Kodiak/660 Grizz - 50" trail
#1
07-25-2001, 12:06 PM
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I am in a long on-going reasearch for a new quad. The top contender's for my hard earned dollar's are: Kodiak 400 & 660 Grizz. My riding will consist of High Desert (sand, rocks, big hills...no mud)& mountains (7,000 ft) trails, fireroads, snow etc. One of the trails I will be riding is 50 inches wide. The Kodiak width is: 42.1" and the Grizz width is approx. 46+. This trail would be tight with the Grizz. I have not ridden this trail but plan to and assume that there are some drop offs along the way. Maybe there is no need to be concerned but would like comments from any with experience on this type of trail. I have been going back and forth on the Kodiak/Grizz decision. I like the fact that the Kodiak is proven and has many really great features yet the new Grizz really offers a lot such as: IRS, true 4 wheel drive, lots of power, etc. for only about $800.00 more (msrp. The power on the Grizz would be utilized on the BIG sand hills in my area and the lockable front axle and IRS would benifit in the rocks, however the Kodiak narrow and nimbleness would be great in the TIGHT places I like to get myself in. I usually ride alone (not out of choice) and am wondering WHEN I DO roll it, which will be easier to get back on all 4's. My guess would be Kodiak due to the 55 lbs. less weight. Maybe that's not enough weight difference to be an issue. I would like to know what you think..good, bad, any opinions would be appreciated. I will be buying sometime this fall so I am still researching the post on the new Grizz and have read and still reading all post concerning the Kodiak. So......talk to me!
#2
07-25-2001, 02:39 PM
Dez-
While I don't own either, I have ridden with a pair of '01 Kodiaks, and a good friend who rides a '01 Griz. Yes, the Kodiaks do handle the tighter trails better at faster speeds because they're more nimble, smaller, etc. They are however more tippy-I don't care what anybody tells you, the Kodiak is a tippy quad. If these trails you're riding have a lot of off-camber, uneven terrain, stuff where you'll be going down hard, then bank to either direction in rutted or rocky areas, then have to climb immediately up with a turn through the ruts, the Kodiak will be more prone to roll. The Kodiaks I've ridden with CAN NOT follow my 'Cat in the same line or path I take, even with my 'Cat being lifted and running 27" 'Claws. Then again though, my 'Cat is wider, and that rear swing axle is about the best there is for keeping all four's planted next to the IRS of the Sportsman. Rumor has it that the new Griz is tippy as well, but there are a few things you can do to fix that-like swap tires, or install wider ones (even though you're worried about trail width already, it might have enough room to work-or wheel spacers).
If you haven't already done so, I suggest you go to the AC forum and read Andy's post about the new '02 Griz review, or whatever he called it. I've said it before, I'll say it again, Andy does not sugar coat anything, he'll tell it like it is whether good or bad. Some people don't like that at all, tend to get irritated by it, but myself, I really appreciate it. He gives an honest real world view of how things work and what he likes or doesn't like about each machine. He got the Griz to replace his '99 'Cat and is directly comparing those two machines. You might want to look at the review, there is a lot of good information in there about his new Griz that may be of use to you.
Now, while riding with my buddy on his Griz, the trails he rides are down right scary tight. His Griz and my 'Cat are about the same width, but I think he is a tad bit wider it seems. I don't have the numbers for you, but it seemed some places he would rub where I wouldn't, other places I might rub where he didn't-kind of a toss up, but I think he was just a tad bit wider if you actually pulled out the tape. I know he's had a few problems tearing fenders loose because the Griz uses a hard plastic fender which doesn't give as much as it could. My 'Cat has soft plastic fenders that protrude out past the normal hard plastic, which give and bend when slammed up against trees and such, or will pop the rivets loose before you break the plastic itself-kind of a safety feature I guess. He broke a few fender rivets loose, simply replaced them with screws and I think added one extra all the way around, and hasn't had a problem since. One of the other guys he rides with now owns a Traxter, which is even wider than the Griz, so now it's not a problem, as they carry a chainsaw to get the traxter through some really tight places.
