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My Grizzly arrived this am , and by noon I was at the dealer for a spin. I only rode it 10 minutes and I will spend more time tomorrow , but I was very impressed. Smooth? wow. The suspension is nothing short of incredible. I rode a 500 HO also and the Grizzly is more plush. Acceleration? and then some. As fast as the prairie? dunno, close , we did not go side by side but no-one could tell after riding them both so it's close. Compared to th 500 HO Sportsman? Not even close. The dash is cool , the 4x4 and diff lock work flawlessly. Spin on oil filter is easy to get to. Racks are coated with non skid material. What else? Turns easier than the prairie , I do not know why, but definately less steering effort is needed. We all noticed that fact.
I originally wanted the prairie and feel it is a close call but the suspension did it for me. Updates will be coming

Brad

 

Hey take some pics and post them. Im undecided on whether to trade in my kodiak for the new grizz. Make sure to post more when you ride it for longer periods of time.

 

I just pulled in the driveway with mine. I haven't had a chance to ride it yet, only out of the service department and onto the trailer. I guess I'll have to risk it and at least take it around the block.
Arlan

 

I went and checked out the NEW Griz 660 today and although they have vastly improved it, the thing is still UGLY!UGLY!

 

I hope the new Grizzly is everything it appears to be and then some. I ordered mine in red and it's supposed to be in next week or the week after. I'm coming off a 2000 Kodiak and can't wait. I would love to hear your comments after a little saddle time.

 

Well I just went around the block a couple of times and I must say this thing is very quick, the steering is light and responsive and it corners on asphalt at least twice as fast as my Sportsman 500. I would bet it would be 10 lengths out ahead of a SP 500 and at top speed by the end of an 1/8 mile while the SP would not have reached top speed yet. I am comparing this to my '98 SP 500. The lower center of gravity is very noticeable and the bike feels much more stable. I can tell right off that this 2002 Grizzly is going to be one excellent ride. The instrumentation is easy to read in the bright sunlight. The shift pattern is going to take so getting used to thought. Operation of the 2x4 4x4 4x4 differential lock is simple and concise. When I got on the throttle the machine squatted in the rear and the front was close to coming off the ground. I can't wait to get out on the trails.

Arlan

 

take it easy! i wanna know what its like just as much as the next guy but don't you think you should break it in first?

 

juggalo...thanks for the advice, it is well received. I only got on it once and just for a few seconds. It's kind of hard not to get on it though when a new toy runs so strong...Arlan

 

Arlan
What do you mean by the shift pattern will take some getting use to? I havent seen a grizz yet but very anxious.
Bearman

 

It's a lot like an automobile. First off you have to apply the rear brake (foot) before you can get it in or out of park or reverse. The shift pattern is PRNHL. Park is all the way down and you have to apply the rear brake (it is in a much better position than the Sportsman) push the shifter to the left then up to reverse, left again and up to neutral, then right and up to high, then left and up to low. It's not a big deal and there are nice bright indicator lights on the console showing each position. By the way the transmission feal very strong. Much more positive than my Sportsman. I am already looking at 27" wheels and tires, and have a receiver mount Warn winch ordered but there is no mount available yet so I'll have to fabricate yet another part. This thing is going to be a great ATV. It does have a lot of plastic on it though and will probally gain weight as aluminum may be replacing a good portion of it.

For what it's worth I am much more excited over this Grizzly than I am over my Raptor. I guess it's just the adventures I know are in store on the Grizzly will be more, longer and prettier. I was in Utah 3 weeks ago and rode a lot of the Paiute ATV trail. Got turned back by snow severval places at around 10,500' and used my winch for the first time to get through 2 drifts. The Sportsman ran great with the stock jets at that altitude. I hope the Grizzly follows suit in that respect.

Arlan