2003 Kawasaki 360 Review Series
| 2003 Kawasaki Prairie 360 4×4. A more afordable |
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The 2002 650 only arrived at dealers about a year ago and already the Prairie 650 V-twin has been the biggest selling unit for Kawasaki, raising overall sales and their market position. The Prairie 650 has brought about a turning point in the ATV industry with its new and innovative concepts regarding engine technology. In addition, the front differential lock, braking system and V-twin engine have combined cutting edge features with raw power. With the mid-class ATV segment being the largest growth area in today’s market, we all knew it would only be a matter of time before Kawasaki engineers put this aggressive technology to use. Expecting an advanced mid-class sport utility is one thing, but who expected a perfectly combined 362cc 4-wheel drive unit with superior ergonomic balance and ease of use. A new machine’s feel, stance and overall performance cannot be described in press releases or even words. Testing the unit is the only way to find out just how each new model
performs. Kawasaki’s Jim Williams explained how the Moab Utah trail system with its high desert conditions would be the perfect place to test ride the new 2003 Prairie 360 4×4. He told us just how the combination of Kawasaki’s Automatic Power-Drive System and the 360’s sweet torque rise under a load would best be tested in the deserts rock canyons. Jim also told us how the (KAPS) Kawasaki Automatic Power-Drive System, in conjunction with the automatic transmission, would sense belt tension at slow speed and automatically apply pressure to the belt producing slip-free slow speed rock crawling power. Jim was right; Kawasaki picked a perfect environment to test the new Prairie. Slow speed, rock crawling and extremely technical trails are exactly what we encountered. Soon after our first test ride, our speculations were confirmed. In addition, the new body and seat design of the 2003 Prairie allowed the rider to position himself more foreword than most machines allowing for an ergonomically correct ATV. This could be our favorite rider positioned ATV of all time.
The new Prairie uses a 362cc. air-cooled SOHC four-stroke single cylinder engine, with a compression ratio of 8.3: 1, and a bore and stroke of 80.0 x 72.0 mm. A Kihin CVK34 carburetor supplies an air fuel mixture to the 362 ml displaced cylinder. The 360 is the largest air-cooled engine Kawasaki produces, the brand-new motor has the cylinder head angled at 45 degrees in order to produce a lower center of gravity and to produce more ground clearance. The power plant uses a 2.3 L. wet-sump, forced lubrication system and a large oil cooler with fan assist. Keeping the oil fresh is a convenient spin-on filter, which is located in front and under the cylinder making for an easy mess- free oil change. Just looking at the Prairie 360 gives anyone
the impression that the machine is something special, an aggressive new look fits the engine’s surprising low-end power. Designed with low-end power and quick mid-range response in mind, the 362cc engine has a predictable torque rise. The engine, transmission and gearing produce a nice package and this new 360 is built for quick bursts of power at slow speeds. Looking at the Prairie 360, it appears to be a smaller version of the Prairie 650 V-twin even though the frame, body, suspension and engine may be different. Yet, the transmission, drive-train, locking differential, rear swing-arm and rear wet brake features are the exact same cutting edge components used with the 650 models. In other words, Kawasaki has used the best features from the 650 Prairie to create a smaller, more affordable unit. The Prairie 360 uses the same Transmission with (KAPS) Kawasaki’s Automatic Power-Drive System and the impressive (KEBC) Engine Braking Control. A specialinterest point of the KAPS is how at low speed a small servo motor puts tension on a placement fork which, in turn, applies pressure to the clutch keeping a tight belt for a slip free power transfer between the engine to transmission. This is very effective with slow speed towing or technical riding and helps in producing slow downhill engine braking. Another special interest feature has to be the belt-sensing switch. This small electrical switch can detect a problem with a bad or frayed belt and send a signal to the dash mounted indicator light, informing the rider of a potential problem. This safety devise is also factory set to illuminate the dash-mounted indictor at 100 hours so the dealer can check and make any adjustments to the belt. We like the engine/transmission combination, Moab’s rocky trails and deep canyons put the machine threw a test like no other. Tight trails with shear ledges made for slow going; a rider must be in complete control of the ATV. On several occasions, our test rider would climb over ledges that other machines would have had trouble transgressing. This is where the perfect combination of traction, power and balance make the Prairie 360 one of the best units available.
There are many interesting features making the new 360 one of a kind, one such feature is the in/out 4-wheel drive with front differential lock. The convenience of 2 and 4 wheel drive is more than just a fun factor. Realize that a 4-wheel has more
mechanical parts and more turning parts which means more stress on the machine as well as the rider. When the unit is in 2-wheel drive, the front differential has no stress placed on it, thus, making the unit steer easier, last longer, use less fuel and produce less fatigue of the rider. All these benefits are nice, but what’s even nicer is being able to just push the actuator button and the unit engages into 4-wheel drive. That’s not all; also incorporated into the Prairie’s 4-wheel drive system is a handle bar mounted front differential lock and an all aluminum rear swing arm with the drive shaft inside. When a rider makes the transition from a dirt road to a woods trail, trail conditions vary. A trail may produce a hill climb; and with the push of a button, the unit can be switched into 4-wheel drive. Soon after, the rider may encounter a deep mud hole; and with no hesitation, the rider can just grab the lever on the left hand grip, producing full front differential lock. Don’t think the differential lock is limited to only fully locked or totally disengaged, the differential lock uses a hand-brake style lever located just in front of the usual hand brake. By using this lever, a varying amount of pressure can obtain a varying amount of differential lock. Let’s explain, the differential lock components inside the differential lock are 21 wet clutch plates bathing in the differential oil. 
When the locking differential lever is pulled, a varying amount of pressure can be transferred to the wet clutch disks producing a varying amount of differential lock being produced at the wheels. Full differential lock or just a hint of lock what ever is needed is available. When the extra traction is not needed, just release the lever and the unit is back to a limited slip differential. It is very simple and yet effective. The rider has several levels of traction; the machine can be customized to the terrain. The best of class features do not stop here, the smooth riding MacPherson struts with 6.7 inches of travel make up the front suspension and a sporty single spring-over-shock with aluminum swing arm and 7 inches of travel make up the rear suspension. We really liked the smooth working suspension, a comfortable ride with plenty of travel. Our test in Moab concluded that a plush, predictable suspension with plenty of ground clearance could be had. All this and without giving up the rigidity needed to blast of jumps or hit a 18 inch vertical incline. A big man doesn’t have to be afraid to ride aggressively with the Prairie 360, the suspension has a few inches of soft bump absorbing technology and also has the beefy absorption needed for jumping. As you can tell, we were very happy with the Kawasaki 360 suspension.