Can some of you Grizzly owners out there give me some info. on your experiences with the quad. I'm looking for honest pro's and con's of the quad. How does it so on "spirted" ATV trail rides and "make your own trail rides"?

What is the acceleration like compared to other 4x4 quads and even sport quads.

What is the turning like compared to other 4x4 quads and does it even seem to be a handful on some twisty trails?

Does the high/low feature work in 2x4 and reverse? Is the high/low feature a shift on the fly?

Whats the highest you ever had your speedometer up to?

If I can get all of these questions answered then I know if I want this quad.

 

As for raw power and speed the griz is awsome my complaints are that it has a rough ride to much vibration, and gets quite hot between your legs. These are minor things and can be overlooked if you just want the power and reliabity. It does streer easy and I have shifted on the fly with no problems.Not as smooth as a sp 500 but they are a good quad.

 

Well I love my Grizzly! It is a little rougher riding than the Sportsman. It is easy to turn in two wheel drive and it does have high and low range in two wheel drive. The high and low will not work in reverse because it is on the same shifter. Yamaha does not recommend that you shift from high to low or low to high while you are moving. And as far as speed I have had it up to 55 mph but may do better with someone who is a little lighter than me. I also have 27 inch tires on mine.
Hope this helps.

 

I love my Griz.I takes me where I want to go. If you are riding down a "spirited" trail and want it to be smooth? Just go real fast. It skims right over any irregularities in the trail nicely. It has great ground clearence and alot of suspension travel. The engine braking is outstanding. When in 4WD you have engine braking to all 4 tires. As far as the turning radius goes, its pretty tight. Alot of times I've been able to just do a U turn in the trail that alot of the guys I ride with will have to back up once to make it. Steering feels light and easy. I've made a few trails of my own with it, and it does just fine. It feels lighter then it actually is while riding.
The acceleration is fantastic. I haven't been beaten yet in an all out drag race with another 4-stroke 4x4 quad. The only sport quads I have ridden with are Banshees and a Honda 250r. They were both faster then I was. But I gave them a run for their money!
You can engage 2/4WD on the fly no problem. But the book says not to. I would imagine that has to do with liability crap! Since the hi/lo selector and the 2/4WD button operate independantly of each other you can select 2 or 4WD in hi or low range. I have never shifted between lo and high on the fly. I wouldn't recommend it. I've done it at crawl and it worked OK. But usually I come to a complete stop. Actually you don't really have to do alot of range changing, you can just put it in high and leave it there for the most part. Has lots of power! The tranny is pretty water tight for an automatic. I've put it in water deep enough to float it more then once and I have never slipped the belt.
I've had my speedo up to just under 60mph. That seemed like it was all it had. I would guess about 58? Maybe alittle less. At that speed I am usually watching the road real closely. This quad is also a good machine for oversized tires. Has lots of room in the wheel wells and lots of power to turn over the big meats! I'm running the 27" Titan 589's on mine and even in hi range in the mud I can still light up all 4 tires!
The only down sides to the Griz are:
1. Limited slip front dif. Spinnning only one front tire when I need two can be real frustrating sometimes.
2. It does get pretty warm between your legs at times. But its never been too warm, or uncomfortable.
3. There is alittle engine vibration, but again, it doesn't bother me at all.
4. Some people don't like the tranny noise. It doesn't bother me. It sounds BIG and tough to me! It reminds me of heavy equipment, strong and sturdy!
5. The recoil starter may be a good thing to have, but it is real hard to pull start! The engine is real strong and doesn't like to turn over. It has a compression relief for pull starting, but even so, its still hard to pull. No matter how long I've let it sit, I'd say 3 weeks was the most, it always starts in one crank and just purrs.

 

This is a post i'm going to enjoy.
2000 Green Grizz with 1800km's.
The top end i have had it too is 100-102kms. You can get 100 easy but it is scary. The performance will kill other 4*4 quads i know i have never been beaten by any, the new Polaris HO i hear will keep up with me now but i haven't seen one yet.
As for reliable it is great no problems yet except for a minor light bulb problem.
The tranny does vibrate a bit but that is all the 99-2001 have heat shields and you don't feel any heat.
I went through a trail yesterday flying and hit a few jumps and it landed perfectly and is not tippy either. It rides decent, 7.5 inches travel is nice.
In the mud it performs well with all that massive power it has, i've never ridden such a powerful machine yet. The Auto tranny is really responsive and in LOW the torque is wild and you get really moven in the mud holes. I pulled out a 500 AC yesterday because he could not get enough speed and power before he reved out.
And the Grizz has a 2*4 option.
Oh ya and the best thing is it is reliable and has low maintenance.
Hope this helps.