I am in the market for a new bike. I need your opinions about what bike to choose. I ride the dunes and trails. I currently ride a z400 and need more power and the same or better handling. I like the feel of the YFZ450, but concerned about the bike being stiff (suspension). The Raptor 700 has a large feel and harder to through around (however you would get a cushier ride). Is the YFZ450 that stiff?

What are your thoughts....

 

If you race, buy a YFZ450. If you trial ride buy either one...but the Raptor may be better since it's MADE for trail and play riding. I never liked the Raptor 660 but the new 700 is totally redesigned and supposedly handles 100% better. Plus that Fuel Injection is care free.

 

I have ridden both and bought the 700R just for the reason you cited.

 

Does the Raptor 700 corners/handles like the YFZ450? I'm concerned the Raptor 700 is tippy. It looks alot bigger than the YFZ450. Also the YFZ has a better power/weight ratio.

Thanks for your comments...

 

Go buy the current mags. They all got tests of the new Raptor right now. They were very impressed. One said the "tippiness" is gone. The frame geometry is all new. I'm only going by what the mags said. But the fuel injection is a big plus. NO JETTING regardless of weather or elevation. Plus the Raptor has reverse.

Go to www.atvrideronline.com and look at the 12 hour torture test for the race quads. The YFZ450, which ruled every shootout, came in last for prolonged riding comfort over varied terrain. Even guys who RACE YFZ's said so. I think it's a great quad, but if you just screw around in the woods and fields, I think the Raptor is the smarter choice for casual riders who want performance.

BTW, if all you do is trail ride, don't be worrying about shaving seconds off your play rides!! It's 700cc's, I doubt you'll have a problem with its power to weight ratio.

 

Raptor 700. I like skirts on my pistons. Even the Yamaha dealer told me the YFZ was a one year motor.

 

Isn't that if you race though? I doubt trail riders would have problems after one year. I mean we have 2 strokes. I don't know about you but I don't need a rebuild of my topend every year unless I were to ride really hard week in week out and I don't

 

Try taking a look at the 700's jug, there isnt much room there...

 

I have 3 friends who bought YFZ450s last year and one of them says he can tell that the bike is losing power. He is talking about doing the top end next summer. Another one of my buddies has already rebuilt the top end on his TRX450R due to the rings letting go. My buddy is a salesman at a Yamaha dealership and he advised me against the YFZ when I bought my Banshee. The bikes are fast but the 4 stroke reliability is no longer there. My opinion.

 

That's very strange of your buddy to say that. I'm not doubting he did but the fact that he advised you against a 4 stroke YFZ but said nothing about the 2 stroke YZF is a bit weird. As a fellow 2 stroke owner, I quickly admit that zingers usually require more topend rebuilds than thumpers whether it's a racing one or not. It's one thing to say the YFZ450 is a "high maintentance 4 stroke" but is that really worse than your average 2 stroke like my Tecate 4 or your Banshee? That goes against everything I've ever known.