Long Term: 2004 Suzuki LTZ250
Some things you just can't get enough of
This past May we introduced you to the Suzuki 2004
LT Z250, little brother of the wildly popular Z400 launched just a
year earlier. We loved it then, but had to base it on just an
afternoon's ride, a first impression. (Check out that article for technical specifications and close up tech pix.)
We've had one at the ORC stable for over four months now, and
what do we think? 
We've put
a half-dozen test riders on it, from Beginner to Expert. We never
had to offer twice - it was always the first grabbed from the
line-up of other small sport models, and more-preferred than the
mid-size utilities. It went to the sand dunes, the mountain trails
and the motocross track. We jumped it, crawled it, climbed with
it. It never let us down - not a single
time. We never went searching for a Suzuki dealer to adjust
jetting, though rode at sea level to 5,000 feet, rarely even
needing to open the choke. We never had a flat or ran out of gas.
With a shaft drive, we never had to worry about the chain.
If we were Joe-Schmo owner of this quad, we would
have to admit 100% satisfaction with our purchase. The entire
family is getting their money's worth, and then some.
As we menioned at first ride, the only glitch
in the riding of the LT Z250 is when experienced riders hop on and
want to grab for that clutch lever. With the automatic clutch, you
do have to shift with your foot, but that left lever is a brake.
Leave it alone, especially between 3rd & 4th gears.
Ergonomically the Z250 does not disappoint on long
rides. The seat is well padded, positioned and styled. Riders that
sit back from the bars, legs and arms rather extended, as well as
riders that ride up on the tank "jockey-style" both found it fit
well. The tank did not interfere with the knee position, and
long-legged riders did not run out of seat.
The suspension is more than adequate, making it a worthy trail
machine for moving over fallen logs or rocks. It's light weight
makes it easy to "pop" up and over obstacles, saving arms and back
from a day of crawling and plodding along as utilities can. Easy to
put up on two wheels (when you want to), but always in
control.
We've put
a half-dozen test riders on it, from Beginner to Expert. We never
had to offer twice - it was always the first grabbed from the
line-up of other small sport models, and more-preferred than the
mid-size utilities. It went to the sand dunes, the mountain trails
and the motocross track. We jumped it, crawled it, climbed with
it. It never let us down - not a single
time. We never went searching for a Suzuki dealer to adjust
jetting, though rode at sea level to 5,000 feet, rarely even
needing to open the choke. We never had a flat or ran out of gas.
With a shaft drive, we never had to worry about the chain.
If we were Joe-Schmo owner of this quad, we would
have to admit 100% satisfaction with our purchase. The entire
family is getting their money's worth, and then some.
As we menioned at first ride, the only glitch
in the riding of the LT Z250 is when experienced riders hop on and
want to grab for that clutch lever. With the automatic clutch, you
do have to shift with your foot, but that left lever is a brake.
Leave it alone, especially between 3rd & 4th gears.
Ergonomically the Z250 does not disappoint on long
rides. The seat is well padded, positioned and styled. Riders that
sit back from the bars, legs and arms rather extended, as well as
riders that ride up on the tank "jockey-style" both found it fit
well. The tank did not interfere with the knee position, and
long-legged riders did not run out of seat.
The suspension is more than adequate, making it a worthy trail
machine for moving over fallen logs or rocks. It's light weight
makes it easy to "pop" up and over obstacles, saving arms and back
from a day of crawling and plodding along as utilities can. Easy to
put up on two wheels (when you want to), but always in
control.
Suzuki's tag line for this quad is: "The First Real Sport ATV for a wide range of customers." This means so much more to us now. We first interpreted it to mean that beginner adults as well as youth would find this quad ridable. However, we do have to admit advanced riders love this ATV as well. While not racing desert courses or jumps at the motocross tracks, even expert riders found the Z250 a lot of fun to play on. The styling is aggressive enough to turn heads, the engine has enough "go" to up the level of riding to match whatever you ask of it. This is a worthy brother to the Z400, and at $3,899, we expect equal sales and long-term customer satisfaction. It's not just a thumbs-up recomendation for a quad designed and built well - we recommend you GO BUY ONE of EACH! In the meantime, enjoy the photo gallery of the fun along with us...
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