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The Bombardier Quest 650 is the big utility quad BRP built through the late 1990s and early 2000s, and it earned a loyal owner base because it is built like a truck and rides like a couch. Under the tank is a 644 cc liquid-cooled Rotax single that owners say runs near the top of its big-bore class, even if it takes a few seconds to get there. This article sorts out the verified specs, the realistic top speed, plus the transmission quirks these machines are known for. It ends with a used-buying checklist and a straight answer on the viral aircraft-engine rumor, because that rumor is the main reason this quad is so easy to get wrong online.
The Engine: A 644 cc Rotax Single, Not an Aircraft Motor
Let’s clear up the biggest myth about this quad right away. The Bombardier Quest 650 does not use a Rotax 912S engine, and it never had four cylinders or anywhere near 108 horsepower. The old post that described it that way was repeating a fantasy that has bounced around forums for years. The Rotax 912S is a 1211 cc flat-four built for ultralight and light-sport aircraft, and no Bombardier ATV ever shipped with one bolted in. Same story for the old “six hundred mile range” claim, which is impossible on a 5.3 gallon tank.
The real powerplant is a 644 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled four-stroke Rotax. It is carbureted, like most machines of its era. It is the same family of big single that made the brand’s reputation for grunty and dependable motors, and it is unrelated to the V-twins someone pasted into a later edition of this post. Owners in the “Any Quest 650 owners out there?” thread on ATVConnection call the Rotax excellent, with strong power and real top end. They lean on the machine for backcountry camping and hunting trips without complaint. That is the engine you are actually looking at, not an airplane motor and not a V-twin either.
Quest 650 Top Speed: What Owners Actually Report
Bombardier never printed an official top speed for the Quest, so treat any precise number you see online as a guess rather than a factory claim. The honest picture from owners is that the Quest is quick at the top end, but it spends its first moments climbing rather than rocketing. One experienced rider in the Quest 650 XT first impressions thread put it plainly: the Quest has a high top end but takes longer to get there than a snappier sport quad does.
Where owners agree is that the Quest holds its own against the big names of its day. In an early mud-and-drag shoot-out pitting a Quest against a Prairie 650, a Grizzly, and a 700 Polaris, the Bombardier outran the whole field on the strip. That sort of company shows the Quest was never a wallflower, just a quad that needed a bit of a runway to shine. Owners in the problems thread make the same call, saying the Quest is faster than a Prairie, a Grizzly, or a 700 Polaris. So treat the Quest as a high-top-end utility machine rather than a sprinter. It needs room and revs, and once there it will pull away from stock rivals.
Keep the reputation in perspective, though. This is not a quad you buy to brag about numbers at the truck stop. Owners value it for the package around the motor, and the same people who own them put real miles on without drama. One owner in the problems thread ran his Quest nearly three thousand miles in ten months on nothing but oil and gas, which is about the strongest reliability review a big single can get.
Quest 650 Specs: Size, Weight and Fuel
The Quest is a big quad, and owners raise that more than anything else. The old spec sheet lists dry weight around 700 lb, while owners say a loaded machine sits closer to 800 lb. It sits noticeably wider than most mid-size utility quads, which is exactly why it looks so imposing in person. Buyers in the first impressions thread admit they worried about the size until they rode it, then realized the extra bulk barely mattered in the woods because the machine stays so planted.
Dimensions run on the large side as well, with the Quest measuring about 45 inches across the widest point, a wheelbase near 51 inches and roughly 10 inches of ground clearance. The upright cockpit gives a commanding view of the trail, and most riders find the seat comfortable for a full tank of miles. Fuel capacity is about 5.3 gallons, and towing is rated around 1,225 lb, which is what lets it pull double duty as a work machine. It is not the lightest quad you can buy and it ran on the pricey side for its age, but the owners who lived with one call that trade worth it for the build quality.
The Transmission and the Low-Range Recall
The Quest runs an automatic CVT with high and low ranges plus reverse, and a selector that toggles between 2WD and 4WD. Mechanically it is a solid setup, but the sub-transmission is the single most common complaint on these machines. Multiple owners describe hard shifts, being stuck in park, plus a fight to find reverse. A few had the shifter jam in low range outright, and a couple of buyers even returned brand-new machines to the dealer over it. The idle setting matters more than most people expect, and Bombardier told owners the idle was critical to how the box behaved.
That sticking-in-low-range problem was real enough that Bombardier issued a recall for it, and dealers applied the fix to stock units before sale. Owners in the Quest 650 XT problems thread add that setting the idle very low is the trick that gets clean shifts, and that Bombardier redesigned the internal shifter and upgraded the starter bendix on later units. New machines at low mileage could still be fussy, so expect a little settling-in rather than a fault.
One quirk worth respecting is the parking pin, which lives inside the engine and can pop out if you force a shift while the machine has not fully settled, needing a teardown to replace. The lesson owners pass along is to never muscle the shifter. Rock the machine a little when it will not engage and give the gears time to line up. Some owners also raised the trailer hitch, cutting the ball plate and welding it about two inches higher, to keep the receiver clear of the mud factor on plow duty.
