ATV Test: Suzuki King Quad 450 EFI

ATV Test
Suzuki King Quad
By David King

Back in 2004, when Suzuki decided to awake from their deep sleep, they released the King Quad 700 EFI. Wow, where did that come from! That machine paved the way for a big-bore sport utility with electronic fuel injection (EFI) and threw in some goodies like rear independent suspension and four-wheel drive with differential lock. We liked it so much, that we ended up declaring it our “ATV of the Year” back in our August/September 2005 issue of Hunting Illustrated. Fast forward to 2007. It has taken Suzuki this long to branch out on the success of the King Quad 700 and introduce its little brother, the King Quad 450. Why do we need a King Quad 450 when Suzuki already has the Vinson 500? The Vinson is not a bad ATV, but the King Quad 450 is so much more. And, after some time in the seat, we have come to realize that this little brother isn’t half bad.

All new for 2007, the King Quad 450 is loaded with new features and replicates all of the features found on the King Quad 700. Originally, I thought the 450 model would be a little smaller physically, but hopping on the seat and checking out the spec sheet told me differently. The dimensions are the same right down to the suspension travel, ground clearance, wheelbase, etc. Physically, the only thing that told me I was on a 450 instead of the 700 was the stickers and the handlebar-mounted headlight that the 700 has, but the 450 does not. One thing that didn’t make sense, however, was that the dry weight of the 450 was four pounds heavier than the 700 - coming in at 606 pounds. So, this ATV really is a King Quad 700 just juiced down to a 454cc engine. When you have a winning combination, why change it up for the smaller class?

So, what are the features that make the King Quad such a nice package? You have the front and rear-independent suspension, EFI for cold weather and high altitude, four-wheel drive with switch-engage front differential lock for true digging power, and a LCD instrument display that gives you everything you need to know. The gas tank is located under the seat (mostly the left side), for a lower center of gravity, this also allows for the air filter and intake to be higher on the ATV. Many of the ATV’s today have these features, but that doesn’t mean they combine into a winning package. It was time to hit the rough trails of Central Utah to see if the 450-boy could live up to the name.

Many times when you’re jumping on an ATV for the first time it takes a second to get used to the feel of the handlebars and how you sit in the seat. The King Quad 450 is one of those ATV’s that just feels right, right from the start. Things fall into place and you quickly realize that you can start focusing on the trails ahead with confidence instead of acclimating to the machine. Even though the 450 has the same dimensions as the big 700 version, the overall feel is very controllable and you get a sense that you control the ATV – not the other way around. The King Quad 450 is physically smaller than a Sportsman 500 but bigger than a Yamaha Kodiak 450, and that is a good fit for me.

I instantly realized that the motor is peppy and ready to go and is probably average to above-average when compared to the competition. Blasting up the road covered with rocks, ruts and logs, the handling and suspension really came into play. The fully independent suspension does the job. It is not as soft as a Polaris Sportsman or Yamaha Grizzly 700, but it handles the bumps fairly well. The steering is very predictable and, after some time, I realized that this thing can be driven hard and will handle the rough stuff with ease. The high end is good for all-around trail riding but, when encountering some big hills, I found gearing down to low range gave me the RPM to get up and over with confidence. When it was time to come down many of the rock-infested roads, the King Quad performed well due to the disc front brakes and four-wheel capable engine braking. When engaged in four-wheel drive and in low range, the engine braking really does a nice job of helping you down the mountain. The dual lever hand brakes instilled a sense of confidence knowing you had great stopping power at any time if need be. I found that in high range, there is not much hold back on the motor.

