2004 Middleweight Sport Shoot Out

With the release of the new Honda Sportrax 450R, we endlessly get asked: "Is it better than the new Yamaha?" We wanted the answer to that ourselves, as well as to a few other questions. We were curious to see not only how the new Honda compared with the YFZ but also how the other contenders in the highly competitive 400-500cc class would fare. For this test, we pitted the new 450R against the YFZ, Suzuki QuadSport Z400, Kawasaki KFX400, Arctic Cat 400 DVX and Polaris Predator 500.

We decided to test the machines in motocross and cross-country-type settings and returned to one of our favorite areas in the rugged hills of western North Carolina. This time, though, we pulled out all the stops and formed an all-star team of testers, ranging from relative sport novices to more-intermediate, seasoned riders to two of the fastest racers on ATVs today. Yes, that's right—joining us were none other than current cross-country champ Bill Ballance and GNC motocross champ Jeremiah Jones! The two insanely talented riders came out to the Tar Heel State to help us thrash on the latest, greatest equipment the manufacturers have to offer. And while Ballance and Jones have their own areas of expertise, make no mistake—both are fast no matter what type of terrain is thrown their way. Both are adept in the woods and on a motocross track. Not surprisingly, their collective wisdom never ceased to amaze us. We can only give them a hearty tip-o'-the-visor for helping us determine which machine is truly the baddest one available.

#4 Polaris Predator 500

You have to give Polaris credit for taking its new machine and revamping it after only one full production year. With its improved, smoother-shifting tranny and shorter swingarm, the Predator is much more fun to ride. Here's what our two champs had to say about it.

Bill Ballance: "As far as comfort is concerned, it was not quite up to the Honda or Suzuki—it was definitely one of the least-comfortable quads in the shootout. The Predator has a good, soft seat, but the handlebar is way too far forward. When you're holding on to the handlebar, it feels as if the tires are right under your hands instead of being out in front of you.

"Low-speed handling wasn't too bad. I noticed that Polaris' claim about its front-end geometry removing bump-steer wasn't an exaggeration. The downside was the front end felt a little twitchy in corners and was too sensitive. High-speed handling was decent. The no-link rear suspension worked really well, but the front suspension didn't match it. In my opinion, the front suspension on the Polaris is the worst of this group. I don't know if it's the shocks or the geometry, but it just didn't work—especially under braking. It was not very predictable.

"Another thing I didn't particularly like were the brakes—they were the worst of the group and weren't responsive at all. It was very easy to overheat them. I started squealing the front calipers pretty quickly, which is unusual.

"On the plus side, the motor was very surprising. It ran really well, especially on wide-open fire roads. It pulled strong from bottom to top with a very responsive midrange. The low-end could be a little better, but overall I think it had one of the strongest engines in the group. It has a very broad powerband. The tranny also felt pretty good—the gear spacing was right on."

Jeremiah Jones: "I thought the Predator was actually a decent enough machine. It has a nice soft seat, but it tended to position you too far forward. It also felt as if you got easily trapped in some sort of a pocket, and it was hard to shift around on the seat.

"The no-link rear suspension seemed to work pretty well on the Predator—much better than the front end, in my opinion. The front and rear shocks seemed to work pretty decently together, though. Another thing I really liked was that Polaris put together a really nice wheel and tire package. The Douglas wheel-Maxxis tire combo was a nice touch.

"I didn't care to jump the Predator much. The front end would make a lot of noise after coming off big jumps. After one big downhill jump, I heard some sort of clanking coming from the front end that didn't give me much confidence. In the air, the attitude didn't feel right, and I couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to do. It felt as though the front end was really light but the back end was really heavy, like a utility quad. When I landed, all the weight shifted to the front and I felt I was going to break off the front end. When it was on the ground, though, it actually worked really well.

"And last but not least, the machine really needs to go on a diet. It's nearly 65 pounds heavier than the Honda and Yamaha, and you can really feel it on the track and trail. To me, the added weight made it handle more like a utility machine in comparison with some of the other quads in the shootout.

"Rumor has it Polaris is working on another sport quad and has cut somewhere between 30 or 40 pounds from the machine. If that's the case, it will be interesting to see how that machine would compare with these quads. At least they'd have more of a fighting chance."

