Ask the Editors: Help Me Choose a Fast Yamaha
Well it sounds to us like you have your choice narrowed down to Yamaha and one of their manual-clutch-equipped performance models. For starters the 2-stroke Banshee is no longer in production (the last year it was available in the US was 2006). So unless you were looking to go used, this one isn’t even an option anyway.
As far as the two models you are considering, the Raptor 700 would make for the better choice for trails/ recreational use and the YFZ if you’re looking to incorporate some MX or XC racing into your routines.
From a power perspective, either will pack plenty enough juice out of the box to hang with your friends for woods & trail use and in the off-chance that you need more specific delivery, either of these fuel injected units can be tuned with a Power Commander to hit wherever you need a surge most. They also both respond incredibly well to aftermarket exhaust systems if more throaty performance is on your short list.
The reasons the big Raptor would make for a better recreational ride than the YFZ are as follows:
Ergonomics – the Raptor has more relaxed geometry and a cockpit set up to be slightly more spacious and comfortable.
Power Delivery – While undeniably fast, even in stock trim, the Raptor makes its power across a wider spread of RPM range. There is also abundant low-end on tap to make technical terrain less stressful.
Suspension – The Raptor is valved softer to respond better at picking up trail clutter: rocks, roots, logs etc. This means less rider fatigue after long days in the saddle.
Finally be sure to note that both the Raptor and YFZ come in both standard and R configurations. The Raptor700 and YFZ450 are slightly more trail friendly/ multipurpose by nature. The Raptor 700R and YFZ450R are the more performance oriented incarnations of the models and would be our first choice if you were planning on racing or competing in addition to riding recreational.
Full details on all of the models you are considering can be found here on Yamaha’s official site.
