I've got an itch for a fast quad but don't want a Sport quad. I want a fast 4x4 Utility qaud. The v-twin 650, 700, 750 motor has me sold on a Kawi but which one is the quickest or has the potential to be the quickest? Are they all based on the same chassis? If so then I should just get the biggest motor, but for some reason I thought the old 650's were a smaller machine. I don't want some huge 800lb tank.

The biggest reservation I have is the belt type CVT trans. I have a Honda now, and like to no worries geared trans. I would buy the Honda 650 but like the V-twin Kawi way better. Please tell me that the belt drive is strong and reliable.

 

you should check out a few of the new quad mags i have the new (i think its) atv action mag and they did a shootout on 5 big bore quads the polaris was 1st, suzaki 700 was 2nd, the rincon was 3rd, the griz was 4th, and the 750 brute was 5th.
if you want a great kawi get the 05 700p if its like my 04 you'll love it.
i cant seem to get enuff of mine.
since i got it this past january i have only put 50 miles on my honda.
and 500 miles on the 700p.
when i first got it i was worried about the belt drive system but im not now.
i have done everything with it that ive done with my honda and had way more fun doing it.
the only way you will get the belt wet is if you up to the racks in water.
and if you keep it in low for all trail and hill climbing you wont have a problem with the belt.
i only put mine in high gear for going over 25 mph.
under that its hard on the belt in high.
besides i can do 40mph in low maxed out.
and in high i have had it up to 55 mph.
and thats with 28" mud zillas on it.
i would hate to see what it would say with the stock tires.
the new teem green 700 p looks real sweet too.
kawi needs to do more work on there IRS to make it as good as the other 4 i mentioned in the shoot out.
good luck with the shoping.

 

I really don't care for the IRS anyway, so the 700 Prairie would be fine with me. Is your Prairie noticeably quicker than your Honda? I really need to ride some on these big bore bikes and see if it's going to satisfy my need for speed.

What on earth was the reason for the 750 getting last place in the magazine?

 

The P700 & BF650 are straight rear axles (SRA), where the BF750 is IRS.
For all out fun & tearing down the road the P700 is hard to beat but you do give up a little bit in comfort with the Prairie line, as well with the BF650.
The BF750 mainly suffers from not being wide enough but a set of aftermarket wheels & larger tires fixes that real quick. The BF750 being that it is IRS, does offer a nicer ride, I know this 1st hand, as I rode 2 Prairie 650s for 3 years. The BF750 has shocks on all 4 corners & are adjustable but I have noticed that my BF750 is a bit on the stiff side, even with the stock rear shocks adjusted all the way down. The stock Fronts are a little bit better. I have a complete set of "WORKS' Steelers AT Dual-rate shocks on order to fix those stock shock short-comings.
All of these Kawasaki VTwins come in around the 604 lb mark dry, so even after doing a few upgrades the added weight is no problem.
The Prairies or the BFs will not be as smooth as a Rincon but the power available on hand is unreal + all of the neat aftermarket goodies that are available for any of the Kawasakis.
I haven't had any Belt issues but I too use Low Range in the slow going terrain & my belt tightness is right on the mark, more towards the tighter side. Excellent Engine braking too on the Kawasaki's & that sealed oil rear brake will spoil you.
At the higher speeds the Prairie 700 will be the best for quicker handleing & responds quick to rider input.
The BF750 can be riiden fast too but a little bit more attention on the riders part must be maintained at all times, the BF750 will powerslide but the P700 does it a whole lot easier.
For me, I still prefer the BF750, the IRS gives me the additional ground clearance that I need, I like the high seat, almost a gollon more in the gas tank & the looks of the BF line.
At times my P650 powerslided too easy, now that I have the BF750, I am a bit more cautions about getting too wild in the fast corners.

 

and keep in mind when you give the Brute a wider stance with aftermarket rims and tires, it makes it harder to steer. It definitly gives your arms a workout while trail riding. But if you want a fast utility quad, you won't find one faster than the BF750. I put a some high performance stuff on mine as well and now I'm scared of it lol. Unbelieveable power for a utility quad.

 

Sounds like you need a Prairie 700, or BF 650. There are some easy engine mods you can do to the v-twins to make them a lot faster.

 

they said the steering sucked on the trails.
they said it wouldent steer the way you wanted it to.
and if you dident grab the diff lock for the corners it wouldent turn and go straight into what you were trying to go around.
and it was dirt rider magazine not dirt wheels like i first said.

 

Recently we had a post from South America where the rider said he wasn't too mechanically inclined. He used the P700 as his main transportation and had 3400 miles on the belt before any indication of a belt problem. Went into limp mode soon afterward. Nuff said re gossip about continuous belt maintenance required on Kawasaki Prairies.

 

The only input I can offer here is please.....please don't believe what all of the ragmag's have to say with their "shootouts". Same as sleds. Some of the writers have an agenda and have theirs picked before any seat time. Love my Brute, wouldn't trade it for anything. Off road or on, just try to get some riding time on what you're interested in before buying. That's the only true way to see what fits your needs best. Good Luck.

 

Dude, these V-twins <u>eat</u> any Honda. There is no comparison on power at all. The power lag on a Rubicon is brutal compared to the instant blast of power you get when you gas it on a 650, 700 or 750. Just go ride one and you'll see!!!!!