#3 Suzuki QuadSport/ Kawasaki KFX400/ Arctic Cat 400 DVX

When comparing the Z400 and its spawn with the other machines, we had to factor in a few things: It's obviously going to be at a displacement disadvantage right off the bat; and on the flip side, it's anywhere between $400 and $1200 cheaper. Going into this head-to-head, we thought the two champs would eat the Suzook alive. Surprisingly, it held its own.

Bill Ballance: "The Suzuki was one of the most-comfortable quads in this shootout. It has the best seat and feels good from the footpegs to the handlebar. It provided a plush ride. And honestly, it was one of the best-handling quads in tight, twisty terrain with tree roots and small rocky sections—it really absorbed that stuff well. It was just a very comfortable machine. It was a lot of fun to ride, and I'd rate it very high for the average trail rider—I don't think he'd be able to push it to its limits. Most riders picking this machine would end up with a really plush, smooth, comfortable ride. The brakes felt good, too, but I think that has a lot to do with the Suzuki's shorter wheelbase; it makes it feel more responsive as you're riding it.

"Another thing I like about the Suzuki is the fender coverage. Yamaha and Honda both missed the boat on that one. For motocrossers, it doesn't really matter, but for average trail riders, it's a big deal.

"Unfortunately, the Z400 is down on horsepower compared with the other quads. For its displacement, though, the Z has the smoothest, broadest power of the group. It's a tractor from top to bottom with no abrupt hit. But it just didn't have the yank the Yamaha and Honda provided. In really tight sections, the Suzuki could hold its own; it was when you got on faster, more-open sections that it lost time to the others. The rear suspension was a little too progressive, and at high speed, it caused a kick that's hard to get rid of, even with aftermarket suspension. The way the rear suspension is designed made it feel very good on low-speed stuff, but when the quad got going faster, it got rough. Suzuki needs to lower the motion ratio—the shaft speed in relation to the suspension action. The machine is also a little too short. When Suzuki releases its next sport quad, it needs to get about 6 or 7 more horsepower out of it, lengthen the wheelbase and work on the rear suspension. Then it would have a machine capable of taking on the Yamaha and Honda."

Jeremiah Jones: "The Suzuki is probably the most-comfortable machine out there right now—it's like a Cadillac. And the seat is the best of all of them. The Suzuki felt really stable because the seat is wide.

"I like the fact that it has not only electric start but also reverse. A lot of guys who live near me want trail quads, and reverse is an important feature for them. It's probably the best trail-riding machine of this bunch. Plus, it costs considerably less than most of its competition. The motor is good, too—the bottom end is nice and strong.

"I also really liked the Suzuki's plastic. It's actually very nice and stiff, which works well for riders when they're sliding around or hanging off the seat when cornering. And it has great coverage, which is good if you're riding in muddy sections. For some reason—and both Bill and I tend to agree—Arctic Cat missed the mark with its version. The DVX just doesn't have as good a set of plastic or seat as the Suzuki or Kawasaki.

"As far as things I didn't particularly care for, I think the Suzuki is a little on the heavy side—especially when it has to go up against more-race-oriented machines like the Honda and Yamaha. The engineers also need to address the rear suspension linkage—they're not getting the travel they need out of the back end, and everyone I know who races the Z has had trouble dialing in the rear suspension.

"I also had some problems with the tranny. I thought it shifted a little roughly—but Bill didn't seem to notice it much, so maybe it was just happening for me. It felt a little sluggish at times, as if it didn't want to go into gear—especially on the high-speed stuff.

"I hear Suzuki might be releasing its own 450 late this summer, so that model would probably address the power situation. Hopefully, the engineers will keep it as comfortable as the Z400, rework the rear suspension and make it closer to the weight of the other 450s, in which case I think it would be right in the hunt."

#2 Honda Sportrax 450R

Admittedly, during the shootout all eyes were on Honda's new superquad. Both Ballance and Jones were extremely eager to throw a leg over the recently released machine, and it was the first one they approached when we unloaded all the quads. After both spent a couple of days with the red rider, here's what they had to say.

