Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada, scene of ATV Rider's first true All-Terrain Sport Comparison. We rolled the dice and bet on reassurances that Vegas really is a happening place to ride quads. It's been years since the Open class has seen such a high attendance by all the major manufacturers. Only four years ago, Honda's 400EX put the world on its ear with its combination of lithe handling and high power output; merely two years ago, Yamaha's Raptor set a new standard for four-stroke performance. However, the time since the 400EX and Raptor premiered seems like an eternity. Factories have been banging out sport models by the handful lately. At one time, a new model came out every couple of years, but now it seems every major player is either introducing or reintroducing a new sports quad annually.
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The QuadSport Z/KFX is my overall pick for its all-around excellence, including the best transmission in the test.
The Polaris Predator brings some serious machinery to the table with a punchy motor that likes to be revved and a stable, quick-turning chassis. The Predator's Maxxis sport tires have a real advantage on track and trail but don't work well in the sand. I had a real problem with the soft seat foam, as it causes you to slam right into the seat pan on hard landings. The Cannondale was the holeshot king, but it was geared way too low. It had the best shocks by far.
After all these years, the Raptor has the best motor for the dunes, but it was let down by plastic that looked new for about eight seconds of riding. That said, the Japanese quads held a wide margin over their North American counterparts in fit and finish.
The DS is an ideal quad for anyone weighing about 225 pounds, but not for anybody below that. Despite Honda's vaunted reputation for quality, the EX broke...twice.
The Cannondale had great power and was the easiest quad to go fast on at the track. It featured a nice hydraulic clutch, the best rear suspension, good front shocks, good handling and great brakes. It was the best jumper. But it had problems. The seat foam was too soft, and the handlebars and thumb throttle felt wrong. The plastic was too wide at the gas tank.
The Suzusaki was comfortable, a good jumper and had good handling, brakes and thumb throttle. But it needed more power, had finicky choke and a bad handlebar and felt cramped for a six-foot-plus rider.
Polaris' Predator had a very fast motor and good tires, as well as the widest front end and good turning. The handlebar and seat were comfortable. On the other hand, it had the worst thumb throttle. It shifted badly and had bad shocks. The plastic didn't fit well either.
This Yamaha had good power. The Raptor's narrow tank and seat made it comfortable. It had good suspension and jumped OK. It still felt heavy and did not turn well. It was too tall and narrow, and the clutch dragged.
The Sportrax handled and jumped well and was very lightweight. The transmission was great, as was the thumb throttle. I couldn't endorse it completely because it's very slow and felt cramped. The fact that it's air-cooled outdated it. Da Bomb. This one was a comfortable cruiser with good power and shocks. It's just too heavy (especially the front), so it didn't turn well. The thumb throttle was poorly positioned.
I like my riding land-bound. I don't do big jumps, I only wheelie infrequently and, more than anything, I like to powerslide. Steering with the rear, hanging it out, getting sideways--by any other name, it's all the same: nirvana. Keep that in mind when I say I can't think of any sport quad that suits me better than the new Polaris Predator. It doesn't wheelie? So what. It's too loose in the rear? Great! Any way you slice it, it's the one for me.
Talk of unlimited potential didn't sway me to the Kawasaki/Suzuki camp, but the QuadSport Z/KFX is just too good to place any lower than second.
The Cannibal? I think it needs a little more watering down from its race-intended origins to be a good enough all-arounder--maybe add some flywheel weight and reverse so I can relax now and then... The other three are all good machines but just in need of some retooling. I think Bombardier's DS got the short end of the stick in this comparison. It's clearly only designed for dune and wide trail riding, narrowing its scope compared to the others, but it does what it does well, especially for big-boned riders. The Raptor was good at a number of things, but Yamaha needs to address a few items: tall and top-heavy is a bad combination. The odd man out here was the Honda; all the other quads had it covered one way or another, so really all the Honda needs is a big, fat motor and better suspension and it'll be a keeper.
If I were buying one of these with my hard-earned cash, I'd get the Suzuki/Kawasaki. It's fun to ride stock; it does nothing the best, but has unlimited potential for hop-ups in either racing or on the dunes. The Cannondale is second because it's clearly the fastest and handles the best on the track. It's good in the dunes but not torquey enough for my tastes. The Raptor (third) is a good dune machine, even stock, and has nowhere to go but up with a little bolt-on help. The same goes for its performance on the track, except that the bolt-ons are necessary, not optional. The Predator (fourth) is an unknown entity at this time; it shifts poorly but otherwise has potential. The front end is too glued to the ground for me, and the manufacturing tolerances seem to be on the loose side. If I were shopping for my dad, the big Bombardier (fifth) might move to the top of my list, but it should be banned from the racetrack. Honda's last-place 400EX is actually a good racer if you spend lots of cash, but it still won't hunt with the big dogs. In the dunes it's all about horsepower, and the EX is lacking.
