The lastest article in ATV Action (if i remember correctly) had the Griz coming up 2nd to last. The griz was beat by honda rincon, kawasaki prairie, polaris sportsman, and a couple of others. For those of you that may have read the article, or have the bike, any opinions on the writers opinions? Was/am looking at the Grizzly for my next ATV purchase.

 

Wait a couple months and the Grizzly could be ranked one in some of those shootouts. They vary all the time. Get what you want, and be happy with it. Those magazines change month from month.

 

it's because they didn't think it felt stable, too tippy or some other nonsense

hey, they don't sway my buying decisions. I go to the internet forums and get real world, unbiased (well, to an extent) answers [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

You can use the mags as a tool to help you but by no means take it as gospel, these articles are subjective and are all around opinions. By your handle it appears that you may like to mud, in this area the grizz with independant suspention is a good choice. As it said also the "winner" tended to get hung up at one point. Try them that interested in. There are many riders that are very satisfied with their grizz.

 

Maybe you should wait a few more months because I think many of the companies will start to put Electronic Fuel Injection on the utilities to keep up with polaris. On the grizzly that will be a tremendous increase in speed and power plus no more adjusting in different elevations or choking it.

 

If you like the grizzly go with it. I am happy as he!! with my 02. Just be aware that ANY irs machine will feel and handle differently than a solid axled machine. The ride, ground clearance, and traction is worth it. It'll take a couple of days riding to get used to the feel and handling of any new machine. I will agree that at first the grizz felt tippy on curves at speed but it is just the difference in body roll between irs and a solid axle, it just feels different. Mine has handled anything I have thrown at it (or thrown it at) without doing anything weird. My wife and I also ride 2-up, stability has not been a problem. As for as reliability after 2500 miles oil changes and chassis lubrication is the only maintenance required. The 03's had some axle problems but from what I read from other members the axles have been changed for 04.

 

article was a lot of bullcrap. they didn't even bring the quad lock feature in to play because it is better than anyone else. If they would of set the shocks up a notch higher the tippy feeling goes away. it did feel tippy with the shocks set to the lightest setting,as it would dip into corners. a quick ajustment and away you go. as for the magazines, who ever pays the most wins. try the different makes before you buy, if the DEALER WON'T LET YOU TRY IT , go to the next one you don't want to buy off of him.

 

I wouldn't take atv action or dirtwheels too seriously.Their shootouts often contradict previous shootots between the same models,even if there was no changes made.

Basically,whoever contributed the most to the magazine that month gets the best review.

If a machine constantly gets ripped apart issue after issue,the manufacturer would get sick of sending those machines to dirtwheels knowing well that their just going to thrash it and give it a crappy review.

Another thing I noticed through the years is Hi-torque never gives a good review to companies who don't let them have a machine for testing as long as they like.They have even made coments about that in previous issues.Needless to say,those machines get bad reviews.

Do yourself a favor and stop buying these crappy magazines,Maybe then they'll try putting some useful info into them.I only buy ATV Sport for the simple fact that their shootouts only give the facts about the machines there comparing.They ususally leave the ratings to the readers and they have the least amout of advertising in them.

 

mudAGoGo,

I, too, wouldn't be concerned over the magazine shoot-outs; unlike Consumer Reports, these publications rely on advertisers for their continued existence. The Grizzly is a great quad, but you need to assess your needs prior to buying. The Grizzly is really a pure utility/mudding quad, as opposed to a sport/utility like the Prairie. For instance, you won't be doing too many power slides with the Grizzly's IRS, nor will the Grizzly's throttle response have you holding on for dear life; those attributes are where the Prairie shines. On the other hand, if you are looking to go through sh#$ up to headlights, the Grizzly's ground clearance and well-designed locking differential (as opposed to the Prairie's inconvenient lever design) would be better suited for your needs.