I hope someone can offer a little help in this matter,

I just purchased a 05 Brute 750, upgrading from a Polaris Sportsman, and I must say that I was sick about the upgrade on the first ride of any distance. After adjusting the pre load and buying new storage luggage to suit mt long distance hauling needs It got a little better. or at least I thought. The climbing was as good as it gets, after spending $1500 on accessories which included Goodyear Mud trackers I couldnt complain, untill I had to go over the other side. On my Polaris when desending a steep hill I always put the machine in 4 wheel low and let the engine braking to the work, on most cases the tires had enough traction that I had to apply throttle to go down the hill. That is not the case with my new purchase. When desending the hill in 4 wheel low, the engine braking would work for about 20ft and then completely let go, which was a little un nerving to say the least. to add insult to injury I got to about the bottom of the long dangerous hill and realized that I had picked the wrong route and couldnt make it between 2 pines. No problem Ill just put it in 4 wheel drive and back up a little a go another way. But noooooooooo, I didnt have enough room to engage the front, so I had to put my brand new front brush guard against the tree and push forward to engage the front, chipping my newly purchased accessory which I was very proud of. Needles to say I wished I kept my Polaris. I know now about the 4 wheel drive, but the engine braking is not tolerable if it cant be fixed I will be driving another brand within the week.

Does anyone have any advise as to the engine brake problem? I called the Kaw dealer and he had no idea, he thought that was the way it was designed, If that is the case I have a good deal in a like new ready for Tellico Brute Force 750. Just make a reasonable offer.

 

try giving it just a little gas , that will almost always help , I am curious about one thing , why put the polaris in 4 low , the front end does not help on a polaris , there is no such thing as 4 wheel engine brake on a sportsman , if you did not have to use the brakes on the polaris then the hill was not real steep so on the kawie I would definitely give it a little gas.

 

the polaris was a 2001, and when engaged in wheel drive and low range it helped to keep the wheels from locking up during real steep hills. It wasnt the new type system that was automatic. when you flipped the switch the front wheels were engaged untill you took it out. It was a joy going down real steep hills. I ride one loaded down with gear and everything but the kitchen sink and putting it in low range really helped to keep the weight in check. This has been only a problem on inclines in which you can only see sky when going up. I ride a lot and am planning a trip to tellico in a couple of weeks, that engine braking was a life saver on the Polaris, I just dont think the Kaw is up to snuff. there has to be a way to keep in engaged.

The time it did it before I cant exactly tell you the rpm's because of lack of tach, but I had to at least been turning 1500-200o rpm in low when it shut dowm, it wasnt even close to idle. any help with this would be appraciated.

 

even though you have engine braking always use the brakes , never lock them up but modulate between front and rear. if i gotta go down a steep hill i put it in 4wd low, and the engine braking works real well, have never free wheeled or skided out of control. i like it alot its almost as good as the engine braking on my rubicon which is ridiculous. i've never ridden a polaris so i cant compare the 2. just off idle it engages in low, in high it takes a few more rpms. in low it feels like it is always engaged going down hill. sorry i couldnt be of more help. as for 4wd not engaging in reverse you are totally correct, i dont like it but is something i'll have to get used to. i do put it in 4wd more often just incase the situation arrives.

 

Something is wrong, the engine braking should not "let go". That is exactly what the V-Force does (it needs a throttle blip to re-engage it's engine braking mode after it releases and starts to free wheel), but the V-Force doesn't have the same electronically controlled engine braking system the Brute and Prairie models do. That problem should be fixed under warranty by a dealer.

So far the engine braking system has performed flawlessly on my Brute Force 750. To get maximum effect (when descending steep, technical hills) you want to have the machine in 4WD and in low range. About the 4WD system though, I feel your pain. The fact that the Brute seems to need to roll forward some after switching to 4WD for it to engage, and that it only engages while in a forward gear I feel is a shortfall. I like my Grizzly's "instant on" system better. With the Brute's system you have to plan a little in advance as to when you are going to need 4WD and toggle the switch accordingly...

 

I agree with grizzkiller in putting the quad in 4 low and assisting with the breaks. My brother in-law has a 650b and he always puts it in low when the low get lowing. My V is ok with a little pressure on ther rear with the breaks but the rear tends to zig zag going down just to keep it slow. You are right, 4 low with the breaks is in control.

 

The reason being is that you had it in 2x2, you really have to have in in 4x4 for the engine brake to work fully, try the same hill but in 4x4 low, it will near tip you over the front, the engine brake works that well.

I like the engine brake in high better, not as extreme. You hardly ever need to use the brakes in 4x4.

 

i keep my 700p in low 4 wheel drive also going down hill because all 4 wheels are braking.
also mine freewheels after a few secs and i just blip the throttle and it angauges again.
i asked about that and was told by a few people that all kawis do it.
it takes a bit of getting used to but now that i am i dont mind it.
but like grizzkiller said the rubicon has a way better engine braking system the the cow.
i find going from the honda to the cow it feels like the cow has no engine braking.

 

I have a 05 BF 650 and the engie braking works great it never "let go" on me.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that the Kawie Electronic Braking only engages from like 14mph down to 4 mph and then it disengages? How fast are you going when it disengages? And if this is the case it should re-engage when you start going too fast.