IT'S TRUE, but read on before you all ride out to Portland looking for me!
This is just an example of how much difference rider skill/experience makes. A few weeks ago in a mudder place called Roger's Camp we met a father/son Recon pair who could do amazing things with those 2wd 229cc bikes.. Among other things, on a twisty hill where the mucky trail wound between boulders and the grade varied a bunch a Grizzly and a dirtbike both failed to make it up. The Griz got jammed with a front wheel spinning in the air and took four guys to set it straight, the dirtbike just threw mud and 2-cycle smoke. The owner of the new Griz was obviously embarrassed, though he tried manfully to conceal it.
With lots of body english the Recons slid and fishtailed their way right up. And just to emphasize my point, we also have a Recon and couldn't make it without help either. Maybe because ours is Yamaha Green and their's were Honda Red? Just kidding!
Makes you wonder about the value of any single characteristic (like raw power, IRS, disk brakes, etc, etc) vs. the rider's skill in making whatever is there work. Those guys might just have well made it on Bear Trackers.
That tongue-in-cheek post about the Blaster smoking a Rapter made me wonder again about that.

 

Your comment about the BearTracker is probably true. You have to know how to use what you got - even if it is only 2WD.

 

I believe what you have said completely! I am amazed at how well those 2WD sport bikes can scramble up a nasty hill. I've ridden my Grizzly with Raptors(too high geared), Banshees(fast but not well suited to trail riding), and the 400ex(built like a brick). They all have made some trails seem pretty easy that I struggled with. Obviously when we got to the mud, I clobbered them! On the other hand none of them have made it up a hill that I couldn't make it up. They have however, made it look easier. On the flip side I have made it up some hills that they kept killing their engines on and having a real difficult time because of it. They all still made it, they just had to try more then once. Those are the times that I have learned to appreciate having an auto tranny. I do most of my riding up in the Trask mountains, by the Flying M Ranch.

Rick