Grizzly 700 EPS or Mudd Pro 700

[Datundra]

I currently own a Yamaha 2002 Kodiak 400 4x4. I have 27 inch Mudd Lites, a Snorkel, and a two inch lift kit. It's been a great bike but it just doesn't have enough power. I use my 4 wheeler for both hunting and mudd riding. Which ever bike I get it will definitely be snorkeled and will also wind up having atleast 27 inch tires on it. I am trying to decide between the Artic Cat Mudd Pro 700 and the the Grizzly 700. I know a little about yamaha but I haven't been around Artic Cats at all. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Roody]

The Arctic Cat will be much more physically demanding considering its size, weight and lack of power steering. However the Yamaha doesn't come as factory-ready for the mud (obviously). You can always upgrade the tires and snorkel the Grizzly, which is what I personally would do.

Arctic Cat really makes a great quad when it comes to mudding though...

[Datundra]

Thanks. I was thinking that myself. With the extra weight and no power steering it definitely would make it a lot tougher on long rides.

[Slacker]

Don't let the girl steering be an issue for you. In 2009 Cat redesigned the steering geometry and it requires little effort. It is significantly less than the 07 we had. I have a MudPro with 28" Outlaw MSTs and the steering is no issue. If I'm not mistaken all of the later release MudPros get Mudzillas in a 14" that will probably be easier yet to turn. Besides who cares about power steering when the front tires are pointed to the sky. I like my Laws because I only get to to dip it in deep when I can find a good pond. The Griz has always been in my mind the best all around wheeler. It doesn't seem to be the best at any one thing but it does everything pretty well and they are stone reliable. Here is what I love about my Pro. Ground clearance is by far superior to any, needs nothing to go deep the day you get it, the clutching is perfect, 4.0-1 gears make Brute like launches and wheelies are as easy as a snap of the throttle. The Grizzly has a big following and rightfully so, someone should chime in here and sell it to you as well. Most importantly with Cat, you must make sure that the dealer you by from is a GOOOOOOD dealer not Joe's offroad and flower pots or something. Like Polaris, Cat can be difficult if you wind up with a machine that has trouble. If you stumble into one your dealer must be on your side. If you want a mud machine IMHO there is nothing that compares to the MudPro right now. My hesitation with the Griz would be ground clearance, one of those things it doesn't really shine on. Hold out until the 2010 models arrive in November and get a MudPro 1000. http://www.arcticcat.com/atv/dirt.asp?c ... O1000H2EFI

It's a T-Cat in a TRV chassis and a MudPro package. SICK!!

[Roody]

Comparing the Mud Pro 1000 to the Grizzly isn't fair. It's like apples to watermelons.

The Grizzly isn't meant to be a hard-core mud machine. Yes, you can make it to be that, but that's not their target audience. The Grizzly appeals to people that want a quad that can do everything well, and most importantly be a great all-around trail machine.

The Mud Pro is designed to do almost the opposite: its target audience is the mudders, the people who want to go deep they day they buy the quad. You'll pay a little extra for it, but what you get is a mud-ready quad that still has a factory warranty.

If you want to do trail riding as well as mudding, I'd go with the Grizzly and snorkel it, lift it 2", swap in an aftermarket clutch kit and put some good MSTs or Zillas on it. If you want to ride in the mud and that's mainly it, the Mud Pro is the way to go.

[stoopidbot]

No one mentioned that when not in mud the Mudpro will get left in the dust BAD due to it's gearing.

[Slacker]

No question the MudPro will smoke almost any 4x4 for the first 20 feet, after that, yep, it's taillight. Top speed 51, and that's on the rev limiter. I thought he was perusing 4x4s not fast wheelers. If you want to go fast a Grizz or most other 4x4s are not what you want. Maybe a Renegade, fast for a 4x4. The Mudpro doesn't quit if I don't put it in the mud, it trails very well. Because of the low gears and the clutch work it'll hang with almost any 4x4 in the woods. I can tell you that a Polaris 850 can't follow it in the snow, it rock crawls like it was built for it, throws a mean rooster tail and rides pretty well once you get the springs broke in. I'm not tearing down the Grizz here, just pointing out were the misconception is. For hunting the only thing that is a bit of a set back is that the front rack is pretty useless with the snorkels. Other than that it'll pack more weight over bigger logs and through deeper mud. Oh, I wasn't comparing the MudPro 1000 to the Grizzly. Just saying if you want the baddest, there it is.

