When it comes to putting the power to the ground, we found that the traditional torque-sensing limited-slip front differential was still in place as expected. Being that it's a favorite among Suzuki utility fans, this feature proves to be very useful in not-so-friendly thick mud or going over technical obstacles or when traction to a tire is lost. There's the two-wheel-drive mode for those who seek less adrenaline-filled terrains and four-wheel-drive mode for those who want to step it up to rougher obstacles. And last but not least is the full differential locking feature that says, "I'm ready to climb and conquer anything in my path!"
The braking system in the rear of the KingQuad is truly innovative and well thought out. Seeing that this trend of rear-sealed multiplate braking systems is on the minds of the Suzuki engineers is good because it means safety and longevity are priorities for our top ATV manufacturers. The multiplate system operates like a clutch system, only in reverse fashion. The brake lever or pedal is squeezed or pressed and the plates in the rear end come together, instead of separating as in the clutch configuration. This stops the KingQuad without slipping. The greatest thing about this type of system is that maintenance is virtually out of the picture and pad life, with periodic rear end oil changes, can be extended indefinitely. And there's also no more slipping and wearing of the rear brake pads due to mud or water on the calipers because they're completely sealed in the rear-end housing. This is a perfect solution to a common problem. Up front are the traditional braking calipers and pads with drilled rotors to keep things cool.
Suspension
The front of the KingQuad is suspended by an independent suspension with multipositional shocks that can be set in different preload ranges to suit your use of the machine. There are a total of five changes in preload that can be made to get the stiffness out or put a little more in. Although the travel range only gets you to about 7.1 inches of overall travel on the front, it's still giving the rider a decent amount of ground clearance to get over the majority of obstacles. The rear of the new KingQuad 750AXi has the same independent suspension setup as the 2007 model with the A-arm and I-beam construction that also utilizes the five-way preload adjustable shocks. The height, however, has bumped up two-tenths of an inch from last year at 7.9 to this year's 8.1 overall travel. Getting these gains a little at a time doesn't seem like much, but it has to start somewhere. If you've been riding ATVs long enough, you'll remember when travel in the vocabulary of an ATV rider was a point-to-point thing. That's because there was no travel in the suspension in those very early days! There's one difference in the rear of this year's KQ and that's the addition of a stabilizer bar that's linked in to keep the quad stable and steady in the rough stuff.
Overall Finish
With the traditional colors available, our red KingQuad 750 had looks to kill. The machine has a great shape to it, and before we could even get it to the testing grounds from the dealer, I had to roll the windows down three times and accept great compliments on how well the King looked nestled in the bed of my truck. The floorboards are huge and extend out beyond the reach of tire spray from the stock tires. The footpegs are serrated and are made of aluminum for weight savings with gripping power. The racks that come standard on front and rear have a wrinkle-style coating, which provides extended durability. There's a cool semisealed container for an extra pair of gloves or anything else that will fit just on the right side of the machine. The compartment is a decent size for smaller items but still won't hold a bottle of water, which is a bummer.