Rideher,

You sound like you are an experienced rider and than you go and say something stupid like " IRS isn't as tippy as a straight axle"? Someone that has spent anytime whatsoever on an IRS and also a sraight axle will tell you the IRS is a lot more tippy and that is the exact reason I didn't buy and will never buy an IRS machine. Polaris does have a very nice ride, but unless you are a senior citizen, or suffer from a severe case of hemeroids, what's the point.

BTW, you are correct about polaris changing the atv world forever. It has introduced a whole new arena of income to the dealerships. Instead of rair repairs to a machine, when a dealer sells a polaris, they can count on a life time of repairs and this only generates more money for them. No wonder somany dealers like to sell polaris. It's just good business!

That punk kid you were talking about obviously wants speed and light weight over plush ride and a lot of repair bills that the polaris offers. Therefore, the Prairie is by far the better choice for him...........And me.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

This is for comparison sake only, so bare with me!!!!! They did a shootout on National TV between the Dodge Viper GTS(Straight Rear Axle), the Cobra R mustang(Straight Rear Axle) and the Corvette Z0-6(***********************************Independent front and rear suspension**********************) and guess who won the shootout on the road coarse??????????????? LOL The ZO-6!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its on the internet for you to download!!!! Now Trailburner, you can say what you will, just like my grizz and the Polaris, the Prairie has its problems too, not bashing, just saying!!! Also, when it comes to Extreme riding, its not the ride comfort that matters versus the ability to navigate some terrain that the Straight rear axles tend to hang up on(Deep rutty Mud Holes, rocks)!!! So they both have their advantages and their disadvantages!!! So their truly is no clear victor in this debate cuz it all boils down to personal preference!!!

 

Just to let trailburner and other people know, I've seen a whole lot of repair and tech questions on here asked about the Prairie, and other models that ARE NOT Polaris's. I wish non-Polaris people would open their eyes and see this. And about the IRS vs. straight axle thing, well I have never tipped my Sportsman 600 over, and I take it on aggressive and technical rides (if you don't know, they DO have a anti-sway bar).
The last time I rode a straight axle quad was when a group of us went to Peters Mill Run in Edinburg, VA, which has a lot of rocky trails, and my cousin wanted to ride my 600. Well, I had to ride his Honda Rancher 350 2x4. And let me tell you, I could only take about 10 minutes of this thing, it was jarring my friggin' teeth out! So, even though I'm not a a senior citizen, and I don't have hemmoroids, I do appreciate a stable and comfortable ride that the Sportsman offers, unlike the harsh ride of the Prairie (you said it yourself-"speed and light weight over the plush ride") .

 

I was going to stay out of this one but people saying that the Polaris is not tippy is getting to me. I ride with a good friend who will buy nothing but Polaris he loves his. He will not try and race my kawasaki but he does love picking on the Hondas that have rode with us. This last summer on a hill that is really very steep twisting rocky wash out he broke several ribs, hurt his back and couldn't move his neck for about 4 weeks. He decided to turn around on one of the wider spots were I have turned my Prairie and my wifes Suzuki around several times. He is a good rider and has been riding lots of years longer than me. He was lucky because when that 800 pound rolled over him he was in a low spot so it just broke the ribs. I do have to say the Polaris handled the roll pretty good bent the bars cracked the rack and some scuffs. But the bottom line is I can turn around there and his polaris can't. I have ridden that Polaris several times and it rides smooth but I hate trying to lift it out of a rut when it slides in. Would much rather try and lift my Prairie out. I prefer the Prairie but then again I want something even faster (Mods are coming) I know a lot of the IRS guys like hoe their machines do in the rocks. But when your going up the rocks and it is steep and can't go any farther you have to get turned around. In that case if I had a IRS quad, I would much prefer a Grizzly followed by a Cat due to the weight. I can lift the front or rear of a Grizzly or a Prairie might be able to a cat (haven't tried) but I can't lift the Polaris in difficult terrain. Just my observation but when we ride the tough rocks nobody wants to try and back down the stupid places we have gotten into. So I think the IRS is tippy the Grizzly's I have ridden were and so are the couple of Polaris machines I rode. They are nicer for scenery rides though on groomed bumpy trails.

