what is this machines top end speed?How good is the suspension & is it preloadable?Also how good is it in mud & could it be jumped some{like my friend jumps his arctic cat 2wd sometimes}and preform as good as some of the cats?

 

The Bayou 300 4X4 performs similarly to other 300cc 4X4 utilities, except: the Bayou has a dual-range transmission (10 forward speeds) and a semi-independent swing-axle rear suspension (more nimble than a swing-arm setup). From the 2000 model year, the ride is plush for a platform of this type. Sure, you can jump a Bayou 300 4X4, but, with the limitations Mr. Newton imposes on the heavy differentialed front end. If you want to know more about the Bayou, take a look at "What you always wanted to know about the Bayou 300 4X4 but were afraid to ask."

Tree Farmer

 

Two years ago I bought a used ’91 Bayou 300 4x4 as a second quad to complement my ’96 Bayou 400 4x4. I bought it primarily for my then 13-year old daughter to ride.

The machine was completely stock when I got it. I immediately set about making functional improvements to suit my style of riding. I added the Kawasaki speedometer (see note below), headlight guards and floorboard extensions. I replaced the stock handlebar-ends with those from the Bayou 400 (see note below). And I added a set of Oxlite brush guards. Early in the spring of ’99 prior to the Cochranton Poker Run, I added the late model fender extensions to improve rider protection, and I replaced the stock 24” Dunlop KT962A tires with a set of 25” Goodyear Mudrunners.

In the slightly more than two years since I bought it, it has been ridden just over 545 miles. I have experienced no problems of any kind during that time. The dual range transmission and semi-independent rear suspension have been exceptionally useful to the kind of technical trail riding we generally do. The shocks have 5 preload positions. For general unladed trail riding, I usually set the front shocks on the first preload position and I use no preload on the rear shocks. This provides a well-controlled, comfortable ride. The Bayou 300 is a pure utility machine that was not designed for jumping, though it can handle little jumps of a foot or so without upsetting its demeanor too much. But much beyond that the landing starts to become uncontrollable. Use commonsense when riding. Why risk injury to yourself, or damage to an expensive machine, just to show off? If jumping is important to you, then buy a machine made expressly for that purpose.

Regarding top speed, I have seen as much as 45, or even 50, MPH claimed for the 300 Bayou, but I think that is mere wishful thinking rather than actual measurement. By actual measurement, i.e. clocking the vehicle with a stop watch over a known fixed distance, my 300 Bayou is capable of a 40 MPH top speed, though it takes a while to get there. But here in the rolling hills of Western PA on the tightly wooded trails we normally ride, top speed is nearly irrelevant when 20 MPH on a narrow winding wooded trail is frighteningly fast and something that one does only at great risk to one’s physical well-being.

A brief note to any Bayou 300 owners considering adding a speedometer: Do not use the model made specifically for the 300. It does not have a resetable trip odometer and it mounts to the front cargo rack, where it is difficult to read and where it can get the stuffing knocked out of it. Instead buy the model made for the 400. It only costs $50 more, it does have a resetable trip odometer, and it mounts in the center of the handlebars, where it is protected and easy to read. Most importantly both the model designed for the 300 and that designed for the 400 use the exact same drive gear. And since the 300 and 400 use the same rear differential and the same size tires, the 400 model speedometer will read accurately when mounted on the 300. The 400 model speedometer does have a small water temperature light in the six o’clock position, but it is unobtrusive, easily ignored, and a small price to pay for the resetable trip odometer.

One other note on the Bayou 300: The handlebar bar-end weights that come standard on the 300 are small and ineffective. The bar-end weights from the Bayou 400, or the Lakota 300, are significantly better, and they are a direct bolt-on replacement. I have noticed that 300 seems to vibrate a little more through handlebars than does the 400, but then I’m especially sensitive to vibration. Changing the bar-end weights on the 300 doesn’t make it as smooth as the 400, but it does make a difference for the better.

