The Middle Class Shootout
The talk nowadays is all about the screaming MX quads: By Bill “WBGO” Lanphier Provided by ATV Sport Magazine
The talk nowadays is all about the screaming MX quads (like the 450R and YFZ) and the really big guys (like the Raptor 660, DS650, KFX700, Scrambler 500 and Predator). But there’s a class of four-stroke sport machines that are just a little smaller, a little less expensive, not quite as fast — but still a whole lot of fun. Because the 350 to 400cc quads are not as big, they’re excellent for tighter trails and smaller or less experienced riders who lack the power to muscle around a bigger machine. It’s true: A bigger motor and chassis can sometimes work against you! These quads should also be considered a step above the sub-250cc four-stroke entry-level machines.
Six years ago, Honda rekindled the sport revival with its 400EX. It was the first new performance quad from a major manufacturer in more than a decade. Next along was Suzuki’s LT-Z400. Suzuki engineers didn’t seem to mind copying the excellent chassis geometry of the 400EX, but they upped the ante with a more powerful engine, a little more suspension travel up front and the convenience of a reverse gear.
Kawasaki took copying one step further, and through some unusual corporate gyrations, released an exact clone of the Z400, its KFX400. Only the plastic color and nose cover are different. Arctic Cat’s DVX is another Z400 clone, but the plastic design is different. For this shootout, we tried to include all the Suzuki clones, but Arctic Cat had trouble providing a loaner DVX for our test. Is there really a difference between the three models? Yes, the Arctic Cat didn’t receive the 2005 updates that the other 400s received. [Read on for a surprising handling difference between the Z400 and KFX400.]
Our fourth contender here is Yamaha’s Raptor 350. The ancient motor is right out of Yamaha’s Warrior sport quad. Why a 350 up against 400s? Like many Yamahas, the Raptor 350 is in a class by itself. It’s too big to match up against the 250 and 300cc four-strokes, so Yamaha agreed to let us run it against the bigger machines.
INSIDE THE CONTENDERS
Before we begin torture testing these four quads, let’s have a closer look at each one and see how they compare — on paper, at least. Among these electric-start four-strokes, the Raptor 350 is the only one with two valves. The others breathe easier and stronger with four valves. Hard to believe that at one time, the motor in the Raptor was the biggest available in a sport quad. Now there are sport machines with more than twice its displacement!
The sport market is more competitive than ever and the list of upgrades to the Kawasaki/Suzuki 400s is one indication. For 2005 both models get a new cam, exhaust, ignition timing and a larger carb, all resulting in stronger low-end and mid-level response, according to the manufacturers. An extra clutch drive plate helps modulate the power.
All the machines have a manual clutch and a reverse gear. To get the most out of the motor, the Raptor is a six-speed while the others have five. For 2005, the Honda has revised gear ratios and reverse. Honda says the extra gear and control cable adds no more than a few pounds and the new headlight design probably trims a few pounds. The bug-eyed headlights of the old 400EX didn’t impress us much and we’re happy Honda borrowed the styling from its hot 450R for the 2005 400EX.
At a claimed 386 pounds, the Honda is more than 10 pounds heavier than the other three contenders. Our tests with fluid levels topped off show the Honda to be a little lighter than the other three. Chain adjustment procedures vary among these quads (see spec sheet), but we like Honda’s cam-style system best. The most labor-intensive setup is found on the Yamaha and it’s possible to misalign the rear sprocket.
In overall dimensions, including wheelbase, the Yamaha comes in a little smaller than the others. It has about a half-inch less suspension travel and the front tires are an inch shorter. This would hint at reduced stability over really rough terrain and at speed. The Raptor’s seat height is about the same as the competition. Though the chassis is based on the Warrior, the front-end geometry and shock valving are all new, the Raptor is 22 pounds lighter than the Warrior and it gets many components from its big brother, the 660R Raptor, including handlebars, footpegs and rear suspension linkage.
By comparison, the Suzuki and Kawasaki have the longest wheelbase. For 2005, these models get a host of new chassis features. Most notable are the front shocks that have piggyback reservoirs (for better cooling), progressive springs and are rebuildable and fully adjustable. An extra support member has been built into the subframe and, to save weight, the two clone-quads get aluminum bumpers, gear shifters, brake pedals and removable grab bars. Magnesium engine covers also save weight.
THE DRAGS, THE TRAILS
We know that drag race results are important to our readers and we’ll go straight to a drag strip at 3,500 feet elevation. All the manufacturers were on hand for the testing, including Suzuki, which said it tried different jetting combinations for the altitude, but stock still worked best. The other manufacturers apparently agreed and left their jetting stock, too.
The run itself was dry hardpack with some loose dirt/gravel on top. Before getting down to the actual timing, we made several passes to clear away the loose stuff and create a more consistent launching platform. Our start procedure was to hold steady a 1/2- to 3/4-throttle position, then feather the clutch a little at launch to get maximum traction. The Honda started best in first gear, the others in second. The other shifts were under full power (powershifting) and all four quads shifted acceptably under power. Throughout testing we experienced no clutch fade and minimal vibration.
The outcome of our acceleration runs wasn’t much of a surprise. With their displacement advantage and motor mods for 2005, the Suzuki and Kawasaki are fastest for top speed and the quickest to reach their peak. At 100 and 200 yards, they are about 2 mph faster than the second-place Honda. The top speed of 60 mph beats the Honda by about 3 mph. The Kawasaki posted a 2 mph faster top speed than the Suzuki, but that small difference could be attributed to slight suspension differences (we’ll talk about that later). The Yamaha, with its lower-tech motor and 50cc disadvantage and about the same overall weight, is about 8 mph slower than the Kawasaki.
