2010 YAMAHA GRIZZLY 550 weight

7-13
7As you approach a curve, slow down and begin to
turn the handlebars in the desired direction. As you
do so, put your weight on the footboard to the out-
side of the turn (opposite your desired direction)
and lean your upper body into the turn. Use the
throttle to maintain an even speed through the turn.
This maneuver will let the wheel on the inside of
the turn slip slightly, allowing the ATV to make the
turn properly.
This procedure should be practiced at slow speed
many times in a large unpaved area with no obsta-
cles. If an incorrect technique is used, your ATVmay continue to go straight. If the ATV doesn’t
turn, come to a stop and then practice the proce-
dure again. If the riding surface is slippery or loose,
it may help to position more of your weight over the
front wheels by moving forward on the seat.
Once you have learned this technique, you should
be able to perform it at higher speeds or in tighter
curves.
Improper riding procedures such as abrupt throttle
changes, excessive braking, incorrect body move-
ments, or too much speed for the sharpness of the
turn may cause the ATV to tip. If the ATV begins to
tip over to the outside while negotiating a turn, lean
more to the inside. It may also be necessary to
gradually let off on the throttle and steer to the out-
side of the turn to avoid tipping over.
Remember: Avoid higher speeds until you are
thoroughly familiar with the operation of your ATV.
CLIMBING UPHILL
WARNING
EWB01671Climbing hills improperly can cause overturns
or loss of control. Use proper riding tech-
niques described in this Owner’s Manual.
1. Lean towards inside of turn.
2. Support your weight on the outer footboard.U28P61E0.book Page 13 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

7-14
7

Never operate the ATV on hills too steep for
the ATV or for your abilities. The ATV can
overturn more easily on extremely steep hills
than on level surfaces or small hills.
Always check the terrain carefully before
you start up any hill. Never climb hills with
excessively slippery or loose surfaces.
Shift your weight forward.
Never open the throttle suddenly. The ATV
could flip over backwards.
Never go over the top of any hill at high
speed. An obstacle, a sharp drop, or another
vehicle or person could be on the other side
of the hill.
Never attempt to turn the ATV around on any
hill until you have mastered the turning tech-
nique as described in the Owner’s Manual on
level ground. Be very careful when turning
on any hill.
Avoid crossing the side of a steep hill if pos-
sible. When crossing the side of a hill, shift
your weight to the uphill side of the ATV.
U28P61E0.book Page 14 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

7-15
7Do not attempt to climb hills until you have mas-
tered basic maneuvers on flat ground. Always
check the terrain carefully before attempting any
hill. In all cases avoid inclines with slippery or loose
surfaces, or obstacles that might cause you to lose
control.
To climb a hill, you need traction, momentum, and
steady throttle. For more traction and control for
climbing steeper and/or rougher slopes, select
“4WD” or 4WD-LOCK (“DIFF. LOCK”). Travel fast
enough to maintain momentum, but not so fast that
you cannot react to changes in the terrain as you
climb.
It is important when climbing a hill to make sure
that your weight is transferred forward on the ATV.
This can be accomplished by leaning forward and,
on steeper inclines, standing on the footboards
and leaning forward over the handlebars. Whenev-
er possible, ride straight up hills.
Slow down when you reach the crest of the hill if
you cannot see clearly what is on the other side –
there could be another person, an obstacle, or a
sharp drop-off. Use common sense and remember
that some hills are too steep for you to climb or de-
scend.If you are climbing a hill and you find that you have
not properly judged your ability to make it to the
top, you should turn the ATV around while you still
have forward motion (provided you have the room
to do so) and go down the hill.
If your ATV has stalled or stopped and you believe
you can continue up the hill, restart carefully to
make sure you do not lift the front wheels which
could cause you to lose control. If you are unable
to continue up the hill, dismount the ATV on the up-
hill side. Physically turn the ATV around and then
descend the hill.
If you start to roll backwards, DO NOT apply either
brake abruptly. If you are in “2WD”, apply only the
front brake. When fully stopped, apply the rear
brake as well, and then shift to the park position. If
you are in “4WD”, because all wheels are intercon-
nected by the drive train, applying either brake will
brake all wheels, therefore, avoid sudden applica-
tion of either the front or rear brake as the wheels
on the uphill side could come off the ground. The
ATV could easily tip over backwards. Apply both
the front and rear brakes gradually. When fully
stopped, lock shift to the park position and dis-
mount the ATV immediately on the uphill side. Dis-
mount on uphill side or to a side if pointed straight
U28P61E0.book Page 15 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

