Ok, I've ridden quads before, but nothing real technical, just family friendly trails. I finally got a chance to take my new bf750 on a good trail.

Went to Utah and rode the Paiute sidetrails, well it was going well for a few hours, then on the way to what they (map) describe as a difficult trail, i started sliding sideways, and the brakes caught and over the side i went. Nothing broken on me except my pride, and then trying to figure out how to put the bf back on four wheels. Darn thing is heavy to lift by yourself!

Anyway, my bf750 is totally stock, any recommendations on how to remedy this tippy problem? I plan on doing trail riding the most, tires and wheels seem to be the easiest fix, any good recommendations without making the situation worse? I've read that "C" tires add some offset...making it wider?

also, for the rest of the trip i felt anytime i was off camber i was going to tip over sideways, i hate that feeling!!!

Another thing i learned is to check the tire pressure where I'm at, not from home where it's 2000ft. Shoot at 10,000ft the pressures where almost double!!! I'm sure that doesn't help. ohhh, and those stock tires slide like crazy.

thanks for any help

 

The 750 takes a little bit of getting used to. Riding it is a little more technical than most machines. This is why a good rider on a 750 will be better than a good rider on anything else.
Yes, wheels and tires will do wonders, especially on Kawasaki's. The brutes are too narrow with the stock tires and wheels. I am getting rather good with my stockers, therefore, it will be even better with new tires and wheels. I think it is the single best improvement on any machine. After new tires get ready for much improved grip and get used to them before hitting technical trails. Like bbertram says,"just keep trying, it will get easier"

 

I was warned by the dealer and lifetime rider, of my 07 750, that the IRS takes some getting used to, and can be pretty "tippy". He recommended ITP Mudlights in the stock size, as a start. I don't know if it helps, but I didn't think my 750 felt that tippy, it handles much different than a SRA, but I expected that. It handles rocks really well, and power slides just fine in corners at speed. The mudlights throw a lot of rocks! I had excellent traction on dry dusty, rocky, and loose gravel trails.

I'd guess your tires, and tire pressure was probably your most contributing factor. Because of the warning from my dealer, I used more body english, than I normally, would in most turns, just to be sure. I've only got 59miles on mine so far. I expect that over time, I'll get more used to how it handles, and can adjust from there. I imagine that you will become more used to how to ride yours the more you ride it.

 

I just did 500 miles on the Paiute trail in the middle of July on my BF750 and did not have any problems. My sister in law and 11 year old son tipped over. Neither were hurt and the quads are fine, but it's a rough trail in certain sections. The BF750 like all IRS quads takes a little bit of time to learn what you can and can't do. The key is to ride a lot and challange yourself in safe places (like sand) to get a feel of what the machine will do. I have added a few mods to mine that help out. C-series rims and bighorn radial tires. I also added a jet kit and the Copperhead VDI.

Both of our tip overs were rider error. Both were essentially the same, riding too high on the side of a trail to avoid something in the middle of the trail which they both landed on anyways as they were bailing off.

The VDI has really helped whipping the rear end around and has allowed a more linear throttle response. Practice good riding techniques by shifting your body weight and don't be afarid to break traction with a quick jab of the throttle. In the right conditions a little throttle will save your skin.

Ride=Practice=Skills=Safety=Fun

 

New shoes will give you another inch or more of stance, which doesnt sound like much, but helps tremendousley!

 

The Brute sits higher than most (if not all) quads so that tippy feeling takes some getting used to. However what you should do is practice on some simple off-camber situations where you won’t get hurt if it tips over (like the side of a bank along a trail). I think you will be surprised just how much of an angle you get that machine into before it really tips over.

ITP “C” Series wheels (I’m using black type 7's) help by widening your stance a little (at the expense of losing some mud protection especially if you put wider tires on it). I run 26x12x12’s on the rear and 26x10x12’s on the front (GBC Dirt Devils) just like I do on my Grizzly.

Then finally if you upgrade your shocks (I went all the way and put Elka’s on mine) it will lower the machine a couple of inches (at the cost of losing some ground clearance while at the same time giving you a little more suspension travel and a better ride). Now if you look at my machine from the rear with me sitting on it, the rear A-arms are almost level instead of in an inverted “V”. This lowering, plus stiffer 6 ply tires, plus the “C” Series wheels offset all add up to a more stable machine, especially at speed.

BTW I had my Brute on the Paiute last year too (check out my photo link in my sig) and it did really well, no rejetting necessary. The only problem I had was a double black rated trail that went down this steep canyon wall, a series of many sharp switchbacks. I got off and walked my machine down. If was off camber (not dangerously so) however that sitting high feeling on the edge of a near cliff (I'd say about 800' down) was beyond my comfort zone...

 

i agree 100% it was user error.

I'm not that proud to admit my inexperience with the bf caused me to panic and not do the right thing which was give it gas or brake with front and rear (stupidly i wasn't in 4x4 mode). i was trying to exagerate my lean to the upside, but when i started sliding i hit the rear foot brake, which changed my center of gravity and when the the slide stopped and the brake caught it just "launched" me over.

 

That reminds me of another situation I found myself in with my Brute. I was on a trail that went around the side of a large coal pile going slightly uphill (about 1/2 way up the pile). There was one point on the loose, slightly off-camber trail where my rear-end lost traction and begin to spin sideways (and off the side of the hill). I was in 2WD at the time, so I switched it to 4WD and got off the machine to lighten it so it would stay on the trail while it went forward enough for the 4WD to hook up, then I was able to get back on and continue without a problem.

This delay in 4WD engagement (the need to roll forward a few feet) is something you have to plan ahead for. If you find yourself stuck in a 2WD situation where you can't move forward at all, you will not be able to engage 4WD to help you out, so if you are in any doubt at all about the traction situation, get it in 4WD while you still can, don't wait until it's too late. My Grizzly on the other hand has instant engagement, just push the button (even if stopped) and the 4WD will hook up right away...

 

Hey guys,
Definitely some good advice about practicing with the machine in a safe setting to learn how it will react. I would agree with the after market tires for the Brute. I put ITP C series and 26" Mudlites on mine and the difference in rock and side-to-side movement is night and day. Even with the shocks set as tight as they'll go with the stock tires feels like a ton of play in the suspension on corners. With the ITP rims and tires with the shocks set as light as they'll go still feels rock solid with very little side-to-side movement.
The only thing that is also very noticeable to me is how much take-off power I lost when going to the ITP rims and tires. Not sure if you would notice this if you stay with the stock tire size. I am probably going to get a VDI module to hopefully get it back to that original power feel with the after market rims and tires. I have the 10" Mudlites up front and the 12" in the rear. They do stick out a good 3-4 inches further than the stocker's but you can now buy aftermarket fender flares to cut down on the slinging mud. Here's the link:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...ayphotohosting

 

well thanks for all the advice guys, looks like practice and a new set of wheels/tires is in the works. Wheels i can handle (looks like some nice C-series type 7) but i need to do a serious search on this site for some good rubber to put on them. I'm leaning to some radials...

Once again thanks to all