Looking Back at 25 Years of The Yamaha Grizzly

1998 marked the introduction of the Yamaha Grizzly and 25 years later this line is still going strong! Watch as Mike highlights some of the Grizzly's milestones and innovations that have helped shape the ATV industry.
#yamaha #ATV #offroad #dirttraxtv
#YamahaGrizzly #ProvenOffRoad #REALizeYourAdventure #AssembledInUSA
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[@jessetthompson37]

I've got a 2000 600 grizzly and I Absolutely love it

[@ray9880]

25 years of Grizzlies. Where does time go. Can remember reading about the 600 grizzly in dirt trax magazine. Was very cool atv for its time. I own a 2019 kodiak 450eps. Great atv confortable and great on fuel. Now they should bring back the Big Bear 400irs with 5speed.

[@ryanc8188]

Perfect definition of if it aint broke dont fix it. It would be fun to ride an og 600 and the the latest 700 and see how much really has changed.

[@dirttraxtv]

That would actually be an awesome comparo

[@michaelgaines2525]

I have a 2000 yamaha 600 and my buddy has a 2016 yamaha 700 with power steering. I love my 600 and simpleness but let me tell you what, after riding all day my 600 will beat you too death on the trail. While the newer one is comfortable and more forgiving. I guess I just like the classics more

[@ryanc8188]

@@michaelgaines2525 I have an 03 Kodiak 450, have yet to ride anything newer for more than 5 min so I don't know what I'm missing out on, but I beat the piss out of that wheeler so everything is nice and broke in!

[@01hondascott]

Love my 2015 Grizzly 700. I only got 1300km on it but whenever I do get out I know I got a solid reliable ride.

[@dustinspencer5691]

Love my 2021 Grizzly. I got my ATV in 1983 it was a Honda 70 3 wheeler in 1986, switched to 70 4 wheel model ,1990 Suzuki 160,1996 Yamaha Blaster,2002 Yamaha Raptor 660 witch I still have today along with my Grizzly. I will ride until I'm no longer capable.

[@phatman4932]

I sold my grizzly 700 for a can am outlander a few years ago. Now I’m selling the can am to go back to a grizzly.

[@garybrown9062]

Mechanic at our local dealer, a close friend of mine was way more familiar with those 708 Subaru motors than he cared to be. He said he could have worked on them blindfolded in the end he had so many taken a part for oil consumption. Plus they ran too hot and several grenaded. That’s just one dealer. Plus I knew one guy who had his 2018 rebuilt and it started knocking 800 km later. He traded it and a sled for a 2021 SE here in 🇨🇦. Nice bike the 21. I know as he told me this story while selling it to me. Before those problems I claimed Yamaha (the motor company) should be ashamed farming out the motor in any bike. Let alone one so iconic. Hope they learned their lesson.

[@nortonashburn6119]

I sold my 2016 with 93000km with no problems at all. I think they went with that motor cause of tsunami that hit japan thise years. Main plant was down.

[@garybrown9062]

@@nortonashburn6119 Did you mean 9300km? I have a friend of mine with the 708 in his Wolverine. Overheated several times due to a faulty fan which again was common. He’s lucky though. Replaced the fan. No damage and he got one of the good ones. Around 6500 km on it. It was a crap shoot though. Yamaha warranted them for 5 years I believe. By that I mean not 5 years and a week. It is and was a hard cut off date.

[@nortonashburn6119]

Lol i added a 0. It was 9300km.

[@yesmaybe3791]

Current owner of a 2019 Grizzly and 2018 Viking. Owned a 2006 660 Grizzly, 2005 Bruin, 2009 Grizzly 450 and a 2014 Grizzly 450. Love my Yamahas!!!!

[@BANTAM53]

Love my Grizzlies!! Had an 2002 for 13 years and put 4000 miles on it. Now I'm still running my 2017 708 Grizzly.

[@Valetic6]

I just got an 02 660 from a dude that let it sit for years. 500 hours and 300 miles. New battery and carb and it fired right up. This 4wheeler is bad ass. Strongest bike I’ve ever had. I’m considering putting better cams and bore kit later this year when I get everything running spick and span. It has throttle issues. It doesn’t like when you push the gas 1/3 or half throttle, only wide open. Either the jets in the carb are off or it needs the CDI upgrade or it needs a new coil. I’ll figure it out soon. I’m so excited about this thing.