7-16
7 uphill. Turn the ATV around and remount, following
the procedure described in the Owner’s Manual.
WARNING! Stalling, rolling backwards or im-
properly dismounting while climbing a hill
could result in ATV overturning. If you cannot
control the ATV, dismount immediately on the
uphill side.
[EWB01802]
RIDING DOWNHILL
WARNING
EWB01621Going down a hill improperly could cause
overturns or loss of control. Always follow
proper procedures for going down hills as de-
scribed in this Owner’s Manual.

Always check the terrain carefully before
you start down any hill.
Never operate the ATV on hills too steep for
the ATV or for your abilities. The ATV can
overturn more easily on extremely steep hills
than on level surfaces or small hills.
Shift your weight backward and to the up
side of the hill.
Never go down a hill at high speed.
Avoid going down a hill at an angle that
would cause the ATV to lean sharply to one
side. Go straight down the hill where possi-
ble.
Improper braking can cause the wheels on
the uphill side to come off the ground or
cause loss of traction. Apply brakes gradual-
ly. If in “2WD”, apply only the rear brake.When riding your ATV downhill, shift your weight
as far to the rear and uphill side of the ATV as pos-
sible. Move back on the seat and sit with your arms
straight. Engine compression will do most of the
braking for you. For maximum engine compres-
sion braking effect, select the low-range position
and change to “4WD” before beginning to descend
the hill.
U28P61E0.book Page 16 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

7-18
7

Shift your weight to the uphill side of the
ATV.
Never attempt to turn the ATV around on any
hill until you have mastered the turning tech-
nique as described in the Owner’s Manual on
level ground. Be very careful when turning
on any hill.Traversing a sloping surface on your ATV requires
you to properly position your weight to maintain
proper balance. Be sure that you have learned the
basic riding skills on flat ground before attempting
to cross a sloping surface. Avoid slopes with slip-
pery surfaces or rough terrain that may upset your
balance.
As you travel across a slope, lean your body in the
uphill direction. It may be necessary to correct the
steering when riding on loose surfaces by pointing
the front wheels slightly uphill. When riding on
slopes, be sure not to make sharp turns either up
or down hill.
If your ATV does begin to tip over, gradually steer
in the downhill direction if there are no obstacles in
your path. As you regain proper balance, gradually
steer again in the direction you wish to travel.CROSSING THROUGH SHALLOW WATER
WARNING
EWB01641Operating this vehicle through deep or fast-
flowing water can lead to loss of control or an
overturn. To reduce your risk of drowning or
other injuries, use care when crossing through
water. Never operate this ATV water deeper
than the depth specified in your Owner’s Man-
ual, as tires may float, increasing the risk of an
overturn.
U28P61E0.book Page 18 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

7-21
7RIDING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN
WARNING
EWB01651Riding improperly over obstacles could cause
loss of control or a collision. Before operating
in a new area, check for obstacles. Never at-
tempt to ride over large obstacles, such as
large rocks or fallen trees. When you go over
obstacles, always follow proper procedures as
described in the Owner’s Manual.Riding over rough terrain should be done with cau-
tion. Look out for obstacles which could cause
damage to the ATV or could lead to an upset or ac-cident. Be sure to keep your feet firmly mounted on
the footboards at all times. Avoid jumping the ATV
as loss of control and damage to the ATV may re-
sult.
SLIDING AND SKIDDING
WARNING
EWB01662Skidding or sliding improperly may cause you
to lose control of this ATV. You may also re-
gain traction unexpectedly, which may cause
the ATV to overturn.
Learn to safely control skidding or sliding by
practicing at low speeds and on level,
smooth terrain.
On extremely slippery surfaces, such as ice,
go slowly and be very cautious in order to re-
duce the chance of skidding or sliding out of
control.Care should be used when riding on loose or slip-
pery surfaces since the ATV may slide. If unex-
pected and uncorrected, sliding could lead to an
accident.
To reduce the tendency for the front wheels to slide
in loose or slippery conditions, positioning your
weight over the front wheels will sometimes help.
1. V-belt case drain plugU28P61E0.book Page 21 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

