Read about it here!

 

Wow. How about waiting to test the rest of the 2009 models from other manufacturers before you make a decision? I must admit to being a bit underwhemed by Field and Stream's decision.

 

Not that I have rode the 550 but if the 550 is as good as the 700 I would say they hit this one right on the head! This would be the 4th artical that I have read that has put the 550 on top of its class.

 

Why would they need to ride a machine when Yamaha can just give Field and Stream a truck load of money to SAY it's the best? They never even tested the new Polaris XP 550, but somehow they just KNOW that the Yamaha 550 is the best? Yeah, I don't think so.

You really need to get out and ride more machines if you think the Grizzly 700 is a great machine. A good one, yes. Great? Not so much....

 

I am not going to get into a pi----- match with a newbe on the form that does not even now me or what machines I have ridden and only shows up once in a while to talk as if his machine is the only one god would choose but to say I do honestly believe the Grizz 700 is the best alaround machine made! Is there even a 550 or 850 Polaris availabile to buy yet NO! That is what the artical was refering to as of right now the 700 is king of the hill in it's class and the 550 is capable of being king of its class!

Big HP does not automaticly make a machine a great machine but you need a suspension and a drive train to go with it!.....AKA Thundercat!

 

Newbie? No, not really. I was on here a couple of years back when I had a couple of machines (a Polaris Sport, a Trailblazer and a Honda 400EX). I've been riding on and off since 1995. Just because my post count is low now, I hardly think that makes me a newbie.

Funny, I don't seem to recall mentioning Can Am or my machine in any of this. Frankly I'm disapointed in them this year. A new front fascia and 9% more top end horsepower ain't gonna cut it any more. Polaris knocked it out of the ball park for 2009. The only two criticisms that the magazines have are still there. Weight and single lever brakes. But then magazines (yes, even Field and Stream) have always been driven by cubic ad dollars rather than cubic centimeters.

The Grizzly, like I said, is a good machine. But even the suspension, handling and drivetrain aren't up to par with it's competition. Not even close. I wonder if they've cured the gas boiling problem this year, or are they going to stick their heads in the sand and deny it even exists? What they need to do is what Polaris did. Design a whole new machine that will beat everything else out there. You just can't do it with gadgets like powersteering and fuel injection anymore. It's basic design has been around since 2001. The Grizzly 550 is the exact same tired design that the 700 has with a smaller bore. How is that new?

Like you said, there are no Polaris 550 and 850 machines to be bought. Why would Field and Stream, knowing that there were new machines coming out, without even bothering to test ALL of the new machines, come out and endorse a machine in it's first model year if it wasn't ad dollars driving the decision?

 

What are you talking about the Grizz 700 was a all new machine 04-05 not sure they did have a issue with a fuel cap causing breathing issues but that issue has since been fixed with a new cap! The 550 from Yamaha is only 3-4 Hp less than the 550 Polaris on a much lighter chassis so they should be pretty evenly matched up. I am willing to bet you are getting the old Grizz 660 and the 700 mixed up because the 700 Grizz is basicaly the same design engine that is in my Raptor 700R.

You don't need to take my word for it as The Grizz is winning just about every Magazine shootout there is. The Grizz is also the most award winning 4x4 atv ever!

You can say whatever you want about a machine that actualy does not even exist as of yet but as of now the Grizz is king like it or not!

 

The 700 came out in 06........hard to say its a tired and old design.

""But even the suspension, handling and drivetrain aren't up to par with it's competition. Not even close.""
Please tell me ONE quad that has the Grizzly beat in all the above aspects, I'd love to read the total BS that flows from your fingertips.

Your no better than Field & Stream in your own eyes...you have not ridden a 550XP or 850 XP, but you think it is the reinvented wheel because of its features and polaris advertising? Get real...The grizzly 700 is tested and has proved to win shootouts and best utility ATV from numerous magazines, riders and sales also back it up.

 

No, I'm not getting the two mixed up. They are basically the same machine. I'm also aware they made a 600 Grizzly (a whole different machine) with air cooling and a solid rear axle from 1997 to 2000. The 660 had a carb, the 700 (686cc really) has fuel injection. The 660 has manual steering, the 700 has the option of power steering. The frame, shocks, plastic, handlebars (what's up with the "ape hangers" BTW?), controls and seat are all interchangable between the two. Somewhere along the line they lost a valve from the motor and the pull starter (probably when they went from 660 to 686cc on the former and to fuel injection on the later).

