SUZUKI Z453 DUNER
Screaming yellow
sand machine!
 

By Bill "WBGO" Lanphier

      We've ridden Suzuki's Z400 performance quad in the dirt--a lot. There's no question it's one of the best in that element--it may not be the fastest, but it handles great and puts out more power than Honda's 400EX.
 

Suzuki's Z400 is a great woods quad. With some mods, it makes a very serious duner, too.

      Dunes, though, are another thing altogether. The wide-open spaces give the illusion that you're not going as fast as you actually are and the sand itself robs the machine of some power. The high speeds favor larger-displacement quads with longer wheelbases, like Bombardier's DS650. In short, the sand is a great equalizer. What can be done to the Z400 to make it more competitive in the dunes? We asked Southern California-based CT Racing, which came up with some darn good ideas.
      The first thing CT suggested is to get a little more out of the motor--not a difficult task for the Z400, as it responds well to mods. CT's 453 kit ($1895) includes a resleeved cylinder, high-rev cams, high-compression (12:1) piston, head porting, exhaust and a Keihin 41mm carb kit. To help modulate the extra power that our Z400 now had, a Hinson Racing clutch basket was added. Just how much power can be gained? Dyno runs at CT showed the modified machne now pumping out 48 horses--up from the stock 28.4. Now that's a decent gain!
      "Everyone who's ridden it falls in love with it," CT's Allen Knowles told us. "Though a fully built 250R will beat it, the 453 kit is a good match for a Banshee with pipes and high compression. The kit would blow off a Raptor with a pipe."
      To widen and lengthen the Z, we went with a Durablue rear axle, as well as a +2" swingarm and +2" A-arms from Laeger's. Shocks from TCS allow more wheel travel, but the quad actually rides lower for better cornering stability and tracking through whoops. Skat-Trak eight-paddle Haulers in the rear get the power to the ground and Skat-Trak Mohawks up front improve steering precision.

Every quad should have a super-light Works Connection clutch lever! Powerslides are possible with the straight paddles (here), but our choice for the Z would be V-paddles for overall duning.

      Our test day at the Pismo Dunes (on California's central coast) was overcast and gloomy, but once we got a look at the Z, we forgot all about that. Like all the recent CT machines we've tested, it was set up meticulously by Kevin Avina. Everything feels comfortable and looks solid, and the CT graphics kit works wonders at improving the Z's appearance.
      Pismo's Comp Hill is puny, but provides a good test through a few gears. Here, just as Knowles predicted, the 453 smoked many moderately modified Banshees (although in the flats the Banshees would eventually move ahead). Still, the Z pulls hard and hauls. Though the rev cams raise the power curve by 300 rpm, bottom end is still good.
      Out in the dunes, the straight paddles make turning a little more difficult, and carving a nice turn requires a little more body english. The Mohawk fronts do a great job of improving steering precision, though, and with a little practice, massive powerslides are possible.
      The longer Laeger's swingarm helps loosen up the back end for slides and keeps the front planted, but the machine still wheelies easily enough. As we expected, the wider axle and A-arms dramatically improve turning stability. Jumping fanatics will love the TCS shocks; they provide cush landings and great tracking through whoops and chewed-up sand.

MORE HORSEPOWER?
 

Even with the lower ride height, the TCS shocks do a great job of soaking up hard hits like this small, steep-faced jump.

      After our trip to Pismo, Knowles added two more goodies to the Z. We had problems bumping the stock rev limiter only when we made a mistake. The new Dyna programmable ignition, however, allows setting the rev limiter to any point, so overrevving now and then isn't a problem (ignition curves can even be tailored for running pump gas with a high-compression piston!).
      On the intake side of things, CT switched to a Honda 400EX intake boot, which required some trimming at the front of the stock Suzuki airbox. How much good do this and the Dyna ignition do? How about an additional four horsepower! Now, at 52 horses, the Z is rapidly approaching twice the stock output!
      Yes, the Z400 is a great machine to start with, and with some well-thought-out mods it's really a screamer in the sand (by the way, all these mods can be performed with identical gains from the Z400's twin, Kawasaki's KFX400). For more info contact CT Racing at 562/945-2453; email ctracing@gte.net; website: www.ctracing.com.

For our personal quad we'd pass on that many sponsor's stickers, but the CT graphics kit and seat cover look great.

The CT Sonic exhaust is available with the 453 kit, or separately for $460.	Yes, it looks fairly stock, but this motor makes way more horsepower than stock. After our test, CT installed a Dyna ignition, which allows, via mini switches, writing up to four different ignition curves.	A wider rear axle and longer swingarm are the hot setup for duning the Z. The Skat-Trak paddles provide more than enough hookup for the quad.	Check out Laeger's new upper A-arm ball joints, which have a greater range of movement, allow more shock travel and are more durable. The lower ball joints are also more durable. We really liked the steering geometry of the Tag bars, which give you more room to move around and work the quad.

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