i would definitly choose the prarie for mor fun, and reliability.
p.s my dad has a prarie it hasnt broke yet . the machine is a beast. top speed 63. crazy fast!

 

STAKK... 2-3 days later... I feel better... It just makes me wacko everytime an ( ignorant ) IRS quad owner comes on & says something blatent like SRS quads suck in the mud, compared to my high ground clearance IRS quad ... GRRRRR!!!!! ( on "that" other forum ) If they're that much better, they'd be handing my a$$ to me at these mud bog races... not so yet anyway... WAM

 

Just some info on the belt thing thing you have going, my 700 Pra. is stock with stock springs and all, now assuming the gear ratio's are the same and all, the 700 belt makes this machine 2 mph faster than my 650 was, in low the 650 would do 44 mph, and no more, I was at the rev-limit, this 700 will do 46 mph no more rev-limit is kicked in, I can feel it, now 66 mph is the fastest i have ever had the 650 and I think that may have been on a slight decline, 65 was about it on level ground, this was with my HMF, jets,twin air etc, stock it would do 62-63....again the 700 I have seen 67 mph on the speedo, I think 68 will about be it without mod's....So It back's my thinking that the 700 belt, for what ever reason has given an honest 2 mph to this bike, the low range test did it for me, no varibles to screw up, wide open throttle to rev-limit and the 700 was 46mph compared to 44 for the 650....hope this helps in some way, I would like to find a durable belt with almost the same spec's as this 700 belt and have it perform as well for 30-40 buck's!!!! If you figure it out let us know........

 

STAKK... belt "A" was very close in specks to the 700 belt, & at $40.00... I've got to spend some time preping my quad for the last 3 races of the season, so I can only work on the belt / clutch thing in my spare time ( which I really have none of )... I'm going to pick up a belt tension tester, & try to spend some more time with it next month... I'd love to be testing a new belt during the 12 hour race on October 25th...WAM

 

Hey Stakk,

I don't know your riding style, but I do know that Windrock is one of more rough places to ride. My buddy bought an 02 Prairie. He liked to hammer it alot, it lasted less than six months. He learned a valuable lesson. That big of a machine with that kind of power and acceleration will not stay together. Not there anyways. I'm curious as to how yours will stand up to the pounding. As far as I'm concerned, that much horsepower is a waste at a place like Windrock, and that comes from someone with a Predator. So do you like to run it hard? And how is it taking it so far?

Scott

 

Sportsman 400 has broken belt pulleys, every seal on it has leaked, shifter has quit, 4x4 has quit a few times, engine went through a smoking phase that just cleared itself up, thats weird. A 700 that has had more problems than I can remember, and a 400 scrambler that is way fun to ride but dies at random, 3 trips to dealer and no fix yet???
I do like IRS for a smooth ride, but it stops there, my 400 prarie could go everywhere the 400 sportsman could. The "true 4x4" didnt really help him go anywhere that my "rocking back and forth like a madd man" couldnt equal. Also on the ground clearance, measure it on both bikes from where ever you want with nobody on them, then measure it again with someone about 250 pounds sitting on both. One of them will loose ground clearance and one wont........

 

Ok....in my opinion and having had time on all three machines mentioned.

You should add the Grizzly to your list. Having said that:

Comfort - Both the Grizzly and the Sportsman are about equal. Both are akin to a 4WD couch. Having ridden the Sportsman and having owned a 2002 Grizzly, I'd take the overall ride of the Grizzly hands down. The Grizzly felt more like it was reacting to me as opposed to the cosiderably heavier Sportsman which felt more like I was reacting to it.


Reliability - All manufacturers have lemons slip through their doors. Other than having the KEBC replaced on my 2003 Prairie, and making slight adjustments learned from nyroc's site, it has been rock solid. Roll the dice...


Power - While the Prairie and the Grizzly are close, the Prairie (especially the new 700) wins this one quite convincingly. The Sportsman? The Sportsman's powerband isn't in the same league. I though the Sportman's power felt....mushy.

It really comes down to Swingarm vs IRS. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, I looked past the suspension at how well the rest of the machine was built and designed. For my money, the Prairie won. It would win again if I were buying another quad today.

Moo,
WheelCow

 

I put almost 3000 miles on the 650 when I traded for this 700, It only has 175 miles so far, but i can tell already the clutch and belt set-up is better, I live about 1 hour from Windrock and ride there 3-4 times a year, mostly here in my county there are alot of trails like Windrock, My clutches never failed and i put one belt on in the 2900 miles I owned it, I don't ride wide open 100% of the time, but i didn't baby it either, The thing I found out with owning a Prairie for 2 years and 3000 miles is, keep the belt tight, spend 50 bucks for the aftermarket primary and secondary spring's and ride in LOW anytime your riding under 30 mph.......I did this and no problem's with my belt or clutch set-up, Kaw even replaced the origianal belt with the new one at 2000 miles under warranty, because it was still in spec on deflection but chirpped when taking off because it was glazed....I never had to spend one dime on the clutch/belt the whole time I rode it....I am confident this 700 set-up will be even better........

 

prairie 650s are awesome good through the mudd nice ride and awesome. i am selling mine i want a kfx











2003 red prairie 650 for sale mint 260 miles still plenty of warranty left 6200 207-457-1615 ask for josh

 

Danzig,
I just sold my 2000 Sportsman 500 and I am very happy about it. I bought the extended warranty, thank god, and it was in the shop about 11 times before I was able to sell it. Everything broke on the sportsman, struts, lights, clutch wore out, starter, 3 fans, 3 temp sensors, 3 speedometers, 3 on/off key switches, 4wd switch, radiator cap, 3 front hub seals leaked, steering tie rods replaced, all a-arm bushings got loose, front universal joint broke (my fault), 20 amp circuit breaker under seat had an issue, starter solenoid, brakes wore out after 175 miles, carburetor replaced, 2 speedometer cables, etc... I'm sure there more issues that I have forgotten about.

Bottom line is that my sportsman was a giant head ache. It was in the shop more in the last 3 years than it was out of the shop. THat is sad. THe only good part was that I had bought the extended warranty. I will never buy another polaris as long as I live.

Personally, I am going to buy the Prarie 700. Good luck on your choice.