I made a mistake... I rode a Grizzly 700 this past week on vacation in CO and realized how out of date my Wolverine 350 is....

I am looking to upgrade from my 2000 Wolverine 350. While it is a blast to drive and has never left me stranded, the Wolverine is not quiet what I need for my type of riding. I live in Kansas, but spend a week in Colorado ATVing and the Wolverine's ride on rock is less then to be desired and I often times I need a low gear to climb over extreme section of the trails.

I rode the Gizzly 700 and loved it... However, it was a pure gas hog sucking down 5 gallons of gas for every 70 miles of riding. (that just about as bad as my Jeep!) My Wolverine managed to get 110 miles on 2.5 gallons of gas. So I am thinking of getting a leftover or used 07 Griz 450. I do not want to get an EFI machine since they have not been proven to stand the test of time (yet). What sort of gas consumption does the 450 have? My guess is about 90 miles on 3.5 gallons of fuel due to the lager engine and auto trans.

Is the carburator realativly easy to access on the griz 450? When I head out to CO I will need to jet the carb and often times it takes a few tried to get it dialed in. What size is the facory Main Jet on the Griz 450?

Are there any known problems on these machines? For what I will be using it for, will it do its job? Are there any bolt on modifications to increase power, i.e. pipe/air filter? If you think I should look into another machines, please tell me. I am open to options, however slighly partial to Yamaha since they are so close to me.

 

80-90 miles per tank(3.9 gallons) with all the mods in my sig. Thats using every drop of gas. No the the carb sucks to get to . Probably take an hour to re jet one once you figure it out. A 450 Grizz will go any where a 700 will go. I ride with two of them. The 700 does ride and especially steer better. I love my 450 and do not regret buying it. It has all the same features as the 700 (Except EPS) in a smaller and some what more maneuverable package. Stock factory jet is 131.3 to run at say 6000 feet you start with a 125 stock at 68 deg f.

 

I have a 2006 Kodiak 450 which is the same machine as the 450 grizzly (just a name change for 2007). I am really happy with my Kodiak so far with 500 miles on it and no major problems. I have gone 75 miles on the main 3.9 gallons without going to the reserve. I like the size of my Kodiak better then the grizzly and it will go any place a Grizzly will go. I did put in an FPS clutch kit and carb kit and it really pepped up the Kodiak. I also went with the ITP SS 106 12 inche wheels in 6-1 offset and mounted ITP terracross R/T 25 inche tires on them. The extra 2 inches of width makes the machine feel more stable. I also installed the factory fender extension. I don't think you can go wrong with the 450 Grizzly!

 

I'm not trying to step on anyones toes here, or offend anyone, but I think the Grizzly 700 is a better ATV than the Grizzly 450. We've owned a few of each, with two Kodiak 400s, two Kodiak 450s (last one was a 2006), three Grizzly 660s, and two Grizzly 700. I do like the size of the Grizzly 450 more than the size of the Grizzly 700, but that is the limit of its advantages. The 450 (421cc) engine really seems down on power for its size if you ask me. It feels more like a Rancher 350 in power, and that 421cc motor really really vibrates at certain RPMs. I think it actually vibrates more than a Grizzly 660, which vibrates more than the Grizzly 700. I was just never impressed with the engine is all, ... everything else on the ATV works good. Even my wife was unimpressed, and she was the one that did most of the riding with our last Kodiak 450. And she was the one that told me to get her a Grizzly 700 to replace it with. She tells me she likes the Grizzly 700 a lot better.

And as far as gas mileage goes, we've never got any better fuel range with our Kodiaks than we have with our Grizzlys. We typically got 50 to 60 miles out of a tank of gas with both Kodiak 450s. With my Grizzly 700 I typically get at least 20 miles per gallon. I rode one trail that was 275 miles long, in one day, and kept pretty close tabs on the fuel I used. The first leg of the trip was 63 miles long, and I used 2.9 gallons of gas. I fueled up the second time at the 140 mile point (77 more miles), and used 3.1 gallons of gas. And the third fuel stop was at mile 185 (45 more miles), and used 2.6 gallons of gas. I fueled up at gas stations in different towns on that ride, so knowing the exact amount of gas used was easy. That 275 mile ride varied from 4000 ft elevation in the valleys, up to 11,500 ft elevation in the mountains, up and down six times all together, and I have to say that fuel injection was fantastic. The Grizzly ran consistently, with perfect crisp clean fuel management for the entire 13 hour ride.

