92LT,
All you need is one finger (thumb) to push the button and your hand doesn't leave the handle bars either. Where did you get this thing about having to slow down to engage the 4 wheel drive, and the rev limiter thing? I own one!

 

Andy, was going to recommend you takeing the swaybars off and trying it. Thats a good idea. It may work out better.

I rode the 650 the other day and the lever would be hard to hold in, in some situations. If I know Im going to need the locker then I would prefer the push button and already have it engaged.

 

lrichard, I never said you have to slow down to engage 4x4 on the 660. But you do have to slow down to engage diff lock and there is a rev limiter so you cannot exceed 20? mph when the diff lock is engaged. If you do own one, then re-read your manual.

The 650 has push buttom 4x4 as well and only requires one finger to use it as well.

 

Didn't say the yamaha lock button was better than the Prairie dude. I just said I liked it better. I like single lever brakes better too. I don't care to feather the throttle while trying to hold the front brake on a hill, so I don't know why I would like holding a lever for the differential either. Which is better is just an opinion thing. I don't care too much which is better or faster. I've already made my decision. I'll just let other guys debate that stuff.

 

I don't really understand what a rev limiter has to do with it. Why would you ever want to go over 20 with the differential locked up anyway? As far as that picky crap about needing a reverse override, the Grizzly is like twice as fast as my AC in reverse. I don't care to be going that fast backwards, and my AC was always fast enough in reverse anyway.

As far as the Prairie going over the same sidehills as the AC or Grizzly, I don't see where that would matter. I'm going to give that one the the ACT Arctic Cat any day. The bike stays more even to the ground than the other two. There's really no way around it. The Prairie won't be any different than riding another swingarm bike with the same ammount of wheel travel, and its going to lean with the hill just the same. Only the Sportsman can compete with the AC in sidehill stability in my mind. Thats my opinion though. I didn't outright say that this or that was better and all else sucks.

The only problem with new quads is that people dig like hell to find something wrong with them. Unless they own them that is. No I haven't ridden a 650, but I haven't sat and picked it to death either. I looked it over good, and I liked it, but I would rather have the clearance.

 

Andy, I didn't say that the grizz's locker is better than the prairie's locker either, or prairie's locker better than grizz's. I just said that I prefer the prairie's locker. I totally agree that it is a matter of personal preference. Everyone drives in different types of conditions and different terrains.

All too often I see people who buy atv's because their friends say a certain atv is best or the magazines rate a certain best. When in fact the buyer should be buying what is best for the buyer and not what someone else thinks is best.

 

The way I look at it, if you are able to lock it at all, then its that much better. I would like to see how good the Grizzly could do with my Claws on it and the locker. I know they made a massive difference on the AC. I know they would make the grizzly a lot better.

 

Andy, I know you didn't say the Yamaha lock button was better than the Prairie's lever "dude". I didn't say one was better than the other either. I seem to have struck a nerve by asking you some questions. That wasn't my intent. I'm mearly trying to learn as much as I can about the pros and cons of both machines as I like them both. I rode the Prairie for a very short time and haven't had the chance to ride the Grizzly yet. You obviously know lots about the Grizzly, so I thought that if you rode the Prairie in the same area, you'd be a good person to make comparisons as the Prairie has a really low center of gravity, so I thought that even though it may lean alot on sidehills, it shouldn't want to tip over. That is a huge difference from other solid rear axle quads in my mind. Anyway, it sounds like you have no interest in the Prairie now though, so thats fine. If I bought one, I wouldn't care much about the other one either. By the way, I asked you how the throttle response is on the Grizzly. Is it instant?

 

You didn't strike a nerve man, I just say dude sometimes. Wasn't meaning anything by it like if had I said "sport, pal, or jack". As far as sidehills, the Grizzly has a good center of gravity. The thing I was thinking of is on a sidehill where you get a tire in a low spot or on a rock. Thats the place where the AC axle will tilt, and give the feeling that the obstacle isn't there. The Grizz would have that teeter to it like the prairie or another swingarm bike. I guess I should have used uneven terrain rather than sidehill. The grizzly is narrow, but I think some offset ITP rims would widen the stance to the point that I wouldn't even think about it. I've gone through a lot of the same places that I've taken the AC through now, and I haven't had any problems. Its a different feeling, and I still feel the AC is better in this stuff, but its not a problem. The Grizzly feels a lot lighter and is easier to manuever in these spots. I think you can feel it better if it was going to flip than you could with the AC.

As far as throttle response, I don't know. I haven't driven other automatics enough to be able to differentiate good from bad. It takes off pretty good. As far as from a standstill, I don't know, but it has great throttle response at speed. The low end takeoff is massive.

I guess to see which is best between it and a 650, you should probably ride them. I haven't ridden the prairie, so I can't tell you about most of this stuff. Then you see some guys that like one over the other from both ways, and their stories seem to contradict each other. Thats normally how it goes. You see a lot of confliciting opinions. I know one guy already traded a 660 for a prairie. I know another one here was thinking of trading a prairie for a griz. This blows my mind. I can't see why the hell anyone would take a loss like that right after purchase on a bike that isn't really that different. Hell, they both have buttloads of power, both can lock the differential, both ride smooth. I don't understand losing your *** in trade in, and not really getting anything great that the other doesn't have. I mean, trading a rancher for a sportsman might be considered legit, but look at the differences.

I hope my cousin eventually gets the prairie. He wants it because I already have the grizzly. We don't really like to have the same machines, and these two are even enough that we could run together in about any situation whether it need speed, power, traction or whatever.

Don't worry about me taking it wrong. I didn't.

 

Andy, I take it that you have 'Claws on your Arctic Cat? Will those bolt up to the grizz? I was thinking about getting either some claws or 589s for my 650, but I really don't want to lose the "sporty" feel of the bike. It would be interesting to see if the claws would affect the smooth ride and top end on your grizz.