Suzuki Lt80 Quad Sport
SUZUKI LT80 QUAD SPORT
CYCLE WORLD TEST
They say it’s built for kids. They lie.
RIIING RIIING RIIING
“Hello, CYCLE WORLD? This is U.S. Suzuki calling. We’re looking for three LT80 Quad Sports that you borrowed a few months ago.”
“Sorry, we must have a bad connection. It sounded like you said you wanted the LT80s back.”
“That's right, all three of them.”
“Well, uh . . . we can't find them. I ... I think we lost them. Yeah, we lost them somewhere in Baja. But, hey, if you send us three more, we’ll be glad to go back and look for them.”
Click.
Normally, we don’t lie. And we usually have no problem returning the test units we’ve borrowed. But this time, things are different. This time, we’re willing to do almost anything to keep the aforementioned trio of LT80s in our possession—even if it means telling a little white lie or two.
We have good reason for wanting to hang onto the newest and smallest of Suzuki’s Quad Sport series: They're pure fun. Forget that these things allegedly are built for kids; there’s nothing you can buy in any motorcycle dealership for any price that can give you—yes, you, not just your kids—more unadulterated, unintimidating, foolaround enjoyment than one of these pint-sized Quads.
We saw that phenomenon occur time after time when we’d put an adult on an LT80. Without fail, these socalled “grownups” would soon be having more fun than anyone has a right to have, doing wheelies, donuts, slides and all sorts of other tricks, usually laughing uncontrollably all the while.
If you doubt that, we suggest you take a spin on one. But be forewarned: One ride and you’re hooked. We’ve watched all sorts of adults climb on an LT80 for the first time full of skepticism, and climb off a few minutes later asking for directions to the nearest Suzuki shop.
That’s quite a statement, given this machine’s meager mission. By design, it’s a low-priced ATV configured to work best for not-quite-adult-sized beginners about five feet tall and weighing a little over 100 pounds. But even though not everyone fits it perfectly, almost anyone, regardless of age or size, can have a roaring good time on it. Our LT80s have seen action beneath riders weighing as little as 50 pounds and as much as 250 pounds, and the amazing Quads have performed remarkably in all cases, never failing to send each and every rider away with an ear-to-ear grin on his or her face.
At the heart of this yellow bundle of four-wheeled excitement is an 82.5cc two-stroke engine that Suzuki stole from one of its domestic-market scooters. The reed-valve Single features electric starting, oil injection and a Salsbury-type, belt-drive automatic transmission. The engine also has all sorts of ducts and hoses winding around it, which are part of a forced-air cooling system that uses two fans to direct air onto the cylinder head and the belt for the variable-ratio transmission. And that unusual cooling system obviously works; neither the engine nor the transmission on any of our LT80s ever overheated or failed in any way, even when when our staff of highly experienced . . . er, adults rode the machines much more aggressively than Suzuki ever intended.
But although it’s nice to know the engine will handle that sort of hard use, the LT80 needn’t be ridden wideopen to provide enjoyment. The engine is peppy and responsive at all speeds and throttle openings; and the noshift, no-clutch transmission automatically alters its ratio according to load and road speed to keep the engine turning in the middle rpm ranges w here it has the most torque. So no matter what the requirement—partial or full throttle, low or high speeds—the LT80 always seems to deliver just what is needed.
With heavier cargoes—say, riders over 150 or 175 pounds—the engine does struggle a bit on steep or sandy uphills, but it still usually keeps pulling admirably. In just about any other situation, the engine has enough punch to keep the 80 ripping along at a brisk pace. There is enough initial acceleration to allow easy wheelies from a dead stop with just a mild yank rearward on the handlebar, yet the power flow is sufficiently smooth and even to prevent sudden forward surges that could frighten neophytes.
If the acceleration does seem too much for young or inexperienced riders, the thumb-type throttle has an adjustable stop that can be set to limit the performance to suit operator ability. Beginners won’t have to concern themselves with learning how to shift gears or use a clutch, either, thanks to the automatic transmission. All that’s required to get the LT80 moving is to thumb open the throttle. And Suzuki has also installed an electrical interlock that requires the parking brake to be set before the electric starter will engage, which keeps the machine from inadvertently running away when the engine is first st arted.
Just as much thought went into the LT80’s chassis, resulting in the same surprising performance. The Suzuki is fully suspended at both ends, the only machine in its class so equipped. The front suspension is typical four-wheel ATV fare, with a coil-spring shock at each wheel, but the single-shock rear suspension is decidedly different. For one, the swingarm pivot is ahead of the engine, rather than behind it; and that’s because, like on the scooter from which it was borrowed, the entire engine/drivetrain assembly is the swingarm.
Unusual, for sure, but it works wonderfully, especially considering that this is an entry-level ATV with only about two inches or so of travel at any wheel. The LT80 tracks straight and true through the gnarliest of bumps and the deepest of sandy or rutted whoops, with almost no tendency to dart to one side or get sideways. Heavier riders can bottom the suspension fairly easily in the really rough stuff, but even then the little Quad Sport rarely gets out of shape.
Despite its penchant for tracking straight, the LT80 fully cooperates when the time comes to turn. A slight nudge on the handlebar is all that’s needed to initiate a turn, and a punch of the throttle will snap the short-wheelbase Quaddie around and head it the other way in about its own length. And even though the 80's track is not all that wide, the machine is not prone to tipping over when executing tight turns.
Really, the only complaint we have about the LT80 is that the stock suspension is too stiff for riders weighing much less than 100 pounds. But even though lighter riders do get jostled around a bit more than heavier ones, the machine still doesn't do anything evil in the process.
It's no wonder, then, we’ve grown so attached to our LT80s. So far, we haven’t come across any type of riding in which they aren’t an absolute blast. And on numerous rides involving larger ATVs, we’ve taken the LT80s along “just in case,” and have wound up spending more time on them than on the bigger machines. That’s because these little machines are the very essence of the ATV experience, able to do everything a full-sized four-wheeler can do, but easier and more controllably, and at reduced rates of speed and risk.
Neither have we encountered any riders, of any age or size, who aren’t thoroughly enchanted by the LT80. The only problems arise when there are more riders than there are LT80s. Because like a certain brand of potato chip, one LT80 is never enough. That’s particularly true of parents who don’t have a sufficient number of LT80s: They end up spending most of their time settling squabbles—either between their kids, or between themselves and their kids— about who gets to ride next.
We’re no exceptions. Why do you think we aren't about to give up our three LT80s without one heck of a fight?
SUZUKI
LT80 QUAD SPORT
$1199
