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I'm in the process of buying a Quad bike for hunting but know very little about these bikes.
I've found what appears to be a very good 300cc 1999 Suzuki King Quad that fits my needs and my budget.
Apart from the obivious like Noisy and or Smokey engine/transmission, Clicking CV's, Rusty frames/rims and Poor Brakes
What other serious defects should I be looking for?
Cheers
Pete
Brakes are the atv's nemisis if they dont work as they are spost to look into how much it is going to cost to fix. Can be very expensive.
Thanks VC
Yeah good brakes are essential.
I'll check them out carefully.
Not too worried if they are defective as I can fix them myself..... just dont like any surprises.
Running hours and service history.
Suzuki's have some good features for their price but also tend to rattle themselves apart, Polaris would be my pick if the budget stretched that far or even a Can Am, depends on how much and where you want to go
The rear drum(if its not disk) can get full of shit and grind itself out to the point where even brand new shoes will only last a week before they "cam over" and stick on. A good brake place can put over thick linings on the shoes to get a bit more life out of it but the only real fix is new drum or if your capable bore and sleeve the drum.
Thanks I'll check the drum for excessive wear.Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Can easily bore and sleeve the drum but if it's that far gone I'd probally remove the drum and replace it with a disk brake.
Avoid can ams they are belt driven and will let you downat the worst moment. If you go and look at a bike dont be afraid to turn the gas off and flip it on its side and have a real good look at the chassis. If its an older kawasaki spring for a new universal joint they like to seize and if you going fast when they seize you can do major damage to you and the bike, normaly break gearboxs ect. The older carby fed hondas are bulletproof tanks and are easy to work on and would be my pick of the bunch if looking at cheaper second hand.
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Oh yea cheak all bushs bearings especially the swing arm. And normally heaos cheaper to get after market replacments parts instead of factory ones.
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[QUOTE=Cod Squad;47440 Polaris would be my pick [/QUOTE]
My Polaris is still going strong after 14 years
I have a 2001 Bombardier/Can Am - Traxter 500
Ugliest quad in the world being a step through, but the BEST hunting quad
Huge, heaps of grunt, heaps of storage, easy to hop on an off
Just done bushes and sleeves for the front end A arms - made the shock ones myself, tyres, battery, brake pads, oil and filter... easy to spend $1k just on maintenance on a $2500 machine..
Killed the brain when jumpstarting it - has taken 18 months to find one under $1k us
Dont be put off by belt drives.. Polaris had an issue 15 yrs ago when you got them wet, but MOST quads are now belt.
I'd look to a Yam Kodiak around 2000/01 over the Kingquad
Why a Kodiac over the King Quad?Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanners
I like the Kodiak's too but haven't seen one within my budget.
This King Quad ticks all the boxes for me but like I said I dont know much about Quads and don't like surprises.
Also knowledge is power ..... especially when it comes to fixing the final price :)
That said, bar a major melt down, I can fix most things myself.
Cheers
Pete
Had both before. The Kodak is a better bike in every aspect. Can't fault it really
My old bosses best mate was the mechanic for can am in tauranga it was him who said to stay away from them. Ive never had an issue with them like you say heaps of grunt. But the belts are ment to wear flat spots if you leave them i gear while stationary.
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SpannersQuote:
Originally Posted by Spanners
What was some of things you didn't like about the King Quad?
cheers
Pete
Power, suspension, handling, build quality
Would an alloy small block fix most of those problems?Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanners
No...
A turbo would :D
Ok, one on each side of a LS3 then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanners
I have had a few quads, kawasaki bayou, Suzuki Vinson, and the 300 king quad. Just remember the engine in the king quad is mounted more to the rear so you need to be careful on steep uphills. They flip over real easy :thumbsup: My vinson was the best being auto, when in park it puts a pin through the diff drive and it is rock solid on hills. The kawasaki was just a great all rounder and went every where, towed a few quads outa some really swampy areas when I had Gator tyres on the beastie :D If the king quad checks out ok then it should do the job for ya, just watch those uphills.
Cheers KiwishootaQuote:
Originally Posted by kiwishoota
Dont plan on any serious hill climbing but you never know.
with the suzuki make sure its been serviced well and the right oil put in, they have a centrifugal clutch on end of the crankshaft
wrong oil or not changed enough they shit themselfs also taking off in high gears roots them too
had to fix one last week:thumbsup:
the thing with the king quad, is that there are small easy to handle and not to heavy. that super low is great when u need it. true i think the honda is a better bike, but they hold their price, and dealers know this. i had a king quad and it was great, i did pull a lite trailer which was good, but never a big trailer loaded with cows like our dairing brothers do with their hondas!!!!!!! if all you want to do is get you into the back for a hunt then go king quad.
Your really dont like Suzukis do you Spanners.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanners
Not LTs or Kingquads - nope - bags of puss IMO :DQuote:
Originally Posted by P38
I forgot about the front end being light - couple guys I know have fish bins on the front with a sack of gravel in it
Longrange308
Thanks for the heads up on the clutch I'll check it out.
SakoKid
Yes I like the King Quad becasue it's smaller and lighter, that super low gear is a bonus however whatever I end up with will be getting a winch bolted on to the front of it.
I intend to use it only for getting me into and out of the hunting area and for carrying any animals out. I dont expect to be towing a trailer anytime soon as that rather defeats the purpose of haveing a smaller lighter Quad.
Any other hints would be very much appriciated.
Cheers
Pete
Fair enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spanners
I've taken note of the light front end, dont want to be on the recieving end of a roll over when I point it uphill.
Cheers
Pete
Yamaha grizzly 600 2007 ive got... Raw power to burn.. Goes through and up anything...
Saying that I had a 300 suzuki kingquad b4 that bout a 96... Fukn thing just went an went used to float it through the river and bash it to bits....... I was actually trying to kill it but I failed lol
Baldbob I know you have rifles, you could have killed it if you really wanted to.
I know where there is a cheap honda 3004x4....just needs a new rear carrier, LF top arm, stearing bearing, frame to be squared, rear plastics to be repaired, front tyre to go back on the bead....... oh and it hasn't been running for six months :P
Could be the odd other thing wrong....thats just what I saw
+1 for Polaris, bought our 325 new in 1999, still going strong, the CVT thing is great.
Ray.
LOL .... was it at the bottom of a cliff when you last saw it Leathel?Quote:
Originally Posted by leathel
How much and where? Do you have the owners contacts?Quote:
Originally Posted by P38
Cheers Martin
Biggest bike ive ever ridden was powered by an LS3 vette - 400 hp nice ride just roll the throttle on smooth or fight the engine torque haha..Quote:
Originally Posted by 7mmsaum
Nice, great way to tour the states if its comfortableQuote:
Originally Posted by NZHTR
Most serious defect in a quad is the word Suzuki, Kawasaki or Yamaha on the tank. Stay away...Quote:
Originally Posted by P38
Cheers for that Craig.Quote:
Originally Posted by craigc
I'll just check.
Phew! Thank christ for that! .... the Suzuki symbol and words are only on the guards, Guess I got a good un :)
Steer well clear of ex-dairy farm bikes, they generally get a hiding . Look for something from a lifestyle block . Us cockies are hard on gear especially bikes!
Stay away from the can am thing's. Every bike mechanic I've meet has told me that, I saw the evidence myself at one joint, and the warranty wasn't worth the paper....
Suzuki's roll a bit with that flowery arse end. If your doing hill work look for something with a solid backend.
I couldn't decide myself so just got the 300 rebuilt as it does it all just as well.
Suzuki