Is this the same group that ridiculed me for not wearing a helmet? Are you encouraging guys to go fast on 27 inch and bigger mud tires? Have you not thought of the safety concerns with that? What kind of message are you sending? Anything over 45mph or so is a little sketchy on 28s. That might be a can of worms better left closed though.

[Roody]

Hahaha let's leave the speed and mud tires discussion for another time and help Datundra pick a quad that is right for him.

[stoopidbot]

I wasn't meaning he won't keep up with a sport quad. The brute and the other multi purpose 4x4 quads will move a lot faster than the Mudpro. If you are on regular trails people will be waiting for you. B/c the mudpro doesn't have the speed of the others. The guys that ride near me with 4x4 machines are not on small leisure cruises, they are pushing those quads. 51mph at the limiter is not bad for a mud quad. But if mud is not the only thing you ride, imo the grizz would be a better choice.

Out here on a service road, 51 would be walking. So I guess my view is if you want a mud quad... get the Mudpro, if you want the better multi purpose quad go with the Grizzley.

[Roody]

if mud is not the only thing you ride, imo the grizz would be a better choice.

Agreed, totally and completely.

You can make the Grizzly good for what you want (mud). But there's no point in making the Mud Pro better for the trails. The Grizzly with snorkels, mud tires and a clutch kit would be a much better choice in my opinion.

[bchaulk]

The Grizzly is a much better machine in my opinion, but opinions dont matter its the facts. The grizzly with modifications can be just as good as the mud pro but the mud pro wouldnt be the best for trail riding, you could do a few modifications on the mud pro but i just dont think its going to be as good as the grizzly. I would go with the grizzly.

[Datundra]

Thanks so much for everyone's input. I honestly think the Grizzly would probably be the best choice to me. The thing that scares me about the Griz is I have heard of some people breaking axles on them when they put on bigger tires. I'm not that extreme of a rider but it is in the back of my mind. Tough choice. I really do like the feel of my Kodiak 400 so I figure the grizzly will sort of have the same feel with a lot more power which is definitely a good thing. When it comes to speed it's really not a factor. I don't ride anywhere where I would need or want to go over 51mph. As far as it comes to Artic Cat dealers around here I would have to research if they are any good or not. I only know of one person that has had an artic cat. Pretty much Yamaha and Honda rule these parts of the woods. I think what I really need to do is go out and take a test ride on both of them. Thanks again for all of the help. I'm leaning toward the Griz at this moment.

[Roody]

Go with the Grizzly. It sounds like you're comfortable with your Kodiak and with Yamaha in general, so why not stay within the company? And if Yamaha is one of the dominant companies near you, chances are somebody will be able to help you out with everything.

As for axles breaking, you can break axles on any quad doing anything. Hell, I've seen a guy (hardcore rider, and I mean hardcore) with a Brute Force 750 break a rear axle messing around in the parking lot of a trail. If you ever have axle problems, there's always stronger/tougher axles out there to upgrade to. But I honestly wouldn't be all that concerned about that unless you're jumping or doing real deep bogging a lot.

[Hammer07]

i have to agree with Roody about the axles. i have 2700 miles on my O7 660 grizzly with NO axle problems. most of the guys i have read or heard about that have broken axles have done it with 28" or bigger tires and the rest were doing something stupid with the diff locked.
oh, and the speed limiter on a stock 700 Grizz is closer to 70! i have had my 660 up to 68 once, and there is NO need for anyone to go that fast on a utility quad!

[Slacker]

I wouldn't sweat the axle thing. Yamaha makes good stuff and unless you get really ugly with it you should have no problems. If you have a good dealer that takes care of business stick with them, it's worth it.