Hey Guys , I don't think you understand why Kawie built the BF 650 , it is priced as a 500cc , you can get the 650 as cheap and cheaper that most everyones 500 cc ATV ,so kawie did not make a mistake is was Genius. Good job Kawie , but they do need to make a 750 prairie but the 650 will do everything the 700 will except run down the road as fast and for the 650 price you can add a module or ICM and take care of that problem as well.

 

IMHO Kawi should have scrapped the MacPherson struts on the BF650 and gone with std A-arms in front and solid rear axle. For the few of us who believe in this formula our only option is now Vinson, Rubicon, and Foreman. Kawi also could have done a better job of shielding the front cylinder from mud.

 

Yes Jeff that is also true, I was told that by my Kawi dealer . ALL of these ideas are great and I am sure Kawi will do something GREAT maybe they WILL tweek the BF 750i suspension and make it a V 800 EFI IRS I say that cause they still need to make the flagship qaud an IRS for the older crowd that want to have the MOST power and torque but prefer a bit softer ride. Also Kodiak1 good point YAMI has to do something and I am sure they will surprize us all as well. OGGYDOGGY

 

I don't have a problems with the strut fornt end , it is a little soft but that is not a big deal , it rides great , does an awesome job of protecting the front boots , there is no need to buy new a-arm protectors like you have to do on these new quads with double a-arms. I understand everyone is going to fuss about something . You can't please everyone so Kawie did an awesome job to please the most people. Yamaha may come out with something new but if is like the Grizzly was it will take them year to get all the problems worked out and by then it will be a back of the pack quad again. Have a good day all.

 

I could never really decide which I wanted for sure, Brute 750 or Prarie 700. I already have a Rincon with IRS but I'm a bit dissapointed with it. So I may go the Prairie route.

 

You would love either , I have a friend that did have a rincon,it was nice but felt like a 500cc compared to the big kawies.

 

I am not so sure Yamaha would have any more issues than the BF has had in it's first year.I had a Kodiak the first year it was out (the new model 2000) and it was a very good machine.
02 650 Camo

 

I am with you jeffro31 I think the struts are just fine. I realy don't understand what the problem is with struts(hince sport-utility not plain sport). To me the smooth riding front end is a plus. From my experince Struts always ride smoother than a-arms, my experince with the Brute 750i and the Prairie's, I feel the overall ride quality of the Prairie is smoother. I also feel it comes from the plushness of the front struts compared to the stiffness of front A-arms of the Brute 750i. The rear IRS on the brute 750i helps the backend a little bit but the front counters the efect and then some IMO. I have owned a V-force also and got rid of it largly because it was such a rough riding quad and I think that was also mainly do to the front A-arms being so stiff. I hope they take head to the fact they won countless awards including a few quad Of the year awards using the strut setup while beating several a-arm models of various brands and in this shoot out the prairie struts beat out kawi's own a-arm Brute 750i flagship model.

I agree that the current BF 650 was a great move on the part of Kawi, I have been recomending it to alot a people and feel strongly that its one the best buy's out there, I just wish they had also offered it in a 750 version. maybe next year.

I think someone asked for details on how much faster the BF was than the prairie in the test. here you go

300 ft run (100 yards)

Brute Force 750i = 6.15 sec.
Prairie 700 = 6.37 sec.
King Quad = 6.44 sec.

 

300 ft run (100 yards)

Brute Force 750i = 6.15 sec.
Prairie 700 = 6.37 sec.
King Quad = 6.44 sec.


What would that be in quad lengths??

I've got the last 2 years worth of Atv Action's shootout issue. I am gonna look them up and see if they posted the 300ft times for the Rincon. In the previous shootouts they included the Rincon, Prairie, Sportsman, Bombardier and all the big bores. I also have the Last couple of Dirt Wheels and AtvRider shootouts. Atvrider does their testing not far from where I live here in the NC Mountains. My Rincon at 185 miles now is alittle stronger and also the fine adjustment I made to the carb screw did help the Rincon pull better. It wheelies pretty easy on blacktop in 4wd. The main prob I have with it is climbing. It is not very good for climbing steep inclines.

 

I almost bought a Rincon when I was shopping.The dealer had both and I had a chance to ride both side by side.After riding the Prairie I was hooked on the engine but the thought of IRS and no belt was inviting,what you stated about the hill climbing was one thing I was concerned about.I wondered how it would do.Does it (Hunt) for a gear on steep inclines? does it down shift alot and when it does I bet that is a strange feeling.The mags all say the Rincon climbs like a cat but like most they also complained about the lack of eng braking.
02 650 Prairie Camo