Prairie 360
#1
02-18-2002, 11:52 PM
Join Date: Jan 2002
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#2
02-19-2002, 03:19 PM
I have one. I bought it two weeks ago. I have made some comparisons to my rancher.
Price: $4975 + Tax & Registration ($5260 out the door)
Ride: Very plush - front(struts) and rear mono shock. The rear is adjustable, the fronts are not. Much better than my rancher.
Oil Filter: Very easy to get at. It was located at the front and center of the engine with nothing in the way when reaching in there to take it off.
Engine protection: Steel plates instead of plastic. I like it that way. Just my preference
Comfort: Ergonomics when sitting on the quad felt pretty close to my rancher. I was impressed.
4wd switch: It is a rocker switch instead of the push button or slide switch like on the other brands. It is located on top of the handle bar above the throttle lever almost parallel with the ground. It wasn't the easiest to get at with your thumb, like the other brands but it was ok. A light comes on and tells you when you are in 4wd. Shifting on the fly seemed to be OK. The shift from 2wd to 4wd was also very smooth. I couldn't feeling anything when switching between the two. Like the yamaha and new suzuki vinson, 4wd is activated using a servo motor. Only switches when the speed is below 12mph.
Differential lock: Worked great. It couldn't be any easier. Just pull a small lever above the left side brake lever and you are in. When done, let go - It is just like the 650
Shifting: This was one of the easiest shifting automatics that I have driven. Shifting was effortless from H to L to R. A big improvement from the Prairie 300/400 or some of the other brands. There was no sticking sensation or rocking required in order to switch gears. Also, there is a reverse over-ride button on machine. This is located on the left side and is accessible using your thumb. The shifter is located on the right side of the gas tank.
Steering: Whether I was in 2wd or 4wd, I couldn't tell the difference. Steering seemed easy either way.
Oil Cooler: The cooling fins for the oil cooling system was located a foot or so back from the front bumper. It is protected with a screen, but did seem a little to close to the front for my preferences. It may be accessible by branches if you were brush busting with it. To see this better, look at the picture on kawasaki's website. Still not too big of a deal.
Seat removal: This is accomplished by pulling a looped cable at the back of the quad. Once you pull the cable just lift the back end of the seat and pull backwards. Re-installing the seat was easy also. Just insert the tab on the front of the seat into a slot by the gas tank and push the back down and it clicks in. No storage under the seat. Just the battery and air box.
Braking: Disc in Front, sealed oil bathed in rear. Seemed to work well. Engine braking is real good. It is comparable to my rancher in first gear.
Power: The engine seems a little underpowered, but I think I heard this gets better as the belt/engine breaks in - Again I am not an expert at this belt thing, so maybe someone could answer that better. Since there was no speedometer (optional part), I couldn't tell what the top speed is. On take-off, the 360 is faster, but the rancher has a higher top speed.
Handling: The machine handled real well and seemed very stable. I did not get that tipping sensation or nose diving when corning at higher speeds. I will give it an A+ in this department.
Miscellaneous other stuff: There is a warning light for the belt wear or breakage, There is a gas gauge on the tank, which is a plus. The belt housing on the right side did not jab into your leg like some of the other brands and the foot brake lever was easily accessible. One thing I was disappointed about was that it did not have a speedometer or tripmeter. It is available as an upgrade for about $150. I am not quite sure why they did this. I would buy the upgrade just so I can keep track of oil change and tune-up intervals + trip mileage so I don't run out of gas!!!
If you have any more questions, let me know.
Price: $4975 + Tax & Registration ($5260 out the door)
Ride: Very plush - front(struts) and rear mono shock. The rear is adjustable, the fronts are not. Much better than my rancher.
Oil Filter: Very easy to get at. It was located at the front and center of the engine with nothing in the way when reaching in there to take it off.
Engine protection: Steel plates instead of plastic. I like it that way. Just my preference
Comfort: Ergonomics when sitting on the quad felt pretty close to my rancher. I was impressed.
4wd switch: It is a rocker switch instead of the push button or slide switch like on the other brands. It is located on top of the handle bar above the throttle lever almost parallel with the ground. It wasn't the easiest to get at with your thumb, like the other brands but it was ok. A light comes on and tells you when you are in 4wd. Shifting on the fly seemed to be OK. The shift from 2wd to 4wd was also very smooth. I couldn't feeling anything when switching between the two. Like the yamaha and new suzuki vinson, 4wd is activated using a servo motor. Only switches when the speed is below 12mph.
Differential lock: Worked great. It couldn't be any easier. Just pull a small lever above the left side brake lever and you are in. When done, let go - It is just like the 650
Shifting: This was one of the easiest shifting automatics that I have driven. Shifting was effortless from H to L to R. A big improvement from the Prairie 300/400 or some of the other brands. There was no sticking sensation or rocking required in order to switch gears. Also, there is a reverse over-ride button on machine. This is located on the left side and is accessible using your thumb. The shifter is located on the right side of the gas tank.
Steering: Whether I was in 2wd or 4wd, I couldn't tell the difference. Steering seemed easy either way.
Oil Cooler: The cooling fins for the oil cooling system was located a foot or so back from the front bumper. It is protected with a screen, but did seem a little to close to the front for my preferences. It may be accessible by branches if you were brush busting with it. To see this better, look at the picture on kawasaki's website. Still not too big of a deal.
Seat removal: This is accomplished by pulling a looped cable at the back of the quad. Once you pull the cable just lift the back end of the seat and pull backwards. Re-installing the seat was easy also. Just insert the tab on the front of the seat into a slot by the gas tank and push the back down and it clicks in. No storage under the seat. Just the battery and air box.
Braking: Disc in Front, sealed oil bathed in rear. Seemed to work well. Engine braking is real good. It is comparable to my rancher in first gear.
Power: The engine seems a little underpowered, but I think I heard this gets better as the belt/engine breaks in - Again I am not an expert at this belt thing, so maybe someone could answer that better. Since there was no speedometer (optional part), I couldn't tell what the top speed is. On take-off, the 360 is faster, but the rancher has a higher top speed.
Handling: The machine handled real well and seemed very stable. I did not get that tipping sensation or nose diving when corning at higher speeds. I will give it an A+ in this department.
Miscellaneous other stuff: There is a warning light for the belt wear or breakage, There is a gas gauge on the tank, which is a plus. The belt housing on the right side did not jab into your leg like some of the other brands and the foot brake lever was easily accessible. One thing I was disappointed about was that it did not have a speedometer or tripmeter. It is available as an upgrade for about $150. I am not quite sure why they did this. I would buy the upgrade just so I can keep track of oil change and tune-up intervals + trip mileage so I don't run out of gas!!!
If you have any more questions, let me know.
#3
02-19-2002, 11:18 PM
Join Date: Jan 2002
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#4
02-19-2002, 11:45 PM
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