SUZUKI KINGQUAD 750 POWER STEERING

Go ahead, say you want a big-bore 4×4 because you need the power for all the heavy towing and plowing you have to do. We’ll see you at the mud pit, or maybe on the open trail at 70 miles per hour. Big-bore 4x4s are muscle quads, which make them some of the most fun four-wheelers you can get your hands on. Suzuki’s KingQuad 750 Power Steering model has more than just power; it’s one of the best balanced, most refined big machines. We got the 30th Anniversary Edition of the KingQuad 750 to see how it works and plays.

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION?

If you’re a fan of ATV history or collect Suzuki ATVs, you’ll appreciate the fact that the 30th Anniversary Edition commemorates Suzuki’s 30th year of producing four-wheelers. Among today’s ATV manufacturers, Suzuki was the first major ATV company to sell quads, and Suzuki steered the entire ATV industry from three-wheelers to four-wheel machines.
As far as the machine itself, you get a special Matte Royal Red color, a 30th Anniversary sticker on the front, and a price that’s $400 higher than the regular KingQuad 750 Power Steering, which puts the 30th Anniversary KingQuad 750 Power Steering at $9899.

Surprisingly, Suzuki’s 30th Anniversary 750 Power Steering is less expensive than some other similar-sized 4x4s with power steering. Kawasaki’s Brute Force 750 EPS starts at $9999. Yamaha’s 2013 Grizzly 700 EPS goes for $9499, and Arctic Cat’s 700 XT is $10,299.

WHAT GIVES THE KINGQUAD ITS POWER?

A 722cc, fuel-injected, double- overhead-cam, four-valve single. The double-overhead-cam valve train is technology you usually only find on high-performance sport quads. Suzuki’s 722cc 750 is the biggest one-cylinder ATV engine there is; Yamaha’s 686cc Grizzly motor almost seems small by comparison. Dual counterbalancers and rubber engine mounts make Suzuki’s big single smoother than many twins, though you feel the throb of the big piston at idle. The machine is well-silenced, but the exhaust beat sounds like a huge helicopter in the distance.

HOW MIGHTY IS THE KINGQUAD?

Kings rarely demonstrate their power by showing how fast they run, but the KingQuad is always game for speed contests. It can do 72 mph and wastes no time getting there. A Grizzly 700 accelerates a tad quicker, but is not as fast on top.

HOW IS THE POWER ON THE TRAIL?

Strong but gentle. We never found a trail-riding situation where we truly needed all the power the Suzuki KingQuad 750 has, but we had loads of fun using it anyway. Surplus power is perfect for drifting around turns you’d normally just ride around, and do wheelies over rises you’d normally just ride over. The Suzuki has a strong motor, but it’s very easy to control. Feeding on just enough power in technical sections is no problem. In fact, the Suzuki could stand to be more abrupt. Aftermarket engine and clutch mods can make that happen.

WHAT KIND OF 4WD SYSTEM DOES IT HAVE?

Deluxe pizza style-it comes with everything. There’s selectable 2WD/4WD, and with the flick of a switch, you can lock the front differential. Thanks to the power steering, there?Ÿ.?.•ª?.•.s no extra steering effort in 4WD, even with the front differential locked.

WHAT KIND OF SUSPENSION DOES IT HAVE?

Up front, it’s double A-arms and spring preload-adjustable shocks. Out back, it’s independent with an A-arm, a control arm and a preload-adjustable shock at each wheel. A rear swaybar controls body roll.

HOW DOES THE SUSPENSION WORK ON THE TRAIL?

The ride is gloriously plush, but some 700s, like Yamaha’s Grizzly 700 and Honda’s Rincon, have less body roll in hard cornering than the Suzuki. The Suzuki’s suspension handles bumps of all sizes very well at reasonable speeds, but it will bottom if you’re doing sport-quad speeds on rough trails. Ridden within its limits, the KingQuad has a high-quality suspension feel. It soaks up bumps, even abrupt square edges.

HOW DOES IT HANDLE?

Very well. The 750 is more compact than many big-bore 4x4s, which gives it a more manageable feel. Suzuki’s power steering makes turning nearly effortless, but the steering isn’t over-assisted, so it provides good feel. At 672 pounds full of fuel, the KingQuad is almost 100 pounds lighter than the bigger, heavier 850s and 1000s.

In quick turns, there is more body roll than with the Grizzly 700 and Honda Rincon. Firming the shock preload helps.

HOW DOES IT SLIDE?

The engine makes drifting easy, but like any machine with IRS, the Suzuki doesn’t slide with the same flat, sure feel of machines with solid axle rear suspension.

HOW DOES IT DO IN MUD?

This King loves playing in the moat. Tons of power, more than 10 inches of ground clearance and a great 4WD system arm the KingQuad for battle with the fiercest bogs and ruts. The only chink in Suzuki’s armor is the general-purpose tires. More aggressive, mixed terrain meats do wonders for the 750’s mobility in mud, and serious mud tires work even better.
The lockable front differential is a valuable weapon in mud, and the power steering lets you use it with no loss of steering ease. A rev limiter holds speeds to 20 mph in low and 12 mph in high with the front diff locked, so you can’t use the 750’s tremendous speed in the slop, but you can go as fast as you like in normal 4WD mode.

HOW DOES IT DO ON HILLS?

It climbs like a goat-a fast one. Good weight distribution keeps both ends driving, and unwanted wheelies don’t happen. The spacious seating area makes it easy to move on the machine to attack hills too.

Strong front brakes and predictable engine braking make going back down simple, and the Suzuki has four-wheel engine braking in 4WD. The sealed, oil-bathed, multi-disc rear brake doesn’t have the power or feel of hydraulic discs, but it slows the 750 well if you use enough pressure at the brake lever or rear brake pedal.

HOW ARE THE DETAILS?

Most are great, but we’ll start with the few that aren’t. You have to remove a panel held by three of those annoying reusable plastic rivets to check the oil. We found the Suzuki never used oil, no matter how hard we ran it, but we left the panel off anyway.

There’s a drain plug on the transmission belt case, but it’s harder to get to than it should be. The belt-case drain plugs on other Suzuki ATVs are easier to get to, so it’s odd that the plug on the top-of-the-line quad is so tough to reach.

Now, the list of things we like is much longer. We’ll start with the Suzuki’s amazing smoothness and refined feel. Everything from the seat to the silky way the controls work, including the smooth, positive shift lever, had us thinking, “Man, this thing is good!” The exhaust sounds right-quiet, but not too quiet-and the polished stainless muffler looks great and will last. There’s an easy-to-reach storage compartment in the right front fender and a big storage box back by the taillight. The third handlebar-mounted light can be switched off with the main headlights on. Then, there are good details you don’t see, like the centrifugal clutch on the CVT’s drive clutch that protects the belt, and the recessed mount bolts on the skid plate that won’t get hammered when you bang and grind your way through rocky terrain. The black wheels are aluminum and super light. The under-seat fuel tank lowers the center of gravity, and it’s easier to fill than a conventionally located tank.

WHAT IS OUR FINAL ANSWER?

The KingQuad 750 is ridiculously fast, but it’s not the fastest 4×4 on the planet. It handles well for a big machine and is more agile than larger 850s and 1000s, but there are slightly nimbler 700s and 750s. Balance and refinement are where the KingQuad rules. If you want a machine with handling that’s well-matched to its power, outstanding features and a quality feel, this is it.

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