[@MrFateorfaith]

still rocking my 98 450 and going strong

[@DirtObseXXion]

Such a majestic beast, truly a feast for the eyes! The Grizzly looks incredible too... 🤣🤣🤣 Awesome video Mike, here's to 25 more years of Big Bears from YAMAHA!!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@dirttraxtv]

WOOT!!! 🥳🎉🎊

[@knightimusprime25]

be nice if they brought back the big bear

[@DonsATVAdventures]

I love my 2019 Grizzly ! , over the past few years my wife and I had a 17,18 , the 19 I still own and a 2020 Grizzly. We now have a Yamaha Rmax so we only have the one Grizzly now though.

[@POHLHAMMER]

Bought my 03 660 brand new at age 23 My 07 was paid in full a month before arriving at dealership. My 2016 was paid summer of 2015 , and I again waited for it to arrive. I have bought 3 other Grizzly's, and still currently own 3. Hands down, most reliable, capable ATV'S ever produced ! 20 years for me , and look forward to at least 20 more 💙🇺🇸

[@dirttraxtv]

Awesome!!

[@knightimusprime25]

do ya still have your first grizzly ?

[@AJFAMMAN]

Which one was your favorite?

[@bidenisgod6978]

More like 🇯🇵

[@dustinbateman3507]

I just picked up 2 1999 600 grizzlies absolutely love them. Would be an awesome video seeing the original grizzly up against the new 700. As there are virtually no videos on the old 600s

[@Mud_Dragon]

those are amazing all around tires.i love the grim reapers. i had exacutioners on mine 27's

[@tlpoutdoorsman]

Fantastic video

[@dirttraxtv]

Thank you very much!!

[@POHLHAMMER]

I Absolutely LOVE all my Grizzly's! 2003 660 sold 2007 700eps sold 2007 400 2012 300 sold 2012 450eps 2016 700eps

[@Mud_Dragon]

i still have my 01 600 grizzly

[@Roger-yg6vx]

Thanks for doing a show in West Virginia and saying nice things. We get a bad rap all the time.

[@dirttraxtv]

Love HMT!!

[@mccuishns]

Grizzly 660 silver tip in 2006, other than the cv axle retainers in the rear end failing and needing upgraded that thing took extreme abuse. Hard to believe honestly

[@johnscribb6731]

@2:26 "if Yamaha did introduce a larger displacement engine" ... then next year people would want bigger yet. How deep do you need to dig holes in the trail that 700cc's isn't enough?

[@greygrizzlyoutdoors1764]

I have owned both a 1997 and 2020. First ride on the 2020 I was just surprised by how similar it felt, power wise and the ride quality. Yamaha needs at least a twin 850 in the grizzly. My 97 98 grizzly 600 was the best bike I've had.

[@huntersieling8011]

I currently have a 98 Grizzly and the Ultramatic is still better than quite a few of the new ATVs I've rode.

[@joshc606]

I agree…we live in a time where more power trumps durability and longevity. It’s like a guy buying a HD 3500 truck to pull a 16ft trailer with mowers on it. Didn’t need that truck but likes to say he has it.

[@johnnewell6348]

Hi everyone, considering on getting one of these. I've been trailing riding now for over 20 yrs. First with a Banshee (14 yrs) then now with a Raptor 700r (8yrs). The trails I ride are 50" 's or sometimes even a little less here. Would a Grizzly 700 fit on these ok? Don't mind giving the plastic a bit of road rash from time to time but also don't want to have to get Fenders every couple of yrs. either, lol Thank you all for the comments in advanced in hopes these will be ok on the trails I ride. Otherwise I'll go in the direction of a 450 Kodiak eps se model 😃

[@yamguy33]

im a yamaha guy thru and theu , i personally own a 2014 grizzly 700 i did noticed that yamaha quality went down with 6000km the frame paint is starting to flake off.... motor wise the 686 is bullet proof! we have 4 yamahas atv in our fleet : 91 big bear 350 2003 kodiak 450 2014 grizzky 550 and 2014 grizzly 700.... only place i noticed the grizzly runs out of steam is on open dirt roads 105kmh is on the cut off.... only thing i would like more top speed....

[@rogerarnesen4515]

I know this is off topic but why have your guys not addressed the Honda Talon 1000R-4 or did I miss it?

[@dirttraxtv]

Your ears must have been burning to ask that question. LOL! Tune in tomorrow for a detailed walk-around of the Talon 1000R-4. We just got back from the ride event.

