Well I'm ready to lay down some hard earned cash for a new machine, but first I must choose which one!

I've narrowed it down to a few: Grizz 660, KQ 700, BF 750, or TP 700.

I ride mostly trails, lots of technical, slow stuff with logs, creek beds and some mud. I do however want to be able to make good time down the logging roads. Diff lock is a must.

I like the idea of IRS. Seems everyone is going that way, so it must be for a reason. I like the idea of a comfortable ride, but stability is important. I listed the TP 700 as an option, though I will probably eliminate it in favor of the IRS quads. I know that SRA quad have been fine for ages, but the trend towards IRS by all manufacturers tends to steer me away.

As for the Grizz, it's a proven design, and is reliable. I especially like the Yamaha CVT the best. I know it may not be as powerful as some of the others here, but it's pretty close from what I hear, so that shouldn't be a huge issue either. The only downside that I've read about is the slight tippiness, but it seems most people cure this with offset rims/wider tires. Is this a good cure/hard on wheel bearings?

The KQ and BF look good, but I am very skeptical of buying 1st year machines before the bugs are worked out(this especially on the KQ with EFI). I've heard the BF has weak tie rods, is there a cure/upgrade for these available? The Kawi belt replacement is not an issue, but don't know much about the KEBC system. No quad is without its quirks, but I don't know if I can wait till next year!

I have no problems with maintenance, but want to avoid problems.

Any opinions/advice from people who actually own/ride these quads would be appreciated.

Sorry it's a long post, but I could really use some help. Thanks

 

You need to make the choice between SRA vs IRS.

All four bikes are great and each have their own weekness and strengths which everyone will point out correct or not.

I personally like my SRA but at times the IRS would be nice for the long 8 hour rides.


Having said all of this, my v twin is a kick *** motor so I will never buy another one lunger due to serveral reasons mostly because of preference. If you placed all of these quads side by side with comparable tires each rider will have a huge smile which is what the sport is all about.

I do suggest buying the biggest motor you can afford because one needs power to spin your tires in thick heavy mud.

Good luck with your purchase and don't let anyone tell you your bike sucks only you can make that decision.

 

I was amazed how well the IRS did in going over logs, specially when there is a bunch of logs your going over at once. I ride logged areas and I have to run over all the crap they leave on the ground, so I run over logs that are criss-crossed and the IRS shocked me at how well it went thru that stuff.

Your going to loose some speed down the fast logging roads with IRS though, the bikes with IRS just arn't as stable on fast corners and transitions a bit slower if your hitting switchback corners. But you can go almost as fast, I ride my Grizz with friends on Raptors and Banshees and they don't leave me behind on the fast logging roads, I can go fast enough to keep up with their "cruze fast" speeds.. they can leave me behind when they want too ( I make them work hard for it though) , but I keep up just fine at their cruise speeds.

 

Dirty Dude, take your friends into the rough stuff, throw in a little mud and see who has a hard time keeping up then, eh[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

lol ya dont let them do that

 

Thanks for the comments.
I think that IRS will be the way to go. The only really high speed stuff I ride is the logging roads between trails. I think the IRS advantage in the slow technical trail riding situations will outweigh the SRA advantage on the fast parts. Plus I like longer rides, and most IRS seems to be better for this. Good point about the power SKG, especially when you add heavier tires.

Any other opinions? Probably will come down to the BF vs the Grizz.

 

IMO you’ve narrowed your search down to what I consider to be the best of the big bores. “Best” is a relative term of course and to me when referring to an ATV this means it is at the top or near the top of its class in usable power / torque, as light as possible, good trail riding manners, 2 / 4 WD manually switchable, has a front diff lock feature, independent front and rear brakes, good suspension travel, good utility capacity (around the farm work, towing, dragging logs, pushing snow, etc.), handles slow technical terrain adequately, has decent ground clearance, can handle brisk trail riding adequately and (last but not least) “feels” good ergonomically to me.

My hands-on experience lies with the Grizzly and the Brute Force when it comes to the machines in your list so I will leave the King Quad evaluation for those who have ridden them. If I had to narrow it down to just one of those machines it would be a hard choice (I’m glad I have them both!). However for the kind of riding I do I’d probably give a very slight edge to the Grizzly.

The way my Grizzly is currently set up versus the way the Brute is set up, I feel I can get from point A to point B via a tight twisty woods trail with the Grizzly just a little bit quicker, as long as the trail doesn’t involve a lot of long hill climbs. It’s not that the Grizzly doesn’t climb well (in fact it does climb well), it’s just that the Brute Force has a significant power advantage and that really shines when going up long steep hills. However when it comes to turns and handling rough terrain the Grizzly is better simply because with my tire / wheel combination (ITP C-Series wheels and 26” Dirt Devil tires) my 49 ½” wide Grizzly can slide around a turn in a more controlled fashion than the 46 ½” wide Brute can (put the same wheels / tires on the Brute though and that advantage would be lost). Also the Grizzly is more composed / comfortable in the rough stuff because it has softer suspension, more suspension travel and a softer seat than the Brute. Make no mistake, you can still take a Brute through the woods fast enough to get an adrenalin rush, but I think the Grizzly can do it just a little bit better (more comfortably if nothing else).