The only reason that the magazines are going "ga ga" over the new Griz is the power steering. Look for that enthusiasm to fade as others start coming out with this feature (Honda and Polaris come to mind).

Like I said before, cubic ad dollars rule the day with magazines, not cubic centimeters. I gave up on Dirtwheels and ATV Action long ago. They are xenophiles plain and simple. Nothing good can ever come from anywhere in this hemisphere. It's either the Europeans or the Japanese that make the best quads in their opinion. I remember them exclaiming that belt drive ATVs were no good and that floorboards have no place on an ATV. Well fast forward almost twenty years and all utiltiy quads come with floorboards and all but one make uses a belt drive transmissions. Hmm, guess they were wrong on that call.

Now the Raptor is a whole 'nother ball of wax. I would reccomend one of these quads in a heartbeat for someone who was looking for that type of quad. The reason? They make their power the honest way, dispacement. You see, they don't need a high compression motor and premuim or race gas to make horsepower like the Polaris Outlaws and the KTMs, they use 686ccs. The lower compression, the longer the motor lasts. You would have to go out of your way to abuse the motor on the Raptor before it needs a rebuild. They are IT as far as big bore sport quads are concerned.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: wildwest1011

The 700 came out in 06........hard to say its a tired and old design.



""But even the suspension, handling and drivetrain aren't up to par with it's competition. Not even close.""

Please tell me ONE quad that has the Grizzly beat in all the above aspects, I'd love to read the total BS that flows from your fingertips.



Your no better than Field & Stream in your own eyes...you have not ridden a 550XP or 850 XP, but you think it is the reinvented wheel because of its features and polaris advertising? Get real...The grizzly 700 is tested and has proved to win shootouts and best utility ATV from numerous magazines, riders and sales also back it up.</end quote></div>

1. The 700 is nothing more than a 660 with a bigger bore, fuel injection, one less valve and a missing pull starter. To call it "new" is to do a disservice to the word new. EVERYTING ELSE (with the exception of power steering and motor) IS THE SAME AS THE OLD 660.

2. Okay, the Polaris Sportsman 800 for one. Take your pick on what year, they're all the same. The handling and ride quality on the Sportsman is what others aspire to. While it still uses struts in the front the ride is plush. The rear suspension IS the best (yes even over my Can Am) in the business. The drive train? Polaris invented the belt driven ATV. If it wasn't for them and their popularity, you'd still be shifting gears on a quad. Their 4 wd is one of the best in the business. While their down hill manners may leave a lot to be desired in the non ADC models they have fixed that in recent years.

The Can Am Outlander for another. Suffice to say, it not only has power, but handling to match. The suspension is fine for slow trail riding yet sporty enough for the serious racer. Look at the top standings in the GNCC 4x4 limited class if you don't believe me. That's the 4X4 LIMITED CLASS where almost no suspension modification is allowed. Yep, these Outlander are really poor handling machines for them to win the 2008 championship GNCC 4x4 limited class NINE RACES INTO A 13 RACE SEASON.

3. I am better than Field and Stream in the fact that I want them to test ALL quads in that catagory. If the Grizzly 550 is the best, then it's the best. If another is the best then they should tell everyone. Don't just pick one machine and proclaim it to "be the best" if they haven't earned that title through a shootout. Most magazines are very fickle. The newest quad is usually proclaimed the best. For 2005 it was the Kawasaki 750 Brute Force. For 2006 it was the Bombardier Outlander 800. For 2007 it was the yamaha 700 Grizzly EPS. For 2008 there was a bit of a quandry. The only real change from 2007 was the Brute Force from carbs to EFI. It one one shootout and the Griz won another. The Thundercat had serious handling problems as opposed to the others in the tests. This is the one instance where the magazines broke the cycle of the newest machines winning all the tests. I have no reason to doubt that in 2009 it will be the Polaris 850 XP with power steering. Do you want to make a bet on it?