I need some help deciding whether to go with the 05' Grizzly 660 or the 700 Sportsman. I will be using it mostly for hunting but plan on doing a fair share of trail riding too. Which one is faster? Which has better mudding capabilities? etc.

Comments are very much appreciated.

 

for the money of a sportsman why not a brute force any way the polaris is faster i believe mudding capabilities i would say there about equal but the polaris is heavy so the grizz is prolly better

 

I don't know about the EFI but in my experience the grizz is faster. In a 300 foot sand drag the polaris 700 will take me off the line but after 100 feet we a side by side and by the three hundred foot mark I am 1 lenghth ahead of him. When trail riding I can pull away from him real bad just because the grizz engine is more powerful from mid to top end revs. The Brute Force would be an animal that should be a consideration as well. In the mud the 700 and the grizz are so close to call in capabilities that it comes down to the drivers ability. My Grizz has pulled out a couple of 45"+ moose with ease so that about makes it able to handle any North Amercan big game.

 

My griz feels light and agile on tight trails. Almost effortless to ride and can corner hard with the right tires. Can that be said for the Sportsman? I doubt it.

 

I would buy any thing but that P brand if grease zirts are a good thing on ATVs all the brands would have them . Find a non OEM. shop that repairs aLL brand ATVs and ask him what they work on the most There are a lot of ATV brands out in the market try them all and buy what fits you and your needs

 

I own a 04 Grizz and my brother-in-law owns a 700EFI. Before everyone gets upset and calls me Un-American this is just my personal opinion. The Griz has similar power as the Polaris unless your pulling something then the nod will go to Polaris. I personally like the way a Griz handles, it's light, smooth and effortless. The Polaris is ungainly and heavy. Polaris in it's attempt to be cutting edge has done some goofy things. I can't stand the single break lever on the left. I ride lots of different off and on road bikes and that is where your clutch goes! If all you had was Polaris quads I guess you could get used to it. I want to control all of my breaking front and rear. I know polaris has a foot break but the size and how it's positioned it's clearly only meant to be used in an emergency, which is kind of ironic because you'd never be able to find it in time. Their engine braking seems satisfactory, but is only two wheels vs. the 4 wheel engine braking on the Griz. If you start the two quads on a hill side by side the grizz will roll faster to a point but is very hard to get slipping due to all wheel engine breaking. The Polaris is really slow but the rear end locks up and so you have to tap the gas and brake to keep everything straight. The Polaris uses McPherson Strut instead of the more advanced double wishbone up front. Both give good rides and both seem equally reliable. I must admit that EFI at 10000 feet elevation works really well. Since my Brother in law uses his all winter to plow snow it's a good fit for him. By the way, he weighs in at a tad over 400lbs and takes that quad through some nasty places. The Griz fits me and my lifestyle better. Weigh the features of what you like and dislike and go with the one that fits best. I doubt you'll be disappointed either way.

 

I have a 05 Grizzly, buddy has a 04 Polaris 700. As far as speed, I pull him from stop to about 50 mph. We havent raced faster than that. Ground clearance is about the same.

Heres what I dont like about the Polaris.

The brakes, you have one lever that works front and back.
The tranny on the polaris isnt as good as the Grizz and when going down hills on the Polaris, the back wheels will lock and slid, only 2 wheel engine braking vs 4 wheel braking on the Grizz.
The 4 wheel drive on the Polaris is "on demand". WHich means unless the rear tires slip 17%, you are in 2 wheel drive, no 4 wheel.
Radiator is too low and becomes packed with mud easier, which makes it over heat.
Weak frames, they use box tubing instead of round. Welds break easier on square tubing and some have had this problem.

Heres what I dont like about the Grizzly.

You only have 3 wheel drive, unless you use differential lock
Some have problems with steam and mud puddles. What happens is you hit a water hole, steam rises, enters the intake and it spits and sputters. Not a problem to fix, but I think for $7k I shouldnt have to "fix it". Mine had this problem, it s fixed now.
The axles are the weak link. I run 26" tires, scared to run anything bigger.

I rode several types before I made my choice. For my needs and style, the Grizzly was perfect, I love it and dont regret it one bit. He has pulled me out of mud holes and I ve done the same for him. We both are happy with our choice. The biggest thing that kept me from buying the Polaris was the 2 wheel braking going down hills and not being able to put it in 4 wheel drive. It doesnt seem to bother him but it was an issue for me. Sometimes I use 4 wheel drive and really dont need it, say for rock crawling. And the 4 wheel engine braking is wonderful on real steep hills.

If you can, go ride both and then decide. I dont think you can go wrong with either.

Brad

 

SHADOWMAKER and CURLS posts were pretty awesome and I agree totally with them except with the axle thing that SHADOWMAKER mentioned. I'm running the 27" 589 ITPs and have had some hard trail and mud riding without a problem. The 03 grizzlies were a real problem though and Yamaha has addressed the problem on the 04-05 models. I am in the process of installing the 11:1 wiseco piston and Stage 1 Hotcams camshaft so I will see how my axles hold up to this kind of HP.

 

You re right sparky, yamaha did address the axles and probably are fixed. Just being cautious I guess. lol

Brad

 

Bad grizz axles were an 03 problem only. Yammi changed them from the 02 models and they didnt work so they changed them again for 04.