You can't go wrong with the Prairie 650 – it’s one of the best designed machines on the market today! Don't get hung up on the IRS vs. Straight Axel controversy. Both suspensions have their pros and cons – neither suspension is perfect and both suspensions are great.

Now about the "Real World" - I originally owned a Yamaha Grizzly 660 and found out real fast that the Prairies were much faster and better handling machines “for the type of riding we were doing”. We primarily ride open-pit mines that outlived their use back in the late 1800’s and were left for nature to take over. These abandoned quarries will throw everything at you except the kitchen sink. I take that back ‘cause I’ve even found a few sinks that some idiots disposed of down there – any way that’s another topic for another day. I had ridden Yamaha’s for over 30 years, we were even a dealer for 7 years, and it was a hard pill to swallow, but I traded the 660 for a Prairie 650 and discovered that the lower center of gravity, diff lock design and overall handling were superior for the type riding we were doing. The bottom line is to select the machine that best designed for your riding style and the terrain you’ll be ridding. Above all be SAFE!

 

thanks for the input everyone, listen oldmanwhealer, you have mentioned that you have hmf exhaust on your 650. how does it sound and is it just a sound issue or did you get a noticeable difference in power??

 

The HMF provides a great sound without being to loud and it does imporve the overal performance of the 650. I high recommend that you also order the quit core when you get the system and go with the complete system instead of the slip-on. It's worth the extra investment.