DESPITE claims made last year that Yamaha would cease selling its quad bike range in Australia due to increased safety protocols, the company recently launched its new 2020 Grizzly 700 SE all terrain vehicle to the market.
Yamaha said the new bike, available in a titanium bronze colour scheme, will no longer come with the winch accessory standard, but would retain all the other features that were made standard on the 2019 model.
"Grizzly 700 SE is powered by a liquid-cooled 686cc engine, offering a smooth ride, low vibration and noise levels as well as excellent fuel economy," Yamaha said.
"Independent double wishbone suspension with 193mm of front wheel travel and 231mm of travel at the rear make short work of uneven terrain."
Implemented in October last year, the new safety standard requires that within 12 months, all new quad bikes will need to have information affixed to them about the degree of slope at which they will start to overturn.
Within 24 months, all new general use quad bikes will need to conform with minimum standards for stability on slopes. The standard will also require that all new general use quad bikes sold in Australia will have to have an operator protection device or rollover bar, to reduce the risk of serious crush injuries and deaths in the event of a rollover.
Mandatory fitting of operator protection devices has been a particularly contentious issue, with the majority of quad bike manufacturers, including Yamaha and Honda, challenging their suitability, while the National Farmers Federation and Farmsafe Australia remained supportive of the new standards.
