What to buy? Grizz, Kodiak, or ?

[akram]

I can't decide what will be the best machine(s) for me and my son who is 12. I like the Kodiak's but then the Grizz has more power, which I'm not sure I need, plus the lower gas mileage concerns me. My hunting partner who has a 94 Kodiak says that a manual shift is the only way to go for serious rock crawling and pulling a trailer. That would mean the Big Bear as there are not many manual shifters left now days. Which also tells me that the automatics must work pretty good if that's what the majority of machines are. I plan on using the machines for backcountry trips here in Alaska, moose hunting and going into remote lakes in the summer. What would you suggest? A Grizz or Kodiak for me? Kodiak's for both? Or the Big Bears?

 

[maim]

i have an uncle with each. the one has ridden both styles and he preffers the kodiak over the bear. he is doin lots of crawling up hills and rocks. the bear doesnt have the front diff unlock so the steering feels heavyer and the auto will climb and pull almost as good as the bear.

 

[TopGunn]

Dont go with the bear. The kodiaks are nice machines but then again Grizzly is the king. I would go with the Grizzly because overall its bigger its probably the best one yamaha makes and it has a good engine in it! The automatics work just as good if not better then the manual shifters. Theres no replacement for displacment! 660cc's of fun !!!

 

[MrSled]

I would stick with the Kodiak for that age...the 660 Grizz will run damn close to 70 mph stock and the Kodiak is a 55 mph atv....

 

[SledderSteve]

The Grizzly for you and the Kodiak for your son.

Even then the Kodiak is a lot of machine and your son really needs to be careful and not do like mine.

 

[Texas Grizz]

For my 2 cents; if you are like me I dont like buying something to only replace it with something else that you should have got the first time around. If your son can handle a bigger by that I mean steering etc. most ATV have a limit screw for the throttle so you can limit the amount of travel it has which in turn will allow you to control the overall RPM / speed of the ATV.

I bough my wife a Burin 350 4x4 which is a great ATV for her, for all the rides she has been on with us, she hasnt had any problems with power etc. I had to ride it up a few hills for her just because she didnt feel like she could make it and to be honest with you I had an easier time doing the same hill with her Burin than I did my Grizz. I'm very happy with the two atv's I chose for us Bruin 4x4 350 & the Grizz. I think I would have been just as happy if I would have gotten 2 Bruin's but I love my Grizz hehehe. Some people talk about top speed but for the type of ridding my friends and I do top speed is not an issue, most of what we do is rock/trail and work related.

theres my 2 cents take it for what you will. hope it helps some.

 

[Longhorn Grizzly]

I'm with Texas Grizz on this one. Buy the machine that you KNOW will fit your NEEDS (i.e. hunting, trailer hauling, etc), and once you have identified the set of machines that will meet your needs, any of them that exceed those needs, is extra (i.e good looks, aka Grizzy , high top end, IRS, whatever).

Nothing worse than buying something that doesn't work for you, then you take the HUGE hickey of depreciation by trading in/selling early, that hassle of buying another, etc.

I personally think you'll find the Kodiak will do everything you need it to do, but if you want a little extra size/strength/speed, get a Grizz for yourself.

 

[SledderSteve]

I totally agree with the Texas guys, buy what you need for the job.

Here's a quick comparison of the new IFS Kodiak 450 and the Grizzly:

Weight
Grizzly - 600 lbs.
Kodiak - 591 lbs.

Ground Clearance
Grizzly - 11.8"
Kodiak - 10.8"

Fuel Capacity
Grizzly - 5.3 Gal.
Kodiak - 4 Gal.

Rack Capacity
Grizzly - 99 lbs. Fr./ 187 lbs. Rr.
Kodiak - 88 lbs. Fr./ 176 lbs. Rr.

Towing Capacity
Grizzly - 1,212 lbs.
Kodiak - 1,102 lbs.

