I currently have a 2005 kawie bf750. I have tons of accessories on it and it is an awesome quad. I had a kawie 700 prairie with many of the same accessories and it too was a great quad. Now here is the question. I am 39 years old and in pretty good shape except for the 3 herinated disk in my neck. After riding my bf750 for about an hour, my shoulders pinch near by disk problem. I love the power of the kawie vtwins, but I am starting to think that I need to get the best riding quad out there. I really like the polaris X2 concept more than any other quad I have seen. But, if I do decide to get one ( I will probably keep the 750bf), my questions are the following:

1. Do I really "need" the extra 300cc's difference between the X2 800 and the X2 500? Ok, here is my riding style:
Trail Riding (0 to 40mph) = 40%
Farm Work = 10%
Hunting Use = 15%
Towing (16ft lowboy with hay or deer stand) = 10%
Heavy Mudding = 10%
Carring a passanger = 10%
High Speed Riding (>50mph) = 5%

2. What is the top speed of the X2-800 and the X2-500? Remember, that I don't ride greater than 50 too often, but am just wondering.

3. How is the ride? I have ridden a couple of 500 HO's (1999 and 2001 models) and they rode average. However, I have ridden a 700 and it seemed better. I have also heard that the newer polaris's ride much better. IS THIS THE BEST RIDE POSSIBLE? Please be honest because I don't want to hear about bashing other quads. Just the truth. Even though I have a bf750 that has more power than needed, I don't like the handling that much and the ride is average at best. I even set the shocks on the softest ride possible.

4. Is there anything I can do to make the ride better on my bf750? Remember, I will be keeping the bf750 even if I get an X2, so that means I will be riding it some and I need the ride to be better for my necks sake (no more pain in the neck....LOL).

Thanks for the advice and help me out here.

 

A couple of thoughts.

You could put a set of elka shocks on that BF that should really improve the ride along with a good set of radials.

The other thought is that you might want to try one of those specialized neck braces some motocross riders wear. Actually you might want to run the whole issue with your neck by your orthopedic and neurosurgeon and have them refer you to a good physical and occupational therapist who may be able to help you adapt some helmets and neck protection get to take some of the strain off of your neck and disks. Get some good shocks on that BF (I think that stock BF suspension rides like crap ) and some good input from a PT/OT as far as getting your neck stabilized (even have them take a look at the way you sit on it and stuff) so you're not compressing and twisting those disks and irritating those nerves and nerve roots etc.

A softer set of quality shocks and some medical direction would probably do a world of good. Not to scare you but if one of those disks in your neck ruptures and compresses a nerve you're gonna wish you were dead-hideously painful. You need to be careful.

 

Although I have no seat time on a Sportsman, everything I've read about it states that the ride quality is unparalleled. So even if it doesn't fix your problem, there isn't anything out there that is noticeably better.

Have you considered one of the Outlanders? The ride quality is comparable and you could keep the power you're already accustomed to.

 

Thanks for the good imput. I currently go to a specialized neurologist and receive shots in the neck once a month as well as therapy. I have been to 3 different neurologist and they all agree that it is not bad enought to warrent surgery. The shots have actually helped one of the disk to return back to it's normal position, although it is always vernable to petrude again. They have ensured me that riding a quad is totally fine as long as I don't go head 1st into a tree. And, as you can see in my original post, I don't ride >50mph too often. Then neck is actually doing a lot better, but once you have neck problems, you tend to compromise your riding posture to help compensate for some slight discomfort which in turn starts making the shoulders and lower back tight. I am not in too much pain, but I was entertaining the idea of exploring another quad that has the best ride.

Anyway, back to the BF with the shocks and tires. I currently have 27" mudlites. Do you think I should go with the 27" mudlite radials (the ones that look like the 589's)? Also, how much do those shocks cost and how much do they really help? Last question is can the bump steer be tamed on the bf?

Again, thanks for the great information. Replys like these are why this forum is great.

 

I had Elka shocks on a Prairie 700, and they made a huge difference there. The Elka shocks on your BF will likely ride better than the stock shocks on a Sportsman, and for about the same price.

A dirt bike would ride even better [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img], but it would have a tough time pulling that 16' trailer. I have similar problems to you, and on days where I am hurting (most) I take the bike instead of the quad, because it doesn't beat me up like quads do.

 

How much would those Elka shocks cost for a bf750 and where can I get them? Also, do they help the BUMP STEER?

 

I wonder if you could adapt a steering stabillizer from the sport quad world to help with bump steer?

I also think a set of radials would be worth a try, maybe the new Terra Cross, or try the XTR? I'd also run as low a pressure as you can get away with.

Lastly, I had a buddy with neck issues, who found that keeping his neck warm made a big difference.

Anyhow, good luck. I hope you find a way to continue riding without causing yourself pain.

 

Out of curiosity, have you ever tried one of those neck roles the racers wear? It might help take some of the strain off of your neck, distributing the weigth of your helmet and head out a bit and stabilizing everything. Aftermarket shocks will definately smooth out your ride, but they can't eliminate bump steer. Also, since judging by you riding usage, maybe you could go with a tire like the ITP ATR radial. Better handling and easier steering, they would suffice for everything but the deep mud runs.

 

The lightest tire/wheel combo you can make work for you will equate to the best ride because of the unsprung weight factor. So if you still have your stock tires/wheels laying around this would be an easy test to make to see if the ride is noticably smoother when you don't need the 27's.
Regarding options for a different machine, I would start wondering if all that power that you love so much might be a contributing factor to your neck problems. What happens if you just rode your Recon for a day instead. If your pain is reduced maybe you should start thinking about something like a new 420 EFI Rancher for the days when getting to your destination without pain is most important factor.
Also since you only ride two up 10% of the time maybe the X2s are not the best option. I have spent time on 500 Sportsmen and I don't think it is any more comfortable than my new 700 Grizzly.

 

It might also be interesting to look into the new ones with electric power steering...