man i was so freaking mad.....all these guys in chat where saying the honda 250r and 400ex where ladies quads and that the raptor would eat them alive in every aspect....i was pulling up for honda against like 10 people....they said the ex would soon be forgotten and all this crap..i meen what the hell? i cant wait for a shoot out...i can guarantee the results being the r and ex winning over all, and in areas such as jumping, cornering, track, trail......the raptor would win with top speed and duning.....but man? theres no dunes around here....i agree with ooohondaoo in the other post..it doesnt even look like a quad.... someone with one of those new PT cruisers from chrysler pulling a raptor would look like a Jetsons episode of the future! i dont care what those dumb @ss' say, the r and ex are the best ever built and overall quad.....

 

Dont worry about it.Its been 12 yrs since a new yamaha and they are happy.But in typical yamaha fashion they screwed up again.The motor is awesome but the chassis is ill suited for it.look at the chassis specs.Similar length,height,weight is close,suspension as 400ex but its 2in narrower with a 2in taller seat height.can you say tipsy in fast turns,especially with high mounted radiator(probably will jump like a banshee,nose heavy).First thing they will have to do is +2 a-arms and +4 axle with longer shocks.Thats a lot of $ to drop on new quad just so it handles like a stock 400ex dont you think?remember,yamaha is all about being the most powerful,Honda is about being the best overall,the total package.

 

Well, you really can't blame the die-hard Yamaholics for being stoked about the Raptor. Heck, I have three Honda's in my garage and I'm excited! But I'll be interested to see a shoot-out in the near future, cause in my opinion there's not a better handling machine with good power "straight out-of-the-box" than the 400EX...and that's been proven. And even though I really don't have any loyalty to a specific brand (okay, I do have three Hondas), I don't have any plans in the near future to sell my machine and buy an unproven quad.

Demp223, I'll be in your neck of the woods the end of July...big family camping trip at Lake Almanor in the Lassen National Forest...and yes, I'm taking all of our dirt machines. BTW, what have you done to come up with 34+ HP on your 400EX?

 

currently running WB pro meg exhaust,rev limiter,K&N w/outerwear-no lid except in the mud or river beds,port matched exhaust and header,portmatched intake,custom mod stock carb.
Future plans are for cam,higher comp piston,maybe overbore to 426,39mm fcr carb and more port work with valve job.Right now the engine is very strong,pulls hard and revs FAST.I may need to improve handling first before I go any faster.

 

I remember a couple years ago. There was this same type of atmosphere. People were talking all this crap about something. Then, a few months later, the 400EX is on the showroom floor. Don't lie, cause I remember all the hype about it....just like the Raptor. It is a new machine, with impressive specs. People are going to talk.
And before you all start saying what a piece this new Yamaha is...WAIT until someone rides one would ya? But I guess you all have inside details about this quad right? You know how it is going to ride, jump, wheelie, ect ect. Don't count your chicks before they hatch. I am not saying it is better the 400ex, but I will not make that call until I see one in action. Something you all should do too.

 

Hey Lurch,

Where in the above thread did someone call the Raptor a piece of crap? The only "negative" comments are: nc400ex01 doesn't like how it looks and demp223 believes that it will be top heavy. Now here's the facts, weasel. It will be top heavy, it will not turn like a Honda, it will not jump like a Honda, and it will not weigh in at under 400lbs. It will take 3" over a-arms and 4" over axle to make it stable. [not including having to lengthen the swing-arm] This will not happen over night. The aftermarket will take 18 months to get the neccasary upgrades to market. I've spent $7000 on my EX to get it to the level of a race ready 250r. And with only 40hp I'll lay my title down any place you wanna race, just bring your mama to wipe the tears off your face! This will be a great quad for 4x4 guys and fat guys with no skills. You can ride around the local pit or dunes like a big Mack Daddy but if you think you are showing up at any of the tracks in my area and winning on anything but an R or an EX you're a CRACK Daddy. In the future don't come to our side of the site talkin' yang about your Yamahas. The last time I checked Honda based quads have won EVERY AMA title in the last 10 years. So go out in the garage take a look at the Bear Tracker or Timberwolf or, if mommy and daddy really splurged, your Grizzly and CRY. -RT

 

hehe trx440, that was harsh.

 

I aint taking sides but the only reason Honda has won everything is they have no competition,and you know it. None of the other manufactuers have built a serious competition quad for years. So chill out lets see what happens it can only be good for the everyone if it does perform well.

 

Superduty,

I hope the Raptor's better than what I think it's gonna be. I hope it's better than anything on the market today. I do not fear having the "2nd best" machine. Competiton ensures the consumer the best possible product. As far as Honda winning all the titles, you're right , they had NO competiton. [Even though the Banshee has been produced since 87] It was the aftermarket that chose the 250r as the racing "standard". Honda dominated with a good engine, [although most will say the Quadracer and the Tecate were stronger] great suspension, Honda engineering and quality, but most importantly it was the way the frame geometry tied everything together. It was the best total package. Still is today. Nothing turns and jumps like a 250r, not even the EX. And that's what racing is all about. Watch out for the quads from Cannondale, Kawasaki and Gas Gas that is where the racing competiton will come from. Why couldn't they just put the 426 in a Laeger knockoff? Now I have to build my own. -RT

 

Trx440,
You need to grow up a bit. Obviously you did not get what I was trying to say. I did not come here to insult you, and I did not come here to be insulted. If you can't take what I have to say with a grain of salt....well, then don't talk to me, cause I don't want to carry on a stupid conversation like that.

All I was pointing out was that you guys should not say what this machine is or what this machine is not. How in the hell do you know how it is going to ride, when no one has rode one yet? Honestly, how do you know? Yeah, you can look at the specs and assume that, but still, how do you know? My post above was not just to you guys. It was to everyone. Look through this Honda forum, or many of the other ones for that matter. There are all kinds of negative post about the Raptor...a machine that the only thing we know about, are the specs.

Maybe you think I am a Yamaha fan, or maybe just an anti-Honda fan. If that is what you are thinking, then you are wrong, I don't own either. But, what I am, is an open minded person that just likes to see hard facts. I don't sit around and assume things. Obviously you are very good at assuming. You seem to know every thing about me. Heck you assume that I am some sniffling kid that owns a Yamaha.

God forbid someone say something negative about the venerable Honda 400EX, right? I can tell you are one of those guys. Sorry my earlier post upset you to the very low point of name calling.