Well, I own the 05 brute. And I have test driven in the lot the King.

Here is all that I don't like about the Brute:
-Air box design gets splash bad in splash water. Wierd though, some guys have had no problems, but I had them immediately. The tires splash right up into the intake. I fixed mine with some re-ran hoses and all my three danger zone holes in motor come up to right under my handlebars, so I can drive in water atleast that deep...... Highlifter sells a kit to snorkel. I can guide you through my personal way though. I am about to do another guys brute. Now, I love the intake and venting of the belt and crank vent performance.
-Sitting position is too extended for me a 5.6 man. It is not intollerable, but from the foot to the but is pretty tall, and can be hard at times, for un-expierienced riders to apply much (body English). I will probably take my canvas off the seat, and use an electric knife and shave the seat down a little. I heard that works.
-Tendancy to over heat is lugged and slow in hills with a load. Not dangerous, just gotta lighten the load, or pick up speed.....not problem though this summer unless the radiator isn't perfectly clean.....(tollerable).
-My steering is tougher by far than the grizzly.....tolerable though.
-No STORAGE!......dang man!

Not a Valid Complaint By Others In My Opinion:
-People complain about the TIPPY-Ness of the Brute. I say NOT!........I dives a little in the corner, but holds to the ground quite well.......and, this is compared to the Yamaha Bruin, and Grizzly, and an old Timberwolf. I can dive and swerve hard, and though it feels tippy cause of you are so high on the seat,.......the actual tipping over is way less as bad as all the ones I just described. I like it.

Maintainance as of 11 months an about 120 hours:
-Leaky back motor seal......Warranty
-Slidden CV boot.........Warranty
-Busted Right Shock Mount To Frame...(bad weld).....Warranty
-Engine Brake Wierdness.....WD40 and cleaning fixed it......(my fault from too much water)

Things I Love and wouldn't trade for another?::::
-POWER.......unsurpassed low end torque and response.....(600lbs) Light compared to others......I can ride a wheely (145lbs) all day long.......from a stop immediately!....with a 150-200 lb passanger.......ride a wheely at 10 to 20......YEAH! Tons of mud slinging torque......hauled 1200lbs of men and deer out at once. I beat a new Brute today, smoked the grizz and smoked the 700 Polaris.......I like the power....can hop of any wall or ledge that I want and climb as much as I can hang on to. The power is why I bought it. Topped out at 69 with two guys on it. I think 73 solo once.....I think....
-SUSPENSION..........I love the independant Rear suspension. I rode the 700 prarie.......lots of power like mine, but the swing are rear suspension(though many like the sporty feel of it and it will spin a donut easier)........the swing arm got not even close to the same amount of traction. I like the suspension. Adjustable and the rear offers great traction.....like a cat claw compared to the swing arm.....I ride trails and stuff.....I need the bike to move with the terrain and get good traction.
-Differential Lock......(whatever Kawasaki Calls It)........I love it apposed to the King and Griz....Push button. I can be in 4x4 and grab the lever and tada I am tru 4x4 immediately. The others have to stop or come close.....and the grizz only works diff-lock in low..........Kawi has em beat there in my opinion. It is controlled variable I think and that means I can control the tension on the front two tires where the grizz and I think King are lock in by button and electronics and lock out.......I like the versatility of the kawi system better.
-Brakes.........Kawis sealed disc brakes in the back are so nice.......my friends grizz got river sand too much and made bad noises and wouldn't brake......I was mad for him......the kawi is sealed and works super. Front are disc and I had no problem at all in the sand.....while the front of the griz did.
-Smooth running.........Not a lot of vibration for a huge bore motor........the King and Grizz are good too.
-Front storage basket is great for a drink or too......(no storage any where else....grrrrr)
-Easy access and tear down body for maintainance. Griz was cheeep type connection in the plastics. They are coming apart a lot.......the Brute is a better set up I think. I can have all fender and racks off in about 15 minutes.

That is enough for now.

KING QUAD:
I only rode one once. I liked:
-the steering
-the position of the seat and feel of the sit upon it.
-suspension
-this and that and that and this minor stuff without owning one I couldn't get to know it.
-smooth running motor and no vibrations

Things I didn't like:
-Low End PoWER was neal.. I tried to pop a wheely in low 4x4 and couldn't..........that made me mad........ I like to know that if I enter into a water spot with a steep drop that I could flatten out my front end......or keep it up a little over a dip, or hole, or small channel or creek. Without low end torque and response enough to raise th front end up, I feel like I am on an oversized go cart or bull dozer. The King did not impress me in the low end power, but depressed my. I was so glad I chose the BRUTE. The Grizz will get up in a wheely pretty well, but doesn't have too close to the same low end as my brute. The brute smokes them both.......Grizz is 2nd, King is 3rd and Polaris Sportsman is 700 is 4th....I haven't ridden the new Polaris 800.....or the Bombardier 800.....the Polare is app.150 lbs heavier than the brute....I don't like that. The new Bombardier has about 63 -63 HP I heard.....Two people said it will blast the Brute 750.....and it has all the bells and whistle...I may be worth checking out.

I would likely choose the Suzuki Vinson 500 standard shift over the King....because I can use the gears and pop the clutch....shaft driven clutch and ride a wheely well. I loved the Vinson......500 Standard shift. The only thing I wish it had was DIFF_LOCK.......it doesn't. If it did, I would pick it well over the KING QUAD because of low end response. The Vinson 500 Auto was a weakling in low end as well, but the standard shift chages everthing. I loved it as my as my Brute.....maybe more fun cause of response of the gears, but the DIFF-LOCK is not on it.......Stink!

I hope you benefit from this 40 minute letter. You can post it somewhere if you would like and put like.........Youthguymbc WROTE::..........and the paste it on........my computer won't let me post over a line at a time for some reason.

Anyway, God Bless YOU! The Lord is good. Let me know if I can help in any way.

youthguy

 

It seems that even with the repairs you have had you would still prefer the BF over the yamaha or suzuki. Have you found the independent suspension over the wishbone to work better or worse when going over side hills?