Turning Radius
Grizzly - 126"
Kodiak - 118"

Hope this helps 8)

 

[akram]

Thanks for the good info that's what I was looking for. I've been leaning towards a Griz but on the other hand I was talking to the local dealer and he said that for what he sees come into his shop for service, based on the mileage and total hours, the average speed for most riders is less than 20 mph. Keep in mind this is interior Alaska where we don't have established trails and such. Based on this I wonder if I will ever use the extra power of the Griz or would it be worth it for those little bursts of throttle that put a smile on your face.
One other thing how does the gas mileage compare between the Griz and Kodiak. I don't want to be on a trip with my buddies and have to be sucking off everyone else's gas. I have an idea of the Griz's range from post here but is the Kodiak much better?

 

[Texas Grizz]

For the most part I don’t think that you would run out of fuel before your buddy’s if you all are riding at the same pace. I could be wrong on this but I believe that most ATV manufactures of production type machines set a base line in which the cruising range (total mileage on a given tank) for their ATV’s regardless of engine size. By this I mean that a 350 with a fuel tank size of 3.5 gallons will have the same cursing range as a 660 with 6 gallons, in other words they will both travel the same distance on a “tank fullâ€￾ but the of course the tank is larger on the bigger ATV, so when your buddy’s are filling their tanks you will be filling yours as well, you both traveled the same amount of miles just that you used more fuel than they did. So what I’m trying to say is that yes a larger ATV will use more fuel, but you wont have to stop the groups ride just to refill your tank, everyone in the group will be refueling around the same time. I could be wrong in all of this but its just what I noticed for our rides with different atv’s in the group.

On another note if your planning long trips that are going to take you away from your base camp then I would plan the ride just as you would on a expedition ride with the correct amount of supplies etc. I’m that guy in the group that always packs for every thing that could go wrong. Hehehe.

 

[SledderSteve]

I’m that guy in the group that always packs for every thing that could go wrong. Hehehe.

I see you've also met Mr. Murphy of Murphy's law fame. I often get teased about all the stuff I carry, especially on snowmobile trips, but those same folks are more than happy to use that stuff when something happens. 8)

I totally agree regarding fuel range. The Kodiak will use less fuel than the Grizzly but they'll both need to be filled at about the same time. If you're packing fuel on an extended trip the Kodiak is the way to go.

The addition of the independent suspension really narrowed the gap between the Kodiak and Grizzly. That suspension will get you over and through terrain that would give a straight axle machine, like a Big Bear or Bruin, difficulty.

The decision between the two is no longer a "slam dunk" but either machine should provide excellent service.

 

[Texas Grizz]

Yep I met Murphy and his faimly before :lol: Hell we have to drive so far to ride I dont what to get there and have something go wrong that i could have fixed if I would have only brought the tools, you know.

 

[Octane]

I would not let your 12 year old son ride a Grizz. Its just pain too much machine for someone that age. Its not a matter of not being able to handle the power, its a matter of strength. At 600 pounds, the Grizz is a lot of machine to control. You need a certain degree of physical strength to control such a machine. It would be no different than someone putting their 12 year old on a YZ450F and letting them loose on an MX track.
You have to consider the fact that you son is a child. For him, something like a 250 Bruin would be much, much better. The Grizz is just too much machine.
Now for you, its a matter of how much do you really need? The Grizz is an amazing machine, most folks who own them seem to be pretty happy.
The cost from the 450 Kodiak to the Grizz is pretty insignifigant, in my opinion. I think its only around $700. For the jump from 450 to 660cc is worth that alone.
I would take the 450 Kodiak or the Grizz over a Bruin or Big Bear just for low-range and the locking front diff. Esecially living in Alaska and riding in the backcountry you would greatly appreciate having those.
Dont listen to those who tell you they wish they would have gotten a smaller machine. Honestly, I dont think you can ever have too much power. Im used to riding 120-hp snowmobiles that will do in excess of 110 mph and believe me, there is no such thing as "too much".
So I say get the Grizz and be happy!
Hebi

 

[senior]

choice

Both machine would do the job (assuming your installing decent tires) but you should consider the type of terrian your going to be in most of the time! Having spent time on 05 450 I can deff tell you it's much more nimble & lighter steering & smaller than the specs would lead you to believe than my 04 Grizz! I love the Grizz but if I was going to be spending much time on narrow, rough or non-existant trails I'd seriouly consider the 450

 

[phazer#1]

buy both grizz for you and kodiak for your son. but do not buy a big bear