My top pick, the Suzuki, is light, shifts smoothly, handles great and has good power and an engine that can be modified easily. The second place Cannondale has a motor that revs very quickly and handles great, but its price is high. Polaris' Predator motor is very strong and pulls at all rpm, but the transmission feels clunky. The Predator is also a first-year model, so reliability has yet to be proven. For those reasons, I put it in third. The Raptor has a strong motor, but there are weak points in the transmission--I know that first-hand! The Raptor is also a little on the heavy side, so it gets fourth place. The only reason the Honda did not rank last for me was because of the DS 650. The Honda is outdated in the motor department but is still fun to ride due to good handling and its light weight. The 400EX is also very durable. The DS is heavy and tests its suspension greatly; even though it was the fastest and had the most power, it ranked the lowest in my book.
I was really surprised by the broad array of machines that comprise this class. Each one of the quads tested had an entirely different approach to power, suspension, steering, tires and especially weight (and its distribution). These variations gave most of these sport quads a particular niche where they could really show their teeth, whether climbing a huge dune or launching a double on the track. Consequently, by the end of the test, what impressed me the most were the quads that adapted well and conquered all the tested terrains. As someone with somewhat less competitive spirit than the other testers, I mostly look for a quad I don't have to wrestle with in any given situation. The Suzi/Kawi fit that bill perfectly. It did all the things I wanted to do without argument and was an incredibly fun ride. It had a lot of power and slid the back end just enough so I never felt as though I was going to toss it or spin. A more aggressive rider certainly would not overlook the sheer power the Cannibal has to offer or the roosting capabilities of the Predator. However, any person seeking to keep tight reins on their machine but still haul ass and have a good time should consider the Suzi/Kawi a strong choice. I particularly recommend it to those entering the Open sport quad market for the first time.
The Suzuki/ Kawasaki was my favorite. This was the standard that I compared all others against. It plowed up the dunes with ease and tore through sand washes with a vengeance. It slid enough at high speeds to keep me interested, but not enough to scare me. At my skill level, I can easily control this machine and still know that I won't outgrow it as I improve.
For an extra $800, you can step up to the well-advertised Yamaha Raptor. It's got a ton of power, but try as I did, I couldn't find any significant advantages over the Suzuki/Kawasaki.
Chiming in at the same price and weight as the Suzuki/Kawasaki is the Honda 400EX. It's a solid machine, but I don't know why anyone would choose it. Everything on it is stiff, from the engine to the seat.
On the opposite side of the slide spectrum is the Predator. Although it has a good motor and weighs and costs only slightly more than the Suzuki/Kawasaki, I wasn't comfortable on it. At fast speeds on dirt, it's a bit scary, and at slow speeds on sand, it's frustrating.
The Cannondale Cannibal is made for those who like to live at top speed. The combination of tight suspension and loose throttle didn't work for me.
Last, and according to the scale, certainly not least, is the Bombardier. Whereas all the other quads appreciated and responded to the riders' shifting, this one completely neglected it. The cushy seat and soft suspension will minimize any and all bumps for the smoothest ride. Great for the dunes, but don't even think about taking it on tight trails. A turbo-powered couch if ever there was one.
The Predator handles differently than any of the other quads in this test, or anywhere else for that matter. And by differently, I mean better. Terrain has zero effect on the Polaris' precise and easily controllable/slidable handling. Of any quad I've ever ridden, this one feels the least likely to suddenly toss me off the high side. Ripping along a sand wash aboard the Polaris made me feel as if I was driving a rally car. This thing's awesome!
The Kawazuki 400 is a damn fine machine. It seemed we were all able to hop onto it and take on most any situation or terrain. This is probably the quad I'd recommend to most.
Both the crazy-powerful Raptor and the well-poised Cannondale have definite strengths--and a greater or equal quantity of weaknesses. The Raptor always felt as if it were maybe gonna kill me, while the Cannondale always felt as though maybe I could kill it.
And then there's Da Bomb. Based on my love for Bombardier's Sea-Doo watercraft, I really wanted to like the big red ATV. I thought it'd be funny if at the end of this weekend, all would associate 125-pound me with the 500-pounder. And the first time I tore off across the flat sand staging area at Dumont Dunes and experienced Da Bomb's serious get-down, I loved it. Of course, these flatlands led straight to the towering dunes, and when I tossed this behemoth sideways in the sand, I knew it was not for me--or anyone else this side of 250 pounds. Great engine but way too big.