How is everyones 650 holding up? Any new problems to report, or have they been problem free since the day you got it?

 

Almost problem free. After 500 miles, the shift linkage needed adjustment. My friend says he can't even find a the correct spot to adjust the shifter on his 660, and continues to dislike his shifter. he thinks he can modify it.

I have broken the black trim around the front left wheel, but I use goop, with fibrous reinforcing cloth to fix it. My friend's 660 has cost a whole lot more money in plastic damage (even if I replaced stuff I broke), since the 660 tends to easily break the rather expensive large plastic running boards.

The belt has stayed in perfect adjustment for 500 miles, half of which are on 28" tires. My friend's 660 belt has been equally perfect.

The quad is very cold blooded and runs really lean until warmed up. The 660 is equally as bad.

I have had quite a lot of winch problems, but I bet your not concerned. The winch location is better on the 660.

The 660 guy broke his hitch, which is poorly designed, and not really in a good located on the quad.
The 660 stores about 3 times as much twigs, seaweed, mud, leaves and crap as the 650 after a dirty ride in the suspension and skid plates.

I took weeks to decide between the 650 and the 660 for me. After riding with the 660 for so many miles, my oppinion has not changed, I like the 650 just a little better that the 660.

Although it seems that kawi is putting cheap belts that squeal on some peoples new 650, the dealer replaces those and the 650 works great after that. I feel that yamaha has cleaned up their manufacturing quality on the 660 a little better than kawi.

The 660 and 650 seem to have the same high speed power, the 650 has a whole lot more low speed power. The 660 shakes so bad that bolts come loose. The 650 does not shake. The rear brakes on the 650 are better, I like the diff lock on the 650 a bit better. I feel the 650 is a slight bit better in deep water, less likely to get the belt wet. I like the ground clearance better on the 660, although my 650 is still actually better everywhere except for the rear diff sticking down.

The more I ride with the 660, the more I feel that IRS ride is not important to me at all, the 650 rides great. The ground clearance of the 660 (he has big tire too) is the only thing I really miss not having on the 650.

 

wow, thanks for the side by side comparison. I was just thinking how i wish i could ride both of these quads to decide which one i want. I thought i was decided onthe grizz, but now i'm not sure. i like the IRS on the grizz, which os what i thought i made my decision on. My cousin says that he doesn't know much about the kawi's, so told me to go with the grizz. The only time i rode the grizz was on a 1/4 mile stretch of road, so i didn't really get to feel the machine out. I didn't even ride the kawi. The reason i am so uneasy about wich one to get is because i don't want to screw up again. i started my quad career with a yamaha beartracker, i loved it and beat the p!ss out of it. Than, i just bought a suzuki 500, what a mistake that was. It goes no more that 5 mph faster than the beartracker, boy was i disappointed. I got it because the price was good, now i have to sell it, and i'm gonna lose about $1000 on the resale. So that is why i am erie about which quad to buy.

 

Owner satisfaction of both quads is really high. I always like honda, from a street bike perspective, and hated yamaha's.

However, from all the quads I know, I have begun liking yamaha more than honda, mainly because honda is so slow to offer what I want.

Anyway, it took a lot of reading around about how good kawasaki's are constructed to convince me it was safe to get one, since the test drive sold me on the 650.

I really feel that kawasaki puts a bit more quality into their design than yamaha does. I do not feel I am biased in any way, and would trade for a yamaha in 10 seconds if I like their product better. I love the griz and kodiak too. But after having some kawasaki Prairie's lately, I honestly like their quality a bit more than yamaha. Feature wise, I still like the 650 better, but that could be different with someone else's needs.

But, that said, the 660 owners like theirs (except farmers and other heavy worker types, the 660 does have some disadvantages that do not factor into recreational use), and I think you will be much happier with either one than the other stuff you mentioned you had.

 

hey, mind if i stump ya. well here i go. just before i rolled me p650 it wound run and stay running but not all the time. after i rolled it it starts and runs for a little bit but then dies. i had clean the cab. it has k&n filter change the oil change plugs and it continues to do the same. iwas just wondering if anyone come across not staying running?

 

ignore6969
check out your tank, petcock, fuel filter, and fuel lines. sounds like the roll may have knocked some trash loose and allowed fuel to flow ontil it gets sucked back into place.

 

I am on my first Kaw after several Yamahas.I have to agree the Kaw has been as good or better in alot of ways and a tad more work in other ways.I went ahead and replaced my belt at 500 miles because it was already barking on take off and I run stock size tires....always have.I am now at 1500 miles (1k on replacement belt and am on the last shim.The last Yamaha I had was a 2000 Kodiak...it was a VERY good machine.IMO the most for the $$$ in the 400 class.In 3k miles I NEVER.....I mean NEVER touched the belt.I did however have to replace the water pump and the choke spring....the early ones had water pump issues.....no drain hose on the seep hole.
I have spent many miles on a Grizz and in a straight line they are great.....love the way they take bumps but hit the corners and forget it.I am like NYROC....the more I ride the 650 the more I am not sure IRS is for me.Now having said that I would like to ride an Outlander to see if theirs is as good as the mags say.I just don't see myself ever buying something made by a french company......this is for my own personal reasons.
If the Japs would come up with an IRS that cornered real well then I might consider it.But I will say after having the 650 I just don't see myself going down in power.I rode my buddies 450 Kodiak the other day and it felt like a dog after being used to the 650.
I still have a strong tie to Yamaha and would buy another in a min.Maybe the 660 in a Kodiak chassis???
Not bloody likely but we can always dream.Look at what you get on a 450 Kodiak vs a 400 Rancher dollar for dollar.
02 650 camo

 

thanks i will try that on sat. and let you know if it works thanks again