This Yamaha utility ATV nameplate arrived for the 1998 model year as a large-displacement, automatic 4x4 aimed at riders who wanted a more work-focused alternative to sportier machines. Yamaha positioned it at the top of its automatic ATV range, emphasizing ease of use, traction management, and durability rather than lightweight performance. It was notable for bringing Yamaha’s engine-braking CVT concept and on-command selectable drive modes into a mainstream utility package, which helped define the brand’s early reputation in the 4x4 ATV segment.
The model represented Yamaha’s first generation of the Grizzly family and established the tough, boxy look that would carry into the later 660 replacement. In Yamaha’s own design-history material, the 660 is described as the second generation that built on the original 600’s rugged image, confirming the 600 as the earlier version in the lineage. Production of this first-generation machine ran through the 2001 model year, after which Yamaha transitioned the line to the larger-displacement 660 for 2002. That makes the 1998–2001 run the complete history for this exact nameplate in its original form.
Among enthusiasts, the machine is remembered as an influential early big-bore utility ATV from Yamaha: simple, capable, and mechanically important because it helped establish the formula the company would refine in later Grizzly generations. It is also a common reference point when discussing the brand’s move toward fully automatic, high-capability 4x4 ATVs for hunting, trail riding, farm work, and general outdoor use.