I would suggest you go out and buy all the mags you can that compare them and then try to talk to owners, it is very hard to get accurate opinions as some posters seem a bit too brand loyal and others seem downright terrified at the thought of people choosing a quad other than there own. Find some dealers that will let you flog a demo and decide for yourself.

 

Tellico, I have to admit, for once your right (LOL) re Belt problem and sensor $hit. I was a bit disapointed with My P700 when it let me down with a flashing belt light. I reset the light and kept on going but my pride was gone with the boyz I was with but few weeks after, the 2 Grizz that was with me had a little problem with theirs belt one at 3400 km the belt let go without warning and the other while towing him throught snow wear his belt completely too after only 110 km of hauling. At least my belt light indicator indicated me that there was something wrong with the belt and got it fix right away but my 2 grizz friend weren't so lucky. Kinda hard to change belt on side of trail in pitch dark...

Anyway they're all good machine even Rincon is excellent for what it was design which is sport 4X4 riding.
Rincon is not uttility vehicle but sport ATV with 4X4 option.

My 2 cents

 

I've purchased two prairies...never a problem. None, zero, zilch. zip, nada...

 

The rincon tranny is an all new design with a automotive type torque converter. This is the cause for the lack of engine braking. The Rancher AT tranny is the same hondamatic that is in the rubicon. It is a proven hydraulic trans that has been around in one form or another since the 70's. The rincon's other downfall is the drum brakes. They will last a long time, only if the seal isnt penatrated. The performace of them is sub par and they will freeze up in the winter if wet at all.

That said, the rincon is a fine machine. It is very trail minded with an excellent ride. There is plenty of low end grunt and no low range is needed because it is not a belt drive transmission. It does lack a diff lock. A friend of mine enjoys his and says it is a dream in the trails.

The p700 is also a nice machine. Belt problems have been greatly improved for the 2004 model year and belt life increased. Sensors have been a problem for a few owners, but kawasaki has stood behind the machine and fixed problems. It has a SRA with monoshock. This equates to a more sport bike like ride and handling.

Both are very nice machines and would be a good addition to anyone's stable. The best thing to do is to take one out for a ride. I know that I changed my mind many times when looking for a utility to buy just because of the feel of the bike. I started looking at rancher at 400's. The honda dealer had a suzuki vinson LE that I fell in love with. I then checked out the grizz. I had decided on that and was having a winch put on it and prepped when I went to a suzuki dealer and rode a twin peaks and a vinson. I was not as impressed with the vinson as I had thought, but really enjoyed the ride of the twin peaks. I returned to the yammi dealer prepping my grizz and had them hold off. I ended up buying a kawi p700 from them with winch. Just getting to ride them made all the difference. If the dealer wont let you ride, go to another. Once you narrow it down, you can choose a dealer based on thier cooperation with your desires and thier prices.

 

tellico--- i never see problems on here about ppl and there belt problems and i thought u were going to buy a prairie???????????????????????????

 

You WHAT????????????????? You NEVER see anyone talk about belt problems on the PRAIRIE?????? I really had planned on it, but the more I thought about it the more I found I didnt need it, I have my grizz and my YFZ for speed plus the money I spend on racing and my 3 bikes, I couldnt find the funds to have one!!! Plus all the belt problems have made me think twice as well, to many things you have to do or buy in order for it to perfrom well! I would race it so I couldnt see the point in having to buy things to make it run well!!

 

we have a tool guy that comes into our job site and he was born under the north star, a die hard pole guy. anyway he has a buddy that buys yamaha , always had and until this winter swore that they were the best. ( cant you visualize a pole guy and a yami guy quadding and sledding together). the yami guy sells his griz and low and behold buys a real quad, a kawi 700. he now says that he would never have believed the difference, all the power and the handling, sometimes even the yami guys see the light, i wonder how long it will take the pole guy to see, maybe after his first ride on his buddys kawi.

 

All the power and the handling???? My YFZ will outhandle outrun and plain and simple humiliate that vtwin 700! My grizz will outmud, out climb and isnt that far behind the Kawi like most of you think! Ive ridden the P700 and almost bought one but knew the terrain in which I rode didnt require speed so that takes the P700 out of the question!!! Over and over I see ONLY ONE attribute that ALL Prairie owners mention that makes the Prairie the greatest thing on the planet and that is "SPEED", but what I don't understand, is that SO many smaller displacement "SINGLE" cylinder quads completely destroy your magnificent creation in "SPEED" and "HANDLING"! But hey its what you like so I guess theres no point in argueing anything, however, I do think its kindov sad that the ONLY thing that the Prairie has going for it is "SPEED", top end the Grizz and Prairie are pretty much even, except for accelaratioin which you can say what you want, it isnt THAT much faster than the grizz, and the Grizz will do absolutely EVERYTHING the Prairie can except for getting to one poitn faster and will do the things the Prairie CAN'T do, and all the while doing it comfortably!!!!!

 

The p isnt just faster. It handles better in the trails due to the sra and the lower center of gravity. IRS is more comfortable, but has inherent body roll in atv's.

The grizz boils gas and breaks cv axles. The p has high belt wear. Hmm, which one of these wont leave me stranded on the trail???

btw, your yfz has nothing to do with this little conversation. If I missed where we were comparing sport quads to the p and grizz, please point it out for me.

 

Well, the "MAIN" reason most "ALL" prairie owners buy a prairie is simply for how fast it is! You have a raptor, line them up and see who wins!!!! But I won't argue with you because you do at least enjoy the same option as I, that being you have a sport quad AND a Utility!!! You gotta love it!!! You know something, if there was some way they could put the YFZ450 motor into the Wolvering frame and suspended it better and had selectable 2wd/4wd and a diff lock feature, I would almost bank on it that it would far and away take sell WAY more than the Prairie and outhandle and outrun the Prairie, you being a yamaha owner, would You consider buying it???? If it out handles and outruns your praire and has the same attributes of the Prairie.......SRA, better suspension, what would be the reason for keeping the prairie when something is "faster", would that persuade you in any way to get rid of it??? If not what would your reasons for keeping it be??? Better yet, if another quad came out on the market that was "faster" than your prairie with SRA and a diff-lock would that be all it took for you to get rid of it?