1989 Suzuki LT500 QuadZiLLa

[BuDDy L]

All black maier plastics, scratched but no cracks

fmf pipe pretty dirty

looks like aftermarket exhaust cant really tell

stock a arms

stock swingarm

the tires tread are like perfect and the rims are polished ITP rims.

pretty much stock overall

this guy is the owner of a dealership located nearby me that sells cars. I went to do a credit check on a 2009 7 series BMW and this caught my eye. I was like ...OMG how much lol, na but for real, what do you guys think its worth. are parts impossible or are they like the 250r meaning ebay infested. Need to make room though :P


http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/84/imag0063z.jpg

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1149/imag0062d.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7613/imag0061f.jpg

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/7672/imag0064b.jpg

[1promodfan]

Maybe you should ask on a different forum?? Quadracerhq etc. Most guys here are die-hard 250R fans.

[BuDDy L]

Originally posted by 1promodfan
Maybe you should ask on a different forum?? Quadracerhq etc. Most guys here are die-hard 250R fans.


lol ya i know, just wanted some opinions, im not saying ones better either way just you know, some people's 2 cents i guess...

[atvmxr]

you dont want it, itd be too fast for you... :blah:


take this over to quadracerhq... ;)

[BuDDy L]

Originally posted by atvmxr
you dont want it, itd be too fast for you... :blah:


take this over to quadracerhq... ;)

lol, i driven gsxr hayabusas, nothings to fast lol, but real talk, she worth buying and having 2 pieces of history

[atvmxr]

looks like someone went bonkers with the black spray paint...

take the stator cover off and grab ahold of the flywheel. if the crank moves up and down AT ALL - the motor needs to be torn down and rebuilt with case inserts. from suzuki these quads have some flaws. if you know what to fix and the right way to fix it, they can be reliable, powerful, and fun.
If you dont, they will destroy themselves from detonation.

alot of the big name builders offer work, but most of them are just applying 250r tech to the 500 and it doesnt work. Seen guys spend a few grand @ duncan or trinity and didnt really accomplish much other than being lighter in the wallet.

you can get parts for them, but they cost a bit more, and are a little difficult to find. but there is a bunch of us on HQ dedicated to them and they are going so far as to fab up frames, pipes, and misc pieces..


Id pay maybe $1500 for it, if the crank has play in it Id walk away or try to get the guy to a $1000 or less... if you get it, you better come over the HQ and we'll get you going...

[BuDDy L]

Originally posted by atvmxr
looks like someone went bonkers with the black spray paint...

take the stator cover off and grab ahold of the flywheel. if the crank moves up and down AT ALL - the motor needs to be torn down and rebuilt with case inserts. from suzuki these quads have some flaws. if you know what to fix and the right way to fix it, they can be reliable, powerful, and fun.
If you dont, they will destroy themselves from detonation.

alot of the big name builders offer work, but most of them are just applying 250r tech to the 500 and it doesnt work. Seen guys spend a few grand @ duncan or trinity and didnt really accomplish much other than being lighter in the wallet.

you can get parts for them, but they cost a bit more, and are a little difficult to find. but there is a bunch of us on HQ dedicated to them and they are going so far as to fab up frames, pipes, and misc pieces..


Id pay maybe $1500 for it, if the crank has play in it Id walk away or try to get the guy to a $1000 or less... if you get it, you better come over the HQ and we'll get you going...

thanks a lot for the help man, the plastics did not look sprayed down to me btw, i think it was because i was in poor lighting. he had it in the back room of a car dealership, just black maiers, he wanted "around 2 grand", said hes second owner.

[rayman375]

I personally wouldn't waste any money on it, they handle bad, break a lot, and they're ugly. What kind of riding do you do?

[atvmxr]

Originally posted by rayman375
I personally wouldn't waste any money on it, they handle bad, break a lot, and they're ugly. What kind of riding do you do?

ignorant BS like this is why I suggested we take this over the HQ ;)

look at the A-arms, swingarm, hubs, frame, front rims, motor, etc. etc. etc. NONE of that was black from the factory, I realize the plastic may not be painted, but that wasnt what I was concerned with... I dont trust a quad that has been generously coated down with paint all over

[maryland450r]

Originally posted by atvmxr
I dont trust a quad that has been generously coated down with paint all over

HaHa, I learned that also a couple years ago when I bought my first 250r. I found all kinds of welds, hidden cracks under the 10 coats of Krylon. Ended up cutting the frame up and trashing it.

[BuDDy L]

Originally posted by rayman375
I personally wouldn't waste any money on it, they handle bad, break a lot, and they're ugly. What kind of riding do you do?

look man, no need to flame lol, i know this is the wrong forum but listen, no need to tell great quads they are not, that aint right. and o the comment about what riding i do. mainly trails

[rayman375]

Oh I'm sorry, I thought you had asked for opinions.

[atvmxr]

Originally posted by rayman375
Oh I'm sorry, I thought you had asked for opinions.

that is true. i guess the question is, is this first hand experience from owning a zilla yourself or just the typical " i know a guy who knew a guy..... "

its all good and it is legitimate for a TRX250r forum to steer people away from anything else.

Im surprised no one has chipped in to tell us how horrible a zilla would be to ride in trails... :)

[CHAR250R]

I'll chime in:

I had 2 89's.
Not the best handling ATV I've owned.
Poor suspension (easily upgradable)
They don't break as much as everyone talks about, but they fail more than a 250R.
Too wide for the woods.
Awesome for the dunes or strip mines.

My first one I bought in 1990. Put an FMF pipe and silencer on it, and rejetted the card, and it ran great. Plenty of power.

The 2nd 89 I had, I bought from the original owner when it was 4 or 5 years old. It was in mint shape. I sent the motor to Duncan racing for a complete teardown and inspection. I opted for the Nationl package. HOLY SH*T!!! Rode it for a few years, and sold it. I regret that dumb move every day!!!

If you are going to buy one, look for one as close to stock as you can find. That one looks to be garbage.
If you can find a good clean original one, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Good luck!

[slamdak8782]

where is the lt500 forum on this site?

[BuDDy L]

Originally posted by slamdak8782
where is the lt500 forum on this site?

Exactly lol, thanks for the responses everyone, so the general consensus here is continue dumping my money into my 89 r and pass on this 89 zilla for 2 grand obo

[CHAR250R]

Originally posted by BuDDy L
Exactly lol, thanks for the responses everyone, so the general consensus here is continue dumping my money into my 89 r and pass on this 89 zilla for 2 grand obo

The LT500 you are looking at is in rough shape. If you have deep pockets....buy it. I'll take my 88R over the Zilla anyday. Put the money in your R. :D

[BuDDy L]

Originally posted by CHAR250R
The LT500 you are looking at is in rough shape. If you have deep pockets....buy it. I'll take my 88R over the Zilla anyday. Put the money in your R. :D

Alright, cool, should I upload pics of what I did so far to my 89