Long Term: 2004 Suzuki LTZ250 Final Look

Jun. 01, 2004 By Pattie Waters

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As a member of the off-road industry Press, we have the daunting task of presenting thorough, hands-on reports to potential buyers of new ATVs that may not yet have had a chance to see these models for themselves.

(Yes, it's great work, if you can get it!) Honestly, with a long-term test, we find that for the first 60 to 90 days our staff fights over any new toy we bring in, the comments are written up for the first article or two, then interest passes on to the next exciting new whatever that may have arrived. Sometimes, however, the interest lasts much longer and we really are sad to see it go back.

After several weeks of sitting rather unused in the shop, we pulled out the Suzuki LT-Z250, only because honestly, the fleet of ATVs we had at our disposal was a couple short of what was needed for an afternoon.

The expert-level rider that hopped on, came racing around a corner on two wheels after a short time, with a big grin on his face. "I forgot how much fun this thing is!" We all had. Now, with only weeks or even days left (Suzuki is making rumblings about getting it back), we have fallen in love with the little 250 all over again.

The only concern we had initially was the learning curve on shifting the automatic clutch - it left us grabbing the left brake handle unneccessarily. Yes, we got over that. We're taking it out for daily rides all over again.

This adult rider is 5' 7" and found the Z250 had plenty of power, but felt "cramped." He does appear a little out-of-proportion... (Maybe his head is just too big?)

This is the perfect transition quad for a not-new-any-more-rider, with enough zip to keep an experienced rider happy. It's small, quick and agile, perfectly balanced for control and ergonomically designed to be an awesome recreational choice.

It keeps up just fine with the higher-cc-but-heavier utility quads we rode it with, and certainly leaves them on the line. One thing of note - It is noticably smaller than a full-size quad.

We would emphasize it is best suited for a younger or smaller-sized adult, or a larger youth rider. Most of the photos you see of our testing are of a young adult, approximately 5' 7", 145 pounds. It is just about the right size for this rider. Anyone smaller, they are probably too young to be on it anyway, as they may be out-matched by the aggressiveness this quad delivers. Anyone larger, they may find it slightly cramped, but rest-assured it will still probably have the power to haul their butt around just fine.

One category where the little Z shines is balance. We tested other mid-sized sport quads targeted at the beginner-to-intermediate riders. During the test, we had to actually pick two of the riders up, after they tipped over other models. The Z has more acceleration and you would think that would make the potential for tipping higher, accelerating out of a turn off-balance. However, the weight and center of gravity is just right, so it gets up and goes quick enough that it comes back to it's feet easily and smoothly - whether the rider meant to "get on it" quite that much or not. And it's light enough that a rider can easily avoid tipping with very slight body movement, staying secure and confidently in control. Even beginner riders did not mention any noticable tipping, even if aggressively riding a sport quad for the first time.

(More advanced riders are able to put the Z up on one side and ride it there quite easily - in case that's important to you.)

The LT Z250 slides through corners easily, hooks up perfectly with Dunlop ATs.

After one year of every type of riding imaginable, we have had no failures with this quad. Never dropped the chain, never required re-jetting, no dead batteries, no flat tires, no leaks, no squeaks, no cracks, no drips. We have NEVER had this level of reliability from an off-the-factory-floor ATV. It may be just the luck of the draw, but we are impressed.

One of the most-often-asked questions we get, is "What quad should I buy?" That results in three very important qualifying questions fired back at ya - # 1- "What do you intend to do with it?" # 2 - "What is your experience level of riding?" and # 3 - "How much do you want to spend?"

There are only a handful of quads we recommend over and over, depending on your answers (and yes, we have changed this list in the last year or two - there are a couple new utilities that turned our head and have us re-thinking our long-time favorite, and there are some great new offerings of high-performance quads this year that are proving themselves.)

Standing firm in this group of BEST OVERALL BUYS is the Suzuki LT-Z250 at $3,899 Manufacturer Suggested Retail. (And, chances are, you can now probably even find one barely-used at a great price.) We won't forget it, and you shouldn't either when you head out to add to your quad collection.

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