changed dirt biking when it was introduced. This is how I feel about the Suzuki Z400. While I admit the technology is already becoming dated, there are plenty of aftermarket go-fast parts to keep you in the race. At the price, it is a real buy, too. I own a Z400 and love it--getting passed on the trail by the new breed of more-powerful sport machines is getting old, though.

Pros' Opinions
For our 12-Hour test, we invited quite a few top pros from the motocross and cross-country world to help us push the machines to their limit. If something was going to fail, it would more than likely do so with them at the controls.

For our MX panel, we chose three young, up-and-coming pros: Dustin Wimmer, Jason Dunkel-berger and Pat Brown. Our expert woods team included Chris Borich, Matt Smiley and Traci Cecco. In addition to these riders, who would be helping us evaluate each machine, we also shared some seat time with a few others whom we'd like to thank for participating--Honda's Tim Farr, Yamaha's Shane Hitt, John Natalie, Jeff Thompson, Andy Lagzdins, Rob and Tom Hertz, John Pellan (atvscene.com), Harlen Foley (exriders.com), Tyler Lenig and Randy Lehr. We also had input from photo god Adam Campbell and Technical Editor Todd Canavan, who managed to hurt themselves too severely to finish the test.

Wanna know what the pros thought? Even we were surprised at the outcome!

Chris Borich
Winner of two '04 GNCCs, a future star of the GNCC series
I like the TRX's power delivery the best out of the group. The Honda also has the best brakes by far; the front and rear don't fade at all. The quad is also well-laid-out and very comfortable to ride. I know some people think it's geared too tall, but I think it's perfect--you can click it up a gear and lug it around in the woods, then if you want, slip the clutch a little, and you're right on top of the power.

The Z400 is just a really comfortable ATV. The brakes are decent, too. The motor is down on power a little, but its delivery is smooth. It handles well but feels a little heavy when you pound into the rough stuff at speed.

The Predator's power is awesome. The steering feels a bit twitchy. If you get on the gas hard, it tends to wheelie a tad too easily. If Polaris shifted the motor forward just a bit, I think it would really improve the Predator's handling. Overall, it's comfortable--the seat did feel a little hard toward the front but was really soft toward the back. The other thing I like is it has good ground clearance.

In stock trim, the YFZ is really uncomfortable. The rear end feels as if it sits too high, and the stock thumb throttle is really bad. I got arm-pump right after I started riding it. The ground clearance is also really bad in the back--I wasted the rear brake disc pretty quickly on the rocks after I tore through the plastic rear skid. The stock tires are weak--after one lap I came in with three flats!

Pat Brown
2004 GNC MX Pro Am 265 and Pro Am Produc-tion class Champion, finished fourth in first pro race last year
The 450R handles the best and feels the fastest. It's well-balanced; I could wheelie it easily, and it also jumps really well. The bar position feels really good, too. The Honda is by far the best all-around package.

The Predator is comfortable and surprisingly fast. I also thought the stock suspension was far superior to anything else out here. Plus, it was fun having reverse on the trails.

The Z400 is super-comfortable and really fun to wheelie. I think it has the best handling and is the most-comfortable one to ride of this bunch. The Z has decent power but definitely gives up ground to the other quads.

I think the YFZ is the fastest machine in the group, but it's very, very uncomfortable to ride in stock trim, especially during trail rides such as this one. It's the best race platform here, but stock for stock, it's just uncomfortable. The stock rear suspension was kicking my ass.

Traci Cecco
Three-time GNCC Women's class champ
The Honda has nice, smooth power, and the stock suspension works very well. The throttle was easy, and the overall geometry was very good. It glided very levelly through the air over jumps. I noticed the rims got hammered more than the other quads'.

Suzuki's Z400 has a very comfortable riding position, and its throttle is easy, but the rear suspension tends to kick a bit. No matter how fast or slow you hit a jump, it seemed as if the rear end wanted to kick you up in the air. The power has a nice, even pull. For trail riding, it's really decent.

