2013 Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS test testing
2013 Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS first testing article is from Frankie Garcia who is Associate Editor of motorcycle-usa.com. He is invited to Yamaha's dealer incentive trip to ride countless miles of trail with standout dealers while testing the U.S.-assembled 2013 Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS. Test rider is very pleased with the Grizzly 550 and recommends it over the 700 for one simple reason, saving just under a thousand bucks.
MSRP of 2013 Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS depends on color, $8699 (Hunter Green), $8949 (Steel Blue w/ Aluminum Wheels), and $9149 (Realtree AP HD Camo). The ATV offers positives in all categories across the boards, work or play it is something you want in your all-terrain vehicle collection.
2013 Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS comes with a comfortable cockpit with neutral seating and bar position. The handlebars contain all the standard controls. Being that the 550 is an automatic, a secondary rear brake lever on the left end of the bars takes place of a clutch lever. It is linked to the foot brake pedal. On the right side of the bar are the front brake, start button and 4WD switch. In the center of the bars is the instrument panel which features a multifunction LCD display with a speedometer, odometer, duel trip display, hour meter, 4WD status, transmission position, clock and fuel gauge. The Grizzly utilizes a 558cc powerplant derived from its older brother, the Grizzly 700. It carries the largest engine in the mid-sized 4x4 class and Yamaha claims it's the lightest overall at 648 pounds. That includes the added electronic power steering option ($700) which provides extra comfort on rough terrain due to lighter handling. The engine makes usable power though we could feel the effects of Duck Creek's 8000-foot elevations.
The 550 shares the same chassis as the 700, providing the high level of comfort of its larger sibling. Five-way preload-adjustable shocks up front with 7.1 inches of travel provide a plush ride for even the roughest terrain. Gas-charged rear shocks with 9.5 inches of travel offer excellent feel and performance throughout long rides and do not show any sign of fade. All four corners are rigid enough to prevent body roll without compromising comfort. The ATV sits on 25x8-12 front and 25x10-12 rear Maxxis tires and giving a totally ground clearance of 11.8 inches to the bottom of the skid plate, which provides underbelly protection. Yamaha also protects the front and rear lower WildeArc A-arm with plastic guards. The WildeArc arms provide ground clearance 5 inches wider than a standard A-arm.
Overall, compare price with performance, the 2013 Yamaha Grizzly 550 EPS is one kind of worth buying ATV. You will certainly get much fun from it.
(Resource: motorcycle-usa.com, reedited by www.thepandacover.com. Panda Cover provides some quality ATV covers and UTV covers as protective covers for ATV and UTV, such as heavy duty ATV covers, camo Yamaha ATV cover, waterproof UTV covers, and so on.)