(I'm posting this in both the Suzuki and Kawasaki forums)

Link to entire article:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030905/55483_1.html

"Suzuki retailers will be given the opportunity to have their branded versions of both the Kawasaki Vulcan® 1600 Mean Streak® motorcycle and Kawasaki's Prairie® 700 4x4 all-terrain vehicle (ATV)."

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"In the important ATV market, Kawasaki's Prairie 700 4x4 ATV is an enhanced version of the industry-leading Prairie 650 4x4, which was the first ATV to be powered by a V-twin engine and set new standards of power, handling and performance for the four-wheel drive utility segment. The new Prairie 700 4x4 features even more engine displacement and refinements, and editors are proclaiming it to have further raised the bar."



I wonder if it'll be a clone like the Z400 or will Suzuki put their own (different) fenders on? I doubt they would create a new chassis because that would just negate the purpose of sharing products, but distinction between the brands would be nice.

 

No surprizes here, their is already three versions of the Z400!
Think I will stick with the Cat 650, the engine/tranny combo has already been proven to work & the bugs havebeen work out since the 1st '02 model year. I'm not saying anything is wrong with the 700 engine, I'm saying that 650 engine is a great Vtwin engine too. The Cat has had their IRS now for a few years & is suppose to be beefier for the 650, so you would hope the bugs have been worked out of the Cats IRS as well.
My P650 has proven to me that this 633cc Vtwin engine has plenty of power, so I for one am not concerned about the slightly improved 700 engine.
Anyway, I am getting the Cat 650 at a much lower price than if I waited for the Suzy 700 & we still don't know if it too will be a straight axle or IRS.
Now that Kawie is testing a IRS on a big bore 4x4, this makes it sound like the Suzy 700 4x4 might have IRS.

 

same identical thing just like prairie 700

 

bfb650...... my dealer who is both kawi and arctic cat told me that the V-twin had to be even more detuned for the cats since the motor was breaking tranny parts in stock prairie form......just a little food for thought.