LiftdT4R Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hey, what's up? I found an older zilla for sale by me in what looks like pretty good shape. I was wondering if any of you guys here have dealt with these bikes before? I just wanted one to play around with in the woods, not going to be a serious drag/race bike or anything like that. Is there anything that goes on these bikes that is a really hard fix, or anything serious to look out for? I know the usuals when buying a bike, especially one that's 20+ years old. But I was basically wondering if the zilla is a good solid bike. I know my Banshees require a little bit of maintenance, but I do ride them hard, and I'm never disspointed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrideA250R Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) Zillas are parts eaters. BAD. The main bearings can spin in the case, leaky headgaskets, hard to find parts/pipes. I would stay away. Edited August 5, 2008 by IrideA250R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duddley Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Zillas are parts eaters. BAD. The main bearings can spin in the case, leaky headgaskets, hard to find parts/pipes. I would stay away. even if they r they rare and r fun. plus if u keep it for a while u could get lots for it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdhc500 Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I think you can find out everything you need to know and then some on; http://www.quadzillahq.com LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STINKYDELUXE Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 the low and mid power is great but the size of them and the way they ride is not, i would buy a cr500 motor and put it in a 250r or a 400ex frame it would handle better and be more fun thats my.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamRealtreeHD Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 They are the worst handling, parts falling off and hardest riding quad I ever saw. And good luck finding parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pabansheematt Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hey, what's up? I found an older zilla for sale by me in what looks like pretty good shape. I was wondering if any of you guys here have dealt with these bikes before? I just wanted one to play around with in the woods, not going to be a serious drag/race bike or anything like that. Is there anything that goes on these bikes that is a really hard fix, or anything serious to look out for? I know the usuals when buying a bike, especially one that's 20+ years old. But I was basically wondering if the zilla is a good solid bike. I know my Banshees require a little bit of maintenance, but I do ride them hard, and I'm never disspointed. Mine was a rattle trap. Parts vibrate loose, frames crack, always broke. Any time I put it against a piped banshee I'd loose. O' yea the front shocks are crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanYE west Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 The first yrs it was made they had some crank problems.. but the later versions were better. Them things can be nasty fast when done right.. Worked at a suzuki dealer for awhile in the service dept and worked on a few of'em..(carb cleaning from sitting) I thought it was fun as hell to ride. The banshee guy's will tell ya they suck and break.. and the suzuki guys will tell ya Banshee suck and break.. My banshee has been beat a few times by some zilla's. They CAN run. I'd say if the price is right.. pick it up and make your own opinion.. if you dont like it.. sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiftdT4R Posted August 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I think you can find out everything you need to know and then some on; http://www.quadzillahq.com LOL Hardee har har har, good one. :biggrin: The first yrs it was made they had some crank problems.. but the later versions were better. Them things can be nasty fast when done right.. Worked at a suzuki dealer for awhile in the service dept and worked on a few of'em..(carb cleaning from sitting) I thought it was fun as hell to ride. The banshee guy's will tell ya they suck and break.. and the suzuki guys will tell ya Banshee suck and break.. My banshee has been beat a few times by some zilla's. They CAN run. I'd say if the price is right.. pick it up and make your own opinion.. if you dont like it.. sell it. Good to know, thanks, I hear a lot of people bad mouth banshees, but for the 3 I've had, and the 2 current ones, I have had very little problems (most of them were from my own incompetence). They are more fun then any other bike I've ever ridden, I'll always keep them to play around with. So, you can't always trust the bad talk, a lot of people just get bad bikes sometimes, or don't know how to work on them. On the other hand, I don't want to get into something that is just designed very poorly. I have some bad experiences with that. Thanks for the other replies!!! I have heard some bad stuff about their reliability and design. If anyone here has actually owned one, or used to own one as a trai/play bike I'd really like to hear what you thought about it. My problem is I don't really sell anything so if I pick it up and it sucks, it will sit in pieces at my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamRealtreeHD Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) I had a lt250 quadracer and it was bad news... everything on it from day one was either replaced, ductaped, or ziptied.... or customized someway, somewhow. If you have time on your hands to work on it, and more time to maybe ride it afterwards, I'd say go ahead and get one. Get yourself a few rolls of heavy duty zip ties and ductape, and you should have either the 250 or 500 rolling soon enough. Or you can just send it to Dr. Q and have him redo the whole thing for the price of your house, and then maybe it won't fall apart. I love suzuki in general as I have 2 utilitys by the company and I have the first one ever made, a 1984 lt250. I have it covered in the garage, all waxed up looking like the day it came off the showroom floor... and it will pull start, or electric start if the battery isn't dead, first try. BUT their sport quads from the '80's are the biggest disappointment to hit the sport ever... A buddy of mine has a quadzilla, and it has been sitting in his garage for the last 6-7 tears.... looking at it in the corner of his shanty speaks for itself. That's my experience, and my .02 Edited August 5, 2008 by TeamRealtreeHD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterlocal22 Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 my buddy has a 250 quadracer blue and yellow color, not sure what year but its old. he loves it just like we all love our banshees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYUK Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 parts are really hard to find. i have a couple guys that come buy parts off me from a.c. they ask me to grab up zillas, one of them has one and it is always broke. if you get it cheap enough, buy it. you can always part it out. there were far less zillas produced , so used parts are hard to find.list them on e bay at top dollar. you may make money and not break even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinisterboo Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 i have built 2, and so far heres whats bit me in the ass, the 87 had the huge nice intake side of the cylinder, but only has 6 studs instead of the later 7. the crank bearing issue is easily fixed with a steel insert, which i make. they like to have new waterpump bearing and seal, as they go bad from sitting in water, not a design flaw like most think. plus, from stock, to .200 over bores available? bore a banshee 3mm over and see what happens! thats ten freaking overbores available! I agree with the frame, check it over really well, especially under the motor, and around the front upper shock mounts. A lifelong friend of mine turned me on to these bikes, simply because i had a few banshee's and he wanted something different. He was killed 3 months ago, and I vowed to continue the build of his 87 just the way he wanted it. He had already bought everything to freshen it up, and a few people have donated parts to keep the build going. Bottom line, I am banshee through and through, but I have to build ronnies quadzilla, and ride it to the top of the tallest dune at little sahra here in OK. Hope to see you guys there. hit me up with any questions you have about either bike. love em both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4stroker Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I think you can find out everything you need to know and then some on; http://www.quadzillahq.com LOL umm, is this what you meant? http://www.quadracerhq.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locogato11283 Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 junk dogg. stay away from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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