I have been searching for used quads and I think I finally decided on getting a new one.
I've been seeing Advertised prices and they come pretty close between these two. Also I could get a regular 650 Brute Force. I've been doing a lot of searching through this site and I fould it to be great. Here's what I need to know.
I want a fun 4x4 quad. I like to hit some mud and also there are some trails that me and my friends take that a 2x4 would simply not make it. However, I don't live or work on a farm and I don't hunt. I don't need a utility quad for anything other than 4x4 capabilities. I've read that the praire 700 is a pretty fun utility quad but I think that the Wolverine definatly fits that bill. My question is this. I know the Wolverine would be fun to ride but would I be dissapointed with the power output compared to the Praire or BF? I am used to riding an Arctic Cat 650 IRS and also and Bomb. 800. I also like to jump a little bit too. Nothing major just maybe a couple feet in the air every once in a while. I also like to drive fast. I am coming from fast cars and always am looking for a little more once I get used to it. I don't like the handling of my buddies A.C. at all. That thing just wants to push and not do anything fun at all. Also, how do these quads rank in durabilty and reliabilty? I would like to think atv's made these days would be pretty good but what about these specific one's. Also, I am 5'11' 240 lbs. I've sat on all these in the showroom and seem to fit them all pretty well so I don't think that would be a major desision.
Thanks in advance guys!

 

i havn't seen the 700 or wolverine in action.. but my buddy to use to have a 650praire and that thing was a blast to drive, could get past most obsticles tho.. i just didn't like how you had to loc kthe front dif.

 

I know that the 2005 Wolverine is a dependable, easy to ride bike but the 2006 is a totally different machine. If you prefer a sport/utility mix you might want to take one for a test drive at a dealership. For that matter, try the other one out too. The only way you will really know which is better for you is if you test drive it. I love Yamahas (as we have two) but know there are many other awesome bikes out there. Good luck!

 

Anyone else?

 

YES! I've owned a Prairie 650, Prairie 700, Wolverine 350, and Wolverine 450. The Wolverine's are fun to goof around on, but for some real fun you will need alot more power than they bring to the table. The Prairie 700 should fit the bill nicely.

I did a number of mods to my Prairie 700, including a Four Stroke Tech 800cc big bore, cams, exhaust, etc. That quad was an 80+ HP monster when I was done, but the two mods that I was most satisfied with in terms of "bang for the buck" were actually really cheap mods. Elka front springs for the Prairie are amazing, they improve handing, cornering, suspension plushness, ... everything. They are VERY much worth the $200 they cost. I also changed the primary clutch spring for a more aggressive one that had a low engagement RPM like stock, but let the engine rev out a bit more when fully engaged. That $20 spring turned the Prairie into a sports car, even when the engine was still stock. So something else to consider in the equation is whether or not you want to upgrade the quad after you buy it. There are tons of improvements out there for the Prairie, but not the same aftermarket support yet for the Wolverine 450.

 

To be honest, I don't plan on spending any money on this as far as mods go. I'm just out to have fun on it plus I will probably already get yelled at by the "wife" for buying a new one and spending a lot. I probably could get away for a clutch kit, especially because I can convince her it will save money on saving tranny/belt life. I've also posted on the Kawasaki forum as well. I see that I could get a King Quad for about the same money as a Praire 700. Are all the things true about the reliabilty of those? I can't afford to be putting money into something all the time.
Thanks.

 

If you dont need the utility racks, the Wolverine 450 is fun. I just got one and I am still being easy on it (breaking it in). It does good in the snow though.

 

If you go with a wolverine i would go with a 04 or 05, almost new. Alot cheaper than brand new from the dealer. And man that new 450 is the ugliest thing i have ever seen, who cares about the 450 cc motor, i would be caught dead on that thing. Anyway the older wolverines are bullitproof and take off the racks and its the sportiest 4x4 out there. The 350 has pleanty of power with the 23' tires espicially if your not planing on putting big mud tires. Did i mention these things are bullitproof? I have rolled, flipped backward, sunk in ponds and tore up the mud all day so many times i cant remember and this thing runs better than when i got it!! Not only that they are very light, compared to a 700 or 800. You can pick them up and move them aroud very easily. One drawback though is they are all time 4wd, which can be easily fixed for a couple hundred bucks. But i did not get the unlocker for mine till about a year after i got it. And really the awd is great unless you like to do burnouts or put mudders on there fling mud up 20ft. I got my 03 at the end of the 03 used, for 3500, almost half what u would pay new. Now if you still want a brand new wheeler i just dont know about that new wolverine, but if you like it get it. Thats just my opinion on the wolverine, so its up to you. good luck

 

I own a 99 wolverine. It is way underpowered when it comes to mudding because of 1st gear being geared way too high, and has been anything but reliable for me. That 1970's motor is way too outdated. I would strongly recommend that you go with the Prairie 700 over the wolverine, especially the 2005 and older model. My friend has a Prairie, and it's been ultra reliable so far, not to mention it's got a lot of pulling power(something the 2005 and below wolverines have nothing of) along with comfort and great handling. It's a great mix of utility/sport, leaning more towards the utility side.


