Ditto on the plastic.

Secondary clutch needs to be similar to Polaris'. So we can change our Helix's to fit our riding style, would save belts. Black springs help, but not enough.

Primary clutch A+
Secondary cluitch D-

 

Yep every piece of black plastic on my 650 is broken in some way or another but that doesnt bother me as much as the poor CVT design they have. I used to own a 97 kvf 400 before this one and never had any belt issues but the setup on my 650 is just plain bad.
I believe that Kawi should issue a recall on all of the original CVT setup if they have come up with a fix because as much as I like the bike I would not buy another due to belt issues.

 

LIKE I MENSIONED ABOVE I THINK KAWASAKI IS GOING TO LOOK AFTER OUR CLUTCH CONCERNS, THE REDESIGNED SECONDARY REALY DOES SEEM BETTER. THE BELT SQUEEKING WASN'T AN ISUE AND THAT WAS WITH THE SAME SPRING AS WE ARE STUCK WITH NOW. WHEN THE PROTO WAS INSTALLED IT WAS SET AS TIGHT AS POSIBLE (the belt). FIRST BELT ADJ. WAS DONE AT AROUND 1500KM NEXT WAS DONE AT AROOUND 3500KM AND I NOW HAVE IT APART AT OVER 5000KM AND THER IS STILL ONE ADJUSTMENT LEFT. THE BELT WIDTH IS STILL OK ALTHOUGH SOME CRACKING IS STARTING. THIS MACHINE WAS NOT BABIED DURING THE TEST PERIOD AS IT PULLED A TANDOM TRAILER WITH 2-800LBS IN IT 90% OF THE TIME. NOT TO SHABBY IF YOU ASK ME. GIVE KAWI A COUPLE OF MONTHS ON THE CLUTCH DEAL, I THINK THEIR GOING TO COME THROUGH FOR US, HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO START THE BALL ROLLING ON THE TRIM PLASTIC SO THEY CAN HELP US OUT THERE AS WELL. OVERALL THEY SEEM LIKE THEY KNOW IT IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO ADRESS THESE CONCERNS AS WE ARE THE ADVERTISING FOR THEIR NEXT SALES ON THESE QUADS IN UPCOMING YEARS.

FRU

 

Fru,

Who are you talking with at Kawasaki? Did they give you a prototype secondary clutch to try out. If so how did they pick you? Is your prairie an 02' or a 03' ? I assume it is the KVF650. Is this Kawasaki rep interested in any other problems with the machine? Like the weak choke springs, or having the driven clutch rusted onto the driven shaft. I emailed pictures of the rusted shaft on my machine to a Rick Roddewig at Kawasaki consumer affairs and I have not gotten any response to my mail. If you have a rep that is truely interested improving on Kawasaki's already great machine then I am sure that all of us on the forum can supply him with more information than he can handle. Please let me know what he says.

ED

 

THE 650 WITH THE PROTO CLUTCH IS AN 02 MACHINE AND IT WAS SELECTED BECAUSE OF THE MILAGE WE INCURE EACH YEAR ON OUR QUADS. APROX 10000KM PER YEAR.

 

My black plastic is cracked too!!

 

My black plastic is is cracked at the base of my rear fender (near my heals). It happened on day 2 of riding a year ago. I figure I will just replace it once it gets really bad.

If an aftermarket company would make stronger and more flexible replacements at an oem price or less...I would buy some of the their shares of stock. (=

 

fru, from your last post I get the impression that you feel kawi may issue a recall when you say "I THINK THEIR GOING TO COME THROUGH FOR US". Do you think this is a possibility or will we have to pay for the redesigned driven pully if no longer covered by warranty.
If kawi did go good and replace the driven pully I would be very impressed and it would go along way to changing my current opinion that I would not purchase another.

 

Regarding driven pulley...
What is the symptom?
What could be the cause?
I don't have this problem on my CVT system (other than squealing noise), but I'd like to learn wwhat's going on here.

 

We all have the problem. Pitifully short belt life. You do too, you just may not have had symptons yet or have taken it easy on the belt so far. If it squeals at takeoff, the belt is loose, worn, and causing extra fast wear to the pulleys. This will eventually cost you a few hundred more than just a belt. Squealing at idle means it is tight and it is ok.

Some of us ride easy enough to not wear it out fast enough to think it is a problem. Some of our belts are tighter than others, which helps.
But, the fact is the average 650 has a very short belt life, compared to all the other belt driven machines. Most dealers are telling people not to buy the 650. Kawasaki was very will to stick it to us until the dealers felt that they were hurting themselves by recommending an unreliable machine to their customers. Now that sales are at issue, they are willing to fix the belt. The reason they would want to retro fix our old ones is also for new sales (us, friends, dealers will make note of that too and begin selling the kawi 650 again). Otherwise they would be happy to lets us down.

Some of us have the black spring and adjust our belts tight and it makes the belt last longer, and we are getting acceptable belt life. But the fact is that the stock 650 has poor for belt life. The engine has too much yank for it.

Anybody ever wonder why the polaris machines and grizzly 660 have so much less guts at takeoff? Saves the belt from premature wear. I think they did that on purpose. I have no written proof, just evidence.