Hello,

I bought a used 2003 Grizzly from a dealer... of course there are NO test rides so I had to put down almost $6000 including tax & license before I could "test" it.

I am very disappointed as it seems to be very sluggish. It will not bring the front tires off the ground, it barely spins the rear tires from a stop, I have to use low range for steep hills as high range bogs.

Can anyone tell me "about" how much power a 2003 Grizzly should have? I assumed that the 660 would scream but it doesn't. Top speed on flat surface is 48mph.

Also: I stopped on the road to take some pics of it and it started smelling hot after about 2 minutes. It smelt like a boiling radiator (antifreeze) smell. I did not see any antifreeze on the ground. The outside temp was about 20F and I was playing on logging roads between 20-35mph. Does the Grizzly have a temp warning light?

I can't get it into Park unless I turn the engine off. Is this normal?

The engine cuts out when engaging the lockers. This happened while in the water so I am uncertain if it's the lockers or the engine that has trouble with the water.

The most annoying issue is when I put on the rear brakes... it sounds like the rear end is going to fall out. It chatters like crazy. My Honda XR650L does something similar but not nearly as loud. Is this normal?

Thanks for your time.

- Ron

 

This is why I never buy used. First, you should have the belt looked at. It will probably need replaced and the sheaves trued up. That will get the top end up where it should be. It should run at around 60 to 63 mph with the engine working right. The cutting out may be the plug shorting out on the front differential. I would pull all the plugs you can find on the front diff and put dielectric grease in them. This would probably fix that problem. Have the radiator flushed and make sure that it is perfectly clean and all the fins are clear. If it doesn't have the heat fighter kit istalled, kick your dealer in the *ss. Make sure it has the new side panels. I would look into a power kit with a K&N filter, Outerwares, and a dyno jet kit. It is really easy to install and it will correct your jetting and make sure you get that screaming power you are looking for. The chattering sound could be slop in the rear end or the brakes are loose. I can't help you on that one. I would pull the rear tires, the bolts on the top and bottom of the hub, and then yank the shafts out of the rear gear box. It only takes 5 min. per side. You don't have to remove the hub or bearings from the shaft. It should only take a good sharp yank to get them out. Look at the splines and see if they are damaged. I would also drain the rear gear box and check for metal chips and garbage. The chattering could be slop between the drive shaft and the angle gears in the gear box. The new oil will only help.

 

Thanks for the reply. What belt? Is there a belt like on a snowmobile?

As for new side panels... the ones below the tank have cool slots cut out. It looks factory.

Thanks again!

- Ron

 

my cousin just bought a new 05 grizz. and it makes the same chattering noise that your talking about.i think it is because the rear brake assembly is monted on the axle before the diff. .the fastest we have had his up was 68 downhill with two people.it has no problem climbing the sand hills in the pit behind our house and they are probbaby 100 feet tall with lips at the top.most of the hills we can come over the top with front end in the air ojump the bike

 

4WP,

How many hours or miles on the machine? What size tires are on it? If they are oversize like 27" or larger then you will need a clutch kit to get the snap back that you are looking for. Even if they are oversize or not it still sounds like it may have to have the clutch serviced. This is not extremely difficult and can be done by yourself, however for that amount of money it should be serviced before you buy it. Another thing that could be robbing you of power is a valve adjustment, when was the last adjustment? Correctly adjusted valves make a world of difference. Check your air filter and make sure it is clean also.

There is a hot light (red) on the panel that should light up if it gets hot. Personally I like to have a gauge and light so I have installed a gauge on my machine. Shine a light through your radiator and look from the opposite side to see if it is clear or clogged with dirt or weed seeds. If it is not clear then hose it out or blow it out being careful not to bend any fins. It mas also be a good idea to flush and add new antifreeze solution that is compatible with aluminum. Also it would be a good idea to open the radiator cap and start it up waiting to see if the water is flowing, the thermostat could be bad.

Should be able to go into park with the engine running. Something wrong there.

Engine cutting out, kind of like missing or sputtering? Pull the plug on the front differential and clean the contacts well then apply dielectric grease to the plugs before reattaching them. Also take the spark plug boot off and apply dielectric grease inside the boot before re-attaching it. It is also a good idea to use dielectric grease on all connections that you find.

Rear brake chatter is normal on the Grizzly, it does this on all of them and you will get used to it. However just to be certain it is the brakes it is not a bad idea to do what batman has suggested. Also change the fluids in front and rear because you never know when they were done last.

 

The engine cutting out when the lockers engage is normal. Unless you are under 20mph, thats what the limit is. Its a saftey feature, you go over 20 and it will cut out and not go any faster.

As for it not going into park that sounds like an easy fix. Pull the left cover off and adjust the rod that move the lever. Just sounds like it isn't coming back all the way.

Don't know why the brakes do that, they all are like that.....just like DKNARNK said.

As for the power, I'd say too you need a new belt. Hell the thing should damn near go 48mph in low range.

 

360 miles on it. Stock tires. Clean air cleaner. I'm at 4000' elevation if that makes a difference.

What is involved with servicing the clutch?

I am going to have the dealer do it but I want to know for myself. I got a 30 day warranty when I bought it. I also had them throw in the 2500lb Warn winch.

Is the $6000 price too much? It is the limited edition with all the aluminum skid plates. No damage except for several minor scratches to the plastic.

I'm going to have them do the heat fighter kit if it doesn't already have it. I'll request they service the radiator as well.

They supposedly serviced the diffs & motor before I bought it.

Thanks for all the great info. I was starting to think I bought a lemon... but it looks like every thing is an easy fix or in the case of the rear brakes: "normal"

- Ron

 

Ron, you probably paid alittle too much, but what they hell, you have a machine.

The grizzly won't easily pull a wheelie and you should always be climbing steep rocky area's in low range, thats what its made for, otherwise you'll start to cook your belt....

Since you bought the unit from a dealer, talk with them about the issues. I'm not really sure you're experiencing any problems without riding your machine. A friend of mine has a 660 and it doesn't pull wheelies in high gear and gets some good traction, so it doesn't spin tires easily in high gear from a dead start....it does however rip them loose once it gets going around the corners, etc. and is a blast to drive.

I have an '05 Polaris 700 EFI, it won't pull wheelies in high gear, it will spin the tires, but of course that depends on what terrain I'm on...

As said from the posts above, check out your belt, may be time for a new one....

The Grizz is a nice machine, workhorse, fun to ride, great on trails and a climbing machine....

 

With 360 miles on it your belt should be fine. I would request the dealer to look into the clutch, if it has been sunk the primary may have mud in it and the sheaves/belt could be glazed. Did the dealer service the machine for the previous owner and do the valve adjustment at the specified time period or are they assuming it was done on schedule and with 360 miles on it now it is not time for another. I would want to be certain the valves were done once since new because it does make a huge difference.

I hear equal reports about people being able to wheelie and others not able so I would not worry about that to much. The front wheels have never been off of the ground on my Grizzly, flat ground that is!

Highrider is correct about the rev limiter, if you are in diff lock over 20 mph it will cut out on you. In reverse there is a rev limiter also.

 

Considering I paid top dollar plus I negotiated the 30 day warranty, plus I bought a new Bombardier DS 50 & a new Honda Recon at the same time... the dealer should have no problems fixing my issues. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

I am excited I got the Grizzly. Not sure what they are worth so I couldn't really offer less when I was making a deal. I did get the new Warn winch with roller fairlead & brackets installed. They are also throwing in a cig lighter adapter. Plus: It had all the aluminum skids plates already, and it was the color I wanted... and it was a couple thousand dollars less than a new one.

Thanks!
Ron