What a machine! Went to an open house for a new trail system here in Southern MN and had the chance to ride the new 650. First I have to say the motor makes my 2000 SP500 feel slow. The suspension seemed to be set-up a little stiff but it sure handled jumps with ease. The power curve of this motor is the best out there. VERY strong from low to hi end. We'll see what the new Grizz has to offer and "maybe" the new Polaris when they decide to release that.

 

How much air can you get with the 650 ??

 

the jump itself was about 4 feet. I would say I was atleast 5-6 feet with it and it felt like landing in a foot of powder snow. Some poeple may think this is B.S., but to be honest with you, it's the first Kawi I've ridden and I would almost give up my Polaris for the Prairie.

 

Thanks,
Was that 5-6 feet in distance or 5-6 feet high in the air?

 

that was height. The jump itself was about 10 feet long and I landed about 5 feet past that.

 

Picked my Prairie 650 up last Tuesday and have ridden it for 5 hours so far, this machine is very nice and fast. I was really considering buying a sport quad and now glad I made the right choice, with the Priarie I feel I got the best of both worlds.

 

That's really surprising air for a 600# 4x4 quad. And from your previous description the landing was nice too. I had heard in the past that utility quad suspensions couldn't handle hardly any air, especially like the performance you mentioned. The new 650 must have a more sporty suspension to it. Is it marketed as a hybrid or a utility quad??
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The suspension seemed to be set stiff to begin with. Having a swing arm in the rear helps with the suspension travel also. The Prairie is marketed as a sport utility machine if I'm not mistaken and by looking at the success of Mike Penland, I'd say Kawi has an Ace in the hole. There is no question if I would spend the money on this machine. It would be a good choice for those who want a good blend of sport and utility in one package. I also didn't mention that I had this machine roosting sideways in the corners. The machine feels very stable in the corners. Just enter the corner and blip the throttle and it comes around in a very controllable slide. The stock rear tires are pretty much an afterthought. I would definitely replace all four corners with a more trail oriented tread design. Unless ofcourse I was going to do some mudding, then it would be the new 6-ply ITP 589's.

 

I've had my Prairie 650 for a month now and 4' to 5' of air (verticle) is no problem. I weigh in at 200lbs and it's set up just fine for me and I do enjoy jumping the big hog. This thing jumps so nicely, when your doing it it's hard to convince yourself that it weighs 600+ lbs. In addition, with the instant throttle responce controlling the jump is no problem. I would have to say the whole reason I don't prefer the IRS is because of the jumping. I just don't know if they would hold up as well as the old swing arm.

 

Can anyone one give me some input on steering effort.Thinking about buying my wife one and she needs a quad that turns easily
Thanks Bearman