I have rode a Kawasaki 650 and was very impressed but was told a Polaris 700 had a lot more power. With only 600 dollars difference which one should I go With.

 

If you were told it has alot more power, you were mislead. The power of the 650 comes on strong right from the start and keeps on going. I was very impressed with the 650 power.However the sp700 is no slouch, you just don't feel it at the start like the 650. However looking at both quads you have to decide what kind of riding you will be doing. The 650 would be great for fast smooth trail riding and tight trails and heard that it doesn't do to bad in the mud. The 700 also does good on fast trails and makes the bumpy trails feel smooth due to the IRS which the 650 doesn't have. And does very good in the mud. The 700 does weigh 140lbs more then the 650, but will keep up with it, so this shows that the 700 has good power to weight ratio. And with most people putting on new tires on there 650 the weight gap is closed to around 90lbs. So to make a choice, just figure out what kind of riding you will be doing. I think either way you go you can't go wrong.

 

needhelp2,

The 700 does have more horsepower (46 for the 700 vs. 43 for the 650). HOWEVER, because of the weight of the Sportsman (740lbs for the 700 vs. 606lbs for the 650) you won't see as much performance from it as you would the Prairie.

 

Check out the details on both machines at all angles, then decide. Look underneath. Kawi has thin metal skid plate, 700 has 10 ga. steel. Look at the drive shafts. 700 is twice as thick. Look at the shifter. 700 is one move to shift. Kawi is a snakey, serpentine pattern that will give you carpel tunnel if you have to go between L and R more than once while plowing or getting out of a hole. Look at tire tread. No comparison, the 700's Rawhide Grip is awesome. Want full racks with rack extenders, a hitch, lifetime limited belt warranty, handle-bar mounted third light, integrated front tow hook, thick plush seat, plus On-Demand true 4 wheel drive instead of limited slip. All this is standard on the 700, nowhere to be seen on the Kawi 650. It's worth a couple bucks more. Kawasaki may be lighter, but only because they cut corners. the 700 is much heavier, but that means durability, and the IRS is the smoother of the two rides. I've had two back surgeries. I don't want another. 700. Recommended by 9 out of 10 chiropractors who ride ATVs. Woodtickrider out.

 

Mike,

I went to Highlifter, and they have a dyno there. They said the rear wheel hp was 25 for the sp700, and 35 for the Kawi 650. I've read before that putting a belt drive quad on a dyno didn't yeild results correctly, and can understand why this is, but would 35 versus 25 mean that the Kawi's drivetrain is more efficient than the sp700? Anyway, just thought you might know more than the common jo-blow about dynos.

My comment on the comparison of the two: I like polaris machines, and my next bike will probably be an sp700........that being said, I think Polaris' representative comparison on their website is a joke for the most part. Polaris set this all up to solicit the general public(in my opinion). Bigger and thicker doesn't always mean better....as in the driveshaft and hub comparisons. It most likely means that Polaris went the cheaper route using weaker materials, thus requiring more material to yield the same strength. I would rather have the Kawi brakes on the sp700 than what it has. So what if the rear brake is cable operated....that rear brake is pretty-much a lifetime service item, and isn't exposed to mud and water that will cause temporary limited braking on disk brake models. Sure, cables do eventually go bad (if never lubed), but that cable probably costs a whole $25, and you might have to change it out once or twice during the life of the bike. The metal skid plate was probably used more for making the frame rigid, rather than having good undercarriage protection.........Polaris uses plastic skidplates on some other models. The large radiator is a plus, and Polaris represented this correctly.

I ride with 3 kawi 650's, and here's what I've come to dislike about them: The kawi doesn't go from 2wd to 4wd as good as it should. If one of the guys gets in a mudhole, and then decides to put it in 4wd, the 4wd comes in and out (usually). This doesn't happen if 4wd was engaged a couple hundred feet before the mudhole. Kawi should've put something better on their flagship. The belts on 2 out of 3 makes a little bit of a bark when first taking off. Packing a V-twin in such a small area makes working on anything more complicated. All 3 had the choke problem, but are now fixed.....I really don't see this as an issue anymore. I think Kawi should've made a more comfortable seat too. The difflock works great, and I think the machine is a good one overall. For sheer power, I don't think there is a match for the 650.......it is one bad machine.

So, it just boils down to what fits your needs better........I believe both machines are put together very well, and a person should be happy with either one.

Waylan

 

walexa,

I've always said "Beware of geeks with CVT machines on chasis dynos"[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]. If we went by the dyno results, the Sportsman 700 wouldn't even move. 22 Rear wheel horsepower is all the 500 makes, I seriously doubt that the 700 only makes 3 more ponies. Better clutching is really needed for the 700. I do wish they had an option to put a more aggressive clutch kit on it for more experienced riders. The CVT is complex enough to keep the beginners out of it.

 

I would go with the Sportsman 700 more power and low end torque, it also is ry smooth in the rough trails, the 700 is also better for mud.

 

It all depends on what you want. If you are a Polaris owner more than likely they are going to say buy Polaris and they are going to go down the list pointing all the good stuff out about the Polaris and all the bad stuff out of the other machines if they own one or not. I have noticed that Polaris owners are always having to defend themselves about having gone with a Polaris when ask about other quads. There is no need in defending oneself for having bought anything if that is what you wanted. 99% of all people are going to say that the best thing to buy is what they bought, this only normal in a competitive world that we live. Get what you want no matter who says what, you are going to be the owner, not the other people you ask. So I would get a Prairie 650! LOL!!! Just joking, they all are very well built machines with about the same power. Be happy with the quad you have because it's the only one you got until you get another. good luck in this mine is better than yours world.

 

i went to a dealer that had both Kawi and Polaris ATV's and saw the 650 and 700 parked side by side. the thought of buying another Kawi is a hard pill to swallow for my because of the old '93 or '94 bayou 400 i got skrewed with years ago. the clutch would never stay adjusted properly and pop out of gear and when i would shift it sometimes wouldn't go into the next gear. HOWEVER, the 650 looks like one sweet machine and if you can get used to the very flat, table-like, wide front fender and junk stock tires, then you may want to buy one!
the reasons why i would choose the polaris vs. Kawi has to do with the dealer and how they treat me. the Kawi dealer wants to sell units, but if you have a problem- "third finger to you" mentality. including what i read in these forums- Polaris dealers tend to treat their customers much better..and i feel that's as important as the machine you ride!
GOOD LUCK and have a great day!
-MT

 

The 700 does not have much more engine power, from what I understand, but from a 'tractor' standpoint, it has more PULLING power. Low range is LOW, producing tremendous torque out to the wheels. Add to that, stock tires with more 'bite' and greater weight, you will have better heavy-duty pulling ability with the 700, and the extra weight will make pulling a heavy trailer easier to do.
Keep in mind, however, that the 650 will have more power than about anything else out there. Unless you will be pulling heavy trailers at low speeds, often, you likely won't even know the difference.

If you are talking about 'jackrabbit' power, I think that the 650 may actually out-accelerate the 700 (barely) but from what I hear, the 700 will eventually pass it, if there is a long enough, straight enough place for it to truly stretch it's legs.