does anyone else feel like the raptor did not live up to the magazine hype??
examples:
#1 "the raptor would have to top out in the low 80's"-talking top speed (dirt wheels Aug'00 p.59)
after reading this months Dirtwheels it appears the DS is .5 MPH faster,actual speed was 71 mph !!(Current dirtwheels shootout article)
#2 "During the tests the Raptor was compared to DS650's,400EX's and banshee's. It smokes them all in any drag race".-I would hardly say the Raptor "smoked" anything but the stock 400EX.
#3 "It's been reported that the MZ(european dirtbike the raptor motor was derived) cranks out 44 horsepower, so something in the 45 or 46 range may not be out of the question".(dirtwheels Aug.'00 p.55) This month I beleive they stated the raptor puts out 38 H.p....just a little off ??
Don't get me wrong I like my Raptor I just wish the magazines would not over hype new machines. I am VERY glad to see Yamaha and other manufacturers raising the bar on sport atvs and am not diss'ing the raptor but the initial reports were way off from what we actually got.
Just my opinion tho, whats yours ????

 

So?
You have one. You don't like it, give it to me, I will.
Do you really care about what mags say about what is better? I don't.

 

I think that everyone takes what they read in the mags with a grain of salt..... I knew that if it was half the machine they said it was I would be thrilled....... I am way more than thrilled with it..... and it will take more than a shee'!! I know for a fact

Just my 2cents

 

In all fairness they were fairly close, I Still find it hard to believe that a banshee is only going 72, since back in the eighties their radar runs show 78. I have gps tested my Raptor to 77.8 mph on a good day but this was down a mountain. As far as HP my certificate of origin said 43.8HP it will vary from dyno to dyno and it was probably measured at the crank not rear wheels as most of the dyno charts you are seeing. I havent actually raced a DS but it will smoke an EX and a Banshee hard, I can even smoke a piped ported banshee on everything but top end, but hes having to catch up from a long ways back so it takes him a while to pass me once im wound out, but he can leave me since his top end is 84.9 mph on gps. Also everyone knows a banshee is very traction limited but thats why its so fun. And we know the Raptor does do damage to a 400ex. So yes their figures are off, and we dont really know what reports to believe from magazines, If you want dyno charts to be accurate do it at sea level properly jetted and do all of the other stock machines like EX DS and Banshee at the exact same time, temp, humidity etc.
I dont want to defend the magazines,But if they didnt have hype i would not have bout 6 issues of each of 3 magazines the last few months, and theyd be out of business.
As far as im concerned I dont give a hoot if its 38Hp or 98HP all Im really concerned about is that is will haul me around in style and at proper velocities.
Just wait for the Hype on the Next Big Honda in a few Years. That will be atleast 8 issues on whatever their sport machine to come is.

By the way has any one put a 14T counter shaft sprocket on yet, i know it will pull it because I am always thinking I have a 6th gear to shift into like on a banshee. I bet you can get into the 80's with that.
But I really dont mind going 65 if I get there fast. So its just a matter of everyones opinion I guess. Just burn your magazines to keep warm and ride the Sh:t out of that Yamaha. Thats all that matters.

 

WELL I KINDA AGREE WITH RAPTORRON...THE DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE MADE IT SEEM LIKE THE RAPTOR WAS THE NEXT ROCKET SHIP!..DONT GET ME WRONG IM VERY HAPPY WITH MY RAPTOR, I GUESS I JUS KIDNA EXPECTED MORE FROM YAMAHAS NEW BAD BOY, I GUESS U COULD SAY I WAS KINDA LET DOWN!..BUT HEY MY RAPTOR STILL ISN'T BROKEN IN YET(CLOSE THOUGH) AND IM NOT ANYWHERES NEAR DOEN WITH THE MODS ON IT!..BUT ALL IN ALL ITS A GREAT QUAD HOW CAN U GO WRONG WITH A 4 STROKE THAT HAS A STRKE FEEL 2 IT!!


01 RAPTOR (BLUE) PRM SKIDS,LIGHT GUARDS,SHOCK OUTERWEARS
99 BANSHEE PRO DESIGN FILTER,FMF JETS

 

Most of the time, new machines are hyped in mags and sometimes exaggerated. What gets me is that the mags stretched the truth in one issue and maybe the next issue they say to get the Banshee over the Raptor 'cause it has more power. Lies! Top speed is another odd subject. How did the old shootouts at actual drag strips come up with 78 79 MPH for the Banshee when it is supposed to be much slower now? Does anyone remember when the 400ex came out? I remember a mag that said it had close to 40 horsepower and it was the ultimate ride. The best way to get a opinion of any machine is to ride it!

 

Raptorron---

It wasn't JUST Dirtwheels that hyped The New Raptor. (I always put caps on the name just because Yamaha did).

I'd say that the magazines would have loved it even if it had front and rear racks on it--PLUS-- a snowplow option for the winter.

What gets me is the "disclaimer" that I heard from my local Yamaha Stealership. The guy told me: "It's NOT a racer, it's NOT a duner, it IS the World's biggest cc. displacement quad." HUH?

Flyin' Ryan

 

The latest shootout, between Raptor and DS650 , still shows WINNER for the Raptor in just about every catagory, including drags. Top speed was a tie - but the Raptor did win in all others, just like the Raptor has won in 400ex and Banshee shootouts.

When DirtWheels reported...yes, they did use terms to indicate they were guessing, or predicting..They never said..IT GOES 80MPH. Also, as far as crushing the competition...well, its doing that...in most catagories..so it is holding up to the hype if ya ask me. The thing rocks.

Just my 3 cents and a nickel. cya.

 

"crushing the competition" LOL

 

They did the same thing with the 400ex, in an issue of dirt wheels they tried to say that the 400ex could smoke a banshee in a race around an mx track. What's happening is the companies are paying the magazines to print bull sh*t to advertise there new machines.
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