Photos by Darrell Cheney
I finally had a day out of the office and used it wisely ... to go riding.
And now the world is right again.
I admit I was going a little stir crazy being in the office for so many days straight. It wasn't just that I was in the office, it was that we had recently picked up a new 2014 Yamaha Grizzly 700 FI 4x4 EPS and I needed to dial up some miles on it.
Mission accomplished. Aug. 5, 2013: 71.2 miles.
I was pretty impressed with the Grizzly on its maiden voyage, which took us from the valley high up into the Big Hole Mountains of eastern Idaho. Our destination for the day was Red Butte (elevation 8,108 feet) and Thousand Springs valley. The weather was perfect and except for a little (okay, a lot) of dust, the ride was awesome.
Here are a few takeaways from our first ride on the new Grizzly:
- The Electric Power Steering (EPS) is a dream. We hit a few rocky sections, mostly on the way up the mountain to Red Butte, but the EPS performed flawlessly as we traversed the rocky terrain.
- The turning radius is impressive. We made some fairly sharp turns around some rocky outcroppings and the Grizzly negotiated each and every one of them easily.
- The newly reworked 686cc powerplant may not jump right off the line like a rocket but it does build power quickly after you initially mash the throttle.
- The terrain wasn't as such where we were able to test the suspension, which has been upgraded on the new Grizzly with longer A-arms and increased shock stroke, but what we did get to experience was good. It handled the rocky sections well and we never felt like the machine was going to bounce out from under us.
As the summer fades and fall comes, we'll continue to do our level best to put the Grizzly through its paces and report our findings.
Until then, enjoy some pics from our day of riding.
