Hello, is the Grizzly a good quad? I will be using it for some light utility and mostly recreational riding. What are some of its problems? What are its good things? I heard it wheel hops? And last, how does it compare to a Polaris Sportsman 500 in terms of strength, acceleration, and power? Thanks

 

I've got a 98 Grizzly and have not had a problem with it. Very good. Ride trails high in the Rockies and appreaciate the power it has at altitude. Much faster than the SP500, Bayou and Foreman I ride with. Others in the group prefer the Grizzly to the SP500. I like the Sportman pretty well too. I own the Sportsman and the Grizzly.

I've never had a overheating problem at all. Kida like the idea of not having to worry about the liquid cooling.

 

Im not sure about the newer model Grizzs,but my co- workers 98 model would not beat my 99 500cc Sportsman in an all out drag.No match for it in the real serious mud either.The newer Grizz's [99 and up] are a lot lighter than the older 98 models,so I expect the newer Grizzs will out drag the Sportsman.The Grizz is a hot running 4x4,and your leg will get exceptionally hot to.Log thru the Forums and you'll see plenty of problems with the Grizz.The same could be said of the Sportsman.It is air cooled compared to the Sportsmans liquid cooled.Has limited slip compared to the Sportsmans AWD system that spins all 4 wheels instead of three.Sportsman has IRS,offers a better ride than the Grizz to.Sportsman has disk brakes all the way around on it to.Dollar for dollar,the Sportsman is certainly my choice between the two.Others may differ in their opionions.====BILL

 

Yes, The Grizzly has more power than the Sportsman.But when it comes to mudding the Sportsman wins. I believe the Grizzly is more reliable than a Sportsman. I have a 00' Grizzly and like it very much. It is definitly faster than the Sportsman because I have raced my uncles and smoked it every time. But when we come to the mud he beats me. I hope to get a locker and Easy Steer Kit soon. I believe this will help me stay with him.

 

Well, I can agree with some of the comments made here but not all. Let's see..... Yep, the Sportsman is better than the Grizz in the mud and snow. In fact, it has pulled the Grizz out twice now. In our group it works like this...The Sportsman pulls out the Grizz and the Grizz pulls out the Foreman. The guy on the Bayou is a great rider and he rarely has a problem.

What else..... Speed....Nope, at 10,500 feet, this 98 Grizz beats the 99 SP500. Don't know about lower elevations.

Anything else? Yep, the Grizz steers easier this is appreciated on those 50 mile rides.

Heat? Yep the Grizz gets warm but it only takes a short time to avoid resting your leg on the hot spots. This has not been a problem at all.

Long term reliability?...We'll see....so far I'm not having any trouble with either machine.

Both pretty good machines in my opinion. I thought about trading one or the other in on a Kodiak or maybe the Rubicon, but decided these machines work jsut fine and I'll keep 'em for awhile.

If I were a new buyer, I'd be pleased to own either one.

Gimp

 

When I sojourned forth in 98 to purchase a 4X4 Utility Quad in 98, my lust Dirt and Street motorcycles had left me in a situation
similar to yours.

Choose One.

What to buy? the SP500 or the Grizzly, it was AGONIZING decision
to say the Least.

I will agree with Mr Gimp on this one all the way,
as it dose resemble closely to what I have said in reguards to these fine Quads.

Traction, no doubt the Sportsman.

Steering Ease? the Grizz, it's close in 2wd, 4wd
its far greater distinct.

Turning Radius/Maneuverability? 2wd, close but again the Grizzly, 4wd the differences again become more pronounced, the Superior Traction of the Sportsman's system meets it's opposite reaction here, Talk to a King Quad(Great Model)
owner with reguards to the Diff-Lock in 4wd and
the differences when and when not engaged.

Ground Clearence? Sportsman, but not as profound as one has been led to believe, differences in the
Front and Center(not footrests)are nominal, the
rear is where the Sportsman can boast, but not the 13" vs 7.1" as aluded to on many occasions,
I feel if your going to measure "lowest points"
on both fair is fair, if you measure the Rear Gear case on the Grizzly you should also measure
the Swingarms low point(outside the tires of course) which comes out to 9.25"(my measurment)
which gives the Sportsman a 2.15" advantage(it may be off, but its much more accurate than the
13" vs 7.1" figures).

Suspension? Sportsman has the edge here due mainly
to the Comfort factor and IRS performance on uneven terrain, but then again I felt the Grizzly
handled jumps/whoops better and felt less tippy(for current lack of better vernacular at this juncture) when sliding and other related activites.

Muscle? Grizzly, www.dynojet.com has that in its
ATV section.

Cooling Systems? both Liquid and Air/Oil(what the Grizzly truly has)have + & -'s.


Winner?

You, no matter which you choose!

Good Luck
Get It
Your Way

Y2K

 

Guy, this may or may not be of any help, but try scanning through the Yamaha section on the forum, there is a rather lengthy list of things dealing with the 2000 Grizzly. Good luck