Here's a picture of the terrain we ride in, its very similar to what Colorado has:

picture

If it were me, and I were planning what you are, I would get the Grizzly 700. Good luck, and have fun with which ever one you get though.

 

Not stepping on anyone's toe's here! I will have to agree with you that Kodiak/Grizzly 450 is no race bike in a streight line. I did manage to give mine a boost in get up and go with the clutch kit and carb kit. And I agree it would be nice to not have to rejet for the elevation. I guess at my age pure speed is not as important as it used to be. I ride with several grizzly's and the Kodiak goes any place they do, it might not get there as fast but it will get there. The other advantage to the Kodiak besides size is price. Like you I hope he has fun with what ever his choice is.

 

Thanks for the honest opinions guys. I would really like to ride a 450 to get a feel for the differance between it, the 700, and my wolverine. The 700 is the least practical for me under three conditions: Size, Price, Fuel Economy. There is no way I can have a machine that gets only 20mpg. Heck my worn out wolverine 350 averages 40mpg at high elevation (+11,000ft), even though it is a pure pig in the power department. Although, "kodiac450" stated his machine averages 20mpg too. Would the 450 FI do any better?

I am not out to set land speed records, just get a fuel injected quad with low-rage.... that is in my price range. Around here folks are selling USED 450's for more than I would pay for a NEW one at the dealer (including taxes).

Anyone ever shove the 700 FI engine in the 450 Chassis [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Ok, first I think it's kinda funny that milage comes up as an issue with ATV's... It's a toy and all toys cost money... (especially the older you get) I went on vacation a couple weeks ago and was spending about $6 - $8 bucks a day on gas for my 660. If ya can't afford that, then maybe it's time for a different hobby.

As for the 450 vs 700... I own both. The 450 is a nice, nimble ride. Minus the ground clearance, it goes everywhere the bigger bore quads can go. It's skinnier so it can fit thru some of the stuff the bigger bore quads cannot. That being said, I enjoy the 660 and 700 more because of the ergo's, the power and the applications that I use it for. I enjoy pushing and pulling people out of the thick stuff. While the 450 is capable of pulling quads out... it's just not big enough for the larger quads... That... and you just can't beat that power steering in diff-lock... it's so nice...

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Hebs

Ok, first I think it's kinda funny that milage comes up as an issue with ATV's... It's a toy and all toys cost money... (especially the older you get) I went on vacation a couple weeks ago and was spending about $6 - $8 bucks a day on gas for my 660. If ya can't afford that, then maybe it's time for a different hobby. </end quote></div>

Gas money is a mute issue. I drive a lifted Jeep Rubicon as my daily driver. I don't complain about 15mpg (with a trail wind!!).... I need fuel efficieny with an ATV for a couple of reasons: Where we ride in Colorado, there are no fuel stations, anywhere. We ride about 150 miles a day out there (sunup-sundown). Yes, we carry gas in the flat packs... However, I must share my flat pack with my father when out on the trail. BTW- at $4.00 a gallon for hightest in remote CO, I spent about $12 a day while the 700 that was on the trip spent about $25 a day.

Thanks for the comparison. When I was young and dumb I liked to go through the thick stuff too. After replacing my mud packed bearings on my Wolverine a year after I purchased it, I was done with that. I did love the PS on the 700 I rode. It was like driving a caddy! In regards to power, my puney 350 has taken we nearly everywhere I wanted to go. There are instances at high elevation when the power just wasnt there.

 

I still don't think a 450 Grizzly is going to get any better gas mileage than a 700 Grizzly. If anything our 450s we had in the past got worse gas mileage because they were always closer to wide open throttle because of less power. And with a larger 6 gallon gas tank I'll bet the 700 actually has a longer fuel range before filling back up than the 450 does. I certainly wouldn't choose a 450 over a 700 because of fuel mileage. There are reasons why someone would chose a 450, but I can't see fuel mileage being one of them.

And speaking of Jeeps, my 2004 Wrangler sport only gets 10 mpg on the highway. Of course the 37" tires and 4.88 gears don't help any.

DV

 

Tell the `ol man to carry his own gas! hehe...

I ride with the foresight that I will be replacing bearings, bushings and other "perishables" on the bike. So breaking down the quads and replacing that stuff is just part of the "game" for me. The power I was referring to was for pulling out other quads. Of course if you don't do any of that stuff, the 450 is plenty for you. Depending on your size, you will probably really like the feel of the 450. Go test drive one and let us know... I always enjoy other people's perspective on quads.

They're both great bikes... g/l with your decision...