Pros cons ?????Thanks

 

Do a search on this forum. You will find many post with useful information about the differences of the two(pros & cons).

 

Let see if I can remember all these. I test drove both of these in the same park lot. My friend has had one and we have worked on his 660 a lot together.

Prairie pros - Power Power POWER! And a lot smoother power too.
-On the fly diff lock. No limter (sux on griz).
-Reverse rev limter override (no override on griz, really sux).
-Better front and rear brakes.
-Easier to fix and maintain (I know firsthand).
-Overall more trouble free (with the exception of the belt).
-Belt water performance, griz gets water in the belt easy. My friend gets water in the crankcase easier, but I don't know why yet.
-Better side hill stability.
-Better sport riding stability.
-Seat is firmer for better application of body english.
-Much more low end torque for pushing big tires
-Stock wheels are inexpensive, aftermarket wheels work well on 650.
-racks appear to be a bit stronger.
-Waterproof starage box.

Prairie cons
-lower belt life. But, it can be increased with the black driven spring and proper adjustment.
-sucky tires (the 660 tires are probably just as bad)

-Black plastic trim tends to break easy.

660 pros
-Dif lock stays on without holding it on.
-IRS is a plus for better ground clearance. THIS IS THE SINGLE THING ABOUT THE GRIZ I SOMETIMES REALLY WISH MY 650 HAD.
-Easier steering (mine isn't bad, but the 660 is easier)
-Softer seat for sore fannies.
-Longer belt life due to clutch design

660 cons
-Floorboard supports (steel) are weak and crack.
-Engine heats up carb and tank causing fuel to boil in tank (only in some states) Depends on fuel content, riding habits. No deaths or fires have been reported, but it still sux.
-Clutch heats up oil and depsits abrasive materials in the engine oil.
-Wheels are not common spacing, you have to suffer with wide spacing or get stock ones. Stock wheels are more than double the cost of Prairie wheels.
-Front brake shoes wear faster.
-The shifter is DEFINITELY not as good as the one on the 650.
-Seating position is not as good for riding sporty, gas tank shape impeeds effective leaning sometimes.
-Plastic breakage, the floorboards break easy, and they are fairly expensive since you break a much larger piece than you do on the 650.
-Plastic skid plates on the griz are harder to remove and seem flaky to me.
-Harder to change oil.
-660 cv boots aren't as well protected.
-660 picks up rocks, sticks and ice chunks and holds them inside the front A-Arms quite a lot. You have to get off and remove stuff a whole lot more.


Things that don't really matter one way or the other, not much difference:
-fuel tank slightly bigger on 660.
-displays tend to be good either way.
-They both seem to be pretty good at working hard (except for the gas boiling problem).
-They both overheat when the radiator is clogged.
-Winches fit ok in them.

 

It really has been talked about a lot. I can't see why anyone would get a griz over a 650.

But heck, if all I did was ride deep ruts, I would get something IRS, otherwise STOP ASKING AND GO GET THE 650!

I'm not yelling, I just accidentally bumped the caps lock.

 

NROC,

How is your 650 in deep snow or snow for that matter? I am not going to be doing much work with it mostly up hills, in snow, mud, and blaze through the trails.( may plow some snow) I have heard that the Grizz is made mush better and is a heck of a lot more reliable. Any help especially the snow question would be appreciated. I have looked at your site. Pretty sweet PICS. After "floating there" in the mud what did you have to do to your 650 when you were pulled out to make her run right again?

 

1. I never found any deep snow last year. My 660 friend did find some, but it doesn't appear that IRS is important in snow, since his scrambler does just as well if not better in the snow than the 660. You just need good tires and warm gloves.

2. The Prairie is a heck of a lot more reliable than the 660, and every part of it appears to have been made to last longer, with the exception of the belt, since the 660 has a separate wet clutch. But, the belt takes 1/3 as long to change on the Prairie. Much easier. The 660 oil turns black much much faster than 650 oil. It gets burned by the clutch and get abrasive particles in the oil. You appear to have heard it backwards. Kawasaki makes things solid, generally better than Yamaha. Kawasaki has a better track record.

3. My 650 did not need any work after that float. It was in deeper than the picture shows. I was sitting back to keep the front up. The belt got wet, but I revved it in neutral and the belt dried out, and I rode the rest of the day. No water anywhere else.

 

NYROC,

Thanks for the info...Any complaints other than belt at all? You don't find not having IRS a big drawback? What is it's main purpose? Also I hear the Grizz an tear through the mud much better? And finally mine would be an 03' any changes they have made for the better? Sorry for all the questions but this will be my first quad..Also not a very mechanical person....Thanks a ton.

Thanks

 

The only real advantage to the 660 IRS is ground clearance, so riding in deep, hard ruts is much better on IRS. The 650 has better big tire turning power, so it is better in sticky stuff. I put 28" mudzillas on my 650 and it made all the grizlies without aggressive tires look very stupid. IRS rides smooth, but the 650 rides so well that it is not a factor. If ther isn't a hard lump between ruts, the 650 has the mud advantage due to more power and no rev limit on reverse or with the diff lock. Those two things can be extremely discouraging on the griz. You basically can't back up the 660 in super sticky, and you can't spin the tires in the super sticky. Huge mud disadvantages. Both of these problems can be altered if you aren't afraid to modify.

The 650 may want stiffer front springs if your plow is really heavy.
The stock tires on the 650 really do suck, so get something else (26" is a good size) like a bearclaw or a titan 589 before you take it home. Stock wheels are fine. No lift kit needed.

 

nyroc....I always appreciate your comments. Your always able to back up your statements.

I was set on getting a Grizz. I had a kodiak and loved it. so naturally the Grizz was an obvious choice. I was about to plunk down the cash for a beige Grizz when I decided to test drive the P650. Wow. Needless to say the P650 sits in my garage. The P650 just fit my riding style much better than the Grizz

 

I was dead set to get the griz, but the salesman said not till you test drive a 650 first. I knew I liked the 650 better, but it took me a couple of weeks of chewing on it. I had never owned a kawasaki and I asked around and started reading forums. These Forums are a heck of a lot more informative than a dealer, since you basically only talk to one guy who may be biased. You get a really good idea after you read a whole bunch of oppinions, biased ot not.