Probably right at the moment what has me slightly favoring my Grizzly more than the Brute is the 4WD system. To activate 4WD on the Grizzly all you have to do is push a button (while moving or while stopped) and it’s engaged. My Brute doesn’t provide the same nearly instantaneous response. To get 4WD to engage you seem to have to be in a forward gear (high or low) and after toggling the switch you have to roll forward a little before it actually engages (which can be a bad thing if you are suddenly confronted with an obstacle that prevents you from going forward any more and your only choice is to back up).

What makes the Brute so much fun for me is the power. In low range you can lift the front end with ease (nice for going over logs). You can still do it in high range too but not as easily as when in low range. The Grizzly could bring the front end up fairly easily before I put the winch on it. Afterwards it takes a good tug on the bars with sudden wide open throttle application to do it. The Brute doesn’t necessarily need the tug (depends on the amount of traction available) however it doesn’t have a winch on it (yet). Also the Brute is more composed when landing jumps (like erosion ditches on trails) than the Grizzly due to its stiffer suspension.

To summarize, here are what I consider the good and bad points of each:

(GRIZZLY)

1). More suspension travel means better slow speed technical terrain handling. I’ve even removed my anti sway bar (I’ve been without it about 3 years now) for better independent rear suspension articulation. Even without the anti-sway bar the handling is acceptable (most likely thanks to the wider stance provided by the C-Series wheels and the stiffer 6 ply 26” tires which I installed at the same time I removed the anti-sway bar). Handling suffers (without the sway bar) only when you add the extra weight of an adult passenger. In this case navigating uneven or rough terrain could be dangerous.

2). Better 4WD activation system, push button activation, will engage in any gear (my ’02 does anyway) while stopped or moving. Front diff lock is push button (set it and forget it) but you must be stopped to activate it.

3). Less belt / clutch maintenance (I haven’t touched mine yet after 2200 plus rough miles on it).

4). Cushy seat and softer suspension makes for a more comfortable ride. The Grizzly really shines when traveling quickly over rocky open trails. I just stand up (dirt bike style) which puts the bulk of my weight at the floorboards instead of on the seat, plus my slightly bent legs act as a suspension extension for the rest of my body, then I turn it loose. Seems like the faster you go the smoother it gets (as long as you don’t surpass the capabilities of the suspension).

5). Easy throttle (requires a little less thumb pressure than the Brute).

6). Overheating issues; Prolonged low speed riding (such as when pulling a mower where you are traveling at 5 mph or less) can create an overheating situation (over temperature warning light on) where you’d have to stop and let it cool off some before continuing (I’ve never pulled a mower with the Brute for comparison). Too much mud / dirt in the radiator can cause an overheating situation (as it will with any liquid cooled machine), however in the (only) two instances when I’ve encountered this while trail riding on the Hatfield McCoy system (all day riding) I removed my snap on side panels and bungeed them to the back rack. After a ten minute cool down period I was able to continue my ride without any further issues (note that we always start a day’s ride with clean radiators).

7). Decent under the seat storage space for odds and ends (however I use a Tamarack hard box on the front racks for primary storage which is adequate for day long trail riding).

(BRUTE FORCE)

1). More power without extra weight. IMO one can never have too much power (although you can have too much throttle application for a given situation). That power bonus is fun to play with, gives you faster acceleration, easier lofting of the front end over trail obstacles and faster hill climbing (such as on long open grades where a little extra speed is practical.

2). The V-twin engine is smoother than the Grizzly’s big single. IMO it sounds better too.

3). The Brute delivers a sportier ride with its firmer suspension. It is significantly more composed when landing an appropriately graded erosion ditch jump than the Grizzly is. The extra power on tap has it reacting more dirt bike like in those situations making it easy to bring the nose up some when going airborne allowing comfortable touchdowns (like this) as the rear wheels take the initial shock of landing followed by the fronts.

4). The Brute “sits” noticeably higher (which I have no problem with given my size). It is possible that this could have a negative effect for those that choose to remain seated when traversing technical off camber situations. I tend to generally be standing in those situations though (most of my weight on the floorboards instead of on the seat) so it is a non-issue for me.

5). The radiator is more “open” than on the Grizzly (and especially the Rubicon and Prairie that I’ve ridden with). It seems like this would make it more vulnerable to clogging but so far this has not been the case. What it does allow is easier maintenance so you can be sure to start out with a clean radiator.

6). The Brute has superior fender (splash) protection over the Grizzly (especially with my Grizzly having a wider than stock wheel base as the tires protrude past the fenders by nearly 2 inches). I’m currently running 26x12x12 (rears) and 26x10x12 (fronts) GBC Gators (same tire size as the Dirt Devils on my Grizzly) and I will have less mud on me then all the rest of my riding buddies do at the end of a day’s ride (and I tend to take a more adventurous path through the mudholes than the others generally do).