I think it would depend on how much time you'll be spending on that 50" wide trail. If you'll be there 90% of the time, maybe the Kodiak is the better way to go for you. My guess though is with the other riding you'll be doing, that power of the Griz will be well worth the extra $800 or whatever you said the cost difference would be. I think the new Griz has too many things going for it to compare to the Kodiak, and especially that new diff. lock. You won't be able to take the really tight trails as fast as you would on the Kodiak, but the steering is from what I've heard-the best there is-very light, almost like power steering. This will help guide you through easier without wear and tear on your arms, so you can focus more on path placement to avoid hitting things, than wearing your arms out. I doubt this post makes any sense, but if it were me deciding between those two machines, I'd take the Griz for your riding style.
As for your worries about rolling and flipping the machine over-my first suggestion is to definately get the winch with the deal-I think it's $69 with the purchase of the quad, and I truly believe the winch is the single biggest improvement you can make to any 4wd quad. With that said, the Kodiak will be fairly easy to flip back over, but hopefully you won't be rolling it all the time. I've tipped my 'Cat over a few times on it's side, and had no problem lifting it back up on all four wheels. My 'Cat weighs in probably around 750-800 lbs. with all the gear I carry, which is about 200 more than the new Griz, so if I can flip that over, I doubt you'll have any problem flipping the Griz by yourself. Again though, hopefully you won't be rolling it very often, and if you do, the winch and a ****** block will aid in self recovery if you're not able to do it.
My only other suggestion is to watch this fall-hunting season rolls around, everybody wants quads. I don't know how much the dealers will be willing to deal when they know that everybody and their brother wants one, and more than likely, someone will be will to pay full price. I could be wrong on that, but I know around here come hunting season, prices are set, you'll pay top dollar.
Anyway, Best of Luck with the decision,
Mike
While I don't own either, I have ridden with a pair of '01 Kodiaks, and a good friend who rides a '01 Griz. Yes, the Kodiaks do handle the tighter trails better at faster speeds because they're more nimble, smaller, etc. They are however more tippy-I don't care what anybody tells you, the Kodiak is a tippy quad. If these trails you're riding have a lot of off-camber, uneven terrain, stuff where you'll be going down hard, then bank to either direction in rutted or rocky areas, then have to climb immediately up with a turn through the ruts, the Kodiak will be more prone to roll. The Kodiaks I've ridden with CAN NOT follow my 'Cat in the same line or path I take, even with my 'Cat being lifted and running 27" 'Claws. Then again though, my 'Cat is wider, and that rear swing axle is about the best there is for keeping all four's planted next to the IRS of the Sportsman. Rumor has it that the new Griz is tippy as well, but there are a few things you can do to fix that-like swap tires, or install wider ones (even though you're worried about trail width already, it might have enough room to work-or wheel spacers).
If you haven't already done so, I suggest you go to the AC forum and read Andy's post about the new '02 Griz review, or whatever he called it. I've said it before, I'll say it again, Andy does not sugar coat anything, he'll tell it like it is whether good or bad. Some people don't like that at all, tend to get irritated by it, but myself, I really appreciate it. He gives an honest real world view of how things work and what he likes or doesn't like about each machine. He got the Griz to replace his '99 'Cat and is directly comparing those two machines. You might want to look at the review, there is a lot of good information in there about his new Griz that may be of use to you.
