I dont think i should have posted this topic, I shouldve waited for it to come out.Its hard to get a good opinion when nobody has rode one.

 

MY point was and is that the newer high tech machine will never be what the old DINOSOURS were and still are.A class act in simplicity.That goes for a belt drive transmision too if you have ever looked into one.This is on reason I ride old 4 wheelers and a old bike.Technology is nice in some aspects but dont think any of the new toys are made to last.

 

ftwflh......you'll get no argument from me there, technology for tecnology's sake is no substitute for solid, basic engineering. It just seems to me that replacing the tried and true concept of manual clutch engagement and real gears with a Rube Goldberg system of belts and pulleys is just an attempt to introduce complexity where it doesn't need to be. Call me old-fashioned, but I'll do my own gear selection, thanks.

 

Not to sound like i do not want to be well informed, but id dont care if its clutch or automatic.I just want to know which will get me around the track the fastest.

 

You have raised a question that indeed has no real answers as far as power and handeling at this time. Everything is hearsay and mere speculations due to the history of the P650. I have an '03 P650 and I can't get the front end up by just nailing the throttle, it is very heavy. It will come up when traction is ideal and I give it a good yank on the bars.

It is not like most manual clutch tranny driven ATV's where a blip of the throttle and a quick pinch of the clutch will get the front end up. Oh and don't start saying that I don't know how to ride because I have put many thousands of miles on many different bikes on the street, dirt and tracks over the past 35 years. I know a little about power too and the 650 needs more of it to just lift the front end at will.

If it had so much power then aftermarket companies wouldn't be making a fortune selling go fast goodies to all those that aren't satisfied with it's current performance. I like the KFX700 idea because it sould alsways be in the power band anywhere in the rpm range. The belt driven ATV's usually provide smooth progressive and predictable power allowing the cross country racer or fast trail rider to move at a steady pace. I really doubt the KFX700 will shine on the motocross tracks due to it's massive size and overbearing weight.
However for the GNCC racer Baja 1000 type races it should do quite well.

As far as the Harley comments go, I'm never impressed when someone throws a Harley into the topics. I have seen some really fast Harleys and I used to race them 30 years ago at Ascot racway in So. Cal, but a Harley is still a Harley. They make a great show piece and conversation piece but that is where the thrill ends for a everyday rider. They don't handle for chyt and are built on decades old technology. But if shiny chrome, cool paint jobs and loud pipes do it for you then the Harley is exactly what you need. There is no way a stock Harely anything can even match the performance of the newer bikes. Even the new scooters out handle and out run most Harleys. I do have to admit, as far as a thing of beauty you will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful motorcycle than a tricked out HOG.

 

To get back to the topic, these are both performance oriented machines, they just took 2 different routes to get there. The Predator is a well balanced well thought out Quad based on the common Sport Quad platform with a few inovative features and a powerfull motor. The KFX700 simply chose to go with something different by way of the Big V-Twin, Auto Tranny and Shaft Drive. Good or Bad? We will have to WAIT and see.

The weight of the 700 is insignificant unless you are planning to get Big Air. Last time I checked being in the air doesn't help you go Faster. The TORQUE of this Quad will More than make up for it's weight.

I think that it is a little premature to be stating what the KFX700 can and can't do. It is like no other Quad ever produced, so there is nothing to compare it to. In several respects, so is the Predator.

As far as being able to pull wheelies. The 700 has 2 major advantages over the P650. First, it has considerably more Torque and a majority of the weight savings between the two is from the removal of the front wheel drive components. Making the front end of the 700 much lighter. Also from what I have read about the Predator, and please correct me if I am wrong because I have not ridden one, the Predator has a suspention system that is desined to try and keep all 4 wheels in contact with the ground. I'm not saying that you can't wheelie this quad, but I'm betting that if this suspension works as good as they say it does, it has to make pulling the front end up more difficult.

In all honesty, I think that you would be more than happy with either Quad. The Predator has gotten good reviews from just about everyone, including a bunch of members of this Forum and is definately the more Race ready quad of the 2.

I can only tell you what I have read and what I have been told by different people that have had the opportunity to ride the KFX700. This Quad is going to Supprise a lot of people. The owner of the local Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Artic Cat dealership said that it was the fastest stock quad he had ever ridden and that he had a H*LL of a time keeping the front end on the ground and hanging onto the handlebars. The Service Manager is a 2 stroke guy and said that the 700 is the first 4 stroke quad that has ever got him excited.

One thing that you might want to consider is the Mod ability of both machines. Once again, I don't know about the Predator, but the ability to squeeze more hp/torque out of the KFX700 is almost scarry!!!! There is room for a whole lot of performance gains there!!!!

GOOD LUCK with which ever one you choose.

 

I agree with RPM, and I really believe the kfx700 will be a positive leap forward in the ATV industry. Not everyone races so this type of ATV could be just the thing for some of us guys that just want to have solid torque to play around on. I love the looks of the Predator but for me the lack of a reverse makes it a no go. I could likely do okay without the R gear but I'm not going to be the only person to ride it.

When I saw the V-FORCE at the convention I was awed by it's size, but then I got to thinking this could be a positive thing for the type of riding I do. Plus with it being an auto I can just kick back and enjoy the ride while putzing around with my wife. There will a good deal of aftermarket products coming out very soon as most of the ground work has already been completed with the P650.

sportyroxx, just hang in there and wait another 6 weeks, hopefully by then we will get some real world reviews of the new 700 from those that arlready have deposits on them. I'm waiting for that and my DRZ400 to sell before I put my money down on anything.

For me I have narrowed it down to two machines, the KFX700 or the Z400. The Raptor still has a problem with the one way bearing plus lack of Yamaha support. The Z/KFX400 might be a little weak on low end torque but from all reports it handles very well for my type of riding. Both have reverse and the mod potential is almost endless. I just like the looks of the KFX700 a little better.

 

Somebody commented on the "made in America" issue regarding the Predator. Well, the most important part of the machine, the engine, is made in the orient by Fuji (Taiwan I think??). What's more, the engine is METRIC, AND THE REST OF THE BIKE IS ENGLISH!!!! JUST PLAIN IDIOTIC!!!! Will Polaris ever get its act together???