7). Storage space is nearly non-existent (except for the little open pockets on the front fenders). However I have a Tamarack hard pack box on my front rack (just like what I have on my Grizzly) and this provides adequate storage space for my needs.

8). The Brute has an easy to activate and easy to adjust parking brake (the Grizzly has a “park” position on the shifter but no parking brake). IMO the Brute’s parking brake is easier to use than “park” on the Grizzly.

9). Engagement of the 4WD system is not as effective as on the Grizzly. Activating it requires toggling a rocker switch (slightly less convenient than the Grizzly’s push button) and it seems one has to be in a forward gear (high or low range) for it to engage. Also it seems one has to roll forward a little for it to lock in (which can be a problem if you can’t go forward any more). Therefore you have to plan your 4WD moments a little in advance (unlike on the Grizzly which will engage as soon as you push the button, even if you are stopped).

10). The front diff lock on the Brute (which can be used when the machine is already in 4WD mode) can be engaged on the fly by pulling and holding a lever with your left index finger. This is more useful than the Grizzly’s push button (while stopped) diff lock application when dealing with a sudden problem on the trail. However if diff lock mode is needed for an extended period of time (such as a trail strewn with boulders) one may find the Grizzly’s set it and forget it diff lock push button more desirable.

11). The Brute has required (so far) more attention to loose nuts / bolts than the Grizzly. I’m not sure yet if this is a one time thing (involving quality control issues at the factory or dealer) or not. Personally I have lost the nut on the left front A-arm bolt and one of the exhaust header heat shield bolts. The A-arm bolt issue was addressed in a factory recall (I supplemented the fix with an application of loc-tite on the nut). Any other loose bolt situations that I encounter I’ll address on an individual basis to determine if loc-tite should be applied.

12). The engine braking effect on the Brute is superior to that of my Grizzly. The Grizzly’s is not bad by any means (and is really effective on steep hills when in low range 4WD mode), it’s just that the Brute’s system is noticeably better.

Now that I have two 4x4s, I will continue to use my Grizzly for utility work where I can put the snow plow mounts on early and take them off late (not worrying about the 2” of ground clearance I lose with the addition of the plow mount). I will also spare the Brute from the hard work of dragging logs since the Grizzly has handled this job well. That way I won’t have to worry about premature belt wear on the Brute (from my understanding this is more of an issue on the Kawasaki models than on the Yamaha models)…

 

Longbox--If you dont care about the being the fastest , and still want more than adequate low end,a meaty mid- range , descent top end, IRS, and do care about the pricing, I say go for the griz I bought a new 04 for $6350 base price and you too can probly find one around that price if you look hard enough. I have around 750 miles on mine , 26" tires not one prob. yet.I do hammer it pretty good . I cant imagine the price of the griz going up too much from 04 since they have not really changed anything. lets face it yamaha has to sell them cheaper cause most people want the biggest cc's and fastest 4x4 and go elsewhere.This maybe an isolated instance BUT : I raced my bud on his 750 BF in sand just under 1/4 mi. I actually got a better take off than him , then I could see him coming but by the end of the drag strip he was only 3 quads a head of me im sure he would have kept pullin but , in my riding exper. there is not that much room in the woods to run like that anyway. Point being for the money, is bigger cc's and faster top end really worth it if you just want a quad over 600 cc's and want to ride. Reliabilty is a big issue with me , Im not the guy that buys the 1st new quad the dealer gets either. I was thinking of the BF also but I may wait for yamaha. The tippiness you feel on the griz you will get use to. Good luck !!!

 

I hope you are not leaving out the KINGQUAD just because you think that it has some bugs in the EFI. That would be a mistake. The EFI came from thier popular street bike the GSXR1000 and actually it is a very simple and reliable system, and works extremely well. Suzuki also worked more and spent more time on designing and testing the new KINGQUAD before releasing it than any of the other machines you have listed. I have a family member that has been a mechanic for many years at one of the largest dealers in the country and he has yet to see any KINGQUADS return for any reason yet other than to be serviced. That is not so for the BF. The TP 700 is also a fine machine but the shop manual for it has an electrical section that is 2 times the size of the KINGQUAD's (that is alot to potentially go wrong). All of the machines you listed are fine ATV's, the difference will come down to what you prefer. Ride them all and then make your decision, but don't count any out before you know a little more about them all.

 

Thanks for the great responses guys!

2TV that's exactly what I was looking for, an unbiased honest opinion from someone who owns/has ridden both.

As mentioned, I'm not concerned about being the fastest in the open stretches, but don't want to be left behind(don't think this will be a problem on any of these machines). I'm leaning towards a Grizz due to proven reliability(not a 1st year model), comfortable ride, pushbutton locker, and lower price. I like the idea of the extra power of the BF, but I think the Grizz will have enough for trailriding and exploring the woods, except possibly the odd long hillclimb.

I haven't counted the KQ out, I haven't even seen one in person yet! I'm going to try to get out to some dealers tomorrow and check out some of these machines.