I test drove a 650 last year and I loved it - the acceleration and handling! At that time I made up my mind that I wanted to get one asap. But all these posts about problems with the belts and clutches have scared me. I don't want to spend this much money on something that will be breaking down so soon, especially when my current machine (Prairie 400) has been trouble free for the 5 years I have had it. The engine cooling issues have me scared too. I also have a friend that puchased one not too long ago, and he's had problems starting and idling - especially in the cold weather. The dealer couldn't figure out the problem, so they replaced the original jets with aftermarket ones, and this fixed it for the most part, but it's still a problem every so often. He also has belt squeaking problems when he takes off. Is there anything anyone can say too calm my fears? Are these problems really common? I love the machine, but if it's going to be a lot of headaches, I won't get it. Sorry for the long post!

 

I don't represent Kawasaki, nor am I brand loyal. But you must realize that there have been many many many 650's sold (I am sure the numbers are somewhere). I am sure that the people on here with problems represent a minority of the total number of owners. Also, people who get really pissed off about something are the ones who scream the loudest. After all, if you owned your Prairie 400 for 5 years with no troubles, then you were not likely on a message board looking for fixes.

The 650 is a a very performanc oriented utility quad. It is likely that a higer percentage of them are used for sport and see more abuse than say a Prairie 300 2wd, or a Big Bear 2wd.

I feel that my only serious problem was a blown main fuse. That has never happended again, but could happen to anything.

If you want one, get it, treat it like you did your 400 and you should receive similar service from it.

 

I have had my 650 for over a year now. The only regret is keeping the lousy Dunlops. I have had the belt adjusted once($30.00). I have 1200 km on this machine and would purchase another in an instant( the belt is still in excellent shape). It's fast, handles well, good on gas, and an overall blast to drive. What more could you ask for?
I think sometimes people join these forums just to bitch and complain and create negative energy.
You won't regret buying this machine only, perhaps, that you didn't do it sooner.

 

My experience owning the P-650 has been a good one. I have had NO failures(knock on wood) in 600 miles/70 hrs.

 

All I have had is a leaky radiator and that wasn't even there fault. Other than that it is a great machine not a problem at all.

 

The 650 is a great machine that will give you years of service. Most of the guys on this forum are mechanics (or some engineers like Alltoy and Nyroc )who enjoy taking care of their machines and giving them that little EXTRA Care and enhancement.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img] We like building up a great machine like the P650. Their is some who may get that one lemon, but I personally think from reading their posts they are just to picky and cause most of the problems.

Basiclly go for it get you a atv.....live is just to short...(to ride anything else but a P650)


p.s. I don't have any affliation with Kawa. (In fact they better make a Z650! @amn it.)

 

i say get it, i had a chance to ride one and the power is awesome, the best take off power in the industry. No IRS, but mabey that's better anyways

 

The problems w/ the 650 are avoidable. First off, buy a service manual. You'll feel more confident and comfortable about working on the 650 for any type (small or large) repairs. Get to know the bike and do work to it yourself for two reasons: 1) You have personal satisfaction that it was done properly and not buy some dummy, and (2) You're gonna get hosed...bent over...at the dealer as far as $$$ goes, and the people doing it don't have that much more of a clue than yourself. If you have the manual, you have everything except the Kawi tools that they have to do what you pay through the nose for at the dealer.

Belt - Drive in low gear if your doing bumpy trail riding that is under 20-25 mph. It reduces belt wear and is actually more fun due to the torque that is produced in Low Range. Don't worry about the engine revving, she'll pull to 40 mph in low with hurting this motor. If you're going over 30 mph, use high. Also pull the belt cover off periodically to check the belt deflection and clean out belt area using compressed air. This should just be part of routine maintenance...

Clutches - No problems at all that I'm aware of, except that groves are being worn in clutch faces b/c of improper riding. This can be avoided by paying attention to conditions within the clutch itself when you clean it. People are replacing clutch springs, but that is just personal preference, kinda like tires, piping, jetting and other performance mods that make it run better than stock (but those are for personal reasons, this machine doesn't require this mod...they also help in belt wear too I think). Again...it's just easy, routine maintenance.

Engine cooling - This is a problem...only if routine maintenance is not followed. The radiator does get packed with mud at times, depending on riding areas. And yes the fan runs more frequently than other quads, but this is normal for this machine for sure. This isn't your ordinary ATV. Remember, this machine has more Torque than any other ATV. It also has twice the amount of cylinders and power that most other machines have. Obviously, with this power-plant, given how it runs, will run hotter than other machines. That means that: the fan will run more, yes. the radiator will be hotter b/c of hotter coolant, yes. hotter radiator means more mud drying instantly on it, yes. clogged radiator fins equal poor cooling and overheating problems, yes. These can all be avoided (most of the time) by throughly cleaning the radiator from front to back making sure ALL mud is out. You'll be surprised how much continues to come out when you do it. A coolant additive also may help reducing overall engine temps. Sometimes on long rides w/ lots of mud your SOL (crap outta luck), thats when a 12volt pump comes in handy. But I don't think that these problems are exclusive to this machine. Just look at the properties of this beast and see if you can blame it for running hot at times.

Starting - She's a cold blooded beast. She likes the choke on first start, even on warmer summer days. She'll run for 30 seconds at normal temps before she starts coughing, then just ease off the choke with a little bit of throttle and she's good to go. Some (select batch) machines have had problems with choke cables sticking, but there are 5 of us w/ 650's purchased from the same dealer within 1 year and none have had a choke problem.

With this kind of power...the belt will surely wear down, as will belts and brakes on every other quad. But the performance that you get from this quad is unachievable with other standard one-banger ATV. The general maintenance is nothing if you truly appreciate the power and capabilities of this quad. Especially after dropping $$$...on it...but don't worry about scratches, this isn't a show ATV. She's gonna get some dings and scratches, thats the name of the game.

 

The only two issues I've had are the shift linkage needing adjustment - did that myself with no problem, and two of the screws in the mudflaps coming loose and falling off. The screws didn't pose a problem and I just replaced them using nylock nuts. Both are trivial and I would argue the shift linkage is basic maintainence as the machine wears in.

I haven't had a belt or clutch issue, but I spend a lot of my time in low. I've towed and plowed with it quite a bit, with no noticable wear on the belt. Just clean out the cover as part of your regular maintainance.

I'm chomping at the bit as we're going to DE this weekend and will be getting a bunch of riding time.

Peace,
Sgt_Rock

 

Smittywood, I dunno if this was already stated cuz I quickly scanned the other responses, but if you compare the problems with the p650 compared to every other 4x4 out there, you will see that the problems with the p650 are minimal in comparison. Don't get scared off by the discussions that you read from us. So far I have not been able to determine any major design flaws with the p650 and that is very important when spending close to $7000. Many of us sit in front of a computer all day and like to yap and share about the minor problem we have experienced, but you should notice by now that all of us p650 owners are very happy with our machines. The minor flaws (ie Tires, belt and linkage adj) are all things that can be easily fixed if they do become a problem. The p650 is far from being a headache and should be just as reliable as your p400.

So my advise...go out and get yourself a p650!