Bill Ballance: "The Honda was the second most-comfortable quad behind the Suzuki. Everything seemed to be in the right spot; the footpeg, handlebar and seat positioning all felt perfect. The Suzuki seat is a little better, though.

"Power output was really nice—it had a good, smooth transition from bottom to top. It had as smooth a power delivery as the Suzuki, possibly even smoother. With the Honda, you get firm bottom- to top-end power right out of the box. I think it has the most-usable power for riders of all skill levels, from novices to top pros.

"The suspension was also very good. As a matter of fact, the front geometry was the best of all the quads we tested. I like some rake in the front end of a machine. It helps when you decelerate into a corner, or when you're going into rough stuff or whoops; it offsets the pitch of the machine when the weight starts transferring, and it makes the A-arms work better. The Honda's front end was spot on.

"The rear suspension is what kept the machine from being near perfect, though—there was not enough usable travel. The upper-shock mount should have been raised, or a different combination of shock mounting position used to get the rear working better. For as close to a race machine as the Honda is, its biggest downfall was definitely the rear suspension.

"Low-speed handling was great—the Honda and the Suzuki were right at the top. High-speed handling wasn't quite as good as with the Yamaha, but it's easily the second best.

"And the brakes were by far the best of the bunch—they're actually some of the best brakes on any quad I've ever ridden. The front brakes are completely awesome, and the rear brakes are the best I've ever felt.

"Another good thing was the tranny. The 450R had the smoothest-shifting tranny I've felt.

"One thing I noticed that was odd, though, was the motor chattered more than the others. It sounded a little clanky, especially at low rpm.

"Overall, the 450R is a good, complete package. With a little longer swingarm and more travel in the back, the Honda would have been the front-runner in the woods. It was easy to start, but I don't know how well it would start for my needs in GNCC riding. I can't say it would always be 100 percent predictable, so for now, I'll be using a button to start my next race machine."

Jeremiah Jones: "The first thing that sticks out in my mind about the Honda is how strong those brakes are! They are the best brakes I've ever seen on a quad. If you could get these brakes to work on any quad, they would be the brakes everyone would need to be running.

"The Honda has very good front suspension. It felt solid whether I was riding in the woods or jumping at the motocross track. I didn't think the rear suspension was as good as the front, though. It felt a little springy, and I think it needed a bit more travel. Even when we tried dialing in the shock, it still wasn't right. We slowed it down as far as it would adjust, and it still felt spongy and springy. I think Honda should have spent a little more time dialing in the rear end on the 450R.

"You can tell Honda put a lot of time and effort into the front end of the 450R because it turned so well. I heard that in the beginning of the development of the 450R it had trouble with the front end pushing. Well, there's no problem with it now. I don't know if it's just the new inset hubs, but there's no push, and there's very little bump-steer.

"The seat was very comfortable—actually, the positioning of the seat and tank felt really good.

"Starting the machine was pretty easy. Previously when I raced CRF engines and other kickstart motors, I found they could be difficult to start at times, but the 450R started very well thanks to that hot-start button. And I like where Honda placed that button. I know woods riders would prefer to have a machine with an electric start; when you're stuck in a big mud hole, you don't want to kick over a motor if you can just push a button and go.

"The motor has more bottom-end power than any of the other machines in this shootout. The quad also has one of the smoothest trannies out there—but Honda is well-known for producing smooth-shifting transmissions.

"As for my dislikes, I felt the Honda turned a little too fast when I was riding it in the woods—it was borderline twitchy. The body plastic wasn't my favorite. It almost looks as if Honda just threw something together to get the machine on the market quickly. And there's no real front fender coverage to speak of. Lastly, the wheelbase is too short—it needs to be lengthened at least another inch or an inch and a quarter. As it is now, the machine wheelies far too easily.

"Surprisingly, when we were running in the woods, I thought the 450R was a little too twitchy, which made me think I wouldn't fare well on the MX track. But when we got to the track, I actually liked it much more. It helped that the track was very tight and technical—if I had to race on a bigger track (which most of the GNC tracks are), I would pick the Yamaha. If I were racing on a small, tight track, the Honda wouldn't be a bad choice.

