I do most of my riding on trails in the woods. Honestly, which would be better for my kind of riding.
Thank you!!!!!!

 

i had a 400ex and traded it for a banshee.it is way better than my banshee for woods riding and on trails. i rode a raptors , and it is like a 400ex on steroids. it handles pretty good, but i would smoke a raptor in tight trails with my 400ex>>no doubt. it all depends what you want,, the raptor does have reverse, so that is a big bonus, the 400ex is an excellent handler, and is an awesome bike for that purpose. the raptor is a low end grunt monster, and is pretty fast. top speed of raptor is about 74-75 mph, the 400 ex is 65-68 mph. price for a raptor is $6400 and the 400ex is $5499. at least in this area it is. there both great bikes for trails and woods riding. the 400 ex will smoke a raptor on a mx track, unless the rider sucks. a raptor will smoke a 400ex in a drag and hillshooting.good luck , and you cant go wrong with eighther. remember , this is a yamaha forum, so everyone in here will say raptor. but i had honda 400ex and rode raptors and thats my evaluation. good luck.

 

I prob get my *** chewed for this but...In the woods you can only use so much power. The 400 would have plenty of power for any woods situation unless its just a big straight away through trees . And even if you find you wanted more power from the 400ex, You can always tweek it alittle, but there wont be much reason to do engin mods for woods racing. Its all the rider in the woods. Honda awesome reliabiltiy always rules also. I love them myself.

ryan
00' Ds650
-Graydon Nerf bars
-Razr Tires
-Douglas .190 rims
-Custom endcap
-K&N air filter
-Oury grips

 

I'd say get the 400EX... unless you really need that reverse.... which you may in tight, muddy, obsticle-strewn woods.

In my opinion, the Raptor is overkill...
they should have at lease lowered the seat height and widened the stance with that much damn power... well, for another $1,000 you could have a better handling Raptor (A-arms & axle), but then after having $2,000 more invested than a 400EX, it probably still wouldn't handle as good as a 400EX, and will still weigh more.

But in defense of the Raptor, you'd have to spend $2,000 on major engine mods (440 kit, pipe, etc.)for the 400EX to even come close to the Raptor.

Remember, the Raptor can only beat a 400EX in a straight line. Or racing backwards, HAHA

 

The front of the Raptor is only 1/2" narrower on each side than the 400EX. I have stood my Raptor end to end with a 400EX and measured it. A +4" axle for the Raptor costs about $350. With a wider axle the Raptor handling is just about on par with the 400EX.

 

I agree with the above posts. I own a '00 400ex and a '01 Raptor. I ride mainly on wooded trails. The 400ex is a lot better for those conditions. It will turn faster and easier. Speed doesn't matter too much on the tight trails. If you try to hit the throttle hard on the Raptor while in the trees, the front end raises and you can't turn. For tight trail riding, I think the 400ex is better.

However, on sand the Raptor Rules. It is faster, the seat is softer for long day rides, it has reverse, and the suspension seems more forgiving on jumps. I think it depends on the type of riding you will do. I have had both for 4 months now and I can't decide which one to sell. Good Luck.