The YFZ rode pretty well but was a little twitchy at high speeds. It's not a very comfortable quad to ride on trails. The throttle is a killer ... The engine has great grunt, though--it's easy to wheelie and is overall very balanced.

The Predator is a comfortable ride, but the front end felt pretty high. When you get on the gas, the rear end gets a lot of traction, and it brings the front end up easily. The quad is bigger than the others, so it didn't fit me as well.

Jason "Dunk" Dunkelberger
One of GNC MX's young guns, no podiums in '04 due to midseason injury
If I had to buy a quad to trail ride with, it would be the Honda. The shocks are excellent right from the factory. The power is excellent, too. I did think the 450R was geared a little too tall, but compared with how the rest of the machine feels, that is easily overlooked.

This was a tough pick between the Z and the YFZ. I like that the Yamaha has more power, but on the trail, the Suzuki is simply more comfortable. If you were only going to trail ride, I would pick the Z.

The only fault that held the YFZ back for me was the stock shocks. I thought if I weighed about 100 pounds more, they would have felt a little better. They are way too stiff for trail riding. And as everyone else has probably mentioned, the stock throttle will kill you.The Predator's rear suspension feels really good. The harder you push it, the better it feels. The front end needs some work, though--it's too twitchy and easy to turn. I'd also fix that gap in between the fenders around the fuel tank and make the front fenders a little lower--I kept getting my knees hooked under them when cornering aggressively.

Matt Smiley
Podiumed six times in '04 in GNCC racing action
I didn't feel cramped on the Honda at all. I think it has the best overall handling of all of these machines. I don't think the engine is as strong as the Yamaha's, but it still has a nice, strong delivery.

The back shock works really well on the Predator. The engine also produces strong, controllable power. The motor is so smooth that when going up the rocky hilly sections, it just hooked up and [took off]. The Honda and Yamaha would smoke the tires all the way up. It also feels like a couch--it's totally comfortable. The front end wants to push out a bit when you're compressing it into a turn, though, and it is also a little too light.

Stock for stock, the Suzuki is down on power compared with the others, but it's really easy to ride in the woods. It handles well--its handling actually fits the motor.

The Yamaha has the best motor; it's actually the most-fun motor I've ever ridden. In stock trim, the shocks are really harsh; and I felt cramped on the machine. The thumb throttle is bad.

Dustin Wimmer
'03 GNC MX Pro Am 250 Champion, sixth overall in '04 Pro rookie season
The Honda is definitely my favorite. The brakes are really good; they are the strongest of the group. And I think the power delivery is the best overall, too. Plus, it handles really well.

The Predator is a fun machine. It has really decent suspension and a nice, strong motor; the power delivery is just really smooth. It's also very comfortable, especially the seat. The only thing I didn't like was the front end; it just felt a little off.The stock Suzuki suspension is pretty decent, and the overall handling is really good. The only problem the Z has compared with the others is it's down on power.

The Yamaha suspension needs work, and the thumb throttle flat-out sucks. In stock trim, the Yamaha just isn't comfortable for trail riding. The power is really good, though--I think it has the strongest motor of the bunch.

A Big Thanks!
We'd like to thank Quinn "Yo Turbo" Lickman and his crew at Rausch Creek Motorsports Park
(www.rauschcreekracing.com) for all their help in making the first ATV Rider 12-Hour such a success. The thanks cover Lickman and his brother Ronald for the additional hospitality later on in New York City during our first-annual Rausch/ATV Rider "mega after-hours party." (Remember fellas, what happens in NYC stays in NYC.)

In addition, we'd like to give props to the good folks at Cyclops Motorsports for loaning us a few sets of their Night Light helmet-mounted lighting system. It made our nighttime ride session all the more pleasurable. Check them out at www.cyclopsmotorsports.com.

Finally, we really appreciate all the manufacturer support we got for this event, and offer thanks to Ogre from Rausch for helping with wrenching on the quad from the manufacturer who didn't show.