02 Grizzly- two day impressions
#1
Obviously I like the bike, otherwise I wouldn't have got it. That being said, its also obvious that I can sit here and talk about power and diff-lock and stuff, but nobody wants to hear that. Anyone considering or just looking at a new quad wants to know about things they might question or later regret, so here it is. Things that I don't consider a Grizzly to be the king of. Hey, if some call it bashing, then so be it, cause I own it and I'd just be hammering myself.
Ok, I did the suspension thing, and I don't think there is any way that this 660 keeps all four planted as well as my swingaxle Arctic Cat. Seems like the anti-sway bar thing is set up so it won't have much lean and will handle better in the woods at speed. So what. I like to have it on an uneven place, and the bike still be level. The griz feels more like a straight axle quad on sidehills and with one rear tire on a big rock. I don't think it has anything on the AC swingaxle in that regard.
It doesn't powerslide well at all, but I don't care about that. A lot of people do though, so there it is. Its really narrow, and the rear wheels are set inward. ITP's would really widen it a lot I think.
Stability- nothing outdoes the AC in this regard. The Griz doesn't feel unstable, but it feels more like a swingarm than it does the swingaxle AC. The front is high and seems rather light, but take in mind I'm coming off a quad that has 100lbs. more resting on the front tires than it does on the rears (ATV Magazine test). If you don't want to flipover backward, get an Arctic Cat. They are the best at that. The winch will even this out for the grizz a little though, because I think it mounts low. I'll get it in in a couple weeks, and then we'll see.
Hmmm... thats about it for now. I haven't found anything that is "bad" about it, but I have spotted a few things that I like better about the AC.
Just for good measure, I will say that its powerful, turns easy, and the 4wd button is sweet. Diff Lock of course is amazing and should be mandatory on all 4x4 quads except scramblers and wolverines. I never knew how much of a difference it makes but it flat out does. I climbed that little hill to the spinout point in 4wd today, then hit the lock button and it popped up and over with utter ease.
I have a whopping 10 miles on it now. So what. Can't tell anything from that. Basically, its just going to be boring until I get it broken in and I can cut loose with it. I will say this though. It gets to my AC's top speed at what seems like half throttle. Oh yeah. Ride is very good. Better than the AC, but I don't know if its better than a sp500 or not. Not enough time on either to make that call. The seat is plush though. More so than my 99 500, and a lot better than that boat cushion that honda puts on.
This one is wierd though. No parking brake. You just have to use the park on the transmission. I think this is stupid, and it should have both.
I've been up for 30 hrs. straight now since yesterday morning and I'm getting some sleep. I'll add to this mess next week when I'm off for 4 days and have time to test some things.
In my opinion thus far, I've actually found the quad I've been wanting for about 4 years. My only beef is the auto tranny, but I can get used to it. I'm sure some are calling it the king of 4x4's right now, just like some are calling the 650 the king as well. My take is that its has a lot going for it, but its not going to be the best in all classes by any means. The best by all means would be a 500i with diff-lock button, yamaha steering, and the speed of either the 660 or 650. I've got this Yamaha now, but I'll always be an AC guy at heart. Why the hell do you think I posted this in this forum? Probably because I was on the forums before they even had an AC forum, and I guess it just feels like home.
Ok, I did the suspension thing, and I don't think there is any way that this 660 keeps all four planted as well as my swingaxle Arctic Cat. Seems like the anti-sway bar thing is set up so it won't have much lean and will handle better in the woods at speed. So what. I like to have it on an uneven place, and the bike still be level. The griz feels more like a straight axle quad on sidehills and with one rear tire on a big rock. I don't think it has anything on the AC swingaxle in that regard.
It doesn't powerslide well at all, but I don't care about that. A lot of people do though, so there it is. Its really narrow, and the rear wheels are set inward. ITP's would really widen it a lot I think.
Stability- nothing outdoes the AC in this regard. The Griz doesn't feel unstable, but it feels more like a swingarm than it does the swingaxle AC. The front is high and seems rather light, but take in mind I'm coming off a quad that has 100lbs. more resting on the front tires than it does on the rears (ATV Magazine test). If you don't want to flipover backward, get an Arctic Cat. They are the best at that. The winch will even this out for the grizz a little though, because I think it mounts low. I'll get it in in a couple weeks, and then we'll see.
Hmmm... thats about it for now. I haven't found anything that is "bad" about it, but I have spotted a few things that I like better about the AC.
Just for good measure, I will say that its powerful, turns easy, and the 4wd button is sweet. Diff Lock of course is amazing and should be mandatory on all 4x4 quads except scramblers and wolverines. I never knew how much of a difference it makes but it flat out does. I climbed that little hill to the spinout point in 4wd today, then hit the lock button and it popped up and over with utter ease.
I have a whopping 10 miles on it now. So what. Can't tell anything from that. Basically, its just going to be boring until I get it broken in and I can cut loose with it. I will say this though. It gets to my AC's top speed at what seems like half throttle. Oh yeah. Ride is very good. Better than the AC, but I don't know if its better than a sp500 or not. Not enough time on either to make that call. The seat is plush though. More so than my 99 500, and a lot better than that boat cushion that honda puts on.
This one is wierd though. No parking brake. You just have to use the park on the transmission. I think this is stupid, and it should have both.
