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It actually looks OK, and I like the idea of a large displacement bike from Kawasaki, but I don't think it will go over huge. The motor they put in it is HUGE, and weighs a lot. With an automatic transmision, it's going to lose a lot of it's power advantage as well. Shaft drive will increase it's unsprung weight, so it won't handle the rough as well as pure sport bikes.

My mental picture is a DS with everything non DS owners hate about the DS, times 2. Heavy and non-250r ish handling. Even if it ends up a little faster than other bikes, I see sales being luke warm.

Just my opinion.

 

Way to go kawasaki.

 

I would have to agree with Knutz on this one. It would be a bigger hit if it didn't have the auto trans. I wish we knew how much it weighs. It looks cool though.

 

Yeah, whats with the auto tranny?? That seems odd. I'm sure its going to rock, but still seems wierd. Almost thought it was a polaris for a second.

 

Thats things amazing, when my new home and shop are done, is was hoping to put a Honda RC51 v into a lightened DS chassis. the power that people will eventually be getting from that v-twin will impress everyone. I wonder if the ring and pinion will hold up.
Glad to see another sportbike on the market, what's the hold up Honda?

 

The Prairie 650 engine is not heavy at all even though it's a V-Twin design.

The auto tranny is actually the reason that it's so light. We had one out a few months back for a rebuild and it didn't feel much heavier than any other engine to me. I expect it to be in DS territory regarding the weight.

I see this machine having great sales figures . I could be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time, but we carry over 6 brands of quads, and we know that the average sport quad buyer is not into racing, but recreational riding, and by looking at the specs, it seems to have the possibility to be the best out there for those type of buyers....Fast, easy to operate, and low maintenance. [aka..Polaris Sport buyers]

 

I'm just a little dissapointed I guess. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

I keep hearing the phrase "new sport quads, regardless if you like them are not, are a good thing, it forces competition within the market" Well, im not impressed if they keep building tanks like this, might as well throw some big fenders on it and 4x4 the damn thing. Shaft drive? Automatic? Can you say parasitic loss????

 

Knowsalot-

You hit the nail on the head with your compairison to Polaris sport quad sales. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in the south west, Polaris sport quads don't sell well at all. I expect it will be a better quad than those, but don't expect it to revolutionize anything.