Note on the rear brake: There have been many previous comments regarding Kawasaki’s seeming inability to make a waterproof rear brake. Until recently I never had the occasion to have either Bayou in water any deeper than a few inches, but I took these comments to heart. I disassembled the rear brake on each Bayou, removed all traces of the factory grease, and thoroughly degreased the rubber gaskets with NAPA brake cleaner. I then used a tube of marine grease designed for boat trailer wheel bearings, which are routinely completely submersed, to repack the rubber gaskets. Last year, while engaging in some poker run practice, my daughter and I made six separate crossings of Racoon Creek, a stream approximately 60 feet wide and about two feet deep at the point where we crossed. After the ride I used my 3000 PSI pressure washer to remove the mud from both quads. Later when they had dripped dry, I removed the drain bolt in the brake drum housing to check for any signs of water intrusion, I found no trace of water. The lack of water proof brakes on Kawasakis seems to be a common complaint, but in my case $3 worth of marine grade grease seems to have cured the problem.

Late note on the rear brake: In November of 1999, Jim Williams, Kawasaki's ATV Product Development Manager had this to say about the Bayou 300’s rear brake:

“Concerning the rear brake drum questions:
1.) The rear brake drum sealing / durability of the 2000 LF300C is improved by manufacturing (not by design) as compared to the 1989 LF300C. In the old days, we had two problems with the drum brake assembly. They were:
a.) Sometimes the backing panel plate was not perpendicular to the axle centerline by poor welding and/or poor welding jig control. This caused inconsistent sealing of the drum seal to the backing panel.
b.) Uneven contact of the shoes to the drum.

Improved welding fixtures were added years ago. Regular QC inspections occur nowadays.

2.) The rear brake drum sealing / durability of the 1999 & 2000 VF400C/D was in fact improved by design as compared to the 1997 & 1998 VF400A/B. The change items were numerous, but the highlights are different casting shape of the backing plate to provide a better "inter-locking" design with the drum cover, a new axle seal and seat in the drum to keep water out. The changes have proven to be very effective. Its reputation has also improved.”

If you buy a 2000 or newer 300 Bayou, water intrusion into the rear drum brake should not be a problem. If you buy a pre-2000 model Bayou, then $3 worth of marine grade grease, and an hour of your time, should cure any problems you may have.

In April ‘99, our little group the Eclectic ATVers (which included Tree Farmer) rode Trail B at Cochranton. My daughter rode the Bayou 300 4x4 35 miles over some very tough, very muddy trails. She had no problems keeping up with any of the members of our group. In fact, at one rest stop Doug Blackburn (another Bayou 300 4x4 rider) said to me regarding my daughter’s riding, “Julia has proved to me you don’t need to be a hotshot to successfully ride in the poker run”. Doug was not insinuating the trails were easy, but rather was complementing Julia’s technical riding skills. During the poker run we passed any number of 2WD, and 4WD, quads stuck in some obstacle, but Julia managed to deftly weave her way through all of them on her Mudrunner equipped Bayou 300 without getting stuck, or riding like a madman.

This past Spring Julia rode her Bayou 300 at the second Quads-On-The-Rocks ride at the Tasker’s Gap ORV area of the George Washington National Forest, and at the Little Fort Trail Ride held in the same area on the following day. Each day she rode over 35 miles on some of the rockiest terrain you can possibly imagine. The Bayou 300 handled it with ease.

The 2000 model Bayou 300 4x4 had the suspension valving and damping extensively reworked. During the second Quads-On-The-Rocks ride, my daughter and I had an opportunity to ride a 2000 model for several miles. The difference in ride quality is amazing. Tasker’s Gap is the ultimate testing ground for any quad suspension. The number, and size, of the rocks that comprise the trail must be seen, in order to be believed. The Kawasaki engineers did an excellent job. The ride was exceptionally smooth and compliant.

The Bayou 300 4x4 is an exceptionally capable machine that compares very favorably with the other contenders in this class, such as Arctic Cat and Honda. Whether purchased new or used, I believe it is a machine that offers great value for the money.

Army Man