Since the first big bore 4x4 quad was introduced in 1999, this segment of the market has been growing very rapidly. Suzuki may be a little late to market in this category, but if our first ride was any indication, we believe Suzuki has a winner that the other manufactures will soon only be able to follow.

For our first test of the new Suzuki KingQuad, we flew to NorthBay, Ontario, Canada (about a 4 hour drive north of Toronto) then spent a full day riding on the Voyageur Multi-Use Trail System, which begins in the city of Mattawa. After spending a full day riding the Voyageur Trail system, we highly recommend this riding area to those of you who live in the North Eastern part of the US. We wish we lived a little closer. During our day we only rode a small portion of the trail system but found incredible diversity. From easy and fast trails, to challenging mud holes and rocky terrain.

Engine and Performance

The KingQuad has a new 695cc Double-Overhead Camshaft Engine

The new Suzuki KingQuad is powered by a 695cc fuel-injected four stroke engine. Unlike the other 700cc-plus competitors, this a single cylinder engine that is pitched forward at 48 degrees to keep a low center of gravity. Double Overhead Camshafts (DOHC) are used for maximum power. The cams are driven by a chain-and-gear system very similar to some of Suzuki's high-performance sport motorcycles. Vibration is kept under control by the use of two balancer shafts and then further minimized by the use of rubber engine mounts.

The fuel injection system borrows more technolgy from Suzuki's sport motorcyles to deliver a system that has seen years of testing and development. An Electronic Control Module (ECM) stores the fuel maps and calculates the fuel-injection volume and igniton timing. The ECM gets input from intake air pressure, engine RPM, air tempature, atmospheric pressure, and engine coolant tempature.

So how well does this new engine work? It is incredibly smooth, very responsive, and feels very strong. We did not have any of it's competitors along but we are guessing the only big bore that might out-perform it for acceleration is the new Kawasaki 750 Brute Force. The engine is very quiet and feels pretty much vibration-free. The power is strong yet VERY manageable. On the highway heading to the trailhead, we hit 72 MPH in no time.

We have always been a big fan of the Kawasaki V-Twin but this new single cylinder from Suzuki is a very impressive package. Add the new Fuel Injection system and we believe Suzuki has created the best overall engine package that is currently available. The fuel injection worked flawlessly although you must make sure to not give it any throttle during starting - a bad habit we have from all the carbuerated engines. There is no choke to deal with so cold weather starting should be no problem. The system stores an electronic charge so that you can still start the KingQuad even if your battery is dead.

How does the suspension work?

The new KingQuad IRS Suspension

The suspension on the KingQuad worked extremely well. It provided a comfortable ride, yet didn't dive and roll like some of the competitors machines with an independent suspension. The rear is built with double-wishbone arms and uses 5-way preload adjustable shocks. You can crank up the preload very easily if you find the need to haul a very heavy load on the racks. The roll is controlled with a swaybar connected low on both sides. Plastic bushings are used in the upper arms, both front and back, rather than rubber ones to maintain rigidity. We could find no faults with the suspenion on the Kingquad. You could even get it to slide on the high speed fireroads.

Braking

A substantial log in the trail - No problem on the King Quad. The belly plate worked extremely well to slide over obstacles like this.

The rear brake system on the Kingquad is the same sealed system as on the Kawasaki units. This sealed system is lighter than a conventional braking system, is completely sealed from the elements, and needs no adjustment. This is an awesome system.

The front brakes use cailpers and discs at each wheel. The fronts seemed to work well most of the time but we had several situations where they seemed to pull very hard to the left. We are not sure if it just happened to be the terrain we were on at the time or what caused the severe pull. We will need more time on the KingQuad to see if there is a problem here, or it was just that particular cicumstance we were in or the specific vehicle we rode this day.

Transmission

We never got water in the tranny, despite submerging it in some very deep water and mud holes

The KingQuad uses a Suzuki Quadmatic CVT transmission. This transmission operated very quietly. It uses a V-belt and centrifical clutch with two variable pitch pulleys to provide the power to the drive wheels. The transmission seemed to be sealed very well, as we had it well-submerged up to the seat for quite a period of time and never experienced any slippage. The system does have an engine braking system to help control speed during decents downhill. We did not get a chance to test this extensively but in one situation, it did seem like it would be nice to have just a little more engine braking, as we had to use a small of amount of brake pressure to assist in the decent. There definatley was some engine braking though, unlike the Honda Rincon.

The drive selector worked very well and was easy to use. It has a high, low, nuetral, and reverse, but does NOT include a Park feature like the Vinson. For Park you will need to use the left-side handlebar-mounted ebrake. And frankly we like that better than the fender mounted Park shifter, and find it quicker and easier to use.

For high speed reverse in the mud, snow or certain conditions that require it, there is a left handlebar-mounted overirde button. Interesting enough, this same overide button is used when the front difflock is engaged to override a speed limiter there.We found it very useful in a couple situations playing in the mud.

4WD System

The handlebar-mounted 2WD-4WD with a diff lock lever that flips up over the 4WD button

The KingQuad uses a handlebar-mounted push button 2WD-4WD system. Inside the front differential is a torque sensing limited-slip that seemed to work very well. When the limited slip is not enough, you can flip the diff lock lever up over the 4WD button and it gives you a full locked dfifferential. Your steering will be slightly more difficult, but when you need serious traction, there is nothing like being locked in all four. We did find the difflock lever slightly easier to use than the Yamaha system, which requires you to push a second button after flipping the lever.

Bodywork

The bodywork on the KingQuad does a very good job of keeping the driver clean

The front of the Kingquad looks a lot like a Vinson, but we do like how the regular headlights are mounted into the bodywork rather than on top of it like the Vinson. This will make cleaning much easier. In the mud and water holes the fenders and floorboards seemed to work very well. Yeah, we still got mud on us, but not nearly as much as we were expecting, considering the holes we were taking the KingQuad through. The handlebar-mounted pod which includes an auxilirary light and the digital instrument panel, works well. The light can be turned off if you have a big load on the front rack. The digital guages were easy to read, as the pod seems to provide a small hood over them.

The full-length plastic skid plate seemed to work very well. We slid the KingQuad up over logs and rocks, and it was amazing how well it would glide up over them and allow the front catch traction and pull you right over. We didn't get a chance to look at the plate afterward to see how it was holding up, but it sure worked well. All bolts are recessed to prevent them getting rounded, and many go in from the side to allow easy skid plate removal.

Playing on the rocks is a blast

There are two storage areas - one in the right front fender and one acessible from the left rear. The front one is very small and would not fit a waterbottle. It seemed considerably smaller than the one on the Vinson, but nevertheless it did provide convenient storage for small items. The rear compartment is larger and easier to get to. Suzuki says it is water "resistent", but when submerged in the water, don't count on your stuff staying dry - our stuff was soaked.

Rolling stock

The KingQuad rolls on all new 25" Dunlop bias-ply tires. These are mounted on new pressed-aluminum alloy wheels that have an inner rolled rim. The rolled rim looks much like Douglas Ultimates, with which we have had great success. The rims are also lighter than the cast aluminum units found on the Vinson. We did experience a flat but not from a puncture - the valve stem actually came out. We think we must have knocked it out with a stick from the side while immersed in one of the mud holes.

Overall

The new 2005 Suzuki KingQuad is sure to be King of The Hill in any head-to-head comparison. It may not boast the most cc's and it may not win the drag race, but we believe Suzuki has put together the most compelling overall package of any big bore sport utility quad.

And top that off with a Suggested Retail price of only $7,199.

We can't wait to get our hands on a long term unit for more testing.