Buying my first atv and need some advice.I test drove both the irs and the sra.I liked the feel of the sra better because it kept pretty steady while on a pretty flat trail.I was not able to take it over any other terrain besides the flat trail.I'm wondering if I get the sra,I wont like it or would be better off with the irs on tougher terrain.Any opinions appreciated.P.S. how much better is the irs on tougher terrain and can you still ride the sra on tough terrain?

 

I have IRS on my new BF and had it on my 500, 700 and 800 Sportsman's. It is much better for most ATV trails. My buddy has the SRA, but only went with the SRA due to price and now wishes he had bought the IRS. If you have any rough terrain, there is nothing better than the IRS. I do agree that the SRA feels better on smooth flat roads, but you certainly feel it when you hit the bumps.

IRS all the way in my opinion.

Good Luck!
JAM

 

There is good and bads with both. Here is just a few with both of them

SRA brute- +handles better at speed
+Better for sliding around and doughnuts
+Better for off camber situations
+From my experience, it handles some rough sections better
+cheaper
+less things to break(no extra cv joints)
+better for towing(the rear end doesnt squat when weight is put on axle)
-less ground clearence
-rougher ride

Brute irs-+Better ground clearence for rough terrain
+smoother ride
+better all day ride vs. fast race machine
+The irs brute is faster (just a touch)
+ Good handling but not a racer maching

Just a few plusses of both machines. Just goes down to rider preference. Either one will work for you. I have a 360 and it has the same suspension as the sra brute and i LOVE riding rough terrain and i never get stuck. My next atv though will have irs but for a first atv, either one will be good.
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my 2c,

for a novice rider the SRA has a better feel for when you are reaching the limit, ie: you can feel the tipping point easier with a SRA, IRS is a more comfortable ride and gives you a false sense of security, IMHO

 

Before you measure ground clearance, sit down on an IRS machine. Put a load on it that you would normally haul. Clearance goes away fast. I like to load my machine down and like the SRA better for that purpose. I also like the way SRA feels when pushing the limits as above. But its all about what you like.

 

My brother has an '05 bf 750 IRS and I have an '03 Prarie 650 SRI. I've rode his on every trail possible, even ramping it. He's rode mine too, everywhere I've taken his. His has a better take-off and landing and on rocks, boulders etc. but is very unstable cornering and racing. Mine is awesome all the way around.... well, except on take-off. My brother agrees. I've had 2 of his friends take me along w/ them to test out the quads they were thinking about buying because of the property my brother has that I ride/race on. My brother even offered to trade his for mine and I've got 5000mi. on mine, 25mi. on his. Needless to say we didn't trade.

It all depends on what trails you ride on, whether you're gonna cruise, race, or use it for work, play or towing. I use mine for all of it. I pay a pretty good penny to keep up the maintenance though. I recently (this morn') use my 650 to yank a 65' tree down that I lodged my chain saw in. I'd say prarie's are the toughest quads out there but we all have our own opinions.

IRS is good for climbing logs, rocks, boulders, going on uneven terrain and towing (if you have a good setup) frame-wise.

SRI (I think) is good all-the-way-around but only if it's 4x4 and has the torqe.