#1 Yamaha YZF450

The Yamaha took four of our seven testers' top spot (the Honda secured only two top finishes). Right now, the Yamaha is the best game in town, and here's what the two champs had on their minds.

Bill Ballance: "The Yamaha takes the number-one spot for woods riding for me. It is the fastest in all types of terrain. I turned in my fastest lap on it, because it's the most predictable at race speeds. It doesn't matter if it's coming into or out of corners, going through rough sections or flying over fast fire roads—it feels the most stable. The rear suspension is the best that has ever been designed on a factory quad. You could hit a section of 12 whoops in a row, and with your shocks set up right, it would work just as well as a Honda 400EX or Suzuki Z400 with full-blown aftermarket race shocks on it.

"The brakes are good, though the rears weren't as strong as the fronts. I'd like to see a larger brake pad; the brakes would last longer and would be a little more responsive. They worked well enough in stock trim, but you're going to go through some pads on this machine.

"The low-end power on the Yamaha direct from the factory was a little lower than, say, the Honda or Polaris, but once it hit the midrange it was the strongest of all the quads and more than made up for its lack of low-end grunt. The tranny also shifts very smoothly, and you don't hear any weird noises coming from the engine or tranny as you do on some of the other machines.

"On the other side of the fence, the YFZ is not the most-comfortable machine—the Suzuki and the Honda placed above it in that category. Its seat is its worst feature; there needs to be more foam in it. It would be nice if Yamaha could find a way to squeeze in the extra foam without raising the seat height. I also think the footpegs are a little high and a tad too forward. Something else we all noticed is that the thumb throttle was way too stiff for any riding condition, be it cross-country, motocross or desert racing or just plain trail riding. This thumb throttle in stock trim will wear out your thumb really fast.

"Bottom line: For any Pro-class rider, A-class rider or someone looking to ride a fast machine, the Yamaha is definitely the quad of choice."

Jeremiah Jones: "The Yamaha's handling was exceptionally good—it was very stable through turns, and on the motocross track it worked great. I thought the way the front and rear suspension worked together was as close to perfect as a factory machine could get. It jumped very well and was extremely neutral in mid-air when jumping. The machine's ride height is also better than the other quads'. The low center of gravity made it feel more like a race machine a pro motocross racer is accustomed to.

"Believe it or not, I actually liked the fact that it comes with electric start. Not that the Honda is hard to start; I just didn't feel the Yamaha was at a disadvantage with it. Plus, you can add the kickstarter as an option, so it's not really an issue.

"The new tires Yamaha developed worked really well for stock meat. They got good traction, and overall handling was very good.

"Throttle response was very good, too, thanks to the FCR carburetor. It's nice that Yamaha included it. Riders won't have to spend more money to buy a carb for their machine; they can spend their cash elsewhere.

"The Yamaha also shifted very well. I think it comes with an eight-plate clutch, and it felt very smooth.

"As far as dislikes, I have to agree with everyone else: The seat is really harsh, and there's room for improvement. The throttle is definitely too stiff, and the rear master-brake cylinder reservoir hangs out in a bad location—something could reach up and grab that thing and rip it off. I believe there's a GYT-R replacement that gets mounted somewhere safer.

"Despite those tweaks, it's my machine of choice in this shootout."

Location

For our test sessions, we brought the machines to two separate areas: a privately owned motocross track and the Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park (BMMSP). A public riding area, the BMMSP was established in spring 2002. The park consists of more than 1500 acres nestled in the beautiful Brushy Mountains of Alexander County, North Carolina. Trails range from intermediate to expert, with elevation varying from 1300 feet to 2500 feet above sea level. Currently there are more than 35 miles of beautiful wooded trails open, with more than 100 miles of trails scheduled for completion by 2006. The average trail width is 6 feet or less, making it perfect for both ATVs and motorcycles. Off-road riding and safety courses are offered for all ages, and primitive camping is available (with individual and adjoining sites). Other amenities include climate-controlled men's and women's bathroom/showers as well as hot concessions (Saturday and Sunday only).

