I just can't get over how big, heavy, bulky, stiff and slow this thing is.

It's in pretty good condition and runs flawlessly but how on earth could Kawasaki have made something this bad for so many years? I've driven lots of different ATVs and can honestly say that I'm not just drawn in by the lightweight 450s---- I like a lot of different Atvs but this Kawi may be the worst riding/handling one I've ever been on.

I'm guessing that the belt is why the machine feels so slow? Ive heard that CVT transmissions are notorious for robbing you of some ground ponies but I had no idea it would be this bad. It feels solid off the line, but it's almost like it falls flat on its face and just revs really loudly after a certain point.

I am certainly missing my foot shifter. It just feels wrong to let a machine rev up like this trans does. It also has an irritating whistle sound that comes from the CVT box. I've looked it up and have found that it's very normal for kawasakis but damn does it really get under my skin.

I really just can't stand the thing and the sooner I can sell it to buy either a yamaha or Honda 700---- the better I'll be.

 

The good thing is that if you do decide to sell it, someone will buy it. Probably can get most if not all of your money back. I considered getting a kfx700 myself at one time. It was even cheaper than the one you were looking at but I decided if I were going to get a cvt quad, id rather have a utility 4x4, hence the Grizzly I have now. I owned a Polaris Scrambler 500 4x4 before, a very similar quad except that is has 4x4. They made a 2x4 version as well. I actually kinda liked it except for the poor ground clearance. The chain was always coming loose too. Shaft drive is so much better but I realize most sport quads have chain drive to maximize power to the rear wheels. That whine is normal for most cvt quads, you just can't escape it. Cvt quads just operate at a higher rpm because they have to. You can't shift into a higher gear to lower rpms, it doesn't exist. Utility quads have low range as well which raises rpms even higher but gives you more torque for work and lowers your top speed down to about 25 mph or so. If you're used to a sport quad, the extra size and weight of something like a kfx 700 would be a bit much. It is still light compared to utility quads though at around 500 lbs. I think you couldn't go wrong with a Raptor 700. They're just so much easier to find than a Honda 700xx, it just wasn't a very popular quad.

 

My 500 CVT smokes my friends 5 speed 500 Foreman in acceration and top speed while being a 100lb heavier 4x4.
Is there even a powerful non CVT 4x4 made? I would like to hear about it.

 

I know what I'd choose, but im a little bit biased

I loved it so much that I bought another one

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Sweet 700xx twins Hondar24!

TLC, you can't really compare just transmissions on these models. Totally different engines and tuning philosophy. Just out of curiosity, have you ever lined that thing up against a 5 speed Vinson?

Riding a kfx 700 is a lot like riding a Brute Force. I don't begrudge anyone that loves and rides utes, but there is a reason they aren't selling them anymore. And for the record, my slip on only YFZ would routinely own my buddies stock kfx. Drag racing first, but throw in some turns and it would became an even bigger gap. Jumps, forget it. I actually had to laugh at him as he was trying to figure out how my little 440 just whooped on his 700 at will. Might have had something to do with him owning a YFZ the next year...

 

Honda has pretty much lost me as a customer since they fail to offer anything other than the Rincon that has any power in a utility quad. The Rincon could have been a great quad if they had given it more gears, 3 is not enough. That clunky transmission handicapped it. Everything else is a slow, work only machine that is boring to ride. Once I got another Grizzly, I won't settle for any less power. Its nice to be able to stab the throttle and get instant, crisp acceleration. Next quad will probably be a Grizzly 700.

 

I couldn't get by with a grizzly . My good friend has a 700 with power steering that he uses for chores around the house but it would be a liability out on the trail with us. It's very heavy, very slow, handles worse than my KFX and the CVT sounds like a missle is about to go off. Fun and grizzly don't exactly go together. I'll stick with a sport quad

 

Very nice, but like some have stated before its very hard to find one for sale and in good condition. There was one by me for sale a few months ago but it sold within a few days of being listed. Their are a few for sale within 100 miles of me but they are either very expensive or in questionable condition. Willin to sell me one of yours? Lol

 

You like what you like and I like what I like. If everyone liked the same thing, there would only be one kind of quad. I think I remember a car commercial once where everyone drove a Mercedes or BMW and they were all black or something like that. Makes for a boring world if everyone thinks the same. I could list all the shortcomings of sport quads if I wanted but I won't. I'll leave that one alone.

 

I personally like having a choice between sport and utility. In the summer time I love ripping thru gears and carving corners on a sport quad or a dirt bike but I also enjoy hitting up the slower/more technical trails that working a clutch can become a chore on. Once the snow starts falling, you need those extra 2 wheels spinning and a lot of times, even that isn't enough. That's why they make snowmobiles and track kits. Like Greg said, it would be a boring world if everything was made the same.