I.R.S. or S.R.A. Which is better?

[mudatv]

I am trying to decide on a new quad and it seems that the options are endless. I currently own a 2004 Wolverine and am looking to upgrade to something more comfortable with better rider protection (better plastic). I am leaning toward the Kawasaki Brute Force 650 but am unsure if I want a straight rear axle or independent rear suspension. I have heard that IRS can be a little more tippy and doesn't slide around on the trail as much as with SRA.

The type of riding I mostly do is wooded trail riding and usually at a moderate pace. Although I am known to put the hammer down and speed through trails that I know. I also ride trails that range from the easy to the difficult technical type of trails.

With all of this said, what are the opinions out there concerning IRS verses SRA? What are the pro's and con's and which one would be better suited for me? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[wilkin250r]

It's really a personal preference.

You've got a grasp of the issues you're looking at. The solid axle will feel more "sporty", it will roll less, and easier to slide around corners if you're the type of person that enjoys doing those things (I know enjoy it on occasion).

The independent rear suspension will give you a smoother ride over rocky terrain, and even give you a little better traction in those situations as well, because a bump on the left side won't cause the right tire to lift off the ground.

On the topic of comfortable, I would suggest a different quad than the Kawi. The seats are much softer on a Yamaha Grizzly or a Polaris. Seriously, go to a dealer and sit for a full 3 minutes on a Grizzly, then go sit on a Brute Force, and you'll notice the difference right away.

[Colby@C&DRacing]

For comfortable trail riding I would go with the IRS, and for high speed riding the solid axle. Just so you know the motor is differenet between the two models. The IRS has the same heads and carbs as the 750 which flow better and make more HP. The solid axle has the older 650 heads and carbs.

[mudatv]

Thanks for the replies. I think that I have made my decision and I'm going to go with the irs. I think that since I don't generally race through the woods, I'll take the comfort of the irs. Most of the guys I ride with all proclaimed that once you go with irs you will never want to go back. I guess if I was buying a sport quad I would really be wanting the sra, but I'm going for a utility with a much more comfortable ride.

Thanks again, this is a great site and I have always found good reasonable answers here. :)