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Larger
18" Dunlop KT386 Rear Tire |
Suzuki also increased the tire size to a 18.5”
tire to help the ECM in the reduction of wheel
spin and add a little more ground clearance for
the more casual rider. “We listened to comments
from our consumers telling us what they would
like to see changed on the machine and we made
quite a few changes based on those comments.”
Stated Lopusnak.
Along with changes to the tires, Suzuki also
changed the suspension a bit. “One thing
we heard quite a bit was that the stock suspension
was to stiff for the average to intermediate
rider, so that was one of the things the engineers
went back to the drawing board on. The front
shocks now have the Toshima coating like the
rear shock, all of the internals on the fronts
and rear shock were changed and improved to
make much better performance and suspension
action across the board. It now has a smoother
ride and better absorption, which is probably
one of the most noticeable improvements when
you actually go out and ride one.” Concluded
Lopusnak.
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| The
LT-R450 Suspension updates were very evident
and made a huge difference as the stock
suspension is much more enjoyable for
trail riding as it is soft enough to soak
up the terrain yet it still stiff enough
to absorb hard impacts from flat landing
a jump, and Doug Gust gave the suspension
2-thumbs up as he launched the stock LTR450
over a 90 foot gap, which he never attempted
on a previous model.
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New
Rubber mounted handlebar clamp helps reduce
vibration |
We could also tell the difference in the suspension
out on the track. Watching Gust and our test rider
take on the biggest jumps on the track, and not
bottom out, and pound through the whoops like
they weren’t even there, was really quite
impressive for stock suspension. “The new
suspension really soaked up the big jumps, and
was real smooth through the short choppy stuff
where the ‘07 you could feel it through
the bars more.” Said Davis. We have to note
that Suzuki has also included a new anti-vibe
steering stem on the ’08 model that makes
a noticeable difference in reducing arm fatigue
in rougher conditions.
With all the changes to the ’08 QuadRacer,
there was one thing that Suzuki left unchanged:
the steel frame. While manufacturers such as
Can-Am and Kawasaki are using aluminum frames
to make their race machines lightweight, Suzuki
decided that wasn’t a necessary change
for the Quadracer. “Right now we just
don’t see the durability factor with aluminum.
We’ve looked into aluminum to save weight,
but we don’t want to save weight just
to be able to say ‘Hey our ATV is the
lightest.’ We want it to be durable and
hold up to the pressure and demands that the
rider puts on it.” Said Lopusnak.
