Following in the
footsteps of the very successful Kawasaki Prairie 650, is its new
Lil' Brother, the Prairie 360. The Prairie 360 is an early release
2003 model which should be showing up in your dealer showrooms as
we speak. Kawasaki wanted to incorporate many of the normal "big
bore" features in a mid-class 4x4 with a mid-size price. The
Prairie 360 carries a MSRP of $5,499 which is $1,500 less than the
big V-Twin 650.
Big
Bore Features
The transmission
and running gear on the Prairie 360 are very similar to the 650. It
uses the Kawasaki Automatic Power Drive System (KAPS) with a Hi-Lo
and reverse gear selector that is located next to the fuel tank.
The Prairie 360 also gets the Kawaskai Engine Brake Control (KEBC),
which uses engine compression to slow the ATV down on steep decents
or technical maneuvers. The unique KEBC adds no weight to the drive
or driven converters so it does not affect engine spool-up. Unlike
some engine brakes found on competing models, the KEBC only works
below 5 MPH where it is really needed. The Kawasaki CVT also
features a unique "learn" function. Everytime the Prairie 360 is
shut off, the CVT automatically adjusts itself for belt
wear.
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The gas tank area has a very
beefy look, with a 3.5 gal tank and fuel gauge |
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Check out the optional
speedometer with odomoter available from Kawasaki
accessories |
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But Kawasaki did not stop there. The Prairie 360
also has a selectable shaft-driven 4wd system with variable front
differential control. Neither is speed limited! Simply squeeze a
lever on the left handelbar to lock both front wheels. Release the
lever and the front differential returns to limited-slip mode with
minimal torque bias for easy steering.
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The yellow lever is the
variable front differential control |
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A closer look at the 20-some
plates that make up the front differential lock |
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Simple to
Maintain
Kawaski put a lot of
effort into making sure the Praire 360 is simple for the owner to
maintain. The Prairie 360 gets the same sealed rear disk brake
system and swing arm found on the 650. This sealed "wet" brake is
protected from mud, water, rocks and whatever else you might
subject your 4x4 to. Forget about changing those brake pads! The
swing arm design is also much simpler than an IRS system, with
fewer moving parts and no CV joints.
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The selectable
2WD-4WD is easily accessible on the right handlebar |
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The sealed swingarm / brake
system comes with an integrated tow hitch |
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Keeping it simple on the engine-side, Kawaski
chose an all-new 362cc engine. The engine is an air-cooled 2 valve
motor with standard oil cooler and a thermastatically controlled
fan. The cylinder is set at a 45° to maintain a low center of
gravity and it is much easier to access the spark plug than on the
KVF 300. The oil filter is easily accessible from underneath and
the air filter can be changed quickly by simply removing the seat
and lifting off the airbox lid. While not as powerful as the KVF
400, Kawasaki has designed the motor to achieve optimal
torque.
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A look from the bottom shows
the oil filter is very accessable for quick oil changes |
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The air filter is
also easy to get to when the seat is removed |
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How does it all work?
What better place than Moab, Utah for our first ride on the
Prairie 360. We were joined by local trail guide, Dale Parriott,
from Elite Tours.To get used to the new Prairie 360 we started with
some easy trails and headed up Kane Canyon. The 360 felt
comfortable right off the bat and we really like the shifter and
its location. With the shifter in high range we opened it up on the
dirt road to see what the 360 would do. The Prairie 360 is not
going to win any races, but then, if you are a mid-class ATV buyer
you are probably not looking to win races. You can purchase its big
brother, a Prairie 650 for that! We didn't have the optional
speedometer on our test quad but we estimate that we topped out at
about 50 MPH.
With MacPherson struts on the
front and a single preload adjustable shock in the rear, the
Prairie 360 handled wonderful on the dirt roads and did not tend to
wander at speed. With one stop to look at the "birthing rock," we
rode up the canyon, past the Kane Spring turnoff, and to the top of
Hurrah Pass. The selectable 2WD-4WD is must if you want to play
around and slide the 360 on the dirt roads. You are not able to
break the the rear end loose on full-time 4WD quads.
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Many petroglyphs can be found
in the Moab area; this is called the "birthing rock" |
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An unbelievable background for
a quad ride. |
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Stopping Power
The Prairie 360 has incredible stopping power,
with dual hydraulic discs in the front and rear sealed, oil bathed,
multi-disc system. On pavement, it stops so well you can even lift
the rear wheels off the ground (don't try this at home!). After
visiting Hurrah Pass, we travelled back down the canyon, then
headed up Kane Creek. With the Kawasaki braking system we had no
problems stopping the Prairie 360, even right after water
crossings.
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The Prairie 360 provided a very
plush ride on the trail |
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Water crossings were no
problem. We really like the new Aztek Red color. |
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On the Trail
When
the trail got a little tighter and filled with turns, we found that
the Prairie 360 had plenty of power to get us down the trail. The
suspension soaked up the bumps very nicely and steering was not an
issue.
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The Prairie 360 is a very
capable rock crawler |
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With 4WD enabled and the front
differential locked, the Prairie 360 climbs like a mountain
goat |
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On the Rocks
To test the Prairie 360 on the rocks we picked a
more technical trail, Pritchett Canyon. The Red Rock 4 wheelers
rate this trail a 4+ out of 4 on the difficulty scale. Major
obstacles include the "Rocker Knocker", the "Rock Pile", and
"Yellow Hill". If you like a challenge, this trail is for
you.
The 360 had all the clearance that was
needed to tackle any of the obstacles. It was very easy to get
comfortable on and was very balanced in the technical sections. If
you like to ride wheelies then you may not be happy with the
Prairie 360, as the front end does not like to come up. We prefer
to have the front two wheels on the ground which is what the 360
does well. The Kawasaki variable differential lock really works
well in the rocks. We tried some obstacles with and without it.
With it engaged, we were able to climb right up with a minimal
amount of wheel spin. With it unlocked we had free steering. The
new 360 motor had plenty of torque in all the right places to move
the 600 lb Prairie. We were not doing any farm work, but by the way
it worked in low range on the rocks we suspect that it will fit
right in on the farm when you need to get some work done. The
Prairie 360 has a towing capacity of 1,100 lbs, the highest in its
class.
After a couple hours of riding we
turned around just short of the top of Pritchett Canyon. The
scenery was absolutely fantastic in this canyon. We made a couple
attempts at this obstacle before deciding we should turn around. A
winch would have been very helpful at this point. The Prairie 360
is winch ready for a Warn or Superwinch. We think we just might
have to come back another time with a winch-equipped 360.
Summary
With a full day of trail riding under our belt we have to say
that Kawaski has produced a winner in the mid-class 4x4 category.
About the only thing we would like to see different is an optional
skid plate from Kawasaki Accessories to cover the exposed oil
filter. We are worried that a stick could find its way up and
damage the oil filter. The only downside to all these features is
that the Prairie 360 is priced slightly higher than its major
competitors, the Suzuki Eiger at $5,199, and the Arctic Cat 375 at
$5,399. Watch for a side by side test of these three models in a
future issue.
2003 Prairie 360
Specifications
Kawasaki Motors Corp.,
U.S.A.
PO Box 25252
Santa Ana, CA 92799-5252
Phone: 1-949-460-5688
www.Kawasaki.com
Elite Tours
1310 Murphy Lane
Moab, Utah 84532
Phone: 1-435-259-7621
Toll Free: 1-888-778-0358
www.moab.net/elitetours/
Email: elitetours@moab.net
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