Size differences between Kodiak's

Suspension is great. I did 38.1 km's (24 miles) today through the mountains. Was my first ride, and used my GPS to monitor the elevation change. Total I climbed up 5539 Ft from my truck on the quad. The ride was excellent. Not mushy at all. In fact its quite stiff. Downhill turns no issues observed, good on the bumps and uneven ground. I use to ride a 2009 Grizzly with 26" tires which I found a bit tippy. The Kodiak 700 has a much lower center of gravity and feels very stable. Lots of power for the hills. Don't have the same snap off the line as my Grizz did but keeps accelerating steadily. Was doing 55km/hr up a mountain and had to come off the throttle cause I was going too quick. It rides exactly as advertised. I mainly hunt and trail ride. I don't need a quad to do a wheelie. I'm very happy with the Kodiak's performance and it appears to suit my needs perfectly. Turning radius is much better than my Grizz and fuel economy seems excellent. Didn't lose a bar on the fuel guage till I drove 31km's (19.2 miles). Not bad considering the mountains I was driving through. I found the back wet brake worked good. No problem locking up the back end. Engine brake in high gear not as effective as my Grizzlies but in low gear I had to hit the throttle to get any speed at all. So good if your hauling weight or driving through the mountains.

I find the Kodiak 450 to be to small, I'm 6'2" so I like the larger Kodiak 700. It's a better fit for a taller or heavier individual. The 450's suspension I think is too soft, gets mushy on downhill turns and can be dangerous if going too fast. I really like the feel of the suspension on the new Kodiak 700. I find it quite a bit stiffer. I bought a Kodiak SE so the suspension is adjustable. I'm 225lbs and left the suspension on the setting that came out of the factory and find it to work great. Quad has lots of power to accelerate even up steep slopes. I don't need anything more than what it produces. The 450 works great too but obviously it won't have the jam of a 700.

My previous ride was a 2009 Grizzly 700 SE, I like the kodiak a lot better. Lower center of gravity (fuel tank moved), I love the new large storage where the tank use to sit. Better turning radius, stiffer suspension. Feels less tippy. Twice the fuel economy. Nice large racks (that's my weakness!) I just wish the SE model came with LED lights. I have only driven the 700 for three trips but my first impressions are very favorable. My wife likes her 450 too, however she got on my quad and turned it around the off load point and liked it. Don't let your wife ride your quad (could cost ya more money!)