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Over the last couple of years, we have focused a lot of our attention to product reviews towards items that were available for the Yamaha Grizzly 700. The main reason for this was due to their popularity and presence amongst the ATV enthusiasts.

However, there was a trend among the Grizzly 700 owners and it was common to most, no matter who we spoke to or what forum we were on: everybody was always searching to get more power out of the Grizzly. Most owner's always came up with the same search results of products that CLAIMED to provide more power, but in the end, never really did at all.

For quite some time, there were rumors of a company out of Canada that was supposed to soon begin a project targeted at the Grizzly 700. This company, very well know in the ATV business for building custom tunes for the computers that control many of the popular models of ATV's and UTV, is
Velocity Devices and is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Velocity Devices has made available an absolutely phenomenal product for the Grizzly 700 with features that nobody else has come to match, and probably will not do. The unit, known as the Copperhead ECU is a plug and play replacement for the stock ECU in the Grizzly 700. This is NOT a piggyback solution, but rather it actually replaces the factory ECU that your Grizzly 700 shipped with as new.

How does it work?

The Velocity Devices Copperhead ECU is a unit that controls the timing curves of the quad and manages the fuel system for proper air/fuel ratio. Velocity Devices has dedicated an extreme amount of time and effort into the development and testing of this product to make it so as a direct plug and play replacement, your stock grizzly 700 will be producing as much power as it is capable of producing. Their R&D entails countless man hours of a Grizzly 700 on a Dyno with the Copperhead ECU connected. From the dyno results, they have tweaked timing curves and fuel maps so both the ignition and fuel system are performing at peak level.

So how does all of that effect me?

With all of the in depth testing and tweaking, the Velocity Devices Copperhead ECU typically provides a 6% power increase from idle to wide open throttle, and a part throttle power increase of up to 25% over stock. In addition, the top speed limiter has been increased to allow for approximately 10MPH higher top speed depending upon your tire size). The ECU also allows for the speedometer to be re-calibrated for different tire sizes, and fuel can be adjusted for aftermarket camshafts and pipes (requires optional USB interface).

Additionally, the Copperhead ECU for the Grizzly 700 has a toggle switch on the front of it that allows the user to flip between two different sets of pre-programmed fuel maps/timing curves for different performance characteristics. let's say for example you have an aftermarket exhaust on your quad that you ride with during the summer when you want your performance to be at it's best. On the other hand, during the winter you use your Grizzly 700 to hunt and want your quad to be more quiet in nature and aren't concerned as much about the performance. With this toggle switch, you could use setting number 1 which is a tweaked version of the stock fuel maps and timing curves while running your stock exhaust. Then when you put your aftermarket exhaust back on and want a more aggressive tune, flip the switch to position 2.

Default preloaded map keeps factory limiters (reverse / speed) and similar power when the toggle switch is in position #1. When the toggle switch is in position #2, all limiters are disabled, and the timing is optimized for maximum power on 87 octane fuel. Setups and maps can be changed and optimized for different fuel grades via the USB Memory Interface (sold separately).

Is it tunable?

It surely is, and that's what makes the Velocity Devices Copperhead ECU so intriguing. Velocity Devices is the only company making and ECU replacement for the Grizzly 700 that allows the user, with the proper tools, to fine tune their ECU for optimum performance based on any performance modifications that they have done. So, for the guy or gal that has added an aftermarket exhaust, has made modifications to their air box to provide for more air flow, or even done internal engine work, all of which would require tweaking of their fuel settings and possibly timing curves, it can be done right from your home computer.

The Copperhead software is very intuitive and covers a multitude of settings. But, be forewarned, it is not for the faint of heart. It allows you to individually change the amount of fuel being output throughout the entire RPM range. It also allows you to advance or retard the timing throughout the entire RPM range. Without some knowledge of engine mechanics, an un-careful user could cause major damage to their engine. while the manual that comes with the unit is very thorough on the basic settings, we would encourage you to seek professional assistance when getting into some of the more advanced settings.

In order to modify the default settings of the Velocity Devices Copperhead ECU, you will need 3 things:

• The Copperhead ECU software which can be download from Velocity Device's support page
  
• The Velocity Devices USB Memory Interface
  
• A USB cable that has a male connector on both ends.
  

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You also perform any firmware updates that Velocity Devices makes available through this USB Memory interface.

What can I do if I purchase the USB Memory Interface?

The USB Memory Interface is a programming complement to the Copperhead Capacitance Discharge Ignition (CDI) and ECU. Allows you to tailor each mode separately to allow for different safety features and performance for each onboard configuration. Configure the programmable outputs to trigger at user selectable RPMs. Configure the revolution limiter for each map. Upgrade firmware in the CDI / ECU when updates are available. Easily compensates for degree keys by adding a negative offset to all points on the supplied map. Easily increase performance for different fuel grades by adding a positive offset to all points on the supplied map. Easily drag the points on the curve for a custom map (advanced users). Copy/paste maps, as well as save to disc for later use or sharing. Requires USB Male-A to Male-A cable (sold separately).

Product and accessory costs at the time of this release:

• Velocity Devices Copperhead ECU for the Grizzly 700: $400
  
• USB Memory Interface: $50
  
• USB Cable male to male: $10
  

Overall impression:

The build quality of this product is absolutely top-notch. You will not find a nicer put together and thought out unit on the market at all. Velocity Devices really outdid themselves by including a toggle switch to allow the user to switch between 2 different default setups. What we really liked about his unit is that although it is setup out of the box to be optimized for a stock Grizzly 700, a user that has the knowledge to do so, can use the USB memory interface to tweak settings of the box to allow for performance modifications they have done to their machine.

When we installed this on our stock Grizzly 700, we noticed a few key points that were very important to us: Most importantly for us was the fact that we felt a noticeable seat of the pants improvement in both a throttle stab from a dead stop, as well as the pulling power throughout the mid-range. Additionally, for those Grizzly 700 owners that have noticed the mid-range miss they have from 22-30mph that sounds like a popping in the exhaust, Velocity Devices improved timing curves have eliminated this mid-range miss. The pop was especially noticeable on the Grizzly 700s that have had an aftermarket exhaust installed because the stock exhaust tends to muffle the noise. Lastly, we saw a slight improvement in our fuel mileage which isn't something we had even considered was a possibility.

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Contact Information:
Velocity Devices
Velocity Devices Inc. - Your source of high performance ATV parts and accessories.

Telephone: (403) 668-7470

Business Hours:
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST, Monday - Thursday
8:00 AM to Noon MST, Friday

Location:
Velocity Devices Inc. operates exclusively as a mail order / web order company. They do not have a store front or showroom. Please order online or call to place a phone in order.

Mailing Address:
Velocity Devices Inc.
P.O. Box 47052
RPO Creekside
Calgary, AB
T3P 0B9