I live on 200 acres (mostly farmland) so I'll need a quad to do chores around the farm. Mostly hauling wood, rocks, fertilizer, etc. so I think I really need a utility. However, my friends I'll be riding with in parks around the state have sport quads (400 ex, warrior, 300 ex) so I'll need something that will go everywhere they go and have fun doing it (tow their butts out when they get stuck!). I've heard great things about the prairie 650's sportiness but most of the people (salesmen, and friends) I talk with think the kodiak 450 would be a little better with these guys. It's a little lighter, more nimble, etc. What is everyone take here? What are the pros and cons to each for my dilemma. It has to get the chores around the home done but be able to play well with others! Thanks for the input.
PH

 

PILOTHOUSE;
The Kawi will both out-work and out-play the Kodiak hands down! It's so much more powerful and will tow more. The speed and acceleration of the Kawi , will show your riding buddies only your tail-light. The power to weight ratio of the Kawi , rivals some sport quads...the Kodiak does not. The kawi is 600+lbs yes, but take it from me...it feels MUCH lighter. The Kawi will wheelie like a savage and keep going untill you run out of gas...or nerve. The kawi will probably out do-nut any other quad made ( A guy on this forum with a Raptor says his KawiP650 does way better do-nuts than the Raptor). probably because of the auto tranny and monster power! The Kawi will power slide around corners at insane speeds and still pull like train coming out of em ... a kodiak will not haul *** like this thing can. The salesmen and your friends that gave you thier opinion are wrong. Go ride them both and you will see what I'm talking about. The Kawi P650 is in my opinion the best DO-IT-ALL bike out there right now. The Kodiak looks like a class winner but the P650 is a whole other class and to compare the two is probably unfair. The Kawi is MUCH sportier, and a stronger work rig, no question!!!


ROB

 

I ride the 650 kawasaki and love it. It will work hard for you on your farm and at the same time give you all the pep you need to keep up with the sport quads you ride with.

My wife just got 450 Yamaha a couple weeks ago. It is lighter than the 650 and is very nimble. I haven't rode it a lot. What little experience I have had with it I find it to be very much under powered compared to the 650 Kaw. If I had to totally give up my 650 Kawasaki to ride the 450 Yamaha, I would be one very unhappy camper. Don't get me wrong, my wife loves her 450 Yamaha, and I think the 450 Yamaha is a good quad, but after riding the 650 kaw there is no comparison.

For a big bore quad the 650 Kaw a very nimble, hard working and fast quad. Everyone needs to ride the 650 Kawi, at least one time, just to find out what they are missing out on.

 

Thanks guys, that's the kinda stuff I like to hear! I know they both will prbably do the work I ask of it, I just want make sure I can keep up with those guys and go almost everywhere they can. I know I won't spend the time they will on the mx tracks and in the air but I felt pretty confident the p650 could climb the hills, and ride the trails with them! Also, is there any after market parts I'll need to keep up with them in the parks? (i.e. skid plates, the black spring, tires)
Thanks,
PH

 

it sounds like the salesmen are just trying to up their sales of those crap yamies. cuase there is no better all a round quad then the priairie 650.
believe it or not the p650 has more towing capacity then a 4x4 S-10 blazer.beleive me you'll be able to pull your broke down friends home like a frieght train, in fact you'll be able to pull them all at the same time,then be able to do the chores, and ride a wheelie while you do them.
this ain't your daddies bigred.

 

Well as far as the quads you ride with you should have no problem. The P650 is faster than a modded warrior and 300ex darn close to the 400ex and is easily made faster than a piped 400ex by adding black spring air filter bigger snorkle and an exhaust with a dyno jet kit. I have mine tuned right now to run side by side with a piped raptor.(until i run out of speed at 65 or so). For your riding applications i would run a sportier tire as the stockers suck. Run either the Maxxis all trac or ITP ATR. If you want to spend less money the All Tracs are the winner. Also better in the mud than the ATR's. Atr's have slightly better dry hard pack/sand traction. THen if you want even better high speed handling/cornering a set of progressive front springs does the trick nicely.

As far as working goes the prairie does that great too. I am always yet suprised as to what these things can pull. For sheets and Grins the other day i bet my step dad i could pull his car with the brakes on. (honda civic) And to my suprise it took a little to get it moving but after it started sliding away i went. Lets just say a few peoples jaws were laying on the ground. LOL

Trust me youll love your prairie.

 

I really can't add a better endorsement than what has been said. I have had both machines and I feel the P650 is the better machine hands down. The kodiak is a great machine. I was very pleased with it but after straddling the P650 the choice is clear.... it has gobs more power, much more stable, front locker, sealed rear brake and the list goes on. Not only is it loaded with features but the price is very comparable. If you do a liitle research you can buy a new P650 for a few bucks more than the kodiak.

 

Dash, you're right, with the incentives kawi is running right now I can get a non-camo prarie for the same price as a camo kodiak. To me, for an extra $100-$500 why wouldn't you get the prairie, it seems like it would more than make up for that on trade-in. You all seem to concur with all the articles I've read, I was just wondering why the salesmen have pushed the kodiak so much??? Thanks for all the input eveyone, I feel fairly certain the prairie is my choice, just need to find the rught deal (& and some money!)
Thanks everyone,
PH

 

Pilothouse, if the bit about a ute not climbing came from the same source as the 450 being better than the 650 give those guys some advice; try Exlax! If you go with a P650 once you get a little experience you will be climbing hills they can't. The Prairie has great weight distribution as well as being 4x4, it can get ugly when a 2x4 loses traction on a steep hill. A lot of people judge the 650 by the other big utes out there, it is a far cry from any of them.

 

Thanks 3TV, very informative. Now, throw the Grizzly into the mix, how does that fair in comparison? I know it seem a lot bigger than the prairie, that's why I have steered away from it. What do you think, could it hang with the others? Is it sporty enough to do those things? What are it's good and bad points? Thanks again for that great insight!
PH