Which quads and atvs are you going to ride in 2010? The answer to that question might very well make the difference between eating dirt, or just the opposite -- sending sand spraying into the faces of the competition (or just your friends).
Sure, you can make a monster quad out of most 2010 quads with a few modifications (if you know what you're doing), but if you want to skip the modifications, and race right out of the local quad / dirt bike store, try these quads on for size.
2010 - Honda TRX 450 Quad
The Honda TRX 450 is reported to have a great motor, but said to lack suspension. The person I talked to told me that it will go faster than all other 450s but that there is no upgrade package available, just aftermarket parts.
2010 - Yamaha YFZ 450 Quad
Yamaha makes a standard model YFZ450 and a racing model. The racing model is ready to race right out of the shop. But to keep up with the Honda TRX 450, it's said to need motor work. Thankfully Yamaha has a full line of racing products to improve the performance of their quad.
2010 - Suzuki LTR 450 Quad
While Honda and Yamaha are like the Ford and Chevy of racing quads in 2010 (because they're reported to be the top known names), Suzuki is a distant third, maybe like Toyota, when it comes to talking about who's who in atvs. When it comes to Suzuki however, Suzuki's LTR 450 is reported to be slower than the other two quads.
When putting this article together, I talked to a local quad / dirt bike shop in Everett, WA (Everett Power Sports) and I asked about some of the big racing quads, like the 2010 Bombardier DS-650, the 2010 700 Raptor, and the 2010 Honda TRX 700. I'm not sure what the status is on these quads yet, and whether these models will be around in 2010, but I'm guessing we can expect more of the same in this area of racing quads.
These much bigger quads are known for large displacement and being great for hill climbs and playing in the sand, as well as long distance racing in the desert hair scrambles (which I can tell you from experience I love the DS-650 for this kind of racing). But desert hair scrambles (the race in Richland, WA is two ten miles laps) vs. much shorter and tighter indoor mx tracks are two different worlds of racing.
The 450s are the quads to go with in 2010 for the shorter MX tracks, and the bigger quads like the DS-650 and the 700 Raptor are only suggested for much bigger riders, perhaps 260 pounds and above. But whoever is going to race the big quads should stick to the terrain that these quads are most likely to do best in... wide open tracks over long distances with rolling hills.
If you buy a new quad in 2010, be sure to write us and let us know how it performs for you...
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