Still looking for help here, from those in the know.

I've narrowed down my new ATV purchase to either a Kawi 650 BF or the AC 500 auto.

Would really like to here from anyone who has had any past experience with the two.

Mostly trail riding and pushing a little snow in the winter.

Looking for anyones input here......... I know both dealers and they both are straight shooters, I'm really perplexed. The difference in price boils down to a couple hundred bucks.

* The Cat advantage is that it has the 2 year warranty right now as part of a special offer vs. 6 months on the Kawi.

Thanks in advance!

Greg

 

Greg, why not consider the Arctic Cat 650? I'm sure you know already that it has the same power plant that the BF 650 has. We have the 04 650 and my mother has the 04 500 and they are both great machines. I like the extra power the 650 has but the 500 is a great all-around machine. I think Cat has the edge with their MRP rack's, 4X4 system, "The best in class ground clearance and suspension travel". There is no wrong choice just what you like to look at and what brand fits your needs the best.

 

I don't think the BF 650 is on the floor yet, and if it is, I haven't heard any reports on it yet. I also believe its a straight axle, like the Prarrie. If you meant to say BF750, it's got power, only weights in at 600 lbs, but I think it's starting to come out, that it hasn't been built to handle that power. I'd go with the Cat 650, but you'd still be good with the 500, for reasons mentioned above.

 

The BF 650 is out, I believe 2 guys in the Kawi forum said they had one already.

Its basically the same machine as the 03 Prairie 650, with new plastic. Overall it has more power than the 500. Are you talking about a 500i? You would need to evaluate your preference for SRA or IRS. Personally if you dont need the extra 3 inches of clearance, SRA is the way to go. Responsive ride, more predictable, better load carrying charachteristics, fewer parts to maintain and replace, etc.

 

fourbyfur,

If you are planning on plowing snow and doing deep mud trail riding, go with the bigger engine AC unit. When you need the extra horses, you got it under the hood. For trails, more ground clearance is better. I go riding with Honda 450s they those things are always getting "hung up" or bottoming out on the trails.

As a suggestion, take each one for a ride down your trails. Even a short 4 hour ride would allow you to determine which brand "feels better" for you. Since you're talking big-bucks, ask each dealer if you can take a each model for a ride more then 2 hours. From my experience, 1 hour is getting used to, second hour is getting comfortable and hours 3 + 4 are deciding time.

Hope this helps as well.

.

 

I'd go with the AC 650, Grizzly 660, or Kawi 700. I know my AC650 has all the power and ground clearance I'll ever need, but the Griz and Kawi were close competition when I bought mine. I wouldn't buy the AC500 just based on all the threads on them lacking the power for the amount of weight. Sounds like it would be great around the farm, but the Griz and Kawi would be better for trail riding. Sat on the BF750, but definitely seemed too tall and too light for all the power. Given the fact that none of these are on your list, probably not helpful, but my 2c anyway.

What kind of trail riding are you going to do? If you're not going through deep mud or over big logs, the prairie 700 is probably your best bet. If the mud is deep and you're climbing over sequoias while pulling your jeep behind for backup, the AC650 is probably your best bet. Somewhere in the middle is the Griz.

 

Thanks to all who posted.....

You all bring up vaild points.

Can anyone really sum up for me the pros and cons of the SRA vs. IRS??

I want a good ride, but want to feel stable as well. Which is better for pushing snow with the plow??

The plus on the AC side is that right now it's got the 2 year warranty vs. 6 months on the Kawi.

Which is the better front locking diff system? both do the same thing?

Thanks again, you guys have been a wealth of knowledge on here!

Greg

 

Unless you're doing some serious climbing over rocks/logs or through deep mud, I don't think IRS is necessary. The straight axle is actually better for things like snow plowing as I believe it provides better stability. Also, you tend to have a lower center of gravity with the straight axle models.

As for the diff lock, I doubt there's that much of a difference. And, unless you're doing some serious mudding, you probably won't use it too much. It's nearly impossible to steer with it on, so it's only used in extreme circumstances.

Personally, I liked the kawi 700 and pretty much everyone that has reviewed it or bought one seems to rave about the performance and capabilitites. The only issue is that there is no IRS, but that's only necessary for deep mud and seriously rough off-roading.

That said, I still love me AC650, but it's definitely more in the utility category than casual trail-riding.

 

I would say a IRS is BETTER for plowing the snow. It gives you more of a ground clearance and really helps. I only have the 400 (same frame as the 500 & 650) and I never lack power when plowing.

Both 4x4 systems should be pretty much the same. With the Cat you can switch in/out of 4x4 while moving, not sure on the BF.

IRS vs SRA - If you like more ground clearance go for the IRS, is also gives you a much smoother ride. 10" of travel from each wheel is really good. When going over big bumps it really eats them up, instead of bouncing the back end around. I personally would only go for the SRA if you are planning on doing a lot of fast trail riding, as it does corner better and would be more stable. That said, I have never had a problem with mine being un-stable and I ride a lot of mountains. After owning a IRS I will never switch back to a SRA unless I want a pure sport bike, like a DVX.

That is my opinion so take it with a grain of salt. Good luck! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I have owned a Kawasaki Prairie 700 4x4. It is a very fast quad and reliable, but the reason why I sold mine was because the SRA rode pretty rough for me. I wouldn't ever buy a quad again unless it had IRS. I now have a Polaris SP700 EFI Camo and love it. It has IRS and it is magic.