[@grunfieldf8694]

You are right, a bigger Vtwin would get u hurt. I have a 450 Outlander, which makes 40hp. I recently got to ride a 800 renegade . Yeah, that thing was absolutely awesome. But riding that thing in the woods, one little wrong blip of the throttle and ur out in the trees. A 650 - 700 for woods riding is plenty. By the way when y'all doing test rides on the 23 Can-am 500-700 Atv's?

[@dirttraxtv]

We are supposed to be getting a 500 and a 700 in the next week or so and we'll get right on top of reviews. Stay tuned!!

[@DRZrider07]

Interesting how you glossed over WHY Yamaha only ran the Subaru developed 708cc engine for 3 yrs... I just read on Wikipedia that it was bc once again Subaru showed that it couldn't make an engine with a durable top end and they tended to burn oil too soon. So Yamaha went back to the tried and true 686cc. That's useful info for buyers in the used market.

[@balls7973]

I didn’t know atvs still exist 😂 I hate that utvs have taken over the world I would love to see us go back to the early 2000s off-road world

[@Justthatguy420]

As a teen when grizzly first came out and saw it in dirt wheels magazine I thought it was the end all beat all. At the time it certainly was. Over the years many upgrades were made but like Yamahas two stroke bikes not many improvements made over last ten to twelve years. I guess if it isn’t broken don’t fix it but not everyone wants a sxs. You can easily see that with can am four wheeler sales. Step it up Yamaha and all other Japanese manufacturers. Not everyone wants, can afford or have the right place to ride sxs.

[@SOMNIOHM]

_Yamaha should give us a cross country V-Twin 1K, that smokes their raptor!_

[@garykarnes6514]

Your on drugs

[@Justthatguy420]

everybody wants can am power lol. Love my 1000. Wish honda would come out with some big bore power though

[@duanesnow424]

they need to get rid of the decel backfire pop, very annoying with the tech thats available today. Otherwise great atv

[@remypaquin7224]

"Who knows what the future holds dor the grizzly" will we see a factory mudder: -nope Will we see a 2 up: - nope Will we see a 850 twin: - nope Will we see a crosscountry tour: - doubt it

[@davidpickens3117]

They need to change the style of the headlights. Make it look more AGGRESSIVE

[@EC_ATV_Outdoors]

Why haven't the Japanese brands made any 2-up's?

[@dirttraxtv]

It's a great question. Would love to see the line expand a little.

[@garykarnes6514]

Why ?

[@markbuck9299]

The grizzly is a great quad !! But it’s time for a big upgrade !! Not just a new colour, 850 or 1000

[@garykarnes6514]

Your on drugs

[@larryw5429]

V twins have lots of power to break things and lots of heat under the covers too.. Twice the cylinders twice the heat and all the wiring and electronics and belts take a toll on reliability! Yamaha 700 is all the power most people will ever need.

[@greenmachine1961]

1st comment 3rd view lol

[@dirttraxtv]

🥳

[@kaoz250f1]

No need for a 1000. It'll change the whole principle of the grizzly. Smaller and nimble

[@ZombieSheeple]

If they can finally get a 1000cc Grizzly.

[@garretwitterholt5842]

Don't call it a grizzly then

[@ronsimmsfan2661]

700 single is fine for me

[@kirbywinters1291]

I think something to compete with the scrambler and renegade 1000 would be awesome.

[@Davido50]

Grab the reg one an enjoy while it's still available! 😉 -Ohio

[@atvrider1805]

Y do all u think u need a big 1000cc machine 700 big enough

[@spyder000069]

I just can't see them coming out with a twin cylinder at this point. Canam just dropped their twins in the low/mid range line up with their new HD5/HD7/500/700. There is no way they did that if they thought the market was heading that way. With today's inflation you are going to start seeing cost cutting to try to keep customers buying what are essentially toys. Yamaha already had a price increase this year which now puts them quite a bit over the price of the new canam bikes. There are going to have to try to make up with incentives or low financing that is easier for customers to qualify for if they are going to compete. There is no doubt yamaha has a reputation for quality but there is also no doubt pricing drives sales.

[@thefall3551]

No one finances an ATV, so I doubt that will help their sales.

[@dirttraxtv]

Can-Am introduced that 700 to directly compete against the Grizzly. We should be getting one soon and we'll see how it holds up.

