I am interested in buying a new ATV. I need a 4x4 in the rough terrain and mud I ride in. 2 wheel drives are left burried. I have an 85' Honda 350 4x4 but want something more sporty. I've driven Polaris Sportsman, Honda 300 4x4, Honda 450s 4x4 ATVs. The Polaris has a good ride but I don't like their auto transmissions. I like the size of the Grizzly and that you can switch out of 4x4. I don't think I'll like the auto trans. How does the Grizzly handle? I like the suspension of the Wolverine but I'm not sure if it will be sporty enough. What do you think?

 

I own a Grizzly myself and I really like it!!It depends alot on if you want to be more in control and that would lean towards the lighter,smaller,and more managable Wolverine.The Grizz is alot of machine to handle,but it makes up for it with very tight turning,light turning,and the optional 2-WD is a great feature.I would guess it's all in the matter of what type of riding your planning on doing with it.Maybe you could find someone who would let you test drive both of them,and that would help you out.As long as you don't buy a polaris,you can't make a wrong decision!

 

How is the auto tranny? I'm used to down shifting around turns or when I need to slow down quickly.

 

Any thing more sporty than a Wolverine is a full out race bike the Wolverine is the best you can get of both worlds.

 

I agree. I own a wolverine and love it. it can handle most of the things the big boys can. ive hauled everything from my 17ft whaler to pulling out my buddies.on the trail its great.you can wip it right around a coner like a 2- wheeldrive.its the best machine ive ever owned.

 

The auto tranny is a getting used to thing.I personally love it.I was used to shifting everything I owned until one day I bought a polaris,that was the biggest mistake I ever made!!!!I started to like the auto tranny but then the piece of $@it broke down over and over again,Long story....Anyhow the tranny on my Grizz has never yet had a problem,and like I said before it'll grow on ya!

 

get the wolverine, its awesome.i have a 2000 with 4 hours on it.so far i havent heard any bad news about it.worth every penny and its the best looking machine made.

 

rmelloy,

I was in your place about 2 months ago. I was looking for a big 4x4, although I was looking at all of the true utility machines, SP500, Grizzly, 2000 Kodiak, 400 Prairie, Foreman 450 Suzuki 500. At first I thught I had to have a manual tranny, but I also wanted to take it in and out of 4wd. Nothing really exists that gives both. I decided to take the auto tranny, and have the switchable 4wd. This eliminated Honda and Suzuki. From what I recall, this also eleiminated the Kawasaki Prairie 400, as you have to stop to move a lever from 2wd to 4wd. I eliminated Polaris due to problems I had seen with a friends 325 Magnaum (Polaris fans, I am not saying all are like this, just based on what I had witnessed) This left me with the Kodiak and the Grizzly. Tough decision, water cooled or 200 more cc's. I chose the Grizzly. After about 2 hours, you'll get used to the automatic. It is great for mud and hills, because you never have to let off the gas and lose momentum. I used to use the gears approaching a turn, but I have since realized I did it more to know I was in the best gear coming out of the turn than for braking. The Grizzly automatic has good engine braking, but not as powerful as downshifting a manual. For trail riding, the Grizzly turns very tight, and with a 2wd switch and 600 cc's, you can navigate turns even better by breaking the rear end loose. I have 200 miles (exactly today) on mine and like it very much.

Yammer_Hummer
2000 Yamaha Grizzly
Stock except for custom mount Warn 2000 winch and trusty toolbox.
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/gapolley

 

i would have to say the grizzly. when i started shopping for bikes i had my mind settled on the wolverine after riding many other brands and models. when i went to the dealership that gave me the best price on the wolverine over the phone the salesman asked if i had ever ridden the kodiak, which i hadn't. until that point i refused to even think about an automatic. after two minutes on the kodiak i was hooked. when i saw that the grizzly was only $300 dollars more out the door it took me a couple weeks to decide between the kodiak and the grizzly and went with the grizzly. i'm 6'2" and weigh 240 and ride that bike like a scared demon. in low it has the power to move the earth and in high it screams. i ride with several friends one of which has a wolverine. he wants to trade it on a grizzly after riding mine. both machines are stock (for now) and we've raced a couple times with the same results. with the grizzly locked in 2wd the wolverine gets the jump and each time he shifts i gain a little and its about even at the end. in 4wd the grizz jumps right ahead and stays there. its a very powerful machine. i do want to add some performance mods to mine, but even if i had a banshee i couldn't leave it stock, just my nature i guess. we ride a lot of mud, trails, and sand. on the trails i keep up with him no problem........even with my wife on back. in mud, he envies me. when we ride sand, we ride at some old gravel pits and there are a lot of jumps. he definitely gets more air than i do, but that big grizzly has no problem leaving the ground and its suspension has plenty of cushion for it. as for the auto tranny.........i will never shift again.


ride often
ride hard
ride on!!!!!!!!!!1

 

you say you want something sporty.......this is not the grizzly. my buddy has a grizzly, he loves the top speed of the 600 but hates the poor trail manners....
get the wolverine, it was my second choice, but i went with a little more utility\/\/\/\/\/\/