Personally I think kawasaki is dominating the big bore utility line up, and its obvious they can build a powerhouse motor. Why hasnt kawasaki jumped back into the sport high performance line up with a new race quad. The V force is a great open class machine but not a true race quad. Do you think kawasaki will bring out a manual transmission 450 sport quad in the future? Yamaha and Honda both have their new ultra high performance quads and suzuki is supposably releasing a new 450 in 05. I think its time for kawasaki to get into the MX scene. Their atv lineup wont be complete until then. What do you think?

 

Heck of a first post.

No, suzuki stated that they are not going to share their 450 atv. And since kawi doesnt make a suitable 450 engine now, they are years away from any real entry into that class.

The best you have to hope for is a 750 or 800 kfx on the order of the the current model. Kawasaki has really never been primarily focused on sport four wheeled atvs. The tecate was a short lived idea and they didnt enter back into the sport quad market until suzuki gave them one. Long story short, dont hold your breath.

 

What about kawa making a 500cc v-twin sport quad that is similar to the pred or something. Just make the motor the same as the 633cc vtwin, yet only 500cc?????

 

Since there is a rumor that Kawi is developing their own 4-stroke 450 motor for mx bike, there is a good chance that they may use the same mill for a sport quad. But it will not be anytime soon. We will have to see their 2-wheeler first.

 

What I want to see form the Big "K" is a new mid and large bore dual sport motorcycles....They have been resting on their laurels for quite some time with the pathetic KLR 250, and just how many more years are they going to keep the same old KLR650. Don/t get me wrong, I like my KLR650 but the thing is an absolute pig in the dirt. They really need to update that line.....

Has anybody seen the new Aprilla or Cagiva dual sport twin,......oooooh....ahhhhhh......ohhhhhh!!!!!!

 

They have been racing a 450 kx in japan for a few months with very good success from what i've read. i recently read in a mx magazine that the bike will not be out until 06 however because kawie said they want to make sure it is better than anything else offered. will they put it in a quad for race? i can't see them missing the boat for bragging rights, but at the same time i don't understand some of their recent moves in their atv line up. they are basically pushing the Brute as a step above the prairie instead of a complement to the already award winning prairie. they dropped the mojave and lakota in the last 2 years even though every other manufacturer offers machines in those classes. so who knows?

 

Isn't the KX 4-stroke a re-labeled Suzuki?

It makes perfect sense what Kawie has done with their ATV's. Sure a sport 450 would have a lot of sizzle but the Utes are the ones that sell $$$$. The Prairie is marketed as the sportier 4x4 and is now offered in Team Green. The BF 650 makes sense because Kawie is already building the 650 engine for AC. The BF 650 will still hang with the best of them.

I personally would like to see Kawi come out with a Scrambler type of ATV. Something lightweight and sporty that can play in the mud and climb a slippery hill. How about 400 lbs. and 50 RWHP? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I agree the 650 can "keep up", Unleash a little HP with tuning changes, bingo, sell a million..........

 

Something is in the works there is alot of hush hush talk around the GNCC tracks...Plus all the Teamgreen riders are parting out there bikes then selling quads..Someting is definatley up..I just cant get any of them to talk[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img].....