Info:
Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park
Lambert Fork Road
Taylorsville, North Carolina
Park phone: 828/635-7766
Office phone: 828/327-4751
Web site: www.bmmspark.com
E-mail: richardmull@vol.com

Speed Freak

While we tested the machines at the Brushy Mountain Motor Sports Park, we set up a 3.5-mile loop for GNCC champ Bill Ballance in an effort to time him on each machine. Our course featured a variety of terrain, including a tight, twisty section followed by wide-open fire-road-type riding. From slowest to fastest, here are the champ's times in minutes and seconds.

Mere Mortals!

So what did the rest of our illustrious crew think of all the quads? Hey, we might not have multiple titles to our credit, but we're faster than the two champs at something! (And if you answered "getting tired," you'd be correct.) Here's what we mere mortals had to say about the machines.

Billy Bartels
Weight: 182 lb
Height: 6'
Skill level: Intermediate
One of my favorite machines, the Z400/KFX400/400 DVX (hereinafter referred to as the "Kawazucat") is a fabulous trail machine and very willing MX partner. In this company, though, it falls shy on outright performance. Although I love it dearly, I have to relegate it to last place. Note to the designers at Suzuki: while I know your motocross superstar 450 is probably coming, a small steroid injection (suspension, motor, weight) into the Kawazucat would make it the best trail machine ever.

The middle of my rankings is a study in opposites. My top woods ride, the Predator—with its plush, long-travel suspension, willing motor and effortless handling—became my bottom MXer, since its heavy weight took a toll. However, the Polaris was good enough for third place in my book.

Far and away the best motocrosser, Yamaha's YFZ is a pretty tiring woods ATV for your average everyday magazine editor. A stiff throttle spring, way-too-racy ergonomics and a surprising amount of effort to ride doomed it in the tight stuff. Still, with that kind of outright performance I can't rank it any lower than second.

That leaves the TRX450R at the top of the heap, but only by the scantiest of margins. In stock trim, it edged only the last-place Suzuki in both woods and track work. Most of this was due to an easy-to-fix too-tall gear ratio. It was just a bad match for our tight, technical motocross course, while in the woods it was way too tall, feeling in first gear like the Kawazucat in second. However, that powerful motor matched with a good riding position (for a tall guy), quick handling and fabulous brakes was the winning combo in my book.

Mike Herpen
Weight: 180 lb
Height: 5'9"
Skill level: Intermediate
I have to say for the second year of production the Predator has improved. With a new transmission and better suspension, the machine feels more comfortable in the woods as well as on the track. Although I liked the handling and motor of the Predator, it still was my last-place pick. If Polaris would put its machine on a diet, the Predator could be a serious MXer and woods racer.

Both in the woods and on the MX track, one of my favorite rides was the Z400/KFX400/400 DVX. With its neutral handling, superb suspension and strong motor, the machine was effortless to ride. However, giving up some displacement to the other machines in this contest puts it at a slight power disadvantage. It may be comfortable, but I can't ignore what the others have to offer.

Next was the Yamaha. For me, it was virtually a toss-up between the YFZ and the new TRX. The YFZ was the better of the two on the MX track. With its broad powerband and long-travel suspension, it handled superbly. In the woods, it was a different story. The YFZ has a very stiff thumb throttle, making it difficult to stay hard on the gas for long periods of time. With the performance you get from the YFZ in stock trim, it was hard to rank it second, though.

Nevertheless, the 450R is my first-place pick, but only by the slimmest of margins. On the track and in the woods, this machine could handle it all. Even with the tall gearing on the 450R, the tight trails and MX track were easily navigated. With its strong and powerful motor, great brakes and awesome suspension, the 450R can only be the number-one machine in my book.

John Howell
Weight: 170 lb
Height: 5'8"
Skill level: Intermediate
The Polaris Predator and I simply didn't gel. The machine feels a bit cumbersome to me—it's heavy and very wide in comparison with the other machines in the shootout. The way the seat is designed shifts you too far forward into an uncomfortable riding position. You almost feel as though you're sitting in a droopy saddle on an old horse. The tranny shifts way smoother than last year's model, but the overall package still needs a little work. The shocks aren't particularly great, and the machine needs to go on a diet.

