i just read a post about fuel mileage and there were different responses. i am new to the beast, but my first tank of fuel gave me an idea that about 45-50 miles would be about it. at that rate, mileage is less than 10 mpg. can anyone verify this for me? this kind of scares me, because a 50 mile trail ride is not much to me, and i hate to carry fuel. other than the mileage i am in love with this animal. prairie is not an appropriate name for these machines, it should have been a wild rabid animals name. anyway, i will start the mods as soon as i get my sons blaster top end back together so we can go riding. pete

 

700...I have a 650 and 60 miles a tank is about it for me......I do wish it had a bigger tank......
02 650 camo

 

my dad is part of yamaha-motors, he told me they may be coming wit a new quad

 

11 mpg is what I get. I carry one of these on my longer rides. An extra 3.2 gallons is what they hold. They strap on tight and have a low profile.

 

Hey WileyCoyote...

How do you like the Sportsman 500? are they dependable? Do they ride nice?

Been looking at one ....04's are much cheaper but 05's look nice...26" tires, extra travel in suspension

I'm not looking for high speed thrills or winning any races.....just wanna get there in comfort and not get stuck too many times....going through mostly trails, some rough, a bit of mild mud and a bit of bad mud, muskeg, some rough hilly terrain,

Stuck between getting one of following

Suzuki Vinson..........no locker though but only one Ive had out on trail ride
Sportsman 500
2005 Kodiak 450 with IRS......nice ride, lacks a little on get up and go though

asked about prairie mileage cause they have Bforce 650's on for a little less than price of 05 Vinsons, Sportsmans and Kodiaks

Also...I hear alot obout belt problems with the Kawi VTwins on forums...and now my neighbour just busted a belt on his 03 Prairie 650 last week.....Is this just abuse on owners part ?

 

I ride the Sportsman about 90% of the time, and the Prairie the other 10%. I use the quad to explore the hard-to-get-to places. For that purpose the Sportsman is ideal. Nice plush ride, instant locker, 15-17 mpg, and enough power. Plus, IRS is ideal for the really rough, boulder strewn trails I go on. The reliability of my Sportsman is excellent. The K-EBC actuators on the Prairie are problematic. Many of us here have had to replace them, and they aren't cheap. The Prairie, on the other hand, is a four wheel drive thrill ride. I've had that thing loaded down with camp gear on my racks and still hit the jumps and slide sideways around every corner. And that's fully loaded. They're both excellent machines for their intended purpose. The Sporsman is an off-road battleship. The Prairie is a sport quad with utility clothing.

Oh yeah, both of my belts are still running strong. They aren't difficult to replace, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

I got about 60-70 miles per tank when my p700 was stock but it has everything to do with how you ride and what you are riding on. Now that I have 27" mud tires, a winch and gear its gone down but i've never worry about milage - I just carry extra gas.

 

from the first tank to the second the increase was very noticeable. the first tank i got about 45 miles out of and the second i have already got 47 miles on a little over a half tank. it also seems to be loosening up a tad. hopefully it will get about 70-80 miles out of a tank. long live the prairie and the sport bike feel of the solid axle. thanks pete

 

Wow warriorbansheeboy!!!!
that has to be the greatest post I have ever read, has nothign to do with this topic.