Have a 98 Yamaha Big Bear 4x4. It is full-time 4 wheel drive.
Are both front wheels supposed to have power to them? By that I mean, it seems like only the left front wheel on mine actually is driven by the transmission and the right front is not (just free spinning). I do not know if this is by design or if I have a bad half shaft on the right front.
OK, it says 4x4, which means that all 4 wheels pull, right? What is confusing is that on most of Yamaha's newer 4WD ATVs you press a button to put it in 3-wheel drive and then you have to press a differential lock button to engage all 4 wheels. Mine has no buttons, full time 4WD (maybe).
Obviously, I don't want to go to the trouble of replacing the right front half shaft if it is not supposed to have power. Can anybody provide any input on whether this is normal or not?  

good question for the dealer.

in my mind 4x4 should mean all four wheels turn.  

You have full-time 4 wheel drive, same as my '98 Big Bear; BUT the front dif. is "open" which means that the wheel that is spinning, gets the power.  The rear-dif. is limited slip, which means that both wheels pull, but eventually the one without traction will over-power the other and you're slipping again.  Just like a "normal" 2 wheel drive car really has only one wheel pulling at any given time.  You need to add limited slip or a locker to that axle to get both wheels pulling.  That is why only one wheel leaves rubber in a power take off, unless you have a locker.

I was surprised when I bought my first Jeep 20+ years ago, and found that, in stock form jeeps of that vintage, were open difs. front and rear, resulting in only 2 wheel drive.  This led me down the road to lockers, etc.

The newer Yamahas that you mention must have a locker or limited slip of some sort in the rear and a controllable locker in the front.  You do not want a contstantly locked dif. in the front as you would find steering very difficult.  

I am 99.9% certain you do not have a 1/2 shaft problem, without even looking at it.  

Thanks! Explains things some. As I said, I didn't want to go to the trouble and expense of replacing the 1/2 shaft if it was in fact acting normally. You've saved me some grief.  

well another thing is the newer quads have the option of all time 4 wheel drive or not. i have a 2000 yamaha big bear and usally only one tire is spinning in the front mostly my right isnt spinning and the left is. i would worry bout it no more cuz all you need is to get a locker so both tires will spin i think highlifter.com sells them in not sure  

hey i have a    yamaha bigbear to  and it dos the   same all  the   yamaha  bog bears are like that