I am looking at purchasing a new quad and have narrowed the choices to a can-am Outlander 800R or a Kawasaki Brute Force 750. I ride in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta so the terrain can be almost anything (mud, snow, hills, rocks etc). I will be putting on after-market rims on so I can fit 27/10/12 front and 27/12/12 Mud Bug tires. I have road with a few guys that have the 800 can-am so I am more familiar with the pros and cons of this quad. The pros that I see for the can-am are the power, ride and 3 year warranty. The cons are the price ($11400CDN), needs to be snorkeled and the visco-lok front diff. The pros that I can see with the Kawasaki are the locking front diff and the price ($8400CDN). I am not sure on cons of the Kawasaki since I am not familiar with them. I was wondering about the reliability of both quads and any other information on either model.
Thanks

 

hi, I've ridden both and I personally liked Can-Am better. The Brute is nice and I like "the yellow handle"...but the Kawasaki has had alot of problems with broken axles and poor cv boots. My buddy broke his front axles easy riding down a trail. They are both good machines. Ride them and whatevers more comfortable to you . Both have great power and you wont be disappointed. The Brute EFI version has a little more power than the carb version.

 

Hi...thought you might like these links about the Brute...

Brute Force Project

BruteForce WrapUp

2008 Brute Force 750

Might help you decide...PLUS...keep in mind that Can-Am has a lot of tests with ATV TV. Just look them up...


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Uker, I'm new to riding in Alberta where do you go? I'm always looking for new trail systems to try out.

 

Dang man! This is a hard decision for sure! Brutes are awesome machines, my buddy has an 06' and the thing has been ridden hard and takes the abuse like a champ. I love Outlanders too, but if it was me I'd get the Brute. You can't beat it for the price and the locker would be better in the riding situations you describe.

 

Wow, seems just like the same scenario that we were in in February! Brute 750i vs Outlander 800 Max XT. We picked the Outlander because of the sick power, the fact that Can-Ams come with a 3 year warranty, and because we could ride two people on one unit safely.

 

Both are good.... Can-am more power... Suspension and smoothness of ride is superior in the Can-am.
Just look at the Geometry of the rear suspension of the Brute...... There is no angle backward for smoothness..... Even between the kingquad and grizzly the brute has inferior suspension design.
Can-am engine braking is great (I think the best out there now)
The 08 or newer visco lock works so good you really don't need a manual locker.

 

I own an 06 outlander... warranty was valuable as I needed water pump shaft seal replaced and have it in as I speak getting the clutch case warranty done... The spar frame looks alot better on paper and tv than in real life. I think if you look at it the wrong way it develops dents....INCLUDE SKID PLATES IN YOUR PRICE....but the warranty HAS held up. My riding buddy owns an 06 brute force...warranty is less valuable than this message to you. He spun the main bearings and paid 1400 bucks rebuilding it.... runs fine now though. He put 27 inch mud lites on it and although not instantly, but within 150 miles snapped both rear axles. I know there are people who are going to say, Well, it wasn't designed for that... so please keep your comments to yourself... it is an ATV, not a show car...drive it how you want and make the necessary mods to make it do what you want or stay on the pavement and drive a scooter! So, with that being said, if you buy the brute, buy some GORILLA axles if you plan on beating the brute. He has had no problems with the motor since the rebuild either. I believe that if you can afford it, splurge and get the outlander or put the extra money into making a wicked brute. They both have drawbacks but it is always nice to outrun your buddies.

 

3900 miles on my 650 abusing it, mud rocks, jumping it, drag racing, hill climbing. the only issue i have had was to replace the rear u-joints in the back drive shaft. oreillys precision machine part #396 = 20$ each.

 

The brute is rite up there on my choice of ATV with outtie/gade but the power of the gade won me over. Of course the brute is a lot less in cost

BTW i could get a outtie XT for 11gs in sask. The best price so far