 

why would someone take off a sway bar off a grizz? I don't under stand. I'm also getting tired of the debate of that old polaris is in shed broken, or that kawi is on the trailor because it gets hung up or that grizz has a weak front end etc. To set facts here I don't get hung up on my kawi where other people do because of my experience in ATVing is what counts more. Tires are the only thing that I can blame if they are stockers or bauld etc... your toast I took the 700 polar out when it first came out and I prefer the 700 kawi... my friend prefers the 700 polar so he has a Polar and I have the Kawi. The kawi can become a quite plush ride if you want to make it... and my pov NEVER COMPARE A HONDA RIDE TO ANYTHING ELSE except for that 650 rincon rides nice but people don't buy Hondas for the ride they want bullet proof. Looking at the industry as a whole Kawis don't have as much problems as Polaris but problems can be fixed so what's the big deal? Kawis have problems too... and yes even hondas. My only beef with the 700 is it is only electric start no back-up and for me that's a valid concern all other statements made here don't put one ATV over the other unless you have "special requirements" like diffi loc or irs for your bad back or solid axle for less maintance or a nice heavy machine for traction or very little slippage from front to back tires, or you feel the bike "X" is for you. Bikes are like tires... not one brand of tire is suitable for all riders... If that was the case there would only be one type of tire out there. Also the ATV industry for anyone that knows ATVing as much as I do has been all manufactures including the ol'd suzuki 4x4. Even a HD and hummers etc.. put more influence in the ATV market. Where polaris help the most was making ATVs a family sport with the auto tranni the ease of use and nice ride... but still it's not all polaris. Don't kid yourself Polaris is not 5 years ahead everyone else... the whole ATVing market is 5 years ahead.

 

Well spoken Kawi 650 I agree to some extent. Bottom line again diffrent strokes for diffrent folkes. Who am I to say what is good for someone else? But I will say I am very happy with my dicision to buy a 2004 Polaris Sportsman 700 with all the bells and whistles. I mow about 8 acres with a pull behind mower, I plow a 700 foot long driveway (and a very big parking area) with it, almost daily lately, I take it hunting, I haul the wood I burn to keep my family warm all winter with it and on the weekends I take it out on the trails and ride the pi$$ out of it. And for those of you who say you can't launch a 740 pound beast off a jump I have pictures to prove it. I also have pictures of me riding wheelies on it. I love to take through the mud baugs, man can that thing tear it up! And I never planed on lifting it out of a rut.... that what a winch is for, execpt I seem to use the winch more to pull other quads out of the muck L.O.L (no joke) Besides how much diffrent is it to lift 600 pounds than 700 pounds? I guess I don't want to find out. I have over a 1,000 miles on mine since last May and all in all I'm pretty happy and no I'm not a senior citizen. Actullay I use to race motocross when I was young and my dad had the money to sponcer me. I also use to be into sleds like majorly. I looked at everything before I bought the Sporty, money was not a isssue I could of got any quad I wanted (cash) if I wanted a sport quad I would have one, if I wanted a plain old work horse I would have one. But I looked at all the facts and maid my dicision. The most ground clearence, most power, most aggressive tires, best looking (to me) the most towing capasity, the most rack capasity, smoothest ride, IRS, and its fast 65 mph is good for that kind of a machine. No not the fastest but you won't loose me thats for sure. And yes I aggree it should have a back up recoil starter. Infact I would like to know if I can have one put on it even after market would be fine. Anyway make you're own dicision on what you want...if all you're going to do is have a little fun, clime some hills, play in the mud and snow you probley could get away with any 4x4. A 300 or 400 would work fine and you would save you'er self a lot of money.

 

I agree... You're just as happy as me on my kawi. There should be a law agaist that i guess LOL. ATVs are better than sliced bread. I love plowing with mine too plow my driveway at my cottage that is well over 1km. nothing like plowing with the twin power.... man that snow moves fast.

 

Rideher I dont think you can get a recoil for a sp700 I dont know if you could even pull start it anyway.My buddy rides a panda O sorry grizzly 660 and hes a good size boy and he said he cant pull start it.Is the sp700 the only one without a recoil?

 

the quest and a few sport atvs also don't have back-up starters. You can buy a recoil for the quest thou.

 

Hey kawi650 have you ever tryed pull starting yours...?