Grizzly 700 ATV - reliability of operation, weak and strong points

One of the most famous manufacturers of motorcycles is Yamaha. Japanese assembly and branded spare parts are recognized as the standard of quality. Updated models are released regularly, the company supplements the equipment and introduces its own developments. Grizzly 700 EPS is an ATV that has won the hearts of connoisseurs of sports transport and speed.

Cautious Approach

The Japanese company Yamaha Motor Company, once part of the large transnational concern Yamaha, has come a difficult path before becoming one of the market leaders in the production of motorcycles. But today there are few people who want to question the authority of a manufacturer famous for the quality and reliability of its products. And although all modern models are produced using progressive technologies and technical solutions, the company approaches their improvement carefully, not trying to abandon well-proven design elements in favor of newer ones, but not fully proven ones.

Let there be light

The new product has LED headlights. Not the floodlights at the border post, of course, but they definitely shine better than halogen bulbs. In addition, for greater safety and comfort when driving in the dark, an additional light has settled on the steering wheel (as on Polaris ATVs), which turns on when the toggle switch on the steering switch block is moved to the “high beam” position. Is there any benefit from an additional headlight? Definitely yes: it’s very convenient when at low speed you turn the steering wheel and see in advance what kind of wilds you’re steering the all-terrain vehicle into. As for the rear optics, the LED trend has not bypassed the Grizzly either.

Now a few words about the engine. The Grizzly 700 received a new single-cylinder power plant with a displacement of 708 cc (remember that earlier models were equipped with a 686 cc “single-barrel”). Unlike its predecessor, the new engine is 6% more powerful and 9% superior to its predecessor in terms of maximum torque. And all this thanks not only to the increased engine volume, but also to the factory tuning of the intake and exhaust systems.

Proven quality

A clear illustration of this approach is the utilitarian Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV, the technical characteristics of which, if not the benchmark in its class, are among the most impressive. This car has been in production for quite some time, and all the changes made to the design have benefited the car exclusively, without changing its basic qualities for the worse. Like any vehicle, the Grizzly 700 has its advantages and disadvantages, but for many off-road enthusiasts it still remains desirable. And although from time to time there are people who want to criticize the Yamaha ATV, reviews from most owners speak of the high quality of the popular model.

“Bear” family

The Grizzly ATV series includes 6 models of varying power and carrying capacity. Some models have special technical equipment that others lack.

1. Grizzly 300 is the most affordable and simple model. The numbers in the name indicate the working volume of the installed engine. Here it is equal to 286 cm3. The younger “Grizzly” is the only one in the line equipped only with rear-wheel drive.
2. Grizzly 350. The engine capacity of this ATV is 348 cm3. Air-type motor cooling system. The rear suspension has a pendulum design.
3. Grizzly 450 models are equipped with a 421 cc engine. The rear suspension is independent multi-link. Additional options are also implemented here in the form of electric power steering, an LCD display, and a liquid cooling system. The tank volume is 15 liters.
4. The Grizzly 550 ATV with a displacement of 558 cm3 received a unique Limited Edition package. Vehicles of this modification are equipped with light-alloy aluminum wheels and an original design is applied. Additionally, the ATVs are equipped with a 20-liter tank and a V-belt drive.
5. Grizzly 600. The first all-terrain vehicle in the Utility line with an installed 5-valve engine, the displacement of which was 660 cm3.
6. The latest modification of the “bears” was the Grizzly 700 model - the most powerful, load-lifting and popular ATV in the line.

Advantages

When evaluating a Yamaha ATV, the technical characteristics of which, even at first glance, look impressive, you should pay special attention to its important advantages.

• Design. Behind the catchy appearance lies not just a desire to attract a potential buyer. Every line, every detail of the body is carefully thought out in order to make the operation of the equipment convenient and safe. All elements are made of high-quality materials and fit well together. At the same time, the aggressive style is quite recognizable and allows even a person who is not very experienced in matters of motorcycle technology to immediately determine that this is a Yamaha Grizzly.
• A powerful and extremely reliable engine that can withstand extreme loads for a long time.
• Excellent dynamic qualities. The utilitarian Yamaha ATV, the technical characteristics of which the company itself does not regard as sports, is capable of quickly accelerating to significant speeds of over 100 km/h.
• Reliable and easy-to-control transmission with plug-in drive on all four wheels.
• Energy-intensive suspension, despite large strokes, provides stable control even at high speeds.
• Efficient lighting system. New LED optics shine far and brightly, and an additional headlight mounted on the handlebar allows you to see the road when turning and detect obstacles in advance, when the rider can still take action and avoid a collision.

Rebirth

2014 onwards, 686 cm3, 49 l.
s, 294 kg, 503,700 rub. text: Yuri Solonovich photo: Roman Romanishin

in the photo: Yuri Solonovich

“It’s hard to imagine a more popular ATV in our country than the legendary Yamaha Grizzly!

Despite the advanced age of the model, many four-wheeled “bears” still grind the dirt of Russian off-road with their wheels. And the popularity of the device is not hampered by either the modest engine by modern standards, or the worn-out appearance of millions of Chinese copies.

