Went down to the Kawi dealership to test ride my first quad. Never been on an quad or dirt bike before so of course I picked the Prairie 700 to ride first [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] That thing was awesome. The torque on that baby.....and surprisingly easy to hop on for the first time and get going. I was nervous before hitting the throttle but not afterwards. Was a very stable secure ride. Felt like buying it right then and there except for two things. First, the salesman hoped on it and did a wheelie then a few cookies and the quad died on him. He tried to start it up again and got nothing but a plume of white smoke from the exhaust. Tech said something about oil in the air filter? something like that. The other problem was I found it a little difficult to keep a constant speed at around 4-5 miles per hour. I plan on using it to mow my 5 acres. Does this get easier after break in?

Other than those two things it was one heck of a test ride. I loved it. Are these common Prairie problems? I hope not.
Oh, test rode a Honda 500 rancher manual as well. Kinda zippy but no comparison. The Rancher I would outgrow in a year. I can't ever forsee needing more than the 700 though. Wow.

(Posting in buy atv section as well)

 

Well if it is anything like my honda then when you pop a wheelie sometimes the oil from the crankcase will come out the crankcase vent but i'm not sure if its that way ont he prairie or not.

 

Not common problem...

He could have smoked the thing from abusing it.....but the oil can flow into the rear cyclinder when the machine is too vertical, and the crankcase oil can get up into the air clear as well, thru the little crankcase vent......

I'd say get the P700 but not one that guy rode....

 

crankcase was probably overfilled with oil. this IS a common problem on units from the stealer. Just a little to much oil and it blows the excess into the airbox then into the cylinders = plume of smoke......

ps........if your salesman is wheeling a spanking new unit...............find another stealer............

 

I second that, If your salesman is beating on a quad you are thinking of buying, find a different dealer [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

DUDE theres no such thing as a Honda Rancher 500! Theres the 05 Honda Foreman 500 and the Rancher350 but not the Rancher 500!theres also a rancher 400auto!

 

alright hes new to atvs.... honest mistake.. he didn't know.......calm down

 

Yep Yep. My mistake. It was a 500cc manual. I know that (least thats what I was told). Must of been a Foreman.

Honestly compared to the Priarie I didn't feel it worth remembering its name (I'm sure its a great dependable quad it just wasn't for me).

The salesman was a kid who had never been on the Prairie 700 before. He wasn't ready for what he got when he started working his thumb. Lol.

Thanks for the imput everyone.

 

Took your advice and went hunting for a new dealer. Had to do a little traveling but I am now the proud owner of a Prairie 700. Went out to the back country and found some good honest folks. I trust them much more and saved a couple hundred to boot.

Oh what I mentioned about not being able to maintain a slow steady speed for mowing....it was the quad. The one I ended up purchasing I have no problems going slow and steady.

Thanks for the advice all.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]