Yamaha Upgrades Grizzly
New iterations of Grizzly 550 and 700 are now being assembled in the U.S.
Dan Crummett
Published: Jun 8, 2011
In May, when Yamaha announced it was producing 2012 model All Terrain Vehicles on its Newnan, Ga., factory assembly line, it was part of the company's plan to eventually bring all 4WD ATV production to the United States from Japan.
Those ATVs coming off the line were the new Grizzly 700 FI 4X4 and the Grizzley 550 FI 4X4, Yamaha's top-selling models in the category.
The U.S.-produced Grizzlies both sport new rear suspension engineering and gas-charged rear shocks for improved bump absorption, along with tweaked front suspension to match. Also, the new "bears" get Maxxis tires with a tough, aggressive tread pattern to improve extreme terrain handling. And, as in the past, both models feature optional electric power steering.
New upgraded Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI 4X4 and 700 FI 4X4 models are now being produced in the United States at Yamaha's Newnan, Ga. factory. Another improvement for the 2012 Grizzlies is a new textured injection-molded plastic body panel that reduces obvious scratches and improves durability over the life of the machine.
The 2012s share the proven Ultramatic automatic transmission system which applies power to the drive belt through a centrifugal clutch -- which reduces belt wear and the need for adjustments. The gearbox also features 2WD, 4WD and 4WD with differential lock, to give push-button selection of traction ability and with "diff lock" truly all-four-wheel-drive.
The powerplant on both models come with a forged piston, and an aluminum cylinder housing treated with ceramics to improve cooling and reduce wear and weight from a single-cylinder, liquid cooled four-valve overhead-cam design. Stopping comes from a four-wheel hydraulic disc brake system with hand and foot controls.
Carrying capacity for the new models is 99 lbs. and 187 lbs. on the front and rear racks, respectively, and 1,322 lbs. of towing.
The "bears" come in Hunter Green, Steel Blue and Realtree AP Camouflage. A special edition 700 is available in Metallic Sandstone with cast aluminum wheels, painted body panels and special graphics.
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