The only problem I have with my Grizz is that the front end likes to be in the air more than on the ground.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

~mudogspeed~

I don't know what your riding style or conditions are, but here is something to consider:

The Grizzly can over-heat if you don't take care of it:

I recently took my 660G on a weekend camping trip. I had the machine loaded down and pulling a trailer. All told the machine was hauling about 700 pounds. That includes me and the gear, both on the machine's racks and in a trailer. That does not include the machine's own weight of course.

The trail is somewhat 'technical', with a number of 'rock gardens' to navigate and lots of mud holes. In addition, our elevation went from 628 feet above sea level at the trail-head to 2978 feet above sea level, all in just 6 miles of trail. Some of the inclines were pulling the front wheels off of the ground. In fact there was one particularly long steep hill that required a second machine pushing from behind, there just was not enough traction to be had.

Suffice it to say this was all in low range.

By the time I had gotten about 3/4 of the way up the trail, I had to take the cowling off both sides of the motor. The gas had started to 'percolate' inside the tank from the heat build-up. I was also smelling strong gasoline fumes, which were escaping out of the breather hose and I was loosing power. Just when I needed to 'pour it on', the engine would not perform. Just sputter along.

When I removed both cowlings and let the engine cool off a little bit, it was back to the same rip-roaring beast I have come to love.

Personally, I think the cowling is poorly designed. For a machine with this much power and torque in low range the engineers should have designed better heat dissipation since the exhaust runs so close to the bottom of the gas tank. The heat build-up can be intense under certain circumstances.

There are at least 2 other changes I will make as soon as the Factory Warranty wears off:
1. I am going to bypass the Reverse Rev-Limiter. That is the stupidest @#$!@$%^% thing Yamaha did, in my opinion. (That is the only thing that just about made me loose my composure on the trail.)

2. I am also going to remove the 22mph limiter on the locking front diferential.

I'm not bad-mouthing the machine. In addition, it's easy for me to sit in my recliner and criticize the engineers. Part of the heat problem is my fault. Since I put on the 28" 589's, I also decided to put in the K&N air filter to gain back a little power. That does make my machine's exhaust run slightly hotter.

As far as I am concerned, It is still just the right machine for me. On-Demand locking diferential and IRS. For me, removing the cowling is an adequate work-around considering the rest of the machine. Others may not look at it the same way.

 

I can't imagine someone making a $7000 decision on what quad to buy because of the tires that come on it. How long do you plan on keeping this quad? New tires, like Goodyear Mud Runners cost as little as $370 for a set of four. I replaced my tires within a year of purchasing my quad (wore the originals out) and can't imagine driving another quad because it came with "better tires".

Buy the quad that fits your butt! Don't buy the one I like! Buy the one YOU LIKE!
And ride the he!! out of it!

My friends have Polaris's, and they love them. My friends have Yamahas and they love them. I don't have either and love mine.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I dont' know where you heard that they are having problems with the headgasket on the 700, I have never heard that. The motor in the 700 has been around in Polaris snowmobiles and has proven itself to be reliable, and I have not heard anything about motor problems. The only thing I have heard is the coolant leak, which I believe has been fixed, if any other problems, Polaris has been addressing those too.