Great question. Unlike the other's who have responded thus far, I have only ridden/owned Husky. My experience with the jap/four is from friends, etc. In Hawaii - trails are Brutal, with a capitol "B." I typically rode with buddies on jap-bikes. The Husky shines when the trail gets worse, and worse. She never left me stranded, ever. In four years of riding in the nastiest environment, she still looked incredible - this is because of the extra care in painting all exposed metals, even hubs - top quality rims, shocks, plastic/graphics - my husky even had five zirk fittings for the rear shock linkage and swingarm pivot! Jap bikes, within a couple rides are ruined for the duration(Clay), and rust and breakage are par for the course. Yes, they are lighter, and handle effortlessly when conditions are perfect. But, no thank you. My two cents.
Alooooooha! Mele Kalikmaka A Haole Makahiki Ho!
TrailTramp