ATVs

Suzuki's Top 10

The best Suzukis ever built

October 27, 2015

Founded in 1909 by Michio Suzuki, the company started its life as Suzuki Loom Works. Based around Japan's enormous silk industry, Suzuki started its life as a weaving loom manufacturer. By 1940, Suzuki had moved on to manufacturing cars until the onset of World War II. Suzuki entered the motorcycle market in the early '50s and by 1954 it was manufacturing 6,000 per month. In 1955, it introduced the Suzulight car, which was front-wheel drive and featured four-wheel independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. Those features didn't become commonplace with many other manufacturers until almost 30 years later! The '60s, '70s, and '80s saw incredible growth for Suzuki and helped the company to deliver some of the greatest two- and four-wheeled vehicles ever built.

Suzuki Samurai

Suzuki Samurai: 1986 was the first year the Samurai was available for purchase in the United States, and lasted through 1995. With less than 70 hp, it was a sloth on the roads. However, off the highway, the solid axles and bombproof drivetrain and other mechanicals made the Samurai a highly desirable platform to build an awesome off-road monster.Suzuki

Suzuki KingQuad 700/750

Suzuki KingQuad 700/750: The modern-day KingQuad hit the showrooms as a 700cc model in 2005. In 2008, displacement was bumped to 750cc, and enhancements like EPS (Electric Power Steering) arrived a few years later. Virtually unchanged except for a few small evolutionary revisions that graced them, the KingQuads are still a very reliable option for the big-bore utility quad. If a KingQuad is on your wish list, the EPS models are far superior to any other models.Suzuki

LT125, aka Quadrunner 125

LT125, aka Quadrunner 125: First introduced as a 1983 model, the Quadrunner was not only Suzuki's first official four-wheel ATV, it was the first one for the whole industry. In comparison to modern-day technology, it was slow, uncomfortable, and not incredibly exciting to ride. However, without the Quadrunner 125, you'd likely never have had the opportunity to read this incredibly awesome article!Suzuki

Suzuki Hayabusa

Suzuki Hayabusa: Originally introduced in 1999, the Hayabusa continues to rank as one of the world's greatest superbikes. Technical enhancements like Drive Mode Selector (that limits engine power to meet riding conditions) and antilock brakes make the 2016 'Busa an excellent choice for speed freaks.Suzuki

Suzuki LT-Z400

Suzuki LT-Z400: Introduced as a 2003 model, the LT-Z was one of the catalysts that helped push performance ATVs to new limits in the early 2000s. 2009 brought an all-new design with electronic fuel injection as one of the biggest upgrades, as well as a new chassis. Racers like Doug Gust helped Suzuki re-enter ATV racing with this model, and it was the predecessor that helped Suzuki develop the LT-R450.Suzuki

Suzuki LT50/LT-Z50

LT50/LT-Z50: The LT50 hit the market in 1984 as a tiny 50cc two-stroke. Its most notable features had to be the fully automatic transmission and super-small hand controls that made it the perfect choice for little kids to start on. 2006 was the first year for the four-stroke 50, which offered the same small size and comfort for young kids with a cleaner-burning and quieter powerplant.Suzuki

Suzuki RM250

Suzuki RM250: The RM, short for "Racing Model," was originally introduced in 1975. 1982 marked the first year for liquid-cooling, and 2008 was the last year the two-stroke was available for purchase. The RM250 is still incredibly popular today and is often seen being piloted by fanboys like Ricky Carmichael and Travis Pastrana.Suzuki

Suzuki LT250R and LT500R

Suzuki LT250R and LT500R: Manufactured between 1985 and 1992, the LT250, or "QuadRacer" as it was affectionately known, revolutionized the three-wheeler-dominated market. Being the first performance four-wheeled ATV ever built, the QuadRacer spawned the two-stroke performance ATV market that followed in subsequent years. A few years later in 1987 came the LT500, which earned the nickname "Quadzilla." This 500cc monster two-stroke was a handful to ride and will go down in history as the largest production performance ATV ever produced.Suzuki

Suzuki RM-Z450

Suzuki RM-Z450: 2005 marked the first year for the four-stroke RM-Z450, and each successive revision has made this monster a serious competitor on the MX and Supercross tracks. Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, and Ken Roczen all owe a great deal of success to the RM-Z450.Suzuki

Suzuki LT-R450

Suzuki LT-R450: One of the best performance four-stroke ATVs ever built was the Suzuki LT-R450. Available in the US between 2006 and 2009, about 25,000 of the race-ready Suzukis were produced. The LT-R won numerous ATV MX championships, which is what the machine was developed to do. However, after hopping aboard a Suzuki in 2009, GNCC champion Chris Borich won six consecutive XC championships on his LT-R450 in a genre of racing never intended for the LT-R. 2009 model LTRs were technically sold as leftover models as late as 2011, but now the only way to score one is by finding a nice used machine.Suzuki