2009 Yamaha Grizzly 350: The Oppositelock Review

"Vicente Esteve" (vicente-esteve) 04/25/2015 at 15:50 • Filed to: Review, Yamaha

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Looking back a year, I stated how important !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was to me since it taught me the basics driving. How a car reacts to your commands, to modulate my inputs as well as how to treat a 4 wheeled vehicle so I don’t end up killing myself, or worse killing another mammal. This Yamaha Grizzly though taught me things I never could’ve learned with other cars in public roads. Oversteer, understeer, turning with the throttle, donuts, burnouts, entry speed and exit speed that I should take in all types of corners, using momentum to swing or to escape from slippery conditions, weight transfer and the all important Scandinavian flick. Where the veteran EZ-GO was “Basics of Driving:101” this Yamaha was “Performance Driving: Advanced”. And for that, I absolutely adore it.

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( Full Disclosure: Yamaha plotted everything so that I would end up with one of their outdoor vehicles. They organized an ATV rental facility in the beach where I would go every month to have a go at their older Kodiacs. They convinced me I had to have one, so after much convincing my father gave it to me as a birthday gift. It still brings me giggles after 5 years.)

Yamaha has always associated their outdoor vehicles names with the names of animals in forests that will kill you to have brunch. Currently, their lineup is called “Grizzly” which is a lot cooler than what Honda or Kawasaki have in theirs. Its just better to say: “Lets get a ride in the Grizzly” than “Lets get a ride in the Rancher”. Their engines are the same size of their designated names (Much like BMW’s did when Blockbuster was a thing), and range from the one I have which is the 350 up to the 700. In every model there is the availability of an automatic (CVT) and 4x4.

What I got was as basic as silverware in prisons. A black 350 without 4x4 and an automatic, which is what I was convinced to get since it was in the showroom. Originally I wanted a red 4x4, but I am much happier I got the black. About the 4x4, well I wish I had that but in the end my skills were further improved by being limited to RWD.

Even though it is basic, even if it has a CVT and even if it lack a horn this quad bike is endless fun. Even in the streets its an unforgettable experience, but it comes alive when the tires hit the sand. I never will forget what this black, plastic 4 stroke powered horse did for me.

Exterior: 7/10

The exterior is purposeful and delightfully angry, it does stand true to the Grizzly name. The combination of the black paint and black steelies is great and it just gets better with the red from the stickers contrasting nicely. What really adds aggression to the exterior view is the front guard that prominently sticks out to bust anyones ankles. It is a bit underwhelming in the rear though, as the taillight is not much more than a rectangle. The nicest touch is the bear badge right up front. For what it is, the Yamaha completes its task.

Interior: 4/10

It doesn’t have one, per se but I am still counting it since you need to hop on it to go for a drive. The dials in front of you just show you 3 things: N for neutral, R for reverse and an oil can to tell you something is wrong. On both sides of the handlebars there are the metal brake handles for the front and the rear brakes. To your right there is the thumb operated throttle, and to your left the light switch, choke, ignition button and kill-switch. The seat cushion is extremely comfortable, so it wins points there, and under the seat is a storage cubby that equated to all your loading space. WARNING and DANGER stickers are so numerous they can scare people enough to not want to touch it with a stick.

Acceleration: 7/10

The engine is 348CC’s with SOHC producing an astounding 30 equine horsepowers accompanied by 16 potent ft-lb of torque. Its sent to the rear wheels via a CVT, which sounds like a supercharger when you step on it. I specifically wanted a CVT since shifting an ATV in the loose sand with my bare feet would be about as painful as torture from the Spanish inquisition.

Acceleration feels like a stab in the spine from Zeus. Due to the lack of a windshield, lightness and eagerness of the CVT you feel instant power from the engine. Granted, it isn’t much, but enough to get anyone excited. The response from the CVT is instant and in this type of vehicle it works perfectly. Grunt is plentiful to make burnouts or donuts in pavement, which is enough for me.

Braking: 6/10

2 front disk, 1 rear drum. Thats enough to bring this to a stop safely and enough to screech the tires with enough force. I like the feel of it in your hands, but the rear axle looks odd with only one brake in the left. potent ft-lb of torque. Its sent to the rear wheels via a CVT, which sounds like a supercharger when you step on it. I specifically wanted a CVT since shifting an ATV in the loose sand with my bare feet would be about as painful as torture from the Spanish inquisition.

Ride: 4/10

Rigid is what I would describe it. When used in public roads its fidgety to no end, but I understand its not designed to be there. When speed is increased the ride quality improves, which goes with the very wise frase: “Speed is the answer”. What really aids ATV ride comfort is the seat, which is what absorbs every bump and tries to mitigate it from your rear. In this case, it wins points since it is a damn good seat.

Handling: 9/10

The Bear has the moves. Very lightweight feeling, a sense that the power on tap is more than enough to get it to play. Steering inputs are as immediate as your whimpers when you hear the alarm clock. On the pavement, you feel that it will topple over so respect must be given to this machine. The tires aren’t for the street either.

