Well, I made my first Kawasaki purchase(s) yesterday in the form of an 05 and 06 Bayou 250. I think I made a good choice on some solid, basic machines. I plan to use them for farting around on the land and casual trail riding. I noticed with Kawasaki's compared to Honda and Suzuki (the only brands i've had extensive riding experience on) they like to be revved a bit higher. it seems like the power range on kawasaki engines is higher than the low to mid power range of honda and suzuki that i am used to.

i really look forward to learning on these machines. they seem fun so far! Is there anything I neede to know about the bayou 250's that i should be aware of?

 

No problems that I am aware of. They basically went unchanged for years and they are pretty bullitproof. My stepson had one for years and I think all he did to it was a plug, oil change, and new tires!! Good luck and congrats on the new bikes!

 

Im currently in the same situation.

What made you pick the Kawasaki Bayou 250 over say the Suzuki Ozark 250 or the Honda Recon 250 (the other two Im considering)?

 

ran rich from the factory, went to a hotter plug. I carry a spare with me. Don't rev or drive it with the choke on, you will foul the plug.

Front drum brakes are not sealed and once wet/muddy will not work. I had to take the actuator arm off and adjust it forward to give it more throw after a while; still sucks wet/muddy. Clean the brakes regularly (pull off drum).

Keep the air cleaner cleaned and oiled with air filter oil; I wouldn't use motor oil, not the same. I change the oil, filter and diff oil yearly.
Not great ground clearance so watch what you straddle. When I've been stuck it was caught in the middle.

My guess on why Bayou over Ozark or Recon - found a deal on the used Bayous. Am I right? My '06 Recon is much better than my '07 Bayou IMO (comfort, steering, power ranges).

Ride Hard.

 

> If your jetting seems rich, try the 03 setting.

> Do not use high gear when riding slow. You will burn/melt your semi-auto clutch parts - egine oil gets really HOT when clutches slip due to too much load. Always use the right gear for that speed.

> Do not shift into reverse when quad is moving. You must completely stop before using reverse, else you will bend the reverse shift fork.

> Check your (+) cable between coming from battery under the seat. It might get pinched between the seat and the frame, causing shorting.

> Oil cooler might be a good idea to prevent oil getting too hot.

 

thanks for all the tidbits, fellas! i will take them to heart. and yes, i got the bayous after i saw a good deal, but then i did some research on them just to make me feel better.

on another note, i did have a dream that i bought a new brute force 750 the other night.....maybe theres more kawi in my future haha

 

Hey, maybe it's time for you to change your logo to something green.