Here is my new changed opinion (absolutely no bashing intended in this post):

Well, I'd first like to say that I thought and always posted that choosing between the 660 griz and P650 was a personal preference thing. After riding today, I've since changed my mind big time. I thought for sure that the grizzly with more ground clearance would outmud the prairie 650 in the deep nasty mud. Nope! I couldn't believe it. There was this very muddy swamp area, rutted up pretty good. I went through first with the 650. I had it in 3x4 and was going good. Then I began to lose momentum so I grabbed a handfull of diff lock and it kept on pulling. I barely made it out. Then the grizz 660 went. It had diff lock on. It didn't do so well. It made it about 3/4 of the way though, but the tires were so caked up with mud and it couldn't spin the tires fast enough to get the mud off the tires (diff lock speed limiter). Stuck. Now you're probably thinking that I rutted it up real good the first time through so that is why the grizz didn't make it. So I went through again in the same line. I just made it through. I was thowing 4x4 rooster tails like you wouldn't believe. Both bikes were stock as well. I will say, however, that if the 660 diff lock limiter was overrided, it may have been a different story. But I'm talking stock vs. stock. The P650 handled great and ran awesome. My choke cable is disconnected at the handlebars, and I think it ran better today.

The grizzly is an awesome machine. If I'd ride on rocks, then I would need the irs ground clearance. I personally don't. Now that I got a chance to compare the two in riding conditions, I really do think the Prairie is better. The brakes are better, no vibrations, smooth power delivery, I love the footpegs on the floorboards, tons of low end power, low center of gravity (good on off cambers) and the diff lock is far superior.

 

You guys race to 60 mph or so in a drag?

 

No. I wish we would have though.

 

What kind of tires did you have on either. I know the Grizzly stockers suck, and the Prairies probably do as well.

 

Both had stock tires. The tires aren't that good, especially compared to the stockers on the Sportsman 700.

 

Yep, the 700 easily has the best stock setup. Better than the 26" Crapwaters that come with the Traxter XT. My grizzly stockers are worthless for anything other than dirt roads and pavement. Which of course is why they are in the garage stacked up until I get in the mood to drive that way.

 

<< Crapwaters >>


lol.

Yea, I have a set of 27&quot; 589s being ordered as a second set. I have my eye on those 489 or 489 XT tires to replace my stockers once they go bald.

 

I have to agree with 92LT one hundred percent. I thought for sure there would be no way the 650 could hang with the 660 in deep mud. I rode both this weekend through the same mud hole. The Grizz had 28&quot; 589 AT's and the 650 had 27&quot; 589 MT's. I took different lines, but the mud &quot;consistancy&quot; was the same each time I went through. The Kawi has a lot less ground clerance, but more than makes up for it with INCREDIBLE wheel speed. (granted, 27&quot; will allow for slightly faster wheel speed than 28&quot I was impressed when it went through every time easier than the Grizz. I was using diff lock on both every time. I will say that I was completely against thinking about the 650 before b/c I wanted extra GC for mudding, but this ride showed me GC isn't everything.

I still am picking up a new Grizz today as a matter of fact. The ride is MUCH better than the 650 at normal to slow technical riding paces and diff lock is better IMO if you can just push the button and forget about it. Case and point, my girlfriend took the Kawi through the hole (didn't get on it enough to get through and didn't grab the diff lock of course) and got stuck - NO...STUCK. After hooking up to her with the Grizz's winch I asked her to grab the locker and use her winch to help get extra pull on the Kawi. Then she screamed &quot;I can't, I only have two hands&quot;. Then I thought, oh yea stupid, you can only use the gas and winch. I also think the Grizz is better in a situation where you just can't give her everything she has at once. Let's say in a mud rut with trees close on each side for example. The grizz will probably crawl through easier.

Overall it comes down to where you ride and which suits your preferences. In the open mud holes where nothing is close you can run into, I think the kawi is great. It's definitely more fun to ride fast. One concern I had with it was that it tended to make a chirping sound when the diff lock engaged and disengaged, even from a slow take off.

Most of my riding is either in deep mud water or in deep woods and large rock filled trails. I think the Grizz is better suited for slower riding and that is why I'm still going with it. My only worry is about the water proofing. I know the Kawi is better in that area as well.

With either you better hang on for sure!