Did Honda respond to the Quadzilla. They had a
500cc two-stroke to drop in. Unless 400EX sales
drop off significantly, which I think they will,
Honda won't be force into using the liquid-cooled
650 in a quad.

 

Honda usually keeps thier cards close to thier chest. The XR650 was nothing but rumors(super-xr) and it was supposed to smoke the YZ426. All of a sudden there it was big as life in the magazines. I don't remember any spy photos or any trusted sources revealing any information. Just official denials until the bike was ready for the showroom floor. I don't think Honda wants to hurt sales of thier machines now by announcing a new sport quad for 2001, or 2002. If they have one, we will not know it until it is ready to be shipped to your dealer.

 

Honda will do nothing. If they would develop a quad with a 650 engine, it would still be down on power compared to the 5-valve 660 engine.

 

I agree with demp223 100%...........yamaha kinda 1/2*** finishes their work. The 350cc warrior is a slug, the blaster is a low budget antique, and 10 years from now, when the raptor is still the SAME bike, people will be looking at how yamaha never improves their bikes. Those who thin Honda won't respond are wrong. They will respond, but they will build a better, longer lasting, and more dependable bike.

p.s. first guy to design a headlight guard for the raptor will make 1 million dollars.......poor location

oh, one more thing, my sister's "bananna" style bicycle had smaller handlebars than any yamaha currently on the market . whats with the big goofy handlebars? do you need all that leverage to steer the beasts?

 

all honda has to do is stick their xr 650 motor in a quad and everyone wit their raptors will be running to their honda dealer and putting a deposit down on it. and everyone knows they can build the perfect frame to house the motor.look at the 400ex it is the best handling quads there
is and everyone knows honda isnt just gonna sit back and watch everyone pass them up.they should just make the 250r again and they will be on backorder for years for people waitin to get one. then they can show everyone who the boss is

 

Honda sat for years letting the Banshee and the quadracer(until 92) take 100% of the new high performance market. There seem to be enough people biased towards Honda that I don't think 400ex sales are going to be hurt.

 

 

Hate to say it but my friend has a XR650R and if the Raptor engine is anything compaired to the differnce between the XR400R and the YZF426 the raptor will be something to fear. The XR650R engine is fast and powerful but not a hot motocross powerplant that the yamaha 5 valve family is (426 and most likley the Raptor as well). just like the XR400R/400EX cant compete with the YZ426 bike engine (I have ridden many) I "think" the same thing will happen with the raptor Honda will beat the yamaha in rider comphert and long lasting durable quads. Not sheer power until they stick the 500R 4 stroke racer they are buildin in a quad. Just my 2 cents. Joe

 

Oh, so you have taken a ride on the new Raptor. Why don't you enlighten us as to all the unanswered questions about this new machine? Is it because you really have no idea what the Raptor can deliver because you, like the rest of us have only seen information that Yamaha has put out? I think so. The XR650 and the YZ426 are completely different bikes. So far, XR650 has not been beaten by the 426 in a desert race(at pro level). so let's not compare apples and oranges. The 660r motor is an unknown until somebody actually tests a production unit.

 

I say that honda should put a hot-rodded XR-650R motor in a quad frame. Maybe that will send the yamadogs back to the drawing board AGAIN.