7-23
7WHAT TO DO...

If your ATV doesn’t turn when you want it to:
Bring the ATV to a stop and practice the turning
maneuvers again. Be sure you are putting your
weight on the footboard to the outside of the
turn. Position your weight over the front wheels
for better control. (See page 7-12.)
If your ATV begins to tip while turning:
Lean more into the turn to regain balance. If nec-
essary, gradually let off the throttle and/or steer
to the outside of the turn. (See page 7-12.)
If your ATV starts to slide sideways:
Steer in the direction of the slide if you have the
room. Applying the brakes or accelerating is not
recommended until you have corrected the
slide. (See page 7-21.)
If your ATV can’t make it up a hill you are trying
to climb:
Turn the ATV around if you still have forward
speed. If not, stop, dismount on the uphill side of
the ATV and physically turn the ATV around. If
the ATV starts to slip backwards, DO NOT USE
THE REAR BRAKE IF THE ATV IS IN “2WD” –
the ATV may tip over on top of you. Dismount
the ATV on the uphill side. (See page 7-13.)

If your ATV is traversing a sloping surface:
Be sure to ride with your weight positioned to-
wards the uphill side of the ATV to maintain
proper balance. If the ATV starts to tip, steer
down the hill (if there are no obstacles in your
way) to regain balance. If you discover that the
ATV is going to tip over, dismount on the uphill
side. (See page 7-17.)
If your ATV encounters shallow water:
Ride slowly and carefully through slow moving
water, watching for obstacles. Be sure to let wa-
ter drain from the ATV and CHECK YOUR
BRAKES FOR PROPER OPERATION when
you come out of the water. Do not continue to
ride your ATV until you have regained adequate
braking ability. (See page 7-18.)
U28P61E0.book Page 23 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM

10-1
10
EBU25960
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions:Overall length:
2065 mm (81.3 in)
Overall width:
1180 mm (46.5 in)
Overall height:
1240 mm (48.8 in)
Seat height:
905 mm (35.6 in)
Wheelbase:
1250 mm (49.2 in)
Ground clearance:
275 mm (10.8 in)
Minimum turning radius:
3200 mm (126 in)Weight:With oil and fuel:
294.0 kg (648 lb)Noise and vibration level:Noise level (77/311/EEC):
YFM5FGPHZ 79.0 dB(A)
YFM5FGPZ 79.0 dB(A)
YFM5FGZ 79.0 dB(A)
Vibration on seat (EN1032, ISO5008):
YFM5FGPHZ Will not exceed 0.5 m/s²
YFM5FGPZ Will not exceed 0.5 m/s²
YFM5FGZ Will not exceed 0.5 m/s²Vibration on handlebar (EN1032, ISO5008):
YFM5FGPHZ Will not exceed 2.5 m/s²
YFM5FGPZ Will not exceed 2.5 m/s²
YFM5FGZ Will not exceed 2.5 m/s²
Engine:Engine type:
Liquid cooled 4-stroke, SOHC
Cylinder arrangement:
Forward-inclined single cylinder
Displacement:
558 cm³
Bore × stroke:
92.0 × 84.0 mm (3.62 × 3.31 in)
Compression ratio:
9.30 :1
Starting system:
Electric starter
Lubrication system:
Wet sumpEngine oil:Recommended brand:
YAMALUBE
U28P61E0.book Page 1 Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:25 AM