1994 Kawasaki 4x4 400 Bayou

[ratherbefishin]

anybody own one and have an opinion,good bad or indiferent?

[Phred]

anybody own one and have an opinion,good bad or indiferent?
I have a 98 and my buddy has a 96. They have both been great so far. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
Are you buying one? How much $?

[ratherbefishin]

The ad says''little use,winch included ''asking $4700.Not knowing a thing about them,I think I'd ask for it to be serviced before I made an offer

[Schmaus]

Unless its in really really good clean unscratched shape I think its a little pricey. I would say for $5000 you should be able to get into a 98 or newer 400 without any problems.

[ratherbefishin]

what would you say is ''low mileage'' and what price ranges do these models sell at, from''excellent'' to ''beat up''condition

[Schmaus]

If that bike is in decent shape I would pay around $3500 - 4000 if it seemed to run and ride good. Miles don't mean as much to me on a four stroke as a two stroke as long as it doesn't blow a lot of blue smoke out the pipe when you ride I wouldn't worry. You should be able to tell if it has been bagged on just by looking at it. Thats just my opinion if you like the bike and don't think that you are going to find anything else around for a while, then I would buy it. You are buying a bike when I would think they are worth the most, just before hunting season.

[ratherbefishin]

I know-right before hunting season isn't the time to buy.But-I'd sure like to hear from guys who owned the Kawasaki Bayou, good, bad or indiferent,what they liked,didn't like-reliablity,gas mileage etc

[Phred]

Likes: I like the power of mine. Compared to a freinds Yamaha 400, mine always has more jam. The fuel tank is quite large, so you don't have to fill as often. It has duel front disc brakes that work great. The quad is not huge and has a low center of gravity, so it fits on trails and trailers well. Straight axle is good for towing a trailer. The model didn't change much over the years so parts are cheap on Ebay. Front and rear racks are big and made of steel.

Dislikes: Mounting a winch in the front is a pain (raidiator is in the way), so I mounted mine on the back. Putting it in reverse can be akward with heavy gloves.

Hope that helps...

[ratherbefishin]

thanks,much appreciated.Can you tell me about reliability, repairs,breakdowns,if any?

[Phred]

I did my own timing chain last year and a ball joint. With a manual, it was easy (Ebay was 1/4 the price than the local Kawi shop).
Other than a ripped cv boot (easy to repair) I can't think of anything else. The bike starts everytime, warm weather or cold.

I agree with Schmaus, that you will be paying a premium this time of year. The price seems kinda steep to me.