Watch: Suzuki king of the quads

The Suzuki LT125 was the one machine that converted what were all three-wheeled machines to the four-wheel type we still have today. Suzuki’s commitment to finding innovative ways to excite the marketplace has seen the company produce a number of industry firsts.

Suzuki launched the first KingQuad in 1991. This machine was based on the popular Quadrunner, adding both sport and utility into one machine. The first KingQuad featured a 280cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine, standard oil cooler and new 24in front and 25in rear tyres.

What set this KingQuad apart from the competitors was its transmission, which made it one of the hardest-working ATVs available on the market at that time. This transmission featured high, low and super low gear options for all its five speeds plus reverse. The rider could also select two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or four-wheel drive with a locked front differential. Add fully independent suspension front and rear, and this quad could handle any job.

Since then, Suzuki has gone from strength to strength and built upon its years of experience to give us the latest model, the KingQuad 750 AXI.

Engine

The latest version of the KingQuad is powered by a single-cylinder 722cc four-stroke, liquid-cooled, double overhead cam (DOHC) engine fitted with electronic fuel injection. This engine has a bore and stroke of 104.0mm by 85mm. This is the same engine that was fitted to the previous model but has received major performance upgrades due to the increased emissions standards.

Suzuki also took this opportunity to improve the overall power and fuel economy of the machine. The KingQuad has now got a new twin-sparkplug head that improves combustion, cold starts and plug life.

The intake and exhaust cam profiles have been changed for improved power and feel along with a new multi-hole fuel injector which also helps to increase power. To help meet the emission standards, the inner muffler was also redesigned with a catalyst converter. The new emission-friendly engine package gives the KingQuad smoother feeling power throughout the entire rpm range.

Suzuki claims that the new KingQuad 750 also has a 10% increase in fuel economy. Along with these engine performance improvements, Suzuki has refined the reverse and differential-lock limiter monitors. The new system monitors actual vehicle speed, allowing higher engine rpm to be used for both reverse and differential-lock modes.

Transmission

In order to make use of the power produced from the KingQuad’s engine, it is fitted with an efficient and functional fully automatic QuadMatic continuously variable transmission (CVT), which uses a durable V-belt and centrifugal clutch. The final drive, according to Suzuki, is shaft drive, meaning direct at high gear. This transmission is very responsive and handles the KingQuad’s power both smoothly and easily, with no sudden jerks or movement.

On the KingQuad, both front and rear suspensions are independent, double-wishbone designs, with oil dampened coil over spring shocks. Shock preload adjustments are set to soft or firm by easily twisting each shock’s collar. Ground clearance is 10.2in; the seat height is 36.2in and tyres fitted are 25 x 8-12 front and 26 x 10-12 rear as standard, although our test model had oversize wheels and tyres.

Stopping the ATV is safely taken care of by two front hydraulic brakes and rear cable-actuated brakes. The rear brakes use a sealed, oil-bathed, multi-disc system. The rear cable-actuated brakes have a lock near the left brake lever to keep the rear brake cable tight.

Hydraulic brakes tend to bleed off, therefore the cable-actuated rear brake locks down the rear wheels. The right foot-actuated brake lever engages the four brakes together.

Controls

On the right of the handlebar is a front differential lock mechanism. The 4WD/2WD is engaged via a push button on the right handlebar with companion differential lock engagement-toggle-switch that cleanly slides up over the 4WD/2WD button when 4WD is pressed. Suzuki has mounted the shift selector on the front left fender. It has high, low, neutral and reverse settings. The KingQuad can be started in gear or in neutral, provided the brakes are activated when hitting the start button. As with most modern ATVs on the market, the KingQuad is fitted with LCD instrumentation, which keeps the rider informed with speedometer, odometer, twin trip meters, clock, hour meter, gear indicator, fuel gauge and drive mode readouts.

The rider is perched on Suzuki’s exclusive T-shaped seat, which the company claims is designed for all-day comfort and easier body-weight transition when riding. Full-length plastic skid plates guard the chassis and engine, while helping to protect the rider from dirt and debris. The 17.5-litre fuel tank is positioned below the seat helping to keep the machine’s centre of gravity low. A handy waterproof storage compartment is mounted on the right-side front fender to store your keys, wallet and phone, as that is all it is big enough to hold.

The Suzuki KingQuad 750 AXI is priced at €9,999 including VAT and comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Suzuki KingQuad 750 AXI

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