It took the 400s, including the torquey Honda, about the same time to reach both 20 and 35 mph, with the Yamaha following by a second. The time it took the machines to reach 55 mph was more dramatic. The Honda needed 4 seconds longer than either the Kawasaki or Suzuki to get going that fast and the Yamaha, well … at 3,500 feet it didn’t reach 55 mph.
Keep in mind, though, that drag racing focuses mainly on peak power. There’s a lot more to ATVing than this, such as smooth overall power delivery, good traction on many types of terrain, predictable handling and comfort. This is exactly what you want out on the trails and that’s where we headed for the remainder of the shootout.
Ease of operation is an important part of having fun and if the controls aren’t smooth, you’re not having much fun. Because none of these motors have huge carbs, thumb throttle operation is relatively easy on all. The Yamaha’s thumb throtttle is slightly easier than the others and the Honda is just a tad stiffer. The Suzuki and Kawasaki have the easiest clutch pull and the Honda is a little stiffer, but certainly within the comfort range.
The reverse procedure on the Honda/Suzuki/Kawasaki is identical: turn a knob on the right front fender and depress the shift pedal. All work smoothly. We can’t say that about the Yamaha. Not only is the reverse selector harder to reach (on the right side of a motor that might be pretty hot), the operation isn’t very smooth. On the plus side, you can shift to reverse from any of the six forward speeds. With the other quads, you must be in neutral.
GET COMFY, THEN ROCK
Now lets have a seat and get comfortable ... if you’re not a whole lot bigger than six feet. This isn’t to say a huge guy can’t ride them — he might just feel a little cramped. The Suzuki and Kawasaki will fit the larger rider, the Yamaha is for a smaller rider and the Honda is in the middle.
Size differences aside for the moment, all four quads have nicely proportioned layouts. The seats are comfortable without being too pillowy. None of these quads use tall ape-hanger bars or ridiculous seat heights. These machines aren’t the fastest you can buy, but they are designed for aggressive riding styles: stand up on the pegs for rough terrain and jumps, hang off the seat and work the bars in radical turns. Fun stuff!
California’s Hungry Valley off-road area in the mountains an hour north of Los Angeles provided plenty of variety. There are many high-speed sand washes and fast trails in desert-like terrain with small scrub. But we also found some very tight, high-bermed trails winding through rocky tree-lined ravines and creek beds.
We found that all the quads produce smooth, controllable power. Throttle response is quick and carburetion is spot on. Do the two fastest quads, the Suzuki and Kawasaki, have too much motor or chassis for the tightest trails? Not at all. All testers preferred the power delivery of these two machines and the gear ratios are well spaced. We found ourselves in too high of a gear, these two quads still pulled it.
On the trails, the Honda’s motor is our second favorite. The Yamaha had a harder time pulling the largest riders, particularly up steep hills at this elevation. For smaller and less aggressive riders, the power is excellent and the two-valve motor has a surprisingly beefy sound.
For overall handling manners the Suzuki and Kawasaki, again, get the nod and the updated front shocks play a huge part. They’re plush yet responsive and predictable. These quads are much faster through the whoops than the Honda or Yamaha. Cornering is precise, body roll is minimal and the machines will powerslide with a blip of the throttle.
The only real surprise with these two clones was that the Kawasaki shocks, with the same stock settings as the Suzuki, felt just a tad softer. We thought we were onto something really weird until, in talking with both companies, we discovered that the Kawasaki had five more hours of break-in time on it. By the way, after that period, shock performance stays very consistent.
We expected the handling of the Honda to be closer to the Suzuki/Kawasaki, but we got another surprise. In the words of one tester, “They’re not even close.” The suspension just isn’t as responsive, it’s rougher for aggressive riding and the machine feels dated. On the plus side, steering precision is good (as it is on all four machines), sliding is very predictable, wheelies are easy and, with a half-inch shorter wheelbase than the Suzuki/Kawasaki, the Honda is very nimble in tight quarters. Braking power is excellent.
The Yamaha plays catch up to the other three quads when we ride aggressively because it was not designed for that style of riding. In turns, there is more sway, the rear end (with Banshee tires) is too loose and the shocks aren’t as responsive. However, the ride is plush and when the machine is pushed to its limits, things stay somewhat predictable. The Yamaha’s smaller size makes it very agile in tight quarters, the front end is light and the brakes work well. It’s a huge improvement over its predecessor, the Warrior.
BEING THE BEST THEY CAN BE
Does the slower machine that doesn’t handle as well come in last? Not necessarily. Our larger and faster test riders all agreed that, if they were newcomers to sport ATVing and smaller in stature, they would pick the Yamaha over the other three. Two of our testers think the Yamaha has the best styling in the bunch and, with a price tag a whopping $800 less than the competition, it’s absolutely the best value.
The Honda, on the other hand, is priced the same as the Kawasaki and Suzuki. Let’s see … compared to them it’s an older design, it doesn’t have liquid cooling, it’s not as fast and it doesn’t handle rough terrain as well. True, the Honda is a quality machine, but so are the Kawasaki and Suzuki — our overwhelming favorites for the fastest, best-handling quads in this shootout. ATVS
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