The Suzuki and its derivatives (the Kawi and the Arctic Cat) are the most-trail-friendly machines here. Not surprisingly, none of them really do anything bad at all, but they don't outshine the other quads rated above it in any given area. Arctic Cat also needs to work on getting more fender coverage and smoothing out its seat to make it more comfortable. As far as general trail riding goes, the Suzuki fits the bill very nicely and is one heck of a machine.

I had to place the Honda in a solid second for a few reasons. It has a shorter wheelbase than I think it should have (it needs a +1 swingarm at the very least), and it sits a little taller than I like. The gearing is also a little too tall for the average rider. Overall, it handles well, has a potent motor and has the strongest brakes of any quad I've ever ridden, bar none. I also happen to love the fact that it's kickstarter only—it just screams "race me!" In a perfect world, it would be the best sport quad ever made ... if that world didn't include the Yamaha.

What can I say? The YFZ is the best sport quad that has ever been made. It is ultra-stable at speed thanks to its low center of gravity, and its suspension is simply outstanding. I felt more comfortable with the Yamaha on all types of terrain and found that when I was at the motocross track, I would try out any tricky new section on the Yamaha first. On the negative side, the overly stiff thumb throttle is borderline criminal. Having talked with many tuners, though, I know this is something that can easily be fixed by cutting and modifying the spring in the FCR carb. The other thing I didn't care for is the seat—it's way too stiff! But I agree with Bill Ballance: If Yamaha engineers could figure out a way to make the seat more comfortable without raising the seat height, they'd be heroes.

Len Nelson
Weight: 175 lb
Height: 5'9"
Skill level: Novice
In wide-open spaces, the Predator is hard to beat. The compact landscape of the North Carolina mountains, however, cramped its style. The machine left me tired and riding sloppy after just a few laps around the MX track. In the woods, it fared better until the trail slowed down. Lower speeds caused the American-made machine to feel pudgy.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Arctic Cat-Kawasaki-Suzuki Z400. What a terrific trail machine! It fit me just about perfectly, and I loved the Troy Lee-inspired styling of the Arctic Cat version. I could ride the Z400 all day and never get tired of it. The engine is tractable, though I wouldn't mind some additional displacement and better throttle response. If not for the smallish engine (compared with the others), it would have been my top pick.

Honda's TRX450R is a solid example of styling and engineering combining to create art. The engine is unstoppable and works well with the suspension both on and off the track. As delivered, the machine was geared too tall for our riding conditions. Unless the majority of my riding were high-speed, I would need to gear it down considerably for it to work for me. The brakes are strong, and everything about the TRX is top-notch. On the track, the Honda felt tall—this became especially noticeable in the woods; I never really connected with the Honda because of this.

If I had to live with just one model from this group, it would be the Yamaha YFZ450. The engine is potent, the controls are user-friendly and it's an incredibly fast package. The stock handlebar is too low for me, and I shared the complaint among testers about the throttle being too stiff. Still, whether racing or trail riding, I would pick this machine.

Dale Woody
Weight: 180 lb
Height: 5'10"
Skill level: Expert
I thought the Polaris Predator produced the best power of the bunch. The engine pulled hard from top to bottom, with no weird hit along the way. However, I disliked how bulky the machine felt. It was just too wide in the woods and felt overly heavy on the motocross track.

My third choice—the Yamaha YFZ450—surprised a few people. The Yamaha feels very stable, and its engine revs hard. The problem is that I think it needs more bottom-end power for woods riding. The thumb-throttle pressure is too hard and needs to be fixed. I did not like how short the bar felt.

My second-place pick would have to be the TRX450R. It offers brute power in a very stable package. The stock gearing was too high, though. For woods riding and tight technical tracks, I think it would benefit from some gearing changes.

And believe it or not, my number-one choice is the Z400. It had the best overall saddle feel, I thought it handled better than the others in the woods and, despite the smaller engine, it was the most comfortable to ride.

Bonus Photos

Jerimiah Jones (right) and...        read full caption Jerimiah Jones (right) and Bill Balance (left)
Trackside camp
		Bill and Jerimiah get a "time-out"...        read full caption Bill and Jerimiah get a "time-out" for playing with fire.

Specs