I just finished my first hare & hound scramble in the high desert last week on my Vinson. Although I was only one of two utility quads in the field of 26, I finished 17th. Not bad for a 50 yr. old that has never raced.

Bottom line is I'm hooked. I'm thinking of buying a sport bike for this type of racing. The V-Force is definitely a candidate, so is the Z400. I'd like to hear opinions from owners re: the suitability of the V-Force as a desert racer.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Hey Mark...I am in Ogden Utah

I have a KFX 400 and my buddy has the 700. PM me and maybe we can schedule a time for you to come take a look. Dont count the Prairie 650 out either...dont know the exact type of racing the desert racing is ... but the 650 is tough, pretty quick in its own right and 4x4...plus its a good in the rough stuff and an outstanding climber.

Now about the two quads you asked about. What we have found...basing it off he has a bit more experience then I...the 400 can hold its own in the tight ... both handle good, very good to be honest, but the 400 can be thrown around a bit easier giving it an edge is the low tight stuff...pluss the 700s handling shines best with speed ... and it shines bright considering it is 500 pounds and handles like a smaller quad when speed is applied. Once the track/trails open up the 700 has a very distinct edge...the quick excell and those CC's really works well in open trails. You cant go wrong with either quad...i have noticed the 400 does better in the sand...both are wheelie monstersan...both are good climbers....700 cc automatic has to be a decent climber...both will hold their own on track or trial pending rider.

Anyway...good luck selecting your quad...if you want to see one first hand hollar.

 

3tv make sense to me...again, not that familiar with desert racing...if it is wide open the KFX 700 is no doubt your better bet. As far as utility...again not that familiar with desert racing...Prairie's suspension is not that horrific and rides pretty good itself...and you are giving up more then a few ponies...specially if you can take any type of modding into this type of racing.

 

Markdf,

If your rideing a vinson and finishing 17th go get a prairie 650, do a couple of mods and you could take a place in the top 8. Just as bosox07 already stated (don't count out the prairie 650) it's just like a rocket! Where did you go racing at? I wouldn't mind takeing mine and entering just to see what it's made of, sounds pretty fun. Another thing is it's 60% machine and 40% rider. If you don't know how to ride your gonna get smoked.

I am kinda a heavy set guy (215lbs) i couldn't even make the spring budge on the 700 and on the 400 it sagged. One thing is for sure, they are all three awsome machines.(kvf700, prairie650, and kvf400)

 

Thanks for all of that advice. RE: where I raced last week, it was at Cherry Creek, about 11 mi. northwest of Little Sahara, UT. The course (42 mi. loop) was similar to what 3tv described, only no sand and we must have gone down into about 5 different dry washes that were very tight and twisty; no passing. Started at 5200 ft. elevation, and went up to 7300 ft. I carried a GPS in my pocket to track the course in case I want to go back and ride it like a sane man. It is definitely rated an Expert ride though.

It was primarily a motorcycle hare and hound scrambles course they let the ATVs run last. Very, very tight. Lots of huge rocks that were difficult to avoid on an ATV. I had to help a Honda 250 off of one he was high-centered on. I hit a rock that popped the floorboard plastic up and over the footpeg. The rubber axle nut cap was scraped off, and I lost the cap to the radiator overflow tank. On these type of races, I think it's an accomplishment just to finish because a lot of folks don't. I also hit a tree with my left front wheel, stopped me dead.... Thank God for full face coverage helmets.

The description you guys give is right on, lots of trail blazing through sage brush, I still have some wedged between my rim and tire. The rocks and tree I hit loosened both tie rod ends to the point where steering was very bad. I jumped off the bike twice because I thought it was going to tip over on me. Bottom line was I beat the crap out of that Vinson.

My girlfriend did roll hers. She had to wait for someone to come along and help her right it. At the race registration, the officials give you a short and long piece of tape they can write on at the checkpoints. The short piece is for your helmet, the long piece for your fender. By the second checkpoint, both pieces had been scraped off by the juniper trees (Utahns call them cedars).

And you really do have to be in good shape to take the beating the bike gives you. Let's see today is Thursday, I'm just starting to walk normal. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

For you guys from Utah, the race series is listed under www.dirt-results.com. Select the Desert Races link and you'll see the schedule. There's a race every month, either in Utah or Nevada. The next one is June 7 west of Jericho, Ut. ATVs will do a single 25 mi. loop. The race series is sponsored by the Utah Sportsman Riders Association. They do motocross and desert races. Some of the races are national hare scrambles and co-sponsored by the AMA. The one last week was the Cherry Creek National. There was a huge turn out for motorcycles. I thought most of the ATV riders were local or from neighboring states. All had sport bikes with most having custom suspension.

