An Owners Review of the Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4

The Honda Rancher seemed an ideal upgrade until I took a closer look at Honda’s successor to my FourTrax. The fit and finish was no-where near that of my 1988 bike, metal components had been replaced with plastic and the engine looked like a Briggs & Stratten copy. I felt that the Rancher was poorly built in comparison and just plain ugly!

After extensive research, I decided to purchase a new 2002 Yamaha Big Bear 400 4WD. It seemed to have everything I wanted and a little more. It came with part time 4WD, independent front suspension, speedometer/odometer and a few more engine cc’s to boot. Well… after four years and 2,300 hard miles, I can safely say that I absolutely made the right decision.

The Yamaha Big Bear has done everything asked of it, with never a breakdown or failure to start. I ride it from 5,000 up to 10,000 ft. elevations, in temperatures ranging from over 100 degrees to below zero. I regularly ride in snow, sand, dirt, rocks and some occasional mud. I never got badly stuck either.

The Yamaha Big Bear is tough as nails and has withstood many bone crunching rides on rugged mountain trails. It instills the feeling of reliability and durability in you and the confidence that you will safely complete your ride.

Comfort
The ride isn’t really that bad, lower tire pressure makes a big difference and the adjustable shocks help control the harshness on the medium settings. The turning radius is very tight which makes for great maneuverability.

Ground Clearance
The ground clearance at 9.7 inches is adequate for mild 4-wheeling, but not for the heavy stuff. I eventually installed full belly steel skid plates and A-arm protectors which handle a lot of rock abuse. I also had to install steel foot baskets to save my feet.

Fuel Economy
My fuel economy averages about 25 MPG under average conditions, less in rugged 4X4 conditions.

Maintenance
I only had to perform scheduled and preventative maintenance. I bought the repair manual and even do my own valve adjustments. The Yamaha Big Bear is very easy for the owner to maintain.

4X4 Performance
4WD performance is great; I can normally keep up with more modern bikes that have 4-wheel independent suspension and twice the horsepower. Ground clearance seems to be the main limiting factor. The push-button 4WD selector is really convenient too.

Transmission/Shifting
The 5-speed manual transmission with automatic clutch always works great and shifts smoothly. The reverse knob is a nice touch, just turn the knob while in neutral and shift down to reverse. The ultra low 1st and reverse really come in handy too.

General Specifications

Model Year
2002

Model
YFM400FWN Big Bear 4WD

M.S.R.P.
$5,199.00

Engine
4-stroke, Air/Oil-cooled w/fan

Displacement
386cc

Bore X Stroke
83 X 71.5mm

Compression Ratio
8.6:1

Carburetion
33mm BSR Mikuni

Starter
Electric and Auxiliary Pull

Transmission
5-speed, rev., auto clutch w/super-low 1st gear

Final Drive Shaft
Push-button, On-Command 2WD/4WD

Ignition
DC-CDI

Suspension
Front: Double wishbone w/5-way preload-adjustable shocks and 5.9" of travel Rear: Swingarm/single rear shock w/5-way adjustable preload and 5.9" of travel

Brakes
Front: Ventilated Hydraulic Disc Rear: Fully sealed Drum

Tires
Front: 25 x 8-12 Rear: 25 x 10-10

Length
79.0"

Width
43.7"

Height
46.1"

Wheelbase
48.4"

Seat Height
33.7"

Ground Clearance
9.7"

Dry Weight
556 lbs.

Fuel Capacity
4.0 gal.

Load Capacity
Rider: 300 lbs. Front Rack: 88 lbs. Rear Rack: 176 lbs.

Towing Capacity
904 lbs.

Conclusion…
If you are looking for an inexpensive, reliable, excellent performing, 4x4 ATV… It will be hard to beat the Yamaha Big Bear