Brandon Smith WPSA A class champion
6’-5" 203lbs

Whats the big difference between a regular sport quad and the Outlaw 525? The extra plush ride of independent rear suspension.  A sway bar helps keep down unwanted body roll.

When I first found out that I was going to ride the Outlaw 525 I was excited about the opportunity, but didn't expect much more than a fast quad with lots of body roll. After spending some time on the machine, I would  have to say that I was correct when it came to the motor. The motor pulls hard from bottom to top. I was especially impressed with the machine’s top end power, especially with a stock exhaust. Down low the machine has plenty of torque, but it doesn’t respond quite as quickly as my fully race modded 450R.

I felt that the machine is geared pretty high. It’s extremely fast in wide open spaces. Everywhere I rode, I seemed to ride a gear higher than I do on my race bike. The Outlaw’s smooth hydraulic clutch  and strong low end power made it easy to make corrections.  If I ever found myself in the wrong gear, all I had to do was slip the clutch to get the RPMs up a bit.

The Outlaw's suspension works very well. The only problem I had was when the rear end packed up on me in the whoops. I was coming in hot and kept it pinned in third. By the time I hit the third one the rear end started to bottom. The rear shocks need less rebound damping for sure. The machine does a good job of tracking straight in rough rocky or heavily rooted conditions. The suspension is plush on small bumps yet does a good job of absorbing large hits. Coming up short on an uphill triple, I was relieved how well the suspension absorbed the big hit. I didn’t expect the suspension to be that good.

Jumping the Outlaw 525 feels a bit heavy and is a bit harder to throw around in the air than my race bike. Through the turns, the machine has some body roll, but it wasn’t as bad as I originally expected. Actually I didn’t think it had any more body roll than a lot of other stock quads on the market. This was a nice surprise.

Overall, I think this machine would be great for someone who wants a fast machine to take out trail riding or take to the dunes. I don’t think you will see one at the WPSA or GNC series next year, but I think it could be a hit with some cross country guys for sure.

Billy Maddox, 2007 Class MX competitor
5’-7" 160lbs

Maxxis RArz R radial tires front and rear work well in most situations. They are claimed to help aid in ride quality and from what we felt we agree.

I used to race KTM dirt bikes, so I knew that the motor would be fast. I also assumed that it was going to rollover a lot in the turns. After riding the Outlaw, I felt that it was at least as stable as one of the 400cc class sport machines, but not as stable as many of the stock 450s. Through the woods, I had no complaints, but felt it was hard to run at race speed through the turns on a motocross track.

The KTM power plant delivers plenty of power. It seems like it’s geared tall, this is especially noticeable back in tight woods. However with the motors strong torque, even on an uphill or gnarly situation you could easily slip the clutch and get rolling. Riding along in third gear, you can lay into the throttle and pull wheelies all day long. On top the thing is extremely fast!

Former GNCC Pro Chris Earlywine was very impressed with the Outlaw 525. So much so that he wanted to race one at this year's 12 Hours Of ATV America this November. We so badly wish he were still with us and able to do just that.

While putting it to the test in the woods I got in some tight spots. I was glad to see that the KTM motor was equipped with reverse. To get into reverse, you shift the Outlaw into first, push the little lever next to the thumb throttle and shift down into reverse then shift back up into first after you're done backing up. It works very well. I think cross country racers will like how easy and fast you can get in and out of reverse.

At 47.2 inches wide the Outlaw 525 feels just a bit wide in the tightest of situations, however you’ll be glad for the extra width during high speed cornering both in and out of the woods.

I found it hard to fault the Outlaw’s suspension. In tight woods it eats up everything and provides great traction. One wheel could be up on a log and the other would be on the ground. The thing rolls over stuff like a rock crawling Jeep. On the track the machine tracked better in the whoops than my set up YFZ. I was also very happy with the way that the suspension absorbed jump landings.

I felt that the machine’s weight balance was a bit off in the air. For me, it felt as though the rear end wanted to dip out of the sky before the front. This was more noticeable the bigger the jumps.

Overall the brakes worked great. However, I had some problems using the rear brake while sitting. When I was sitting normally in the saddle it felt as though my feet were behind me little. This made it difficult to raise my toes to push the rear brake pedal. While standing, this was not a problem.

As far as what this machine is good for, you could have fun with it at a motocross track. However, it's not going to be a good motocross racer, but it will work fine for going out and hitting some big jumps. For the weekend warrior who wants something fast for hardcore trail riding this thing is the perfect choice.

The Outlaw’s suspension did a good job of working for a wide variety of rider weights and ability levels. Here, Chris Earlywine flies above the woods on Aaron Meyer’s  private track.

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