You should come out and race. The ATV riders I talked with before and after the race were real friendly. I think they felt sorry for my girlfriend and I since we were the only two on utility ATVs. But it's like someone said, your suspension is just as important as the horsepower. In fact, I think it's more important.

I'm leaning towards the 400 since it is smaller and I'm only about 5'8" (you shrink as you get older [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]). The heavy Vinson beat the heck out of me, especially with the loose tie rod ends. If I do any mods, the first ones will be to the suspension. I want to get that spot on. Then I'll worry about speed. Most of the time, the terrain and tight course limit how fast you can go anyway.

I talked with a dealer today and he quoted around $5100 for the Suzuki z-400. This is the same as the KFX-400. I thought it was a fair price. But I'm not quite ready to buy yet. I want to ride the KFX-700 first.

If you have any more advice, please share it. Thanks a bunch.
Mark

 

What dealer...is it newgate honda or layton cycle...if so watch them...I wont deal with either anymore.

How long is this race....the 400 doesnt have the largest capacity but right now that V-Force of my friends sucks gas and has a relatively small tank...but they already have an aftermarket tank out. If its more wide open with some tight trails I would still say look hard at the V-Force...its handling in tight stuff is no slouch either...even though the quad handles better the faster you seem to go...plus the suspension is pretty good considering the size of the thing...but as you mentioned you would be working the suspension no matter. Both quads are solid and I love my KFX 400....cant lose either way....and as 3TV or someone said its good portion rider anyway...so decide, and become one with that quad...I need to see one of these races ... sounds interesting

Where you looking at those quads at...

 

The KFX 700 will be a very good quad for the desert racing series. It has great handling and it has soooooo muich power for the straits. All you would need is some skid plates and you would be set. Trust me.

 

Bosox07, I talked with Big Boys Toys re: the 400. But they're a Kawasaki dealer too, so I was thinking of taking a ride out there tomorrow and test riding both quads. You guys are steering me towards the V-Force. I'm finding it real attractive the more I read about it. My only concern is the suspension. Do you think it's as good as the KFX400? I've heard very good things about that suspension package.

3TV, if you have a Garmin GPS, I could e-mail you the track file so you can ride it yourself. You can upload the track file into your GPS and you're off. I'd be happy to do something like that. Cherry Creek is a good 140 mi. from my house. The race officials told me that the Cherry Creek course was the toughest on this year's race circuit. I believe it. I also think they change the course a little every year. I think you and Bosox07 ought to give the race on June 7 a try. After thinking about it, I'm just pleased I finished. It was a real challenge. It will be interesting to see how the race in June compares.

The loop the ATVs will be doing in June is only 25 miles. I'd personally like to see the ATV class grow so eventually they would break it into a sport and utility class. Right now, all ATVs are lumped in a single class.

What kind of gas mileage does the KFX400 get? What about the V-Force?

Thanks again for the input.
Mark

 

3tv,
One father rode behind his daughter at the last race. I think it's a great idea. It will give your son confidence too and he can focus on his riding. He won't have to worry about what to do if he breaks down.

I just read that the V-Force doesn't have engine braking. We went down a few very steep hills last week. How are the brakes? Because there's so much power on tap, do you have to lean way forward when climbing the steep stuff? Since you've done this type of racing before, do you think the suspension will be up to the task?

I'm heading to Fillmore, Ut for Memorial Day. We're going to ride a section of the Paiute ATV trail and maybe do some fishing. You should seriously consider a GPS. I used to worry about getting lost, now I have no fear to go anywhere. The GPS is constantly tracking you and when you're ready to head home, you save the track and tell the GPS to backtrack; then just follow the directions it gives you.

Unless they took the pink flourescent tape off the trees, you can probably figure out where the course went by the tracks and pink tape.

Mark

 

3TV,
Thanks for the straight scoop on the engine braking. I test drove a z-400 and Predator today. The dealer didn't have a V-Force in but will call me when he gets one next week. I want to test drive it before making a final decision.

I'm just a beginner racer and the suspension on both the Z and Predator seemed stiff. Could be because they're new and were set to the middle of their adjustment range front and rear. I also noticed there's not much protection as far as skid plates. The front bumper on both bikes is pretty skimpy and there are no A-arm protectors. I can't imagine doing a desert race without them. I think the front brake lines would be shredded in no time.

After hearing all of the talk re: the V-Force, I can't wait. The dealer and I agreed on a price for my trade (2000 King Quad) and all I have to do is make up my mind once I test ride the V-Force. The dealer has a small area behind the shop where they conduct ATV safety classes with a very small set of trails. I'll take the V-Force back there to compare it with the Z and Predator.

Mark