Just had a newish 450 Grizzly in for service, and was quite impressed with the design, not as big and clumsy as the 550, wet rear brakes, a carb rather than FI, and the old reliable Kodiak engine. However when I took it out on test I wasn't impressed at all, the gearing is wrong, very low geared, worse than the 400 King Quad Auto, and that is bad enough. The old Kodiak had the same engine and a belt drive, but the gearing was right, so why have Yamaha spoiled it?

 

I had a Wolverine 450 once myself and it was a great quad. It seemed to be geared pretty low too. About 50 mph stock is all it could muster with the same engine as the Kodiak as well. Great trail quad but get out in the open and it left you wanting more throttle to work with. If it had more top end power, it easily would have been my favorite quad of all-time and I still would have it. The Grizzly 660 just eats its lunch in the power department. If only Yamaha had put that engine in it(or perhaps the 550 or 700 efi engines), it could have been a formidable opponent to the Can-Am Renegade and they would still be making it and the new side by side would have been called something else.

 

Was in in high range? My buddies 2007 450 Grizzly cruises at close to 50 mph without screaming its guts out ,I though that's not bad for a 421cc 4x4.

My 350 has the enclosed wet disc, it looks ok but I dread the day it needs a pad change.

 

Yes, it was in high, that is my point, if you have a low range, when driving in high range you shouldn't want it to change up all the time. On a good auto like the 450-750 King Quads and ten year old Yams, you don't notice what gear it is in, because it is in the right one. This one was screaming away and going slow. Once they get into top gear the ratio is down to the axles, so it may be fine once it has wound up to top, it is at what revs they change up that is down to the variator, and this one isn't right.

I haven't had one in for service but think the 07 was conventional disc brakes so may be quite a different machine to the 15 model. I have though been servicing 450 King Quads, with wet rear brakes, since they came out, and haven't needed to change any rear brake parts on one yet.

 

have you had to service any newer 400asi KQs ? your opinion on any pros and cons ?

 

The 400 Auto is about Suzuki's most reliable Quad. The injection system was an afterthought and is crammed into the space between tank and engine so is a pig to get at, but hasn't given many problems. We have had one or two high/low/reverse gearbox issues but I suspect either bad machining or assembly rather than a weakness. The rear brake pivots seize, so need stripping and the corrosion removing every now and again, and they need new prop shaft UJs after a high mileage. The only problem I have with them is, like the Grizzly we have been discussing, they are low geared. Try one before you buy, some can live with revving the nuts off an engine to get it to go, I can't.

 

Its not just limited to quads, many side by sides have the same problem, probably even worse. A neighbor of mine has an Arctic Cat Prowler 550 and that has to be the loudest stock machine I have ever heard. You can hear it for blocks screaming its guts out cruising around town. I think its a combination of a very loud cvt system and high rpms. You'd have to scream at your passenger just to talk to them when traveling at 20 mph. Having the same engine as the 550 quad with twice the weight or more, high rpms I guess are required to get that hefty beast moving.

 

I own an 07 450 and that statement is correct. Standard style disk brake.

 

"I own an 07 450"

It is a bit subjective, particularly if you only ride that quad, but do you think that your bike is revving a bit hard for the speed it is going when under 25mph on level ground?

 

Well like you said its subjective for sure. I haven't ridden a lot of ATV's to compare and without a tach its tough to say.

But I am heading out this weekend so I'll pay attention this time and let ya know my thoughts on the subject.