Now, while riding with my buddy on his Griz, the trails he rides are down right scary tight. His Griz and my 'Cat are about the same width, but I think he is a tad bit wider it seems. I don't have the numbers for you, but it seemed some places he would rub where I wouldn't, other places I might rub where he didn't-kind of a toss up, but I think he was just a tad bit wider if you actually pulled out the tape. I know he's had a few problems tearing fenders loose because the Griz uses a hard plastic fender which doesn't give as much as it could. My 'Cat has soft plastic fenders that protrude out past the normal hard plastic, which give and bend when slammed up against trees and such, or will pop the rivets loose before you break the plastic itself-kind of a safety feature I guess. He broke a few fender rivets loose, simply replaced them with screws and I think added one extra all the way around, and hasn't had a problem since. One of the other guys he rides with now owns a Traxter, which is even wider than the Griz, so now it's not a problem, as they carry a chainsaw to get the traxter through some really tight places.
I think it would depend on how much time you'll be spending on that 50" wide trail. If you'll be there 90% of the time, maybe the Kodiak is the better way to go for you. My guess though is with the other riding you'll be doing, that power of the Griz will be well worth the extra $800 or whatever you said the cost difference would be. I think the new Griz has too many things going for it to compare to the Kodiak, and especially that new diff. lock. You won't be able to take the really tight trails as fast as you would on the Kodiak, but the steering is from what I've heard-the best there is-very light, almost like power steering. This will help guide you through easier without wear and tear on your arms, so you can focus more on path placement to avoid hitting things, than wearing your arms out. I doubt this post makes any sense, but if it were me deciding between those two machines, I'd take the Griz for your riding style.
As for your worries about rolling and flipping the machine over-my first suggestion is to definately get the winch with the deal-I think it's $69 with the purchase of the quad, and I truly believe the winch is the single biggest improvement you can make to any 4wd quad. With that said, the Kodiak will be fairly easy to flip back over, but hopefully you won't be rolling it all the time. I've tipped my 'Cat over a few times on it's side, and had no problem lifting it back up on all four wheels. My 'Cat weighs in probably around 750-800 lbs. with all the gear I carry, which is about 200 more than the new Griz, so if I can flip that over, I doubt you'll have any problem flipping the Griz by yourself. Again though, hopefully you won't be rolling it very often, and if you do, the winch and a ****** block will aid in self recovery if you're not able to do it.
My only other suggestion is to watch this fall-hunting season rolls around, everybody wants quads. I don't know how much the dealers will be willing to deal when they know that everybody and their brother wants one, and more than likely, someone will be will to pay full price. I could be wrong on that, but I know around here come hunting season, prices are set, you'll pay top dollar.
Anyway, Best of Luck with the decision,
Mike
#3
07-25-2001, 03:51 PM
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Mike, thanks for the info. The 50" trail is only one of the places I plan to ride and will only be 10-20% of my riding. I do have to consider the tippyness of the Kodiak in the places I ride. I will check Andy's post about the Grizz. I to, appreciate someone who tell's it like it is.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
#4
07-28-2001, 12:02 AM
'5 minutes worth of planning equals 30 minutes of execution'
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#5
07-28-2001, 12:11 AM
DezDude I have the same prb for choosing a 2002Raptor660R or the Grizz660
but every time I say I would like to get the Grizz I come back to the Raptor and I already have a Polaris Sportsman400( my dad will ride this)I would get the Raptor or the Grizz Any help???
I like mud (more water than mudbut I heard the Raptor will go through like 2 Feet of water or bellow the seatIs this true?) but then I want to Jump!
but every time I say I would like to get the Grizz I come back to the Raptor and I already have a Polaris Sportsman400( my dad will ride this)I would get the Raptor or the Grizz Any help???
I like mud (more water than mudbut I heard the Raptor will go through like 2 Feet of water or bellow the seatIs this true?) but then I want to Jump!
#6
08-07-2001, 12:49 AM
I have a 2000 Kodiak and love it, It has been fun to ride but I wanted a Grizzly when I bought the Kodiak but in South Texas it gets to hot for a machine that is not water cooled so I bought the Kodiak. Most of the places that we ride the Kodiak will out handle the other machines. It has a strong take off up to about 40mph. I will be selling the Kodiak to buy a Grizzly, because the ride is softer on us Older people. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
#7
08-07-2001, 04:38 PM
Range Rover
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