Arctic cat 550 , Yamaha Grizzly 550

powder burner

powder burner

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
Alberta, Canada
Ok folks,

head to head which is the better machine? hunting, pulling a wagon full of moose, and working are on the menu. Dont really care about top speed. Both bikes are EFi,EPS and both are offered in woodlands camo.

Any problems from your experiences with either of these?

Not interested in any other brand.
 
i also have an older cat 500. I've replaced a lot of parts on it but the engine and tranny have been totally reliable. It's an old basket case but it just wont die so I keep putting money into it. Parts are pricey though. The grizzly is a good bike too with lots of faithful followers.
 
If I was to buy new I do admit I would go with a grizzly or a honda.

I rode a newer grizzly last fall and the power steering setup it had was nice.
 
I've had cats for a few years now with no problems. My som has the Yamaha. Personally I think the Yamaha is a better built machine. Don't go overboard on engine size We tend to often cover a lot of area in a day. The smaller machine willenable you to cover greater distances without paking a lot of extra gasoline. A larger machine has more pulling power but a 4-55 will pul if you can keep the front end down. We tend to Quarter them in the field and load them on the racks so towing capability is not that important
Neil
 
The older arctic cats are tanks and can't be beat for pulling. Heavy on the steering, though, due to full time 4x4.

I've had to change the front ball joints, rear axle bearing and the voltage regulator but I couldn't tell you how many tons of meat it's pulled out of the bush over the years.
 
Depends if you want something comfy for long rides or a tractor. My buddy's yamaha is a pleasure to ride but even though it has a bigger engine it won't pull nearly as much because of the belt in the tranny. It will slip.

Another buddy has the huge twin can am. Sweeeeet ride. Power steering the whole she bang but it's so long it gets high centered.

The old 'cat isn't comfy for touring and you have to manually shift but, like I said before, it's basically a set of gears and engine you sit on.

I agree Honda' s last forever, my dirt bike is an XR600 and it's bullet proof.
 
never rode a grizz but used to own a Big Bear. It was a solid machine, and needed very little maintenance/repair over the 15 years we had it. I don't ride very aggressively though. This was some time ago though, so brands have probably changed as some posters have mentioned about the Cats.
 
07blackwater said:
Depends if you want something comfy for long rides or a tractor. My buddy's yamaha is a pleasure to ride but even though it has a bigger engine it won't pull nearly as much because of the belt in the tranny. It will slip.
Click to expand...

I've ran a PILE of Yamaha's over the years, and I've never managed to slip a belt, ever. Nor has anyone I ride with. Full contact belts in Yamaha's are a different machine than a standard belt driven tranny.

Besides, both the 'Cat and the Yammie are belt driven, so that's a moot point for the OP.
 
KodiakHntr said:
I've ran a PILE of Yamaha's over the years, and I've never managed to slip a belt, ever. Nor has anyone I ride with. Full contact belts in Yamaha's are a different machine than a standard belt driven tranny.

Besides, both the 'Cat and the Yammie are belt driven, so that's a moot point for the OP.
Click to expand...

This. I have a 660 Rhino (well, 686 now) and have never had an issue with 'belt slippage'. If youre getting that, it's due to a worn belt or other burnt out parts in the CVT. I'd ridden a lot of other quad types that had 'belt issues', but my Yammie is not one of them.
 
KodiakHntr said:
I've ran a PILE of Yamaha's over the years, and I've never managed to slip a belt, ever. Nor has anyone I ride with. Full contact belts in Yamaha's are a different machine than a standard belt driven tranny.

Besides, both the 'Cat and the Yammie are belt driven, so that's a moot point for the OP.
Click to expand...

I was gona say the same. At least my cat's got a belt. I could see if maby you cracked the case and got water in there it would slip ? but ya ive had no problems either.
 
How about cv boots / tie rods between the two machines. Are cats better or worse for wear and tear? Just thinking the cat parts will wear more as it shares the same frame as the 1000cc cat!! Engine might be a little underpowered is my thinking. More weight to get unstuck.

The camo cat has better tires than the yamaha. If I get the grizzly I may ask for some take off tires from the camo cat 550;)
 
Last edited:
I have a '93 Kawasaki 400 and and a '03 Actic Cat 650 Vtwin with a Kawasaki motor. For cutting wood, hauling moose, and other heavy work the Kawasaki gets the nod. For trail riding and touring I ride the Cat, independent suspension and tons of power.

I was looking at a new bike last week and it was the 550 Grizzly, awesome bike and it will likely be my next ride.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom