Suzuki King Quad 700 4×4 Review

 

It was 1982 when Suzuki took the bull by the horns and announced a new kind of ATV, one with four wheels instead of three. It was the QuadRunner LT125 that allowed them to rightfully claim the “first on four wheels” slogan that they proudly advertise today. Later in 1985, they were the first to release a race quad, the Suzuki LT250 Quad Racer. Then in 1991, Suzuki dove head first into the Utility market with their revolutionary King Quad 4×4, which featured independent front and rear suspension. While this machine was great in its day, it was quickly matched and improved upon throughout the 90s and now the twenty first century. Sadly, the King Quad name had became nothing more than a label on the side of an aging machine, rather then a statement of stature in the ATV industry. Suzuki and their once mighty King Quad had fallen victim to bigger and better 4×4 ATVs.

As of late, Suzuki has jumped back into the ATV scene with its game face on and have produced their share of class leading machines. You’ve probably noticed that they’re more serious than ever about defending their four wheeled invention in the now extremely highly competitive market place. However, they were not satisfied with their current place in the big bore 4×4 area of the market. The King Quad name meant a lot to Suzuki. Their king was being roosted on by some pretty impressive sport utilities. Embarrassed, they spent the last five years developing a whole new king from the ground up.

Their goal was simple – release the best performing sport utility quad on the market. They call it the 2005 Suzuki King Quad 700. Has Suzuki succeeded in their goal? Is this the king of the sport utility market? We recently rode the new King Quad 700 at the Voyageur Trail System located in the Canadian Shield (also known as the Pre Cambrian Shield) in Mattawa, Ontario, Canada to try to find out. This trail system offered every type of terrain imaginable; rock, mud, water, trees, hills, you name it – it had it.

Engine
This cut out shows Suzuki’s mighty 695cc DOHC big bore liquid cooled engine. We asked Mr. Kato, the president of Suzuki’s motorcycle and ATVs, what his proudest feature was on the new King Quad 700. After a few seconds of thought, he confidently told us it was the engine. He was proud that Suzuki was able to pack so much performance into one cylinder. We agreed, one cylinder means less weight, less maintenance and less money. But more performance?

Looking closer at Mr. Kato’s proudest achievement, we find a single-cylinder, DOHC, liquid-cooled 695cc monster with a bore and stroke of 102mm x 85mm. The four-valve, four-stroke power plant is indeed pretty impressive. Suzuki used the same compact cylinder head design as they do on their GSX-R high performance street motorcycles. Special attention was made in a few very important areas. The air cleaner, throttle body and cylinder head are composed in a manner that allows a straight downdraft intake passageway. Massive 36mm-diameter intake valves and 33mm exhaust vales increase the volume of fuel/air into and out of the combustion chamber, even at low rpm. The duel overhead cam (DOHC) design allows the spark plug to be located right above the middle of the combustion chamber, which further enhances combustion efficiency. A forged aluminum-alloy piston, sealed with an upper L-shaped compression ring, is attached to a tricked out crank, which boasts an anchor-shaped web. This optimizes crank inertia and produces a good amount of low to mid range torque.

Narrow-minded sport quad enthusiast take note. The King Quad is an absolute blast to ride. Try one for yourselves.Suzuki really wanted to keep the weight down and did a fine job of it. Aluminum alloy and magnesium components were used when possible. The gear driven valve system minimizes cam sprocket size. This allows a short/narrow cylinder head which reduces weight and overall engine height.

Suzuki’s plasma-spray cylinder coating (SPSC) eliminates the need for a cast steel cylinder liner while improving resistance to heat and power-robbing friction. Importantly they went a step further with their weight diet and lowered the center of gravity greatly by inclining the cylinder 48 degrees. This lowered the engine height which allowed them to later lower the seat height. As you can see Suzuki’s superb handling characteristics started within the engine itself. Two balancer shafts, one in the front of the crankshaft and one behind help keep vibration to a minimum. Rubber engine mounts also help calm the mighty 695cc beast.

