Yeah, I thought I'd heard it was a true locking diff myself-supposed to compete with the Polaris system as the fronts are trully engaged, but you don't need the rear wheel slippage like the Polaris. I had a copy of a letter sent from Kawi that stated how it worked, but it was supposed to be a true lock type. That bit about the handlebars is correct, I believe you engaged it from the bar, but something doesn't sound right about "the more you pull the lever, the more it locks". I'll see if I can find that letter, or get ahold of a reliable source who would know for sure.

Hey Bill, I think you're the only one to actually have seen one so far-on this posting anyway, did you get a closeup of the front diff/engagement? Did they explain it at all to you? And, how's the 'Cat working out for you so far???

Mike

 

cowboy, if you can find that letter let me know. The lever thing was mentioned in one of the magazines a while back and has been posted a lot in the Kawi forum. Like I stated, I was just repeating what I heard. I would love to see it have a locker!

 

Well, after reading some posts, I think I stated it wrong. Here are some posts that talk about it:

http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...rigpost=184767
http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...rigpost=158110
http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...rigpost=165378
http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...rigpost=153168
http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...rigpost=142371
http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...rigpost=177458

 

After reading todays main article on www.atvconnection.com, I am back to my original statement. Here is a quote from it:

"Rider-actuated variable front differential control maximizes power to both front wheels. Lever operation allows rider to adjust the amount of torque to suit conditions."

Here is the article: https://atvconnection.com/atvconnect...i650press1.cfm

 

So it will not be like Suzukis locker set up were it dangerous to steer above 10mph.

TexMud, go to FAQ at the top and scoll way down and click on the word "here" it will bring you to a chart that tell you to make you links clickable for us so we do not need to retype them out.

Its just a matter of typing 5 extra symbols before the address and 6 after the address.I can not just tell you the symbols here because it will not show up and just make a link like it is suppose to.

Heck i will give it a try any ways.

After the address without a space type [/url]

Before the address type [url]

 

TexMud:
It looks like there should be a post sometime around 10:16 or so a.m., just after this one you made, though there is an error message-see site administrator note where the post should be, so I have no idea what it said. How knows, maybe it had the answer to the question.

Anyway, yeah, I knew it was lever activated, but I didn't realize it was a "variable control" type. I could very well have mis-read the original, in which case you could very well be right on the money there. I thought I had saved that letter on the computer, but it's not on this one, so I'm assuming it's on the other machine. I'll see if I can find it.

One other question though-If indeed it is a "variable control", with the rider able to "select how much torque to send to the tires", how in the hell would that work? It seems to me that a "locker" is either "locked", or "unlocked", isn't it? I didn't realize you could have an inbetween state, deciding how much power you need at each wheel. I don't know, that just sounds kind of silly doesn't it? Say you're climbing a nasty muddy trail, with your left front kind of up in the air spinning and your right buried in the slop doing nothing, as is the case with a lot of limited slips. Now, by the sounds of this "variable control", you would be able to pull the lever slightly, sending some amount of torque to the stuck tire, taking some away from the one spinning madly. Now, as it is variable control, adjusted by the rider and how hard he pulls, what happens to that power that was taken from the spinning tire that was supposed to go to the stuck tire? Now, pull harder back to send more power to the tire-as described by the article there, and the stuck tire now has equal power-I'm assuming-as the one that was spinning madly, so now they should both be receiving equal amounts of power and get you out of the bind and make it up the trial.

This sounds rather interesting, but I sure as hell don't understand how it works! I'm probably just thinking out my rear end with this one, but that scenario is the best I could come up with right now. Either way, a locker of any kind would be awesome for sure for total 4 wheel drive. Oh hey, please don't think I'm trying to argue with you here, I'm basically thinking out loud. And, basically, I don't get it! Heh Heh heh.

Take care,

Mike

 

Well one example of a not so good aluminum swing are is the 400ex's. There were about 5 reports in the forums that I saw where people complained bout this. They said they were cracking them after a couple months of mx style riding.

About the 650's lockability, it's basically like useing your front brake lever to get both fronts to pull. Instead of grabing the front brakes the lever hookes up to something like a brake caliper except it's on the front clutch back. When you pull hard enough it locks the clutch packs together and gives you true 4wd, but once you let off you are back to limited slip.

I read a review on the 650 today in one of the last places I expected, in the Febuary, 01 issue of Popular Mech. They say it puts out 42 hp (vs the HO's 38 hp) @ 6500 rpms and has 14.4 lbs per HP (vs the HO's 18.4 lbs per HP). They also said it revs to 8500 rpms and has a 4.8 gallon gas tank.

About the only thing worth mentioning about there review was that it Wheelied with ease. They also have one KILLER picture of it jumping and almost on the ground(about 6") it's in a wheelie that would scare more than a few enought to grab the brakes. It also looked alot better in those pictures than what I had saw before. I don't like the "hiding an airbag in here" look of the handle bars at all.