The grizzly weights about the same as a Rubicon but has much more power and is able to switch to 2wd,I think the Rubicon would be the one trying to play catch up.A 2wd quad can power slide around corners alot better than a 4wd ever can.

 

First of all that is why the grizzly is mans machine, it's not made to be pretty it's made to ride hard and take ABUSE.
Second of all for this BILL gentleman, i guarantee you if the grizz sucked in water, there was NO Polaris's going behind it that were stock. They all went around instead, i've never taken in water.I've crossed a place where the machine was floating, and my buddy who had enough b...s to follow me found out that his SP does not like to float and sucks in water in the belt, and it has NO drain plug.(come on). So i had to towe for about 2 miles before he could run on his own. Enough of the Bull.
Now if the machine does nose plant it may bring some in, but so will any stock ATV.
Just in case the 98 Grizz, did need water proofing and it was done in 99.

 

yam8, I think you're right, it does have alot to do with rider ability, and wish to go fast, which is probably why you beat a Kodiak in the trails.
However, given two riders of equal skill and desire to be in the lead, the Grizz wouldn't perform well.
I could be wrong. I've heard that a Kodiak handles nice, and a few people have told me that it's almost as sporty as a Wolverine.
I KNOW that a Wolverine can easily run away from a Grizz in any kind of trail except for big, wide, smooth, straight roads. The Grizz is just too tall for the width, and the suspension, while it might have 7.5" of travel, won't put up with fast riding in rough trails.
It's still a nice work quad, and if you're going to put on a boat rack, or haul around 1/2 ton of stuff all the time it would make a good choice.

 

your right about the looks, i thought it was ugly until i got one, now i says it looks tough,

 

I have to differ, both machines are different, Learn the machine and how to ride it and you will see the grizzly is just as nimble. As the owner of both machines, kodiak and Grizz, I say the grizz can be just as sporty and more manuverable once you get a good feel for it. It is heavier...not by much but that can have its advantages. It is much more predictable in the corners and powersliding. wider wheelbase makes up for the hight. Solid rear axle compared to the sp results in better control in the corners. You get a false sense of security on the sp. Rides great but like a finly tuned sports car, rigidness is key. The kodiak is easier for beginners and is great for my wife. But i like the extra power to sling my grizz around the trail. Its not a kids machine, its something you have to become one with, feel the terrain below you. DRIVE THE BEAR, DONT RIDE THE BEAR.
Oh and it looks like a jeep, now if it only had a solid front axle!!!!!....

 

Yam8...Why do you always post threads like these? Mine is better than yours...bla bla bla... It gets boring after a while.

 

Tim.2 things to say to you!!!It is quite obvious you have not riden with a rubicon yet?And you also have something against honda?

 

Ok explain to us how a 500 full time 4wd will loose a 60MPH 600 grizzly down some trail especially when switched to 2wd mode?Who has to ride a 4wd to know it can not handle turn as well as a 2wd and that is all trails have, is turns, lots of them.
I will be the first to admit a 600 Grizzly being a Sport/utility and with its power will smoke a Sp down some trail.But the Rubicon with it,s full time 4wd and short legs is a full fledged utility quad without any sport in it whats so ever,but next you will try to convice us your smoking past Raptors on the thing.

 

Tim1, it's becoming obvious that you've never ridden your quad with anyone else.
Are you going to say that the Wolverine is stricktly a utility quad because it has full time four wheel drive? Explain to me how switching to 2wd is going to make a quad go faster. It won't.

Yes, the Grizzly is fast. On a dirt road I doubt any other 4x4 will catch it. But in the trails it is simply out-classed. I've driven my Wolverine with a friend on a Grizzly and he hasn't got a prayer in the rough trails, and this is a friend who doesn't like to get left behind; I don't even have to try that hard.
I've also driven with a friend on a Rubicon, and I know it's much more competitive.
The numbers do not tell the whole story. Assuming that a Grizzly handles and rides well because of it's 7.5 inches of travel is like assuming a Dodge 3500 will out handle a Corvette, and rides better than a Cadillac. The length of the travel does not tell you about the quality of the shocks, or the geometry of the steering.
You're also forgetting that the Rubicon has double A-arms up front, while the Grizz has Struts. It's common knowledge that A-arms produce better handling than struts. Do you know of ANY sport quad with struts? (Scramblers don't count)
I'm not saying this because I'm a Honda freak or anything, and the only Honda I've ever owned was a '77 CB400F, so I've got no ties to Honda. I do, however, like to call them as I see them, and I have to say that, for trail riding anyway, the Rubicon is a better bike. And it's anything but a single-purpose utility quad.

 

What yam8 posts is not much different from several on this site do, in their own way.

His main transgression is being a Yamaha Fan.

Yam8, the SP500 has and always will beat the Grizzly in shootouts, unless some changes are made
and Power + light weight should not be the priorities.

The SP500 is a smoother more comfortable Quad, that is what
the Testers and a lot of buyers are looking for
in a Big Bore Sport/Ute.

And the SP500 has it in Spades.

Yes, the Grizzly dose have a narrower tranny, a + for agressive riding and standing up while doing so, but how often do
500cc+ 4x4 riders really go like that.

Great Day

Y2K