New 06 Brute Force 650i

[Mr.Q]

Just reading an article in the December issue of ATV Action about the new Brute Force 650i. They are saying this model has an all new chassis, with of course IRS and an updated caster for the a-arms. In the engine department they are using their 650 engine with a lighter crank shaft. To further loose some weight they are using lighter transmission gears and exhaust. I guess they have gotten enough input about the seat to change the foam in it this year also. They are claiming a dry weight of 606, not bad IMO for the added IRS. Saw no mention of EFI.

[BaldEagle]

I guess they have gotten enough input about the seat to change the foam in it this year also.

Now if only Honda would do this..........

[Airwave(OH)]

Boy the 750BF did not do well in the shootout against the 800 Bomb. I think the words were " Oh come on , The Bomb crushed the BF in every catagory" Thems some tuff words

[Mr.Q]

We don't want to ruffle any feathers of the BF owners in their house.  :wink: They tend to be a bunch of big-ol rough looking boys. j/k All kidding aside a friend of mine is having some first year issues with his 800 Bomb that the dealer hasn't been able to fix yet. All the idiot guage lights keep intermittantly flashing for no appearant reason. From a pure unadulterated power standpoint? He says it is scarey fast. :shock:

[Airwave(OH)]

Those are the same issues that the DirtWheels crew had when they did there test on the Bomb too.

[2tv]

Hahaha, are you calling me a big-ol rough looking boy?  That's OK, you will never hear me say that the 750 BF is the world's best quad.  I am definitely not a brand loyal person.

In fact, between my Grizzly which I've had since July of 2001 and my Brute Force which I've had since about August of 2004 if I were to break an evaluation checklist down into minute categories of the way I use my utility ATVs and my riding style, the Grizzly may actually end up with more points than the Brute Force!

In an ideal world, if one could rent / borrow a quad for a week or so at a time in order to completely evaluate a machine to see how it suits our individual needs we'd probably end up spending less money in the long run.

The only problem then is that when you think you have the perfect quad, one of the manufacturers will turn around and come out with something better!...

[Mrs. Q]

Hmmm......not thinking you quite fit that category!! :lol:

That would be great if we could "rent" one for a week and see how well we like each one.

I am still real fond of my Prairie (this is my 3rd one!)

[Mr.Q]

:lol: I knew that would catch your eye, thought you might let me get by with a hint of exaggeration. Ok well maybe a dab more than a hint, not really rough looking at all, but you certainly aren’t little. What, 6’3 -215?  I do think you are right about testing all the machines available. We have friends who work for a dealer and believe it or not when you catch them playing on something its usually 250cc or smaller. When we were there one day earlier this year one of them jumped on a 50cc mini motorcycle, “small racer of some kind” anyway a few minutes later he was flying down the highway “US23” and passed two guys riding ZX-10s at about 60 mph. We about busted a gut watching those guys when he passed them.

[BaldEagle]

One of those "pocket rockets?" I saw a guy over 6' tall on one. His knees were tucked up behind his ears.

[Mrs. Q]

No, it wasn't one of those "pocket rockets" it was a true little racing bike! It was hilarious watching him on that thing out riding those 2 sport bikes.

[2tv]

Ha, no not that tall.  I used to be 6'2" but a half century plus has taken its toll, so make it 6'1" now.  You got my weight about right though...

[Mr.Q]

What you lost in height I more than made up for in width.  :lol:  Once upon a time 165 now 220 :shock:

[Bisquick]

We all got more width as the years piled on.  Could do with a lot less myself.

[Punisher]

Boy the 750BF did not do well in the shootout against the 800 Bomb. I think the words were " Oh come on , The Bomb crushed the BF in every catagory" Thems some tuff words

Every Catagory except Reliability, and that is a BIG ONE!!!
I am not brand loyal either but Kawasaki does have ther ohters beat on the reliability point.( Except for BF Tie rods  :roll: )
Seems like everytime I see a bombadier utility atv when riding at Wayne somebody is having an issue with one or its on a towstrap, reminds me of Polaris quality of the not so distant past. ( Fuel tank leaks, coolant leaks, rear chains falling off on their 4x4 ) I think I would wait another couple of years for them to improve real world reliability before buying one of them.
The only ones I have seen that have proven reliable ( or at least didnt break down during a days riding ) is a DS-650.
*** This is only MY opinion ****

[MagnumMudMan]

Hahaha, are you calling me a big-ol rough looking boy?  That's OK, you will never hear me say that the 750 BF is the world's best quad.  I am definitely not a brand loyal person.

..

I agree with that statement.  I am by no means a brand loyal person.  This Brute has its positive points and it has some drawbacks.  Its horribly cold blooded, the engine mount bolts like to back out, and I have had to have the front diff seal and carb boot replaced under warranty.  Not to mention the poor quality tie rods and tie rod ends.   But, it has awesome power, awesome engine braking, awesome rear brakes, and its a pretty comfy ride once you get those stock tires off.  

You can go to any forum website and find someone that is having problems with their quad.  Nature of the beast.  Buy what suits you at the time and trade/sell it when something that more suits your needs comes out.  Heck, Mikey V does that about every six months. LOL.