Just my $.02.

 

I’ve owned both the wolverine 350 and the prairie 700. I guess I’ll write a full comparison of the two.


Before I dive into the details, I should make one thing completely clear. The p700 is a flagship machine and has much more power than the wolverine. It also has a lot of features that do not come on the Yamaha. The most notable are: differential lock, selectable 4x4, high/low range, a digital panel with speedometer, odometer, clock, and hour meter, and a 12 volt power outlet. You get what you pay for here in ATV land.

For this comparison lets go ahead and say that the wolverine has a 424 un-locker. It makes a world of difference and multiplies the fun factor.


Ride quality/comfort

This one goes to the prairie hands down. It’s just plain smoother over rough stuff. It’s the smoothest SRA utility that I’ve ever ridden. The wolverine is stiffer and a bit rough at times.

Suspension

The travel on the two machines is pretty close. The wolverine has a bit more on the front while the Kawasaki has more in the rear. The prairie’s suspension does a good job at most any speed while the Yamaha’s suspension works better when ridden fast and hard. Both machines handle medium jumps pretty good. I actually enjoyed the flight manners of the wolverine a bit more. The kawi just feels big in the air.


Handling

The handling goes to the wolverine. The wolverine feels like it has a lower center of gravity. The Yamaha slides better and cuts doughnuts really easy. The prairie just feels tall and a bit tippy. The kawi has more than enough power to spin the rear tires and slide the back end out. I think the belt drive just has some hesitation that doesn’t give that instant response that an auto-clutch does. I suspect that a different clutch spring may alleviate this. (Maybe DV can comment on that ) Both machines handle trails great. The prairie goes where you point it and can lift the front end at will. The wolverine does not have the luxury of excessive power that is always available on the big v-twin. The Yamaha is smaller and lighter than the prairie and it is evident when you start throwing your weight around. Both machines handle great, I just like the light, low to the ground feeling of the Yamaha a little better. The wolverine handles more like a sport quad than the prairie.

Engines

The prairie has twice the horsepower of the Yamaha. Even a 660 is outclassed by the mighty v-twin. The Kawasaki has a liquid cooled v-twin with an electric fan assist. The wolverine has an air-cooled two-valve engine with a small oil cooler. The prairie has a v-twin with 4 valve heads. There is no mistaking the difference between the two. Even the sound of the prairie exhaust says “I’m a bad machine”

Drag racing the two: I never did because I sold the wolverine just prior to picking up the prairie. There would have been no point in a drag race though. The prairie will pull a wheelie by just hitting the throttle and then it’s gone. A better drag race would be a 400ex vs the prairie. The top speed on the wolverine is not too bad. The Yamaha will come close to 60 when stock. DW actually clocked a 1995 model at 58 by radar. The prairie will probably hit about 65. The Kawasaki gets to its top speed much quicker.
The Yamaha has a nice midrange hit but is a little weak right off the bottom. (not the best attribute for a 4x4)

The kawi seems a bit more cold-blooded than the Yamaha. The Yamaha fires up instantly with a little choke if its cold.




Other Stuff

Either bike can pull a wheelie, you just might pull a back muscle while doing it on the Wolverine. The prairie is really fun to wheelie due to the butt-load of torque and the auto tranny. You never wind out a gear trying to keep the front end up on the Kawasaki.

For work or utility use the Kawasaki is much better suited. It has large racks and a huge towing capacity. You could probably pull a small truck out of a mud hole with the prairie.



Wrap up

The shootout winner is the PRAIRIE 700. It does everything great or at least pretty good. The wolverine does a few things great and a few things not so great. If I were to recommend one of these bikes for someone, it would come down to the person. The Yamaha is more forgiving and yet still a fun ride. The prairie is for a more experienced rider or at least a very mature rider.

One thing that should be considered is this: You can buy two used Wolverines for the price of one slightly used prairie.