beluga. I was born here in America but my dad was born in terceira along with all of my grandparents on both sides of my family. My sister is going to terceira with my cousin. I chose not to go i will go when im older im only 15. i have an idea for you if your not happy with the power of your Z. Then get a big bore kit it wake that baby up and youll still get good gas milage.

 

I was just in the Azores end of last year, I think the island was terceira, just stopping through on my way.... Seems like you could ride one end to the other in about a half hour, rocky looking cliffs on all sides. Must be some trecherous trails. How big is your island?

 

I can tell you for a fact about the v my dealer brought and rode with us Memorial day, 38.2 miles he ran out, I had my flat pack so we didn't have to tow, he wasn't hammering it all day either, just play riding, no wide open throttle for long period's, it was a demo boke so it had miles on it and was broke in, I could'nt have a bike that's only goes 40 miles on a tank, as we alway's ride adout 60-65 average and the light on my 650 pra start's blinking at about 60, I still can't see how with smaller jet's, lower weight, no 4x4, higher gear's and all the V-Force use's so much more gas than the 650? I don't understand it, I ride mine in low about all the time and ride pretty hard at times and I'm still getting way better than the 700 and I only have an extra 1 gallon bigger tank..........

 

São Miguel is quite bigger than the other islands, it's in fact the biggest (still a small island, thought).
To drive in a car all around the island it will take a full day, that is if you stop here and there for sightseing, of course.
There are some trecherous trails of course, but they are a lot of fun!

If some of you wish to visit my island, you are more than welcome, and I will talk to the local dirt riding club (bikes and atv's), to give support and organise rides.

If someone would be so kind as to explaind to me how to post pictures, I would be able to show you guys some amazing pictures of the beautiful nature we have here in São Miguel.


I am still a bit disapointed with the gas mileage of the V, I'll have to think about it.
It's a shame the DS not having a reverse. It's really a must have in our trails.
Again, thanks for all the help and info.

On a side note, I realized everybody in America choose Elkas as their favorite aftermarket shocks for their atv's.
In bikes, Ohlins rule the market. Anyone as any experience with Olhins in Atv's?

 

"I still can't see how with smaller jet's, lower weight, no 4x4, higher gear's and all the V-Force use's so much more gas than the 650? I don't understand it"

Neither do I !
I totally agree with you, STAKK.

Another thing I don't understand, is how it looses to a 660 mono, being a 700 cc twin. Twins make lot's more power than a single, specially in higher rev's. You don't see any sports bikes with a single cyclinder, do you? Why? Because power matters a lot in sport bikes.
I had a SV650 road bike (it's a twin), and I could reach 137 miles per hour with it.
Ducati makes a 748 cc twin that puts out 102 at the crank... stock ! Without a racing exhaust !
I know I can't compare engines made for the streets and engines designed for dirt riding, and it would be suicide to ride an atv at speeds in excess of 90/100 mph, but still I believe the V is severely restricted ! A 700cc twin as a HUGE potencial ! Specially at higher revs/top end/top speed, and it's there where it looses to the raptor/DS.
So the only logical conclusion is it's restricted. It has to be.
Maybe the kawi engineers realised it was too bloody fast, got afraid and restricted it at the last minute prior to launching it.

Still can't figure out the gas mileage thing, though...

 

Here's another data point. I just finished a very tight, whooped out 25.6 mi. (GPS measured) desert race and used 1.9 gallons of gas when I filled it up. That's only 13.4 mpg.

Good question about why the poor mileage when the 650 prairies do so much better. Now I'm just guessing, but I'd bet it could be a combination of all or some of the following:

1. Bigger intake valves (not certain if they in fact are bigger, but it would make sense)
2. Larger combustion chamber thus larger air/fuel charge
3. Higher revving
4. Gearing could play a part too. The auto tranny can be geared to rev higher at lower speeds and really hook up at the higher RPMs. The 650 prairie might transmit more power to the tranny at lower speeds. Again, another guess.

Just my $.02.

Mark

 

The cam on the V lifts the vavles more than the cam on the 650.
The V will take a stock raptor up to 130-150 yards and thats all you really need. Who plane on driving at 65+ the whole time, not me.
Even the new p700 does not have the same came as the V. Beluga, if you have a freind that has a utility quad just have him carry fuel for you.

 

Where i live in America we can ride atvs on public roads.

 

With my trailtech, the gas light came on at 45miles (with mixed heavy/light riding). So, that's 45 miles in 2.4 gallons. With .8 gallon left in the tank, I guess you could go around 60 miles+/- on a tank of gas with mixed heavy/light riding. Hope that helps a little.