Just picked it up Friday and have a few questions. Is there a trick to getting it started when cold ? My buddy said his 500 was the same hard starting when cold but got a lot better after it was broken in. My understanding was that you could shift from 2WD to 4WD while moving but the book states to stop first. ( Not talking about locker ) Which is correct ? Last question for now is what is the amount of oil required at oil and filter change ? Service manual due in any day now but I'll be changing oil after first ride. Also, be advised that some 650s slipped by with incorrect alignment ( The toe on mine was out 1/2 " on one side ) so be advised. Many thanks in advance for any answers or 650 input of any kind. BTW, good forum but this brand bashing sucks.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Hey Slaghammer, I've had my AC 650 since Oct. 6th & am still learning about mine, but starting sure isn't a problem with mine , even with some of the single digit temps we've had this winter. Mine is not kept in a heated area either, and it starts great all the time. I always close the gas valve when i transport or put up after a trail ride. So hard starting is not a trait of the AC's in general. In cold weather i start with full choke if it has not been running, but don't stay there long , decrease choke by sound of engine. I've shifted from 2wd to 4wd while moving under 10 mph with no problems, but not into diff lock. On the oil change the owners manual states 1.85 qts., i added a qt. to this on mine with filter change. Did your dealer find the alignment out of adj. or did you, & who did the adj.? Also are the service manuals out now for the AC 650's ? There's some complaints out there on the stock Goodyears on the Cat, I'm running 6.5 lbs. on mine & get around pretty good, you can play with psi on tires & adj. on shocks to suit yourself & your style of riding. Congrats on your Cat , I'm very satisfied with mine so far, & wish you good fortune with yours. Stay on top of the belt/ clutch/ limp mode situation, lots of info on this forum & elsewhere. Regards, Jerico 1

 

Jerico, Thanks for the info. Possible reason for the hard starting is all the starting and shutting off involved with dealer prep, loading and unloading etc. Plugs may be a touch fuel fouled. I noticed the alignment and the dealer confirmed mine was not an isolated case. The first service manual arrived at my dealers Friday but of course mine that has been on order along with the 650 did not come in. I think mine should be in any day now. 1.85 qts of oil does seem low as my Kawasaki 1500 twin is about 3.4 with filter change. Wouldnt think a 650 would be that much less. I'll start with 7 lbs air in tires and go from there. As this is my first quad, I've got a lot to learn but feel Im really going to like the 650. My background includes 25 years of dirtbikes and streetbikes ( touring ), 6 years dirt track racing ( stock cars ) and wheeling in my built 55 CJ. Im sure a few more soil samples with my face are in my future but looking forward to exploring and fishing with the 650. Again, thanks for the reply and look forward to " talking " with you again.

 

I too had problems cold starting the CAT. I had too take the plugs out and dry them off. I had not even had the thing for two days and it would not start. After I cleaned the plugs out it started ok. That night it started pretty easy and has ran good since. Do not be too generous with the choke it floods the engine fast it seems. Once running she is unstopable though!

 

For mine, on cold morning starts: Full choke, dot not touch the thumb throttle, kick choke down half-way by the sound of the engine(a sputtering) let idle for 10 minutes to get spark plugs heated to the correct temperature. Mine will idle with no choke after about 4-5 mintues of warm up.
Always remember to turn the fuel-petcock off when either transporting or parking overnite, just like what Jerico1 stated.
OIL: Owner Manual States 1.85 qts. Kawasaki Service Repair manual states 1.85 qts too with a oil/filter. Put too much oil in & you will get blow-out of excess oil all over your engine or into the air cleaner box thru the vent tubes. A common problem on the Prairies when over filling with engine oil.
Don't compare this 650 to a street bike, your 650 tranny does not run in a oil bath.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Hey Guys, I think i'm gonna have to stick by what i said on the oil capacity on my AC 650. 1.85 qts. would not bring the oil up to the proper level on the dipstick. Used approx. 3/4 qt. or so on the third qt. & it put the level right on the mark. I've had it on the trails since & no blowback at all. Not trying to be a smart a-- about this , i thought it might be a typo in the owners manual on the 1.85 capacity, & it was actually 2.85 qts. But Bearcat you should know , you've owned a couple of Prairie 650's , right. Slaghammer , i also own & ride a Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan, mines a Nomad. Sold my Suzuki DRZ 400 dual purpose this summer. My buddy in Ariz. has a Jeep CJ we
take out in the high desert country . Used to do some hill climbing & scrambles in my younger days up in Michigan, mostly on my Triumphs. Hope to make the Laughlin River Run in April, & take my AC to ride the BLM land in Ariz. along with my buddy on his Griz. Jerico1

