I was browsing some message boards recently and stumbled across something that piqued my interest. A reference was made to the possibility of Polaris creating a sport quad called "Predator". After a little research I found this site. Now I'm not one that usually falls prey to the rumor mill, but if this is a new Polaris quad, I personally have to congratulate them on dropping the belt drive system and the McPherson Strut front end. It is these two things alone that keep me from buying a Polaris.

     This quad, whoever is producing it, will definitely be a contender in the 400+cc Sport Quad market. It features the ever apparent "Raptor-esque" appearance that is apparently the norm for sport quads now. The power from the 500cc 4-stroke engine gets passed through a 5-Speed manual transmission on its way back to Maxxis Razr tires. This will definitely be a quad to keep your eyes on based on information gathered from the web site.

     UPDATE:After doing a little more research, I am all but certain this is a new Polaris model. The information I have found in this article in spanish points to an August release date. Could this point to an end of the belt drive system for Polaris, or are they just trying to steal some of the sport quad market from the other manufacturers? I am still not too keen on Polaris' quads, but I feel they are starting to take steps in the right direction.

     Hopefully, in August, I will be purchasing a brand spankin' new Suzuki LTZ400 Quad. I have been looking to purchase one for a couple of years now, but couldn't find one that fit in with what I wanted in a quad. I sat down one day and started a spread sheet listing the qualities of the various ATV's available so I could determine at a glance which ones were better than others and why. Unfortunately, this spread sheet was lost in a system crash, but I am planning on making another. I will post it her when I get it finished.

     I started at Honda's site because a buddy of mine has a Recon, and with the introduction of the 250EX last year, I knew it was real close to what I was looking for in a quad. Then I mosied on over to Yamaha's site to see if they had introduced any new models. I knew what they had last year and wasn't really interested in anything they had to offer. Nothing new there, off to the Polaris site to see if they had come to their senses and dropped the belt drive system. They hadn't. My next stop was the Suzuki site where I discovered the LTZ400 Quad.

     At first glance this thing looks VERY similar to the Yamaha Raptor with its high fenders and it's wild nose. My first thought upon seeing it was "Oh great, another overpowered 600+cc quad that will be un-driveable on tight trails." Upon closer inspection I realized that Suzuki had borrowed the 400CC motor from their popular DRZ line of enduro bikes to use as the power plant for the LTZ Quad. The more I read at their site, the more I realized this was the quad for me. The only thing about it that I didn't like was the lack of a back-up starter mechanism (kick, rope, etc.) However, with this being a manual transmission, and the fact that I never ride alone, I figured getting this thing started by push/pull means was feasible and made up for the lack of a back-up starter.

     Now it was time to see what others were saying about the LTZ400. I opened up my trusty Google search page and typed it in. The first reviews of the quad I read can be found Here and Here(Note: At the bottom page of the second link, there is a "next page" link that I missed the first time I read it) As I read the reviews I was drawn to the Z400 even more. Especially the fact that the reviewers had to go out of their way to find something wrong with the Quad. It appeared to me that Suzuki had been holding out, learning from others mistakes, and working on building the perfect sport quad. This is just a few of the reviews that can be found on the web right now (one even tossing around such ideas as Sport Quad of the Year). As information about this quad becomes readily available, I will try to add links to this page.

     As I was researching the LTZ400 I came across an article about the "merger" between Suzuki and Kawasaki. Apparently Kawasaki's sales in the sport quad market were lacking, so they looked to Suzuki for the answer. Kawasaki will get 3 ATV models from Suzuki, the LT50, LT80 and the all-new LTZ400. Kawasaki will introduce them as their KFX line. In return Suzuki will get the KX60, KX65, KX100, and the KLX110 from Kawasaki.

     From what i can tell from the articles I have read, the two ATV makers decided to "merge" so they could order parts in bulk and cut costs. This approach would help to strengthen both ATV makers share in the ATV market.

     A friend of mine bought a Honda Recon (TRX250) in the Spring of 2000. I'm not positive, but I think it was the first year it was introduced. I can't say enough good about this Quad. It has been everywhere we have tried to take it. Other than the occasional "That water hole was deeper than I thought" mishaps, I have yet to see a mudhole this quad can't go through. It is light enough if you do get it stuck that it can easily be pulled onto stable ground. This quad usually ends up being the "tow-truck" when another of the quads we ride become disabled for whatever reasons(water logged Polaris starter, our 1978 Honda 110 shucking and breaking it's chain, etc..).

     This quad has been extremely stable and sure footed on all of the terrain we have rode it on. Shortly after my TRX200 quad gave up the ghost, my GBC Dirt Devils were transplanted onto the rear of the Recon, making it even better in the mud. I would highly recommend this quad to anyone that is looking for a stable, dependable utility quad.