But when placed in a sandy shore or in a dirty backroad it really comes into its own. The back end just begs to go out without much speed needed. When going into the corner you have to apply the same basic procedure as you would doing a Scandinavian flick, and it will keep on doing it until the end of time. It must be noted though that turning with vigor into corners all in, the front end will push enough to make the rear tires lift so its important not to feel blind confidence.

Even if you take care of your aggression, it is a blast to drive. Weight distribution is spot on, and you can really turn the thing with the throttle. If there is any knowledge of performance driving in my brain, this ATV was the vehicle that implanted it.

Gearbox: 7/10

This is the first and only vehicle i’ve tried out that has a CVT. The power is given instantly, as well as the torque from the engine that helps you get out of trouble. Or better yet, get you into more. When you step (click?) on it, it whines in a very mechanical way reminiscent of a supercharger which makes me giggle endlessly. The shifting happens via a stick thats nicely textured and is easy to operate even without you looking at it. It looses points for having that endless drone when you accelerate, but it makes up for it in the easiness of the drive.

Toys: 6/10

It doesn’t have toys. Every single piece of equipment here has a purpose and not much else. Other quads sometimes have a 12V outlet, cupholders, a horn or even a digital screen to tell you how fast you passed a dune. This? Well, all of it is the toy.

Audio: 8/10

When you fire up this “base” quad you might be expecting the sound of a fart-canned Vespa with prehistoric erosion rooted deep in the bowels of the muffler. Instead you hear the Grizzly growling. The tone it makes it a lot deeper than you might think, and it does give it presence towards passers by in the beach. When you accelerate and lift off the throttle, there are endless pops and cracks the same way performance cars do which I’m not sure if it was built that way or if the rust form the beach affected it. Again, the CVT sounds like a whining toddler you want to hear. Wind noise is prevalent.

Added bonus are the laughs you will emit, the profanity you will divulge and the prayers you’ll want god to hear if you do a mistake.

Value: 7/10

Im not sure where this would stand in value, since a used one would have probably brought the same emotions at half the cost. Either way, seeing it arrive home in the back of the YAMAHA livery’d Silverado was worth the price. I will say that this engine is bulletproof. This was bought in 2009 and just this year the first service was done since Yamaha closed business months after my purchase. Never did it skip a beat or gave me issues. This ATV has also been toppled over by me and all the safety features acted flawlessly. If you want smiles per dollar this would be about the highest in my list of recreational vehicles.

When I look at those sturdy tube racks in the top of the black plastic panels, glistening under the coastal sunlight I can’t help but fell happy. This little quad gave me experiences that no other machine could ever do. It gave me the best lessons I could have learned the best way possible, through first hand experience. For as long as I can I will keep this Grizzly roaming around in the beaches or anywhere I’m at, making me smile at every movement of the back end.

61/100

Engine : 348 CC, carbureted

Power : 30 at 7500/Torque: 16 at 3500

Transmission : CVT

0-62 : Uh, it won’t get there.

Top Speed : 50MPH

Drivetrain : RWD

Curb-weight : 249 Kilograms

Seating : 1 people (YEAH RIGHT)

MPG : No clue.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Vicente Esteve 04/25/2015 at 16:39

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Please wear a helmet when riding and dont go barefoot.... you give real riders a bad name. And its quite easy to get hurt on an atv

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Vicente Esteve 04/25/2015 at 16:50

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Excellent writeup, as usual. My first real driving experience was in an off road gocart, essentially a tiny dune buggy, on the shores of the Platte river. I crashed it once into the river, once into a tree, and once into the back of a parked A6. Fortunately the cart sat so low that the front bumper went under the bumper of the Audi, doing no damage.

Believe it or not, I’ve never actually ridden an ATV or a jet ski, but they look like a ton of fun. Enjoy it!

Vicente Esteve > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 04/25/2015 at 17:20

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Not wearing my helmet was a mistake for this shoot, I usually do.

I usually only ride barefoot if I go very short distances at low speed, and I realize the danger it brings.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Vicente Esteve 04/25/2015 at 17:21

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ah good. i cant stand no helmet or shoes. Especially when i hit the dunes. Sand in the face hurts

Vicente Esteve > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 04/25/2015 at 17:21

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Thanks!

I do LOVE driving the ATV, but I can never get too confident in it.

I tried several jet ski’s, and while the are cool, they are too dangerous for me to enjoy them.

Vicente Esteve > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 04/25/2015 at 17:24

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I have all protective gear don’t worry, and I use it accordingly.

I haven’t hit big dunes since this would get stuck extremely easily.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Vicente Esteve 04/25/2015 at 18:16

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I know you gave it a low score in the toys department but considering it really is a toy in its self shouldnt it have gotten higher?

Vicente Esteve > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 04/25/2015 at 23:56

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The thing is, a lot more quads do have cooler features. This, for the price, should indeed offer more.