You would be amazed at the number of dealers that either don't know or won't admit to a problem with the reverse on the older machines they have sitting around in stock. They will lie their butts off to get one out the door. Anyone going to buy one needs to have the good VIN numbers so they don't get stuck with a brand new defective quad the Suzuki will not fix unless it breaks and leaves you stranded or hurt. The 06 machines should be ok but there still are a bunch of older time bombs out there sitting in crates or on showroom floors.

I know someone who got stuck with one when he was explicitly told that it had the corrected reverse. Well it didn't. It didn't even have the new ECM. He gets it home and a week or two later he figures out he needs the new ECM. He manages to get the dealer to order the new ECM and got it installed after a week of sitting in the dealer's shop. He gets the machine back and a few weeks later he is simply backing his ATV out of his garage so he can get his boat out and the reverse blows. The thing didn't have 50 miles on it. Never had it stuck or abused the reverse in any way. He said he hadn't even used the reverse more than a handful of times.

It is fixed now but he is really unhappy with the crippled reverse and he thinks it isn't quite as powerful as the old ecm. The last time I talked to him he said if someone doesn't come out with a after market ECM (and racks-he hates the racks) he is going to trade it for something else.

I like it. I like the way it handles and I just like the "feel" of the little things on it like the switches. He's got ATRs on it and I really like th way it handled on the trails. I'm not impressed with the power at all. The Brute Force I rode would eat it alive. The BF has mad power. The BF had a horrible suspension though. It had 589s the c series rims and it still handled like crap. I don't know why Kawasaki ever let the thing out of the factory handling like that. A real shame. A few changes and it could have been great. Put that BF engine in the KQ and slap on EFI and it would be a killer machine.

 

I had not heard of this until this forum. I looked at my #'s and it appears mine has not been "fixed" .I've got about 190 mi. on it with no problems though. Will the dealer correct this or not? Or should I worry about it.

 

Touch bases with your dealer. The early 700's had a pressed-in brass bushing for the reverse shaft. This is not as good as a needle bearing for high prolonged load like holding full throttle in a mud hole in reverse, as some mudders like to do. The 'fix' that Suzuki applied for the already sold 700's with the bushing was to install (free) a new ECM (electronic control module) that limited throttle in reverse and limited the length of time that 'full' throttle could be applied. People who have this 'fix' installed are granted a five year warranty in the event reverse goes out anyway. Some contend that their bike's overall performance has never been the same after the installation of this new ECM
You could just be aware of the tender reverse bearing and make it a personal choice not to hold unreasonable throttle in reverse, and not get the new ECM, but then you wouldn't get the 5 year guarantee if your reverse shaft burned out in the future, (Be aware, the shaft bosses are right in the motor cases and these cases are often broken when the bushing goes south. Very expensive.
Another wrinkle: There is an oil hole in the bushing that needs to be lined up with an oil hole in the cases, and apparently some assembly line workers were idiots and didn't press the bushing in with these holes aligned in the cases of a few of the early bushing equipped 700's, as they were supposed to do. On these machines the already less-than-ideal bushing cannot get fresh oil! (very critical to a friction type bearing) This means the bushing on one of these machines can burn out without the reverse being abused! Many people insist they were just backing out of the garage, backing up from plowing snow, or some other light load when their reverse went poof.
There's no way to tell what you have without tearing the whole motor/transmission apart and looking.
And the later needle bearing that eliminates all the problems won't fit into the earlier cases if you did tear it apart and wanted to upgrade.
That's why the guy who designed the bushing should commit seppuku.
Such fun.
Remember folks, get one with a serial # above the last digits of 115956 on the motor casing.

 

...or just wait three months and get a new 2006 model. ;-) Nevertheless, thank you for all of your valuable info, Glenlivet.

 

EVERYONE...a few double-check's and follow-up's....

1. on the '05 KQ's with serial #'s BELOW 115956 they aren't replacing the bearing and just installing the ECM that many are complaining about, right?

2. what about '05 KQ's with serial #'s ABOVE that...then they come 100% fixed or they have that ECM as the fix?

3. on '06 KQ's coming in Dec, again completely fixed OR is it just the ECM again?

Thanks for the further clarification and help!

 

Above have the needle bearing regardless of the year. It'll be bearings above # 115956 forevermore.
Below have the bushing.
The dealer will put in a new ECM if you bring in your old KQ. Then you get a 5 year reverse warranty, but you still have a bushing and a now a gutless reverse.
If your warranted oldy busts the cases they'll fix it with new needle bearing cases. Probably.

 

thanks Glen!! Good then to hear that above '05's are good as well as all of the '06's!

 

Exactly where's the VIN #?

 

On the motor casing near where you put the oil in.

 

Thanks for the info. I am going to try and get some more info from the dealer and suzuki. We'll see what they can come up with.