Off-topic: Grizzly 550 FI EPS

[Jerry]

After a couple years of thinking about it, I bought a 2011 "end of year" Yamaha Grizzly 550 ATV today. The Griz has EFI and the optional (in the 550 class) Electronic Power Steering, or EPS. Other than that it is dead stock.

Since the only ATV riding I have done is demo rides, I'll have a new set of skills to acquire. There is a lot of riding areas not far from my house, so I hope to get some riding in before snow covers the ground.

This was one of the items on my "Bucket List" and I am glad to be able to mark it off.

Photos to follow.

[fredintoon]

- - - Since the only ATV riding I have done is demo rides, I'll have a new set of skills to acquire. There is a lot of riding areas not far from my house, so I hope to get some riding in before snow covers the ground. - - -

Hi Jerry and congrats on your new toy,
watch it Kid, those things steer funny
That was my first and only sidecar operating lesson.
Same thing with quads. A bike countersteers, twitching the bars one way makes the bike lean and turn the other way.
As with a trike or a sidecar rig, a quad can't lean over so it can't countersteer. The instinctive wrong way twitch that you've spent decades programming yourself to do will take your quad off the trail and into the bushes instead of where you need to go.
Once you realize what's going on, the rest is practice.
BTW quads can cope with snow just fine, so long as it ain't too deep.

[Jerry]

Fred:

Thanks for the note. Yes, old habits die hard. I am not so much worried about the Grizzly's ability to handle snow, only that I have no experience. Besides, I have my Mountain Max 700 snowmobile for playing outside in the white stuff when it arrives.

I understand what you said about counter-steering. Its different on the ATV. I had no problems today, my first day out, but didn't really push very hard. Slow and steady, with occasional use of low range, and only once with low range plus 4-wheel drive to climb a rock ledge. I'll learn!


My Grizzly 550 with EPS.


Exploring Wild Horse Mesa