The King Quad 700 is the first Suzuki ATV to use a fuel injection system. Fuel injection offers many benefits that ATVers are now able to take advantage of. You wont go though as much fuel, starting is easier even in cold conditions, no choke is ever needed, there’s no jetting or carb adjustment needed and throttle response is smooth and precise. Since Suzuki considers this power plant as royalty it’s not fed with any ordinary injection however. Instead it uses the very same technology that Suzuki uses in its high performance motorcycles. Suzuki’s Electronic Control Module (ECM) manages the fuel injection system with a 16 bit processor that calculates the perfect amount of fuel injection volume and ignition timing at all times.

The thumper is liquid cooled with a large-capacity aluminum radiator with a 211mm diameter cooling fan. The fan is controlled by an automatic thermostat switch located on the back of the cylinder head. Lastly worth note is a spin-on-type oil filter, which simplifies oil changes.

We got to the top of this ski hill and got off long enough to get this photo. The King Quad is a sharp looker if you ask us.

Springfield, MO’s Paul McElroy won Suzuki’s “Alive and Running” contest. Here, he and Mr. Kato, Suzuki’s president, proudly stand next to his 1991 King Quad.

Transmission
The King Quad orders power to its wheels with its QuadMatic CVT-type automatic transmission. A fender-mounted shifter on the rider’s left operates the transmission’s high, low, neutral and reverse gears. A gear indicator appears in the instrument panel on the dash. A push of the red button on the right handlebar side engages the front wheels. Suzuki wants you to completely stop before switching into 4 wheel drive. We ignored that rule and shifted on the fly without a problem. A unique Sure-Track torque sensing limited-slip front differential delivers 4 wheel drive traction control that is more efficient than a conventional limited slip system. This offers more powerful traction while delivering a lighter steering effort.

The King Quad’s front differential lock system can be engaged when you need all four wheels delivering the most traction possible. This is engaged with a flick of the right thumb. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) delivers power with a V shaped belt and centrifugal clutch. We’re happy to report that the belt didn’t slip after a day’s worth of extreme riding, which included several trips through deep water and mud. Also worth mention is the fact that the transmission features an advanced engine brake system. This minimizes free-wheeling to reduce downhill speed.

Chassis/Suspension etc.

The King Quad comes with a center mounted tow hitch and can tow up to 992 lbsA high tensile-steel frame is used with special attention to rigidity and weight. Suzuki went with an independent double wishbone arms controlled by independent shocks up front. The shocks feature five-way spring pre load adjustment. We clicked it stiffer by two clicks and felt it controlled the slight amount of push we experienced earlier in the day. Front wheel travel measures in at 7.1 inches. The rear boasts the same independent double wishbone arms with five-way spring pre load shocks as well. There’s 8.1 inches of wheel travel in the rear. The King counters body roll encountered in hard cornering with a low mounted stabilizer bar, which connects the right and left side of the lower suspension arms.

The King comes to a stop nicely with dual 7.9 inch diameter hydraulic front disc brakes. Rear braking is done quite uniquely with a sealed, oil-bathed, multi-plate, internal system. Only the Kawasaki Prairie has such a thing. The braking system, with its seven plates, is housed right in the rear axle and works similar to how a clutch works. The end result allows a maintenance free, sealed from the elements, rear brake. Suzuki claims this system is lighter than a traditional brake system as well. A parking brake is included in this fully enclosed rear brake system. 8×12 front and 10×12 rear Dunlop rubber is mounted to pressed aluminum-alloy wheels.

Suzuki has a feel for providing comfortable quads. Perhaps the King Quad tops the list of comfortable quads. Suzuki’s distinctive T-shaped seat gives the rider a stable, comfortable and spacious ride. Even with it’s thick plush seat, seat height is only 33.9 inches. This helps lower the center of gravity, which contributes to a better handling ATV.

King?

We’re sure you’ll agree, this Mattawa hockey rink deep in Ontario, Canada provides an excellent backdrop for this photo.All the king’s riches are useless if the ride isn’t up to par. It’s high time we put all the talk aside and ride his royal highness. A push of the start button fires the big bore motor. You can start it in gear if the rear brake is engaged. The first thing we noticed was Suzuki’s all too familiar comfortable feel. Seat, bars, levers and pegs all seemed to be built around a 6′-0” 175 pound person precisely. Accelerating was down right fun, especially its low end grunt. Power remained strong through mid rpms, just like Suzuki promised. Suzuki never mentioned top end power, but before we knew it speeds reached the 72 mph mark!

Entering the enormous and beautiful Mattawa Voyageur trail system meant it was time to bare down and give the King a good hard core test. Its independent suspension shouldn’t allow it to corner as well as it does. No doubt, Suzuki did their homework in the handling department. Its lower center of gravity really allows it to corner well. We did notice a slight, and we mean slight, amount of push at high speed cornering.

Square edge bumps were easily soaked up even at speed. Traversing heavily rocky areas with independent suspension was amazing. This quad seems to float over the roughest terrain. Suspension is outstanding! We stiffened the front shocks two clicks and felt even more comfortable on the machine. The stiffer front end helped soak up high speed hard hits a little better and, low and behold, helped the King from its slight pushiness.

A large 4.6 gallon fuel tank positioned purposely for a low center-of-gravity, includes a vacuum operated fuel petcock, a ratchet-style fuel cap and a convenient bar-type fuel gauge on the instrument display.

The King Quad soaked up even the hardest landings.

We traversed the machine in water and mud in rack height depth! Its high-mounted, snorkel-type air intake system, kept the engine from sputtering. Not once did the belt or tranny slip even in the foulest of foul territory. After the ride the easy maintenance-quick-access air box and air filter was inspected and found to be dry. Over 100 miles and six hours of riding left us only wanting more. Not one rider reported even a sore thumb after the all day adventure.

We admit we never pulled a trailer or strapped weight to its racks. Granted our ride was more of a GNCC race than a work day. We can only guess that the King Quad does indeed handle the work load equally as well as it handled the fun times out on the trail.

We were extremely impressed with this ATV. So much so that we feel it has an excellent chance to win the Utility Expert class at this year’s Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America in stock form! In fact, we’ll try just that. ATV Scene.com will field a team and race our King Quad test unit and see how it competes against its competition. 12 Hours of grueling race abuse should tell a lot.

Is it the king? The heavyweight champion of the big bore sport utility market?

Suzuki already has several accessories ready for new King Quad owners. At 602 pounds, it’s comparable and lighter with the other bands. Its light weight low center of gravity engine, complete with the only duel overhead cam found in a big bore 4×4, delivers power on par or better than any twin cylinder heavyweight on the market. Finally its independent rear suspension and excellent handling characteristics leave us thinking that Suzuki just may indeed have the King back in their court. Only a shoot out can fully tell.

Best part for last, the King quad is $1400 cheaper than one of its competitors and the cheapest of all the big bore sport utility quads currently available.

Engine
Type:	695cc, DOHC, four-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled
Bore x Stroke:	102.0 X 85.0mm
Compression Ratio:	10.0:1
Fuel System:	Fuel Injection
Ignition:	CDI
Starting System:	Electrical w/ pull cord backup
Transmission:	V-belt CVT automatic with high/low range sub-transmission, 2WD/4WD/4WD front differential lock
Drive Train:	Shaft Drive
Lubrication:	Wet sump
Chassis
Dimensions:
Overall Length:	2120mm (83.5 in.)
Overall Width:	1210mm (47.6 in.)
Overall Height:	1220mm (48.0 in.)
Suspension/Front:	Independent, double A-arm, oil-damped, five pre load settings
Suspension/Rear:	Independent, double A-Arm oil-damped, five pre load settings
Brakes/Front:	Dual hydraulic disc
Brakes/Rear:	Sealed hydraulic disc
Tires/Front:	AT 25 x 8-12
Tires/Rear:	AT 25 x 10-12
Seat Height:	860mm (33.9 in.)
Wheelbase:	1280mm (50.4 in.)
Ground Clearance:	260mm (10.2 in.)
Fuel Capacity:	17.5 liter (4.6 gal.)
Dry Weight:	272kg (602 lbs.)
Other
Lighting:	30W multi-reflector halogen headlights, and compact 5/21W tail light and brake light – additional 40W multi-reflector, handlebar-mounted auxiliary light
Colors:	Yellow, Green, Red
Warranty:	Suzuki Extended Protection, 6 month limited warranty.
MSRP:	$7,199.00

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