That video is a joke. Did the raptor not have paddles but the V did? I love my V but the raptor is as good a hill climber as the V any day unless the Raptor rider misses a shift or something lame. One thing about that Raptor... you can pipe the bejeezus out of it. Check out the CT racing dyno charts for the Raptor. Ungodly horsepower gains. A CT piped raptor spells doom, and costs about the same as a stock V. That V is a great engine but a boatload of power gets lost in the tranny and shaft. Making a V competitive with a Raptor or a DS in terms of speed (it's got the low end already) costs big dough... why is FST selling so many 800 kits? Because you need 800ccs to get enough power to the wheels to beat a good raptor.

You need to find a way to ride both before you buy. That's the only solution. Big guys love the V. but if that Raptor fits... it might just fit you better. Don't buy a V because you think you can't get enough power out of a Raptor... pipe it and you can get all the power you need... and don't overlook the V just because of the auto and shaft... the V-twin compensates nicely for what's lost. The V weighs a lot more, but you won't notice it. That V is an awesome trail ride... very comfortable and just doesn't take as much out of the rider... and it's got the best low end acceleration of the three big bores.

But driving both is the only way to really make a good decision. Rent, borrow, beg or do whatever it takes to get an opportunity to ride them before you buy.

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Now, that's simply not true.

A 10 dollar timing advance key,
20 dollars for a new intake scoop,
rejet the carbs,
and that would be equal if not faster than a stock raptor.

They're not that much faster than a stock V. Maybe 3 mph on top end.

 

Having the right clutch set up in a V can make a difference though. I did timed runs up Sand Mountain (UT) on my V-Force, and was able to shave 8 seconds off of my time to get to the top of the mountain (52 seconds with stock clutch vs 44 seconds with Dalton weights, a Dalton clutch cover, and an HPD plain spring). The HPD plain spring was 6 seconds faster than a Dalton blue spring was. Stock Raptors are no contest for my piped and clutched V-Force. Piped Raptors are a draw, with some going to the Raptor and some going to the V-Force, but my V-Force can still out climb a piped Raptor on the very steepest of climbs. Raptors that have more than just a pipe still beat me quite easily though.

I do agree that a stock Raptor is faster than a stock V-Force, and that a Raptor responds better to mods than a V-Force. Making more power with a V-Force is one thing, but getting that increased power to the ground is another thing entirely. If the V-Force had a six speed manual tranny and chain drive it would be at the top of the food chain in the dunes.

As far as woods riding goes, ... I just take my Grizzly. The woods trails I ride require 4-wheel drive and low gearing; I would get maimed in a hurry if I tried to ride them on my V-Force.

 

i rode my friends v in the woods and it was too big and doofy and heavy imo although i didnt miss shifting at all lol and why cant i watch any of the videos on here i click it and it opens and before it loads the page just closes by it self grrrrrrrrrr oh and can the v wheelie i never tried

 

The V is great on the trails, but oh I guess the V is too much of a "wimpmobile" compared to your Rappy then..jk. Yeah, the V can wheelie. I have to be on hard ground though cause in dirt the tires just spin if I try..

 

I've never ridden in the sand so I won't claim to be an expert on it, but on dirt the only thing you need to easily take a piped Raptor is a good set of duals, a primary spring change and enough @ss to hold the front end down.

 

Thanks for all the imput, I hear so many positive things about the new V's but had never ridden one.

 

Only people that own a V-force can watch the video.
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Don't get me wrong here I am not saying the V is slow and I am only talking about in the sand since that is pretty much all we ride in but I think it is mainly the weight of the V in the sand that kills it.

[quote]
Originally posted by: OuterLimit
Now the comparison you just made stock raptor against your piped and clutched V is not a real comparison. And if you race a piped and clutched V against a pied and GEARED raptor, the V will always lose. I am only talking about racing up sand hills now. And also taking both quads up with equal weight and skill riders. I know it does not take a lot to beat a stock raptor but if you put the same money into the raptor it will be faster. The V will always get the whole shot but once you get half way up the hill at max speed the raptor will keep pulling past it. pi$$es me off[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]. BUT i still love the V!!

 

Raptors are plentiful around here and can be made fast easily. The problem is they also break very easily. I can't count the times that my buddies raptors have been broken down. They are seldom "running right". Even the die-hard yami crowd is starting to get frustrated. One of them is talking about getting a V. Can't swear that it's a quality problem or their mechanical ability, but they do break a lot. I have ridden both, and I like the balance of the V in the woods much more. No doubt about it, with the available mods for both right now, the raptor can achieve higher speeds more easily. Keep in mind though, the V is relatively new. Who knows what Duncan Racing and others will come up with? Serious speed probably won't be cheap though[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]