Riding between 7,000 and 10,000 feet elevation, the need for EFI is a nice feature we have now come to expect on just about any new model. One thing the King Quad 450 has that I have not seen on any other ATV with EFI is a choke. We didn’t need to use it, but there are some really cold mornings in November on the mountain where a little extra boost to the EFI would be nice to have. After a long day of riding, I noticed that the King Quad 450 does not beat you up. It weighs over 600 pounds, but it felt lighter than that out on the trails. The nimbleness of the King Quad 450 allowed it to keep up with the big-bore 700 ATV’s that we were riding with. Sure, it lost ground on the straight-aways, but it held its own in the rough stuff and impressed us all. After a lot of riding in the rocks, I did notice that the tires were showing a little wear. This confirmed that the stock tires are nothing to write home about. I was also thinking that the seat could be a little softer. Overall, there was not much to complain about. The King Quad 450 is one of those ATV’s that just does everything well. Interestingly enough, one of the things that impressed us all the most was the gear shifter. It was extremely smooth and shifted from high to low and from reverse to neutral without a hiccup. It was definitely the best gear selector we have ever found on an ATV. Not once did it jam or grind when changing gears. I also liked the fact it had an emergency hand brake lever, it was just one of those little things that seemed to put the cherry on top.

So, how did I, and everyone else who rode it, like the Suzuki King Quad 450? It’s not too difficult to answer this one if you have been reading even half of this article. No, the King Quad is not perfect. The ride is still a little rough, the seat is too hard and the tires are kind of wimpy. We also noticed the rear suspension doesn’t handle a heavy load very well. However, there are many more positives that make up the difference that we really enjoyed. Hats off to Suzuki for staying in the game in the 500-class (whatever class it is nowadays) with a well thought out package compiled into a good handling ATV.

2007 Suzuki king Quad 450 4X4 EFI

Engine 454cc, SOHC, four-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled
Bore Stroke 84mm x 82mm
Fuel System Fuel Injection
Transmission V-belt CVT automatic with high/low range sub-transmission
Final Drive 2WD/4WD/4WD front differential lock, shaft driven
Overall Length 83.3 in
Overall Width 47.6 in
Overall Height 48.0 in
Seat Height 33.9 in
Ground Clearance 10.2 in
Wheelbase 50.4 in
Dry Weight 606 lbs
Suspension Independent, double A-arm, oil-damped, five preload settings
Suspension Travel (Front) 7.1 in
Suspension Travel (Rear) 8.1 in
Brakes (Front) Dual hydraulic disc
Brakes (Rear) Sealed hydraulic disc
Tires (Front) AT 25 x 8-12
Tires (Rear) AT 25 x 10-12
Fuel Tank Capacity 4.6 gal
Color Black, Green, Red, Camo
MSRP $6,499.00 (Camo: $6,799.00)
Manufacturer Suzuki
www.suzukicycles.com

Test Rider Notes

Alan - The Suzuki 450 has a comfortable feel when you get on. The seat is a little stiff, but all the controls are in good order. The foot pegs are raised high enough off the floorboards to give your boots a good place to lock into when riding rough. The fourwheel drive system worked well with the option for limited slip and full lock. Pushing the lever up for four lock was a little tricky with gloves on. Suzuki made an effort to include some built in storage. The 450 has a nice little box in the back and one under the front fender. I like these storage compartments over the ones under racks or seats. One of the things I liked the best was the shifter. It worked very well. It was smooth and moved into place with little effort; I never got hung up in between gears. Our test machine did not have a trailer hitch on it, yet there’s a place for one. The King Quad handles very well. For a 450 the power is great. Overall, this is a very impressive machine. The ride, features, low center of gravity, handling, engine braking, power, and looks give this machine an impressive spot in the line up of new ATV’s to choose from.

Rob - I have owned two Vinson’s, so I was curious to see how this 500 class (450) machine would be in comparison. My initial reaction was that I liked it. I liked the King Quad, and this younger brother seems to be hot on the heels of the success of its big brother, the 700 King Quad. I will tell you right now that if I had to make a choice between the King Quad 450 and the Vinson 500, I would take the King Quad hands down. It had a better ride, better fit, better quality, and better handling. The handling was superb. The great braking system gives you confidence and the independent rear suspension allows you to keep on the gas more often than not. The shift lever on the 450 is the new benchmark for all ATV’s, it flat out is near perfect. This is a great machine and I would recommend it to anyone. So, with all the good, what are my quirks (always have to have those)? Hard seat. Not much for tires. Stiff suspension, but you get great handling with it. And you can’t put much weight on the back rack without it “squashing down.” Yes, these are minor bugs, personal bugs, but not big problems.

Tags: David King, HI31

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