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Sportsman 800 vs King Quad 750

21K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  Robooo 
#1 ·
Well wondering if anyone has ever ride or rode with a Suzuki 750. These sound like a nice machine, a lil down on power till you get the VDI. Got a lead on a 2011 with power steering with low miles and use. Just wondering if they can be as fast as the Sportsman 800 and how they match up. I like Polaris but sounds like a good deal worth looking into. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
IMO The 750 KQ is one of the most underrated machines out there. Its not Top Dog at anything, but its good at everything. Stay away from NON EPS models as they handle like absolute crap, hands down worst steering setup in the industry with the non-eps.
 
#3 ·
#4 ·
I owned an 07 KQ700. I sold it to buy a SxS. After a couple of years of riding UTVs, my wife and I decided to go back to ATVs. She likes riding her own unit.
I have an 06 Sportsman 500 efi. The ride and handling of the popo is vastly superior to the KQ.
However, the maintenance factor of the KQ is vastly superior and easier than the popo. I don't have a garage in the house we just bought as our retirement home. For the maintenance issue alone, I am considering going back to either a KQ or a Grizzly, both would have eps though.
 
#6 ·
I would still have the King Quad 700 I owned if the steering was not so bad. The kick back on the handlebars is terrible. Not down on power at all. I removed the factory baffle that goes in the air box, had Dalton weights, spring and foam air filter. It was much faster than a Sportsman 800. The only machines back then that I could not beat were Outlander 800s. It could go low 70s with 26" tires. Just don't hit any rocks or stumps. The bars get twisted with force. The Sportsmans handle better. Never drove a King Quad with power steering. Some reviews claim the kick back was not entirely eliminated with EPS.
 
#8 ·
I read up quite a bit on the Kings, they sound like a beast, Just need to be woke up. Detuned stock from the factory, a VDI with a slip on seems to net huge gains. I read a lot about this on Nyroc, some great info. I do have to say I'm surprised you say it was much faster than a Sportsman 800 due to the twin cylinder torque of the Polaris.
 
#7 ·
Steering

There is no comparison between the XP500 I have now and the KQ700 I had. The Popo is hands down better/easier steering and the suspension is far superior as well. That makes me hesitant to go back to a KQ even with EPS. For less money I could have a 570 with EPS than a 500/550 jap quad. Then there is the maintenance factor of the Popo. It's a pain in the ass, but if I do it a few times, it wouldn't be a big deal. Some of those things could be done every couple of years. The oil change is tough cause I can't get to the crankcase drain very easily.
 
#9 ·
A programmer, intake, and exhaust along with a clutch kit makes the 800 a monster....
 
#10 ·
That's what I hear as well, the guy on here, J something did that said his is faster than xp's in short runs. I love the Polaris for the twin torque and smooth suspension, don't like the lack of ebs or weight. Single lever brake seems to be an issue with magazine reviews but I don't mind it. Going to look at the 750 tomorrow morning.
 
#12 · (Edited)
After totaling my '05 Polaris 700 Sportsman, I looked for a few months for an exact match to what I had - a Browning Edition 700 Twin, but the few that I found I was either not able to work a deal, get a callback or just found it was beat to hell and back. After a few months I gave up looking for exactly what I had and looked for the best quad I could find in my price range.

I looked at a hi mileage BF 750, a Grizzly 700 and a Sportsman 500. I eventually happened across a very well maintained '06 King Quad 700 with a bit over 600 miles on it with new rubber and rims. I got it for what I wanted to pay, and so far it has proven to be a super smooth, reliable ride once I've taken care of a few nagging issues that can plague those model year KQs.

First off, I will be honest and say the Sportsman was a much better ride than the King. Its a huge difference. Power-wise, they are equal, topping out at about 63-65mph. The KQ has 27" meats on it (stock is 25) so I'd say they were identical if the Sportsman had heavier than stock tires on it.

Storage (or lack thereof) is another weak point with the KQ. The Sportsman again gets the nod here. Easy remedy is a rear storage box, and I added one to my King that equals the capacity and then some of the Polaris.

Fuel consumption .... hahaaa, it's not even CLOSE !! My Sportsman would maybe get 18 on a very smooth trail, but I averaged 15 usually. My riding buddies were happy after I added 2x2g Rotopax to my Polaris, but I still had to stop a lot. The King .. wow .. this was as huge an advantage for it as the ride quality was for the Polaris. Not even close, with the King averaging 27 and getting about 30 on a smooth trail. That P-Twin was a thirsty beast !!

Now, if you have to ding the KQ for anything, it is the super light front end - guys who rode my quad thought it had power steering it was that light. Unfortunately, that lightness also causes some scary full lock handlebar yanks when you get in a rut on a steep downhill. I am aware of this and usually pull a deathgrip on my downhills, but a caster mod to the lower a-arms will fix the situation.

If I want to gripe about my old Polaris, I will always nag about that fuel economy, and complain about the low gearing that makes the Sportsman rev up to 3500rpm before it even moves. The KQ launches at around 1800rpm and it is just the smoooothest running quad, just like butter.

My F.i.L owns an '11 Sportsman 850 LE with all the extras, and he wanted to try out my King. As the miles went by, I hoped he would pull over so I could get back on my ride. His 850 with EPS gave me a strange disconnect from the feel of the trail. You never felt ANY feedback thru the bars. He finally pulled over and we swapped back to our quads, and he was grinning from ear to ear. He said, 'I'm really glad you didn't get another Sportsman .. you done good with this one. It's so smooth running that I didn't want to get off'.
 
#14 ·
I have to say I'm a bit surprised the 750 and Sportsman 800 are so close in power.
Keep in mind he had Dalton weights in the CVT, and who knows what maintenance may have (or have not) been done to the Polaris 800. I know that a VDI equipped KQ will hang with a Polaris 800, and stay close to a BF 750, so there is plenty of power to extract from that jug if you want to invest the $$.
 
#18 ·
Went and looked at , and got to ride the Kingquad today. Didn't buy it as the owner was to high on his price and wouldn't budge, thinks he has the most prestine and valuable quad in the country I guess. Anyways some thoughts were, silly smooth quad. From the take off till mid throttle, just everything is so quiet, so anti squeaky, no vibrations, just solid and smooth. Power was good, but an annoying hesitation right off idle. I think the VdI fixes this, but it is noticeable. I thought the suspension was good, seemed stiffer than a Polaris, but might be better for faster paced trail rides, I don't know not sure. Machine seems geared to high, at no point did it feel like it was going to wheelie which was a bummer, but again VDI is suppose to be the fix. I loved the seat, it was comfy yet let the rider have room for moving around during higher speed turns etc. Now I really need to find a Sportsman 800 to ride, so I can compare. I'll be honest I liked it, but they need some mods.
 
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