 

Thanks for the replys guys. Bearcat, I take it you have received the full service manual. The " warning and caution " book I got with the bike has no oil capacity listed that I can find. I'll check into this some more. I was able to remove the 426 misc stickers ( heat gun and WD40 ) but not sure I can do the same with the two large fender stickers as hardly have a seam to start with. Anyone had any luck with these two ? Jerico, do you ever stop by the Delphi Kawasaki Vulcan forum. Lots of good info etc on it. Good choice on the Nomad. What year ? Again, looking forward to trading info with you guys. And thanks.

 

That's what I found too. I thought the gallon jug of overpriced Cat oil would do 2 changes, but no such luck there!

 

Slaghammer, I'll try that Kawasaki website. Here's one for you that you may already have. Its a good microfiche site, alpha-sports.com/arcticcat. My Nomad is a 2000 ,red/silver, with a lot of goodies. Never been in the shop for anything, just a darn good bike for me & my wife to tour the country with. Looks as though you've had plenty of action in your life , with all the racing & such. Do you ever go to Laughlin, Nev.? I hope to meet Bearcat & his buddies somewhere in the Rockies in August. They go on some great rides in great country. When are you going on your first good trail ride? Hope your AC lives up to your expectations. Lots of good rides out there now but i'm glad i went with AC, at least right now i am, time will tell. My AC is also red with MRP
& a backrest, 2500# warn winch , front bumper/brush guard, HD rear bumper, red handguards,
cargo box from AC, double rifle mounts on front rack, 2 fender bags on front fenders. I also installed back up lights. I've had mine up to 65mph on the speedo twice, just to see what it would do. It ran steady & straight . I've had it in pretty deep mud & water up to my headlights. The thing is a beast on the steep hills & even does pretty good in the sand. Not as nimble as my sons Eiger on the tighter trails, but i knew that when i bought it. I had a Polaris 600 SP before the AC, no light weight there either. Engine braking is really good on the AC, & I have no issue with the single brake lever. I slimed my tires to help prevent flats out on the trails. Not too crazy about the location of the fuse box on right side of engine. There, i said something bad about the Cat. LOL. I've got other www's you may be interested in later on, i sent you one on Kawasaki, but it was forbidden. I can send it to you in a pm if you like. So be careful & keep in touch.
Wires thanks for the confirmation on the oil issue, now convince Bearcat. LOL. Jerico1

 

Slaghammer
Jerico1 &
Wires:
1st on starting the Cat 650. I already stated how my Cat starts but my buddies Cat 650 starts a different way. If he uses full choke his won't start, so instead he uses 3/4 full choke with a little thumb throttle action & his 650 comes to life, then he turns it down to half-choke & within minutes his choke is completely off & the 650 just sits there & idles real smooth.
OIL capacity:
As stated on page 74 of your Cat 650 owners manual & stated in the Kawasaki SERVICE Repair Manual, Engine oil change is 1.85qts (1.75L) with a oil filter.
A ways back & I don't remember if it was here on the Kawasaki Forums or at kawieriders, some P650 owners were having problems with overfilling the engine oil by putting in too much oil.
The Kawasaki Service manual states to fill the engine oil to between the H line & the L line, more or less thats what the Cat Owners manual (page 85) says, fill the engine oil above the L mark but not higher than the F mark & the dip stick has to be screwed in for the correct oil level.
Some Prairie owners were filling right up to the H line & were having engine oil blow-out into the air-cleaner box via the engine vent tubes.
I always refilled my Prairie 650s with exactly 1.85 qts & it always read right between the two lines on the dip stick. I checked my Cat 650 & it too reads right in the same place as the Prairie 650.
When I change my oil ( still have the Factory oil in ) I will measure what is drained out.