I've been up for 30 hrs. straight now since yesterday morning and I'm getting some sleep. I'll add to this mess next week when I'm off for 4 days and have time to test some things.
In my opinion thus far, I've actually found the quad I've been wanting for about 4 years. My only beef is the auto tranny, but I can get used to it. I'm sure some are calling it the king of 4x4's right now, just like some are calling the 650 the king as well. My take is that its has a lot going for it, but its not going to be the best in all classes by any means. The best by all means would be a 500i with diff-lock button, yamaha steering, and the speed of either the 660 or 650. I've got this Yamaha now, but I'll always be an AC guy at heart. Why the hell do you think I posted this in this forum? Probably because I was on the forums before they even had an AC forum, and I guess it just feels like home.
#2
Congrats Andy on the new ride! I hope it is everything you want it to be. I still feel that way about my AC500 auto. It is a 2001 so it still feels pretty new. By the way, What color did you get? The camouflage one is absolutely cool looking. How are the floorboards? Anyway, good luck with the new Grizz, I hope you like it. You said it was alot more comfortable than your AC, My dad has a sp500 and I really feel like mine is just as comfortable as his. The way my AC sits, or the so called ergonomics of the bike are great, just as good as his. How much better can it get?
Waco4whlr
Waco4whlr
#3
Thanks Andy for the review. I hope you will continue to keep us posted as you get more miles on it. It seems every time I get closer to deciding on a new quad, something better comes out, and this could definately be a contender. A few things I'd like to know about this quad are:How does this beast handle mud and water? ATV Action mag had problems with water and slammed it in their review.How well does the engine braking work? Could you safely tow a heavy trailer down steep hills?What fuel milage does it get? How far can you go on a tank?Does the belt drive engage positively enough to pull a heavy load from a standing start without slipping the belt?
#4
Andy,
Thanks for posting it in the Arctic Cat section, the Arctic Cat and Bombardier sections are the only ones I visit now days. So I would not have seen it on the other sections.
It's great to know that the 660 has a soft seat, I've never been able to find anything out there that has a seat as soft and comfortable as the cat. I can't stand the 650's seat because it's harder than my cats, and wide as hell. Makes it realy uncomfy.
Have you sold your cat yet?? Or waiting for a buyer?
Thanks for posting it in the Arctic Cat section, the Arctic Cat and Bombardier sections are the only ones I visit now days. So I would not have seen it on the other sections.
It's great to know that the 660 has a soft seat, I've never been able to find anything out there that has a seat as soft and comfortable as the cat. I can't stand the 650's seat because it's harder than my cats, and wide as hell. Makes it realy uncomfy.
Have you sold your cat yet?? Or waiting for a buyer?
#5
Andy, I too am glad you have posted on the AC forum. No matter what you ride You still have the AC heart.
What I would like to know from you at the first chance you get to give your new ride a through going over, is what is the fuel consumption? I have asked this question the Yamaha forum and it has about 30 hits but no answers. I just hope it's not a state secret or something.
Best of luck on your new ride.
What I would like to know from you at the first chance you get to give your new ride a through going over, is what is the fuel consumption? I have asked this question the Yamaha forum and it has about 30 hits but no answers. I just hope it's not a state secret or something.
Best of luck on your new ride.
#6
Andy-
As the others have said, Thanks for posting over here your thoughts. I wish you the best of luck with your new machine and hopefully you'll stick around over here, keep us posted! It's hard to find "real world" wisdom sometimes, and you do a great job of telling it like it is, whether good or bad.
Again, best of luck with the new Grizzly, take care,
Mike
As the others have said, Thanks for posting over here your thoughts. I wish you the best of luck with your new machine and hopefully you'll stick around over here, keep us posted! It's hard to find "real world" wisdom sometimes, and you do a great job of telling it like it is, whether good or bad.
Again, best of luck with the new Grizzly, take care,
Mike
#7
Waco- I wouldn't say way more comfortable. I think the ride is maybe a little better and the seat is softer, but its not a difference that would be enough to really talk high about. I got green. I would have liked to had camo, but I probably would have had to wait a while, and it was another $200. Green was my other choice, so I'm fine with that.
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#8
Ron- I'll let you know all that as soon as I find out. The EBS seems to be pretty good. It weird having an auto, mainly cause it slows itself down good when you let off at like 30mph. I would figure this to be a gas hog. I don't see how it could get any mileage. Has a big tank though so that helps at least. I put in in low to see how it handled a little downhill. Pretty good. I didn't have it in 4wd at the time though, and I forgot about the *** sliding on a 2wd. I still need to adjust the rear brake cable though. It doesn't brake good with the lever all the way down, and all that needs is just a quick adjustment. I just haven't really had any time to fool with it yet. Tuesday, I will give it the treatment, and make sure those guys got all the fluid levels right. Trust nobody! ha ha! As far as the floorboards, they were something that didn't impress me, but they look like they are made of a flexible material that will bend rather than crack. Thats good. I miss the floorboards of the ac, because the pegs on it are high, and you can get a good grip on it when going up a steep hill at slow speed. These on the griz are only like a half inch so you have to dig in good on them.
#9
Boner- I need to replace an inner cv boot first. I'd like to do it myself, but I don't know whether I can or not. I didn't figure the seat would be this good. From the way it looks, it reminds me of the rock cushion that honda gives you. I missed that one I guess, cause this seat is pretty good.
#10