hi, first i'd like introduce myself to the forums..
and second im lookin at gettin a P650 at the end of this month once i have a decent down payment..
ive heard all the great things about a P650 but i was wondering if anyone had anything bad to say about it?
after all research and comparing of the big ones. the grizz, rincon, Prairie, seems as the prairie is what ive been wanting to get just wanted to hear some downsides to the machine.. thanks!!
-tim

 

Well I have had mine for over a year now, and Its has been great. The only gripes have been with the cheap black plastic tends to tear, its heavier than a sport quad, The steering tends to wear you out after a long day of riding tight rutted trails. But it does still stear easier than other 4wd's. overall I have had no regrets at all. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Probably the most complaints you will get will be it has no independent rear suspension, that's just personal choice. You may hear a few talk about the belt slipping but that's adjustable. The tires are soft and easily flattened, those can be upgraded very easily. It doesn't have as much power as the P700.
I know I have both, the P650, P700 and a V-Force 700.

Other than that I think you will be quite happy with the P650. Are you getting a left over '03 or buying used?

 

I've had both of mine a year now and the common complaints you will hear are the cheap plastic, crappy tires, and poor clutch design. Not much you can do about the plastic except maybe reinforce it. Replace the tires with good ones and add the EPI black spring to beef up the clutch. With all this done you will be hard pressed to wipe the permanent grin off your face. Good luck in your decision.

Bob

 

im hopefully getting a left over 2003.. becuase of the dealerships around here are putting rather good sales on this month. but if possible i would love to get the P700 but thats a few more $$$'s than im ready for..
im only 16.. and i have about 1,500.00 ready for a down payment. and the rest is going to be financed through m,y parents.. ( they buy it and i make payments to them )..so we wont have to worry about finance charges.
i want something big i do alot of riding with my cousin and some friends in PA and alot of mudding. there was a big mud bog around here about a week ago, and a friend of mine who has a 2001 P650 made it the farthest through the hole. i also wanted something that would be good for snow, becuase i plan on making some money over this winter with plowing driveways, i could easily make 600.00$$ in a day....

 

Unless you baby it or keep it in low range the majority of the time, expect to replace the belt once a year, because you can only adjust it a couple of times before you run out of shims. According to Kawasaki though, this is normal wear and tear and don't warranty the belts. Some of the other manufaturers don't seem to have this problem. Good luck though!

 

Oh by the way, I've got a 2002 with 2100 miles on it that I'm gonna sell as soon as it's back from the shop. It needs new plastics, but I'll sell it cheap. And it comes with alot of extras.
Alan

 

I personally dont see the belt as an issue. Its just part of the normal maintenance routine. Only complain I have about my P650 is the black plastic. I have already wire tied every fender. But even that is no big deal.

 

My two cents are that the P-650 relies too heavily on electronics, sensors and motors. The enging braking actuator motor is a weak point and the rims will bend if you look sideways at them. I personally think the Yamaha mechanical systems are more durable. Even with all that said, my prairie is fast, smooth and the best performing bike for it's purpose. My second pick would be the Grizzly 660.

 

I say there is something very wrong with the Prairie 650 - Kawasaki did not include enough days off work for me to ride it in the deal.

Love mine would not trade it for any other brand - do other companies still make quads or are they imitations?