I would have to get another set of wheels. AC uses a different bolt pattern so my wheels wouldn't fit. The tires will though. I would figure maybe 2mph more after its wound out, and slower acceleration. The ride would be rougher, but thats why I would have 2 sets of tires handy.

 

Andy,
I agree with you completely on the push botton locked front end .vs the lever locked front end. Try going down a very steep off camber hill to the left and then making a full right turn at the bottom and going immediately up a very steep hill. The kind where you are on your feet, and reaching around the front of your handle bars and using your fingers to throttle the bike through the turn. In that situation, it would be difficult, if not impossible to pull a lever to engage both front wheels so you could make it up the hill. That is a situation I find myself in fairly often.

Also, does your new Griz have independent front and rear brakes? I thought it did, but I don't know for sure. Its a feature I would prefer over linked brakes. There are times when using one set of brakes over the other has its advantages.

Rick

 

GrizRick-
Thank You! That's exactly the point I was trying to get across with the prairie lever. When in those conditions that you and I so often encounter, when you're leaning so far forward over the handlebars, standing up to keep the front end down, your fingers are nearly at full bend in the "backwards" position, if that makes sense? Like trying to bend your fingers back towards your elbow-they just don't move that way! Now, climbing a hill in the conditions I/We have stated, it isn't physically possible to lift a finger to pull that lever, nor would you have any kind of leverage to do that with anyway in that position! And, with the stuff we ride, there is NO WAY I would ever take my hand off the bar to hit that lever anyway.

While I never have, and still don't like the idea of "electronic four wheel drive" (that push button crap in trucks)-or the Grizzlies diff.lock engagement, I think it definately has the edge in these conditions. Even standing up that far forward, powering the handlebars, your thumb still sticks out the side of your hand and could easily hit that button-at least it is physically possible anyway. But like Andy said earlier, any diff. lock at all, no matter how you engage it, is still better than no "lock"

Anyway, Best of Luck to everybody,

Mike

 

I think 92LT was refering to some of the comments in magazines and post from owner talking about how you have to slow down to engage the differential locker (below 5 mph right?) then you can't go any faster than 22mph from what I've heard.

And about not wanting to go faster than 22 mph with the locker, there are sometimes when you are draging bottom in mud or even climbing a slick hill where you want the most amount of traction and the most amount of wheel speed to make it. Sometimes 22mph just isn't fast enough.

 

To Andy and anyone else contemplating removing their bike's sway bar. The infamous Chevrolet Corvair, of Unsafe at Any Speed fame, had an independent rear suspension. As I recall, the initial design allowed the the swing axle assembly to move enough for the rear tire to roll under the vehicle causing loss of control. GMs fix, install a sway bar. If you're going to remove your sway bar, make sure the rear suspension geometry will not allow a similar fate to befall you!

 

If you are Worried about the Diff lock on the Praire Put a Rubber Band on it then it will be held in. and when you dont want it locked take it off!! Do you Guys think that would Work?

 

If I had a prairie, I would probably have a zip tie or something like that rigged up so I could just latch it on. I think it would be a good idea for Kawasaki to make a locking lever thing like on a parking brake for it next year. It wouldn't take away from their design, and it would add to as well. Also, I think Yamaha should put a parking brake lock up there on the brake lever too. The park feature is nice, but in some situations, I don't care for the idea of having to shift it into park to make it hold. You are already holding the brake levers, and you don't have a third hand to shift the lever. The screw and slot is there, so maybe I could go get the little lever block and install it. I don't know yet. I need to look at a big bear and see if they have the same brake lever setup.

As far as which diff-lock is better, I don't care to talk about that any more myself. They both will lock, and thats better than most others. How easy it is to do it is about as pointless as arguing which reverse mechanism is the best.

The Grizzly does have separate brakes of course, but after having the Arctic Cat, I think I like the linked system better. I've never seen a problem with it, and its really easy to have total brake control. For sport riding, I can understand, but I like the linked system for downhills, or stopping on steep inclines. That situation kindof carries over to the park feature without a parking brake lock.

As far as disconnecting the sway bar, that would be something I would test out quite a bit before ever getting crazy with it. Its on there for a reason, so I would be careful with it.

 

Andy, I'm glad that you didn't take anything wrong, and I too hope your cousin buys a Prairie. It should make some interesting reading! Good luck with your Grizzly.

 

Andy,
I think once you get used to the independent front and rear brakes, and all the control they have to offer. I think you will learn to like it, especially considering that you are on a bike that has allot of Sport characteristics! Not to mention the "I just got into trouble with my 4WD" potential.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Rick

 

I don't have any problem with separate brakes. I've been riding these things since 1985, and the AC is the only quad I've owned that had linked brakes. I like it better. It has some advantages. As far as control, for the stuff I do, I don't see any advantage of separate levers. I'm not racing or anything, when I hit the brakes, I generally hit them both at once anyway. I'm not frowning on the separate levers either. As long as they work, brakes are brakes to me.