Any Feedback/Opinions of 2004 Yamaha Big Bear 4x4??

[Dave1]

I am thinking about buying a new 2004 Yamaha Big Bear 4x4 with manual transmission and would like to hear any feedback, opinions, good/bad experiences, etc. about this unit.

I am in Central Florida and frequently run in knee deep mud and water getting back and forth to my hunting spots.  Durability and trouble free operation is my main focus and concern.

Have heard this unit is geared lower than others and is considered to be the heavy duty work horse of the Yamaha line.  Personally I don't care for the extra low gears but maybe with some taller tires it won't be so bad.

Thanks for any feedback.

Dave1
davisalf@aol.com

[Dave1]

Yesterday I called around to my local Yamaha dealers and finally found one to go look at.  A 2004 Big Bear, 4x4,  manual trans, etc.  Apparently this is a very popular unit as most dealers are out of stock.

I found this to be a good solid, but no frills, 4 wheeler.  True to Yamaha tradition it was well built and a good performer.  I tried it out in the sand lot next to the dealership and found it to have much power and was very agile in either 2 or 4 wheel drive.  I didn't notice any difficulty in steering when in 4 WD that is common with some other brands.  In 2 WD the scooter had no problem in the loose sand, inclines, etc. but the sand was not real bad and there was no mud so I could not really test it capabilities.

I did notice it is geared very very low.  You barely moved in first before you wanted to shift to second gear.  I could speed up and shift thru all gears in a very short distance.  Would have liked to be able to take it up to top speed but couldn't.  Dealer said top speed is 53mph so that is OK.  It seems they geared it very low to be more of a work horse rather than a pleasure riding machine.  I could take off in the sand in second gear with no problem even third gear take offs were fairly easy.

The unit handles well, steers easy, rides good (best I could tell) but lacks bells and whistles.  It has a analog speedometer which I thought for the money should have been a digital gauge pack.  The scooter had lots of power.  Overall I was impressed as this model fits my traditionist prefferences well.  Maybe later I will regret not buying one of the automatic trans models but for me the manual trans model gives me the most confidence of durability.

I would have bought that scooter if I hadn't seen their 16 year old store clean up guy washing all of the new 4 wheelers on the outdoor display.  I stood there and watched him wash this bike and spray a hard stream of water continuously up into all of the switches and controls on the handle bars.  Maybe I am being over reactive but I don't do that to any of my things and think that action would have to force moisture into the switches and controls and shorten its life.  Hopefully the switches have rubber moisture guards in them but I won't take that chance.  I am very careful with water when washing and cleaning.  It seems to pay off as I have never had any trouble or failure like that.  Too bad the dealer didn't take a few minutes to teach the young kid how to wash and properly care for these machines.

What I would like to have/add/change on this bike would be add an attractive functional digital gauge pack, change to a single lever "reverse gear" shifter, change to a more standard gearing ratio.

Dave1

[Old Syko]

Dave, the Big Bear is a good solid all around quad that is in it's own on the farm as a work horse.  This combined with the small engine are what makes the low gear a necessity.  They do a good job off road but aren't well known for their abilities in deep mud.  Overall, they make a good, dependable intermediate quad.

As far as the kid washing the bikes, he's not hurting a thing.  These things aren't designed the same as a Sunday auto.  They are meant to work in adverse conditions such as mud, water, excess heat, and so on.  All electrical components are both potted and sealed.  Electrical failures just plain don't take place from water exposure unless the component has been damaged in some way that allows water to get in where is isn't wanted.  

We run a lot of mud and always do our clean up with a 3600# pressure washer after going for a dip in a local stream.  Any worries of water damage is totally unfounded.

[markc]

you are looking for a manual shift 4X4 the Big Bear will serve you well.  Personally I wouldn't hesitate to buy one, but I also wouldn't hesitate to upgrade the stock tires to either 27"Mulites or 589's.  The 400cc has plenty of power and trail riding will keep up with most of the big quads out there.  It used to be that the 1st gear was low for towing or plowing, like the Honda manual shifts used to be, and I suppose still are, not sure.

All in all, its a quality quad that has been proven for many years.  
markc

[NYH1]

dave1, I have a 2000 Yamaha Big Bear 4X4. I love it. It has all the power I'll ever need. I've pulled logs that were 15 inches or so thick and 10 to 12 feet long with no problem. I pulled a 4X4 Dodge Ramcharger with it in a gravel lot. The reg. said it weighted 4600 pounds! The tries "spun" a half turn or so, then got "traction", off we went! Mine is "full time" four wheel drive. The suspension is alright for normal trail riding and great for work. I really like mine. I like the "manual shift" ATV's better then the "auto's". :wink:

[Dave1]

Anyone know if you can add a traction lock or modify same to achieve a locked up front differential in a Yamaha Big Bear?  On our 4 wheel drive trucks we used to weld a bead down the middle in between the teeth on the spider gears which locked up the front end.  Kinda of hard to steer around corners but you had a true locked up front end when needed.

I would like to see the Big Bear offered with a  traction Lock, a nice digital gauge pack, and better selection of colors.

Dave1