New to Forum and Yamaha

As you can see I couldn’t let go of my last ATV brand but I can be stubborn on some things. After selling my much loved quad for a zero turn lawn mower and living in a state with little four wheeling (IL) areas I finally moved back to Northern MN and decided to get back to riding.

After looking to get back into the sport i was looking at getting another Can Am in the 570 or 650 class atv. I couldn’t believe the prices people wanted for a used one let alone new and used with three to four thousand miles on them were out of sight. I do not subscribe to one brand being that dominant over another and they all have their strengths and weaknesses but Can Am prices are over the top.

So I branched out to other brands and found my Griz at a area Yamaha/Polaris/Honda dealer up on the Iron Range. Looked at Suzuki and Arctic Cats but they are not big players around here and did not have a chance to ride one. I ended up buying a 2014 700 Griz in camo with EPS for 1500 dollars below retail with 100 hrs and 710 miles on the odometer. As a test to help seal the deal I drove a Polaris 550 with EPS with 1500 miles on it and I thought it was used pretty hard since it shaked and rattled so much. Did not like the loose feel to the power steering and seemed you were always correcting the steering as you rode. I also tried a Kodiak 550 but it had oversized wheels and rims and no EPS. To much effort to steer for me and it was not a good setup for the machine.

I purchased the 700 and have put over 125 miles on it riding on area trails. First day was a flat railroad bed out of Superior, WI so it was just a break in cruise for me. The second trip was up to Silver Bay, MN and a little more of a challenge. Trail was rocky with some wet areas but not much of a mud challenge. A great ride for scenery and enjoyment.

First impression is that I purchased a quad that fits me to a tee. Plenty of power for me, handles well in rocky conditions and on the trail, and fairly quiet under 25 mph. Seating position is nice (I am 6ft 4) and I should not have any problem riding all day. The quad is stock so tires will be upgraded in the near future.

My only gripe but I don’t think is a big deal at all is the engine popping when decelerating and coming to a stop, Up graded to higher octane and that cut it down to hardly noticeable. Another is the cladding attachments (Screw and Plastic backing) appear to be weak. Has anybody used a different attachment practice to hold together the panels?

Upgrades for me are tires and a rack to help carry fishing gear this winter. If anyone can recommend a gps for trail riding post it up and I will look into it. I practice the KISS method to toy management so I am not planning any internal upgrades to the clutch or engine.

Couldn’t be happier with my ride and will be looking to get my wife a ride this spring. Looking at a 700 Kodiak with EPS because of the great pricing they have on them. Who knows I may go the Grizzly route and she can have the old one.

It will be fun reading and interacting with you on this forum. Looks like a lot of useful info and passionate riders.