Stability and Comfort on a Big Machine
Every owner who reviews the Quest lands on the same verdict: it is heavy, but the weight works in its favor. The long wheelbase and wide stance deliver exceptional stability with great traction, and the ride stays smooth over rough ground. Riders describe it as comfortable enough for a full day of trail riding or long-distance work, which matters on a machine you will use hard. There are Quest owners who load up every accessory and head into the mountains for multi-day camps, and they never feel beat up at the end of it.
The front differential is another highlight. Owners rave about how light it steers for a 650-class machine and how well the four-wheel drive hooks up when you call on it. Combine that with the plush ride and you have an easy machine to live with, even if it will not win any agility contests. Taller and heavier riders are especially well served, since the cockpit is roomy and the suspension soaks up hits that would beat up a lighter quad. It is built for planted confidence rather than flickability, and on this quad that is exactly the right trade.
Rear Radiator and Solid Rear Axle
Two details set the Bombardier utility quads apart from the crowd, and the Quest has both. The radiator sits at the back of the machine instead of up front, which keeps mud and debris from packing onto the fins the way it does on most other brands. Owners who work their Quests in deep mud and snow say it runs cooler for exactly that reason, a genuine advantage on a quad that spends its life in the rough.
The other detail is the solid rear axle. Most sport and utility builders dropped it years ago in favor of independent rear suspension, but Bombardier kept one on the Quest because it is simpler and tougher for plowing and towing. Those who push snow with a plow swear by it, and one long-term owner describes pushing serious snow with a five-foot plow while his Quest just keeps chugging. The trade is some rear articulation for durability, and on a work quad that is a fair deal.
Common Problems Owners Report
Aside from the transmission, a handful of recurring issues show up in the owner threads. The speedometer quits on some machines. One owner had a rear brake let go on him. A few describe a strong deceleration backfire that is more nag than failure. Owners also note the engine braking is strong enough that it almost makes the brakes irrelevant, which is good news for control and easy on pads.
The starter system gets a few mentions as well. A grinding, clinking noise on a low-hour 2004 model turned out to be the starter clutch, basically a one-way bearing that wears and needs replacing. Bombardier upgraded the bendix on later units, so a healthy-sounding cold start after an upgrade is a good sign. One owner also had a valve cover gasket blow out on his first machine, and a couple of others report the rubber intake boot separating from the engine on hard bumps. For a unit that some owners ran hard for thousands of miles on nothing but oil and gas, that is a short failure list. If you want each issue laid out with a fix, the Bombardier Quest 650 problems post on this site has the full rundown.
What to Check Before Buying a Used Quest 650
Searching for an old Quest, the transmission and the cooling system are where you should focus your time. Test every shifter position from park through reverse and both ranges, and walk away if any position demands muscle. Ask whether the low-range recall was ever done and budget for the fix if it was not, because a shifter that sticks will not cure itself. A clean-shifting unit is worth a small premium over a sticky one.
Look at the rear radiator for packed mud and bent fins, since it is the machine’s cooling lifeline and a choked one runs hot. Cold-start it and listen for starter grinding. Inspect the rubber intake boot for cracks, then wobble the tie rods and a-arms for play. Take a close look at the racks and bodywork too, because a plow horse that was ridden hard shows it in the plastic. Keep in mind that parts and owner knowledge are thinner than on mainstream brands, so a rusted or molested example is a gamble. There were other pre-Can-Am quads with their own quirks in this era, like the small Bombardier Rally 200 and the Bombardier Outlander 330. The utility spirit carried on into the later Can-Am Outlander 450. Know the family before you sign.
Maintenance That Keeps a Quest 650 Running
Keeping an aging Quest dependable comes down to a few habits. Change the engine oil on a reasonable schedule and use a good synthetic synthetic ATV engine oil, then keep the air filter clean, because a clogged one makes a carbureted single run hot and touchy. Set the idle low so the sub-transmission shifts cleanly, and never force the shifter when it fights you. Give it a moment and let the gears line up, the same advice the veteran owners repeat.
Keep the battery topped up through the winter on a battery tender, because a weak battery stresses the starter and the charging system. Grease the tie-rod ends and suspension pivots on a regular basis, and pay attention to cold starts, because catching starter-clutch wear early is far cheaper than a tow. Owners who treat a Quest this way report thousands of miles with only oil and gas, which is about the best endorsement a twenty-year-old quad can get today.
The Bombardier Quest 650 is a big, heavy, fast utility quad with a grunty Rotax single, a comfortable ride, plus a reputation for being tough to kill. It is not an aircraft-powered super-ATV, and it is not a lightweight either, but it will out-run its big-bore rivals and push snow like a small tractor. The main things to respect are the sub-transmission, which can stick and was covered by a recall, plus the starter clutch on high-mile units. Inspect those, then set the idle low and keep up on the oil. Do that and you get a workhorse that is a genuine joy to own even today. If you are weighing it against a modern machine, see how the Yamaha Grizzly 700 fills the same utility role for comparison. Browse the related posts here before you buy.
