I just bought a 2005 wetlands cammo grizz 2 days ago, i have not ridden to musch so i was out playing with it in a steep hill that only went up 25 ft or so, the machine was doing great and i easily could have gunned it with a bit of a run and been over the top but i was practicing as though i was on a hill that i could not get a run, tires were coming up just a little bit when i would stopso i decided to leaned forward over handle bars, leg nailed throttle and here came 600 lbs of grizz. was sad to see the new bike on its top LOL all it did was bend the bars down and was an easy quick fix. the question is am i doing this wrong, should one stand and lean forward? or will th ballance be the same sitting way up toward the front of the bike?

 

On a steep hill yes, lean forward when you feel the front wheels wanting to come up
where you feel uncomfortable.

NEVER use your leg instead of your thumb for the throttle, lol.

Glad you're ok.......

 

You need a decent amount of momentum to go up steep hills safely (while standing and leaning over the bars if required). I like to hit them as fast as I can do comfortably and then ease off the throttle as I approach the top and sort of drift over. If I come across a rough spot while climbing I’ll ease off the throttle as I go over it, then back on the throttle carefully after clearing it, working it towards wide open to keep the momentum up. If you go too slow and the quad digs in (especially a powerful machine like the Grizzly) then you are likely to come to a stop as your tires dig holes or the front end will come up and over (like you found out). If you can’t go up a hill with the appropriate momentum (you will get the feel for how much you need with practice) then I’d advise not trying it. If you have the slightest doubt I’d advise skipping it as well, after all if something goes wrong and the quad tumbles, it will generally tumble all the way to the bottom, usually with a lot of destructive force resulting in an expensive repair bill, unlike a dirt bike which will usually just lay down on the side of the hill...

 

I rip up quite a few pretty steep hills. I usually lay on the tank and don't stand up and lean forward. I have found that a low center of gravity is better for my style of riding. I do get plenty of steam built up before I try a big hill. If there isn't an easy transition at the start of the hill, it can be pretty hairy. I pick my battles. I wimp out alot and use 4 wd up the really steep hills because if I hit something that bleeds off my momentum, I like to be able to grip hard to get it back quickly with out spinning too much. I am very careful on off cambers because I rolled my bear tracker on a bad off camber when my back tire caught a rut. We both survived but it would have been different on the griz. Stiff side wall tires, like the dirt devils, help alot.

 

The rider safety course is a good idea. It covers that type of stuff.

 

I think the important thing is to shift your weight forward, and not whether you are sitting or standing when you do it. I have climbed hills both ways, but will usually do the actuall climbing of the hill while sitting down at the very front of the seat leaning over the gas tank, because I can control the throttle better that way than I can while standing up leaning forward. If I try something that I cannot make, and end up digging in and stopping mid-way up the hill I will then often stand up and lean forward, to better keep the Grizzly from going over backwards once it has stopped.

 

yeah i rolled her again. this is my first quad and im learning alot about momentum this time i rolled it in an off camber situation no damge but to the ego. Do these machines do better with the adjustable preloads set on a higher setting ?

thanks

 

Climbing hills is something that you need to practice and get better at through experience. Once you get good, you'll be able to feel the quads traction, stability, etc. and shift your weight accordingly. But to answer your question, yes, stand up and lean all the way forward on steep inclines or you'll end up on your back. On extreme hill climbs, I practically lay across my gas tank and handle bars.