The Yamaha Grizzly has always been distinguished from its peers by its textbook reliability and almost complete “indestructibility”. Hunters and fishermen in knitted turtleneck sweaters, wild trophy lovers, summer residents and athletes - you can meet anyone in the ranks of fans and admirers of the model.

And the “bear cub” always regularly performed the functions that users assigned to it. But as the years have passed, many modern trends, new concepts and design revelations have appeared in the ATV world. The power of the power plants of many cars almost doubled, new, hitherto known classes of ATV were born... And the good old Grizzly continued to be produced without any noticeable changes.

Reincarnation This year, what many fans of the Japanese all-terrain vehicle have long dreamed of has finally come true: the new generation Yamaha Grizzly 700 EPS was presented to the public - the 2014 model! True, in my opinion, there was no full-fledged sensation, and the new ATV turned out to be only an improved version of the previous machine.

I decided to find out how much the Grizzly had changed and how the innovations affected its habits by testing the device in conditions close to “combat”. Let's start with the exterior. Externally, the ATV has changed little - and so much so that it is almost impossible to determine at first glance which is the new and which is the old model.

Nevertheless, these changes, like the gopher from the cult film "DMB", exist! Firstly, the 2014 Grizzly has become significantly wider: the installation of new suspension arms made it possible to widen the ATV track by 60 mm. Accordingly, non-adjustable shock absorbers (only spring preload is available) were also replaced, which “grew” a little in size.

Thanks to the increase in track, the car became much more stable, which finally cured the generic “sore” of the entire family - the tendency to roll over in corners.

Secondly, the Grizzly's powertrain has been seriously updated. The proven 1-cylinder, 49 hp, liquid-cooled engine has a reshaped cylinder head, combustion chamber and piston, increasing the compression ratio from 9.2:1 to 10:1, while a new camshaft lobe design improves responsiveness. engine when pressing the gas trigger.

Japanese engineers also worked thoroughly with maps of fuel injection and ignition systems. Now the power plant has one pipe instead of two exhaust pipes, and a catalytic converter has settled in the exhaust tract, ensuring environmentally friendly exhaust. Thanks to all these tricks, the engine's fuel efficiency has increased by 30%, and power and torque have increased by 16 and 13 percent, respectively!

The settings of the dual-mode EPS electric power steering have also been changed, for which the second mode is activated when all-wheel drive with differential lock is engaged. The engine is coupled with an Ultramatic CVT transmission with engine braking function on descent and an On-Command all-wheel drive system with three operating modes: 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock. The total load capacity of the ATV racks is 130 kg (45 kg for the front and 85 kg for the rear).

Flaws

What prevents a machine from becoming a perfect machine are shortcomings that turn out to be really important for some potential clients.

• The main problem that forces many visitors to sales salons to avoid the Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV is the price. It is really high and not everyone can afford a new device. What can you do, you have to pay for quality and brand.
• The second obstacle, according to some customers, is the fact that the model is produced exclusively in a single-seat version. Here the manufacturer is adamant. He prioritizes rider safety and has no intention of abandoning this concept.
• Impossibility of high-speed cornering. The reason is the lightweight front end, which made it possible to increase cross-country ability, but had to sacrifice handling at high speeds.

Operating experience

Owners of the Yamaha 125 ATV appreciated its driving performance and reliability. Of course, the equipment is not designed for driving on difficult routes, but on an ordinary road it handles confidently.

Advantages of Grizzly:

• Reliability. When buying a new Grizzly 125, you can be sure that the device will work without breakdowns for more than one year. With regular maintenance, the car will last 4-5 years.
• Availability of automatic transmission. Thanks to the transmission, even beginners can use the equipment. The easy-to-use device is perfect for children and teenagers.
• Load capacity. The miniature machine can withstand loads of up to 150 kg.
• Soft suspension. Small holes and bumps are practically not felt when driving.
• Excellent traction. Grizzly confidently climbs the hills.
• Simple design.
• Economical. On average, a car spends 2-2.5 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

The Yamaha 125 ATV also has several minor disadvantages:

• Slightly overpriced. A used car from 2005 costs around 60-75 thousand rubles. A more recent version will cost 90-140 thousand rubles.
• Problems finding new spare parts. It is quite difficult to find new parts for utility vehicles, so many owners have to be content with used spare parts or Chinese replicas.
• Minimum equipment. The device cannot boast of heated handles, a backrest, or even rear-view mirrors.

Minor shortcomings are fully compensated by the reliability of the device.

Brakes

The braking system is fully consistent with the safety philosophy promoted by the company. Efficient hydraulically driven disc mechanisms can quickly stop even a fully loaded machine.

What can I say, the model is really worthy of attention. But if by typing the search query “Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV price new”, someone comes to the conclusion that there is not enough money for the purchase, it is worth paying attention to the used equipment market. After all, these machines have a solid service life and, if handled correctly, last a long time.

Yamaha Grizzly 2021

By and large, the 2021 Yamaha Grizzly remains virtually unchanged from 2021. The most interesting innovation this year is the ability to install the Yamaha Adventure Pro system on components from Magellan. This is a GPS device for tracking the location of vehicles. If you choose to purchase it with the Grizzly, it will be connected to the Magellan GPS satellite navigation system with thousands of different routes, off-road trails, Yamaha dealers and more. Additional features are being added constantly.