For the last few years, ATV manufacturers have been engaged in a displacement race to build the meanest big-bore machine on the market. This buildup produced lots of great (big) quads and, soon, most mainstream makers offered models with massive engines. Then the glass ceiling was shattered with Arctic Cat’s ultra-bore Thundercat 1000, and Polaris recently followed with a Sportsman 850 — the signal that, at least for now, there is no 800cc cap.
While big is fun, usually a whole heaping ton of fun, there’s still plenty to like about machines with mid-displacement engines. In most cases, 500-class machines have sufficient power for working or sporty trail riding, can handle extreme elevation or mud, and come with a more reasonable price tag. They also burn less gas, but you’re not reading The Economist now are you?
We were jazzed up when Yamaha announced plans for its slimmed-down Grizzly 550 FI — based on the same chassis as the big Grizzly 700, our 2006 ATV of the Year. Suzuki previously downsized to great effect with its KingQuad 450, one of the most entertaining mid-size utilities on the market, so we had great expectations for this new Yamaha.
California Wheelin’
The company invited us out to Southern California’s rugged San Bernardino National Forest, a beautiful, fire-scorched location that offers endless miles of scenic riding. With whoops, sandy corners, sharp boulders and constant elevation variation, it was a great place to thoroughly test out any utility rig.
Yamaha officials started by running us media types through the highlights of their new 550-class Grizzly:
“WideArc” A-arms are curved for a wider tunnel of ground clearance;
The front shocks are mounted to the lower A-arms for better suspension travel;
The CVT maintains constant belt tension for predictable engine braking;
Suspension settings are designed to mimic the feel of the 700;
A softer seat softens the blow for all you butts out there.
SBNF’s severe terrain was also an ideal place to re-examine the benefits of Yamaha’s Electronic Power Steering (EPS), an option on the new 550 that adds $700 to the equation. With work- and play-time advantages, the availability of EPS can only be a good thing for consumers and the company’s balance sheets, and Yamaha’s system gracefully lessens effort, while preserving a measure of steering feel for trail feedback.
Tom Kaiser and Frank Hoppen/
ATV News
On paper, it all adds up to a feature-laden, mid-size ride that’s based on the best selling 4x4 ATV in the country. We spent the day soaking in the dust on the trails, and returned with a very favorable impression of Yamaha’s new Grizzly 550.
First Impressions
It doesn’t take long on the trail to realize this new 550 is every bit the Grizzly its 700cc sibling is — fast, ready for work, easy to use and very comfortable. The suspension is not Polaris soft, but it’s still very plush, yet maintains a sporty feel. The shocks have 5-way preload adjustability, and the ride was never jarring. Comfort also comes from the well-designed ergonomics that suited this 6-footer and the seat’s 6 inches of padding, including an air chamber for added impact absorption.
A lot of work was put into the engine, downsizing the 700’s mill for this application and its performance fell in line with our lofty expectations. Yamaha officials made a lot of noise about giving the 550 the same feeling as the 700, and that translates to several engineering decisions made in the design process.
Using the liquid-cooled 700’s basic engine architecture, the bore was reduced to 92mm, bringing the displacement down to 558cc. Valving, combustion chamber size, crankshaft balance and lighter CVT clutching were all optimized to compliment the engine and mimic the robust feel of the 700.
A forged piston reduces weight and adds durability, and the aluminum cylinder body has a composite coating for better temperature management and improved wear resistance. The cylinder head is a new design focused on snappy throttle response and boosting bottom-end thrust.
Riding at 6,000 feet, with steep elevation, the engine was minutely doggy at the bottom end, but very smooth and with plenty of pep for high-speed mountain riding. The Grizzly 550’s low range makes a significant difference, so big-time hauling or plowing tasks should be easy work. Power never feels like it’s in short supply.
Tom Kaiser and Frank Hoppen/
ATV News
Little Things
There’s no standout feature that jumps out about the new Grizz, but a host of nice, small design details add up in this machine’s favor.
For one, the four-wheel engine braking is fantastic. By maintaining constant belt tension, there’s no freewheeling down hills or applying throttle to slow the machine down. Being able to count on unsurprising, easily controlled engine braking adds self-assurance so you can really let it all hang out on the trails, should you choose.
Those WideArc front A-arms certainly add to the appeal, as well. By curving the A-arms up toward the chassis, Yamaha engineers created a wider tunnel (an added 2.5 inches on each side) of ground clearance that’s very noticeable on the San Bernardino’s boulder-strewn trails. After raising your confidence levels, you’ll find it’s possible to ride rough sections much faster, and with far fewer bangs and bumps from your frame and suspension components. As far as rock crawlers go, the Grizzly 550 is up with the very best of them.
Speaking of suspension, the shocks are mounted to the lower A-arms for a better feeling of mass centralization and maximized suspension travel. It’s another change you can feel, especially when you’re sliding this 600-plus pound machine through corners above 30 mph.
A New Contender
With a lot of big-buck features, minus the big-bore engine, Yamaha has raised the expectations for what you can get in the mid-displacement category, and has done so at a competitive price — $7,099 for the base model and $7,799 to become EPS-equipped. For comparison’s sake, the new Polaris Sportsman 550 XP goes for $7,499 or $8,199 (EPS), and Arctic Cat’s 550 H1 starts at $7,399, and power steering isn’t an option. If you step up to the Grizzly’s $8,399 Special Edition model, you’ll trade in steel wheels for cast aluminum rims, and red, water-dipped plastics that are very striking.
Yamaha minces no words about its expectations for this new ride. Steve Nessl, the company’s ATV and side-by-side marketing manager, expects the Grizzly 550 to make a major impact on the utility market.
“Power steering has been a huge success and has helped make the Grizzly 700 FI the best selling big bore utility ATV on the market today,” Nessl said. “The 550 essentially combines the features of the award- and shootout-winning 700 with a slightly smaller engine and a value-packed price tag.”
That’s a pretty smart approach. While there’s nothing revolutionary about the new Grizz, the endless list of evolutionary changes, and the addition of EPS, makes this one of the best-equipped machines on the market. While there’s plenty of competition out there, Yamaha’s new Grizzly 550 FI is clearly among the best ATVs introduced for 2009, and will certainly be in the running for this year’s ATV of the Year — stay tuned.
