Kawasaki did not stop there. The Prairie 360 also
has a selectable shaft-driven 4wd system with variable front
differential control. 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. The front diff control is not speed limited,
while the selectable 4-wheel drive system is speed limited. The
selectable 4WD system will only switch between 4WD and 2WD at 12mph
and below. The switch of course can be flipped at any speed, but it
will remain in the current drive mode until the machine speed drops
to 12mph, at which time it will switch. This is designed as a
safety feature; for instance, to keep the rider from swithing 2WD
to 4WD at 50mph while sliding around a bend, could cause loss of
control when the front wheels engage.
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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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Continued on Page 3
Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
Kawasaki Motors Corp.,
U.S.A.
PO Box 25252
Santa Ana, CA 92799-5252
Phone: 1-949-460-5688
www.Kawasaki.com
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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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