A few questions on my new Yamaha Big Bear 350 4x4
1. Fuel consumption , how many miles per tank is considered average. first tank lasted only about 30 miles. It does not seem to be running rich.. any ideas ?
2.shifter seems to be quite stiff compared to my dirt bike , especially in low range... will this loosen up ? is it normal ?
3. Oil change ; the owners manual is very confusing, when the engine oil is changed the transfer case gear oil should be changed at the same time... both share the same oil ? eventhough they have seperate fill points and drain plugs. how is the level checked for the gear oil ? when i loosen the fill plug for the gear oil , oil seeps out , should it be level at this plug.
thanks for any info on these questions....
Tom

 

I have a '98 Big Bear Special Edition (which is just about the same) and with those giant oversize fenders I get about 140km to the tank (approx 90 miles).

Your owner's manual will tell you where to look for all of the appropriate fluid levels. The oil seeping out when you remove the bolt is more or less correct (assuming you are on level ground).

I change ALL my oils (front/rear diffs, engine, transfer about 3-4 times a year. I figure that here we usually get pretty cold winters so I tend to change all fluids more regularly due to condensation occuring. For the price of a few bottles of oil ... it seems worth it knowing that everything is fresh.

I can't say that I really noticed anything with the shifter (other than sometimes stepping on that rear brake pedal is difficult) unless shifting into reverse.

 

hi there , thx. for the reply , my big bear is the 350 S.E. aswell , bad fuel consumption might have been cold weather and very small trips in snow etc. i guess after break in it should get better... how about your shifter.. stiff aswell ?
thx.......again .. tom , Vancouver Canada

 

I have a 00' Big Bear 4x4. While researching before purchase, one thing I noted in an article called "Big Bear - Stalking the Millineum" referenced that the shifting was much smoother than earlier BB models. The weather in central FL is rarely below 50 degrees and my BB, in my opinion, has stiff shifting as compared to other dirt bikes I've owned in the past. Sometimes I have to use Japanese ingenuity by "rocking" the machine to shift or unlock the shifter and away I go. It seems to be a nuance of the BB gear box.