[@StevenSmith-wi4gy]

If a company offers 0% financing, I do it all the time. Tractors, mowers, cars, appliances, whatever. I would rather keep the money in my account than hand it over to a company for no reason.@@thefall3551

[@dskofich]

or maybe Yamaha will do nothing much with the Grizz for another 25 years

[@davedave1398]

Is it really pronounced Yam A Ha? I have always pronounced it Ya Ma Ha.

[@andrewinsinga2993]

I personally don't want to see a big twin cylinder, I would like to just see a bigger cc single like a 750 or 800cc!

[@garretth0707]

May I ask why?

[@PhillyLS1]

Every video related to the grizzly the first thing the reviewer says is that the "it doesn't need more power" which pretty much tells you that it in fact needs more power. Too much power for the trails? Most big bore quads have a tri-mode throttle setting. So if you're of the opinion less power is needed you can adjust the throttle response with the flip of a switch.

[@dirttraxtv]

Hold on a sec there, slick. I didn't say I wouldn't like more power or that it didn't "need" more power. I've been preaching for an 850 twin for years. What I said was for these super tight, winding trails, the power on hand was perfect, which it was.

[@grizz474]

Yaaamaha? It's Yamaha in this country.

[@TwistysGunShow]

I owned a 1998 grizzly 600 and I still own a 2015 grizzly 700 , all i can say is they are completely different. I hated my 98 especially without a locking diff , my 2015 is awesome it has 9000km and is still going strong and I beat the absolute snot out of it , im glad i didn't get a 2016 to 2018 model they're garbage

[@adampetten1009]

yamaha needs a suspension / chassis update or something along those lines. literally the only thing they have on their side is the clutch system. the new can am is very strong competition as its so much more pleasant to ride than the grizz. the belt life is great on other machines... i got 1000s of kms on my can am and my old man only have to change a belt once on his can am but its a 6x61000 thats worked hard towing and loaded down often.

[@Jak1481]

Polaris and Can-Am dominate anything in ATV-UTV

[@garykarnes6514]

That’s funny.😊

[@cybermavrik]

This current edition shoulda been out 8 or 9 yrs ago ... then Yamerhaw would be in the pack instead of behind

[@ZombieSheeple]

I still choose my 2023 Arctic Cat Alterra limited over this.

[@thefall3551]

5 years from now your alterra will be worth pennies yet the grizzly will still likely be worth 7 to 10,000.

[@ZombieSheeple]

@thefall3551 I don't buy atvs and sxs's based on resale values. I keep mine for years. I still have a 2004 Grizzly, 85 250sx, 2010 rubicon, 99 arctic cat, 82 Odyssey fl250 and 2023 arctic cat. I just enjoy all machines. I never said Yamaha was bad, I've owned several, I just happen to like the new Alterra 600 better.

[@garykarnes6514]

What a fool 😊

[@ZombieSheeple]

@garykarnes6514 Yes, yes you are. Own two grizzlies in the past, great machines but also boring. Same as Honda. I love Hondas but they are boring. Reliable yes but boring. I stopped riding new Hondas in 2020. The only ones I ride are my 85 250sx, 83 Fl250 and 85 Fl350 with a 670 rotax swap. Now I give other brand a chance. I like Arctic cat in the late 90s up to 2010. When they merged with Textron nothing really changed other than the name so I just gave up on them for a few years. When they came out with the New chassis and engine for the Alterra 600, I gave them a chance. It was definitely worth it. Even Canam copied the way Arctic Cat has their engine tilted back. Canam started doing that 2 years later on their 500-700 outlander models. I've been riding since the mid 80s and ride about every atv out there. The ride quality on the new Arctic Cat Alterra TRV limited is fantastic. My only issue is it doesn't have a rear sway bar. It's a very capable machine that gets ridden hard at Iron Mountain atv park.

[@TwinTurboToyota]

Love the grizzly but it’s no beast. The big bores walk all over it in performance

[@lubecer7453]

when were the 550s made? I'm looking at a used one

[@Swindy1794]

QDR unmatched??.. HA! I had a grizzly 660 (i cant remember the year). It had a very strong engine but it was too much torque for virtually ALL the cv joints, they were junk in no time … I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. I’ll never buy a Yamaha again!👎

[@dirttraxtv]

Yours must've been built on a Friday, bud. Either that or you beat the living crap out of your ATV and did very little maintenance to it.