I hear that in a year or two the aluminum frames will start to fall apart. Is this true? Sorry guys, but everytime I see the 2002 Raptor I think that is what I need more and more. Reverse, steel frame, and the simpler maintance sound better for a 15 year old who is not a racer. I also hear the aluminum frames may bend do to excessive jumping. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

Well the CR hondas havent had much problem (BIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGG Jumps there on the freestyle scene). I would say the cannon guys have it pretty figured out, they are aluminum geniouses.

 

You know, you really have to be careful about putting too much stock in what you 'hear'.
However, it won't surprise me to learn that the aluminum frame may eventually bend or even break. How many steel frames have you seen or heard with these problems? Every make, every model. Nothing is indestructable. A cannondale frame can be replaced piece by piece, bend a steel frame and Oh Well. Owning and riding the USA built quad that will push all manufacturers to offer better bikes, that will whip all stock competition, and is an incredible rush, is worth the slightly more difficult maintenance procedures and potential problems. Cannondales first year record with the FX400 compares very favorably to the Raptors first year, and they never built one before! Plus, they acknowledged and corrected the problems. Yamaha is still screwing 01 Raptor owners. Pick the bike that is best for you, that you can pay for, but do it with your eyes open.

 

I wonder about the frames also. Most motorcycle racers get new bikes every year so i doubt they care about the long term durability. However plenty of steel frames bite it every week also. I would factor in how long i was planning on keeping my quad, riding style, parts costs between brands make my descison and don't look back.

 

If your looking at frame durability, the Raptor is the last quad you should look at. I've talked with a magazine test rider that stated that the first 3 Raptors he rode were all retired with bent or broken frames. Since then, he has just learned to take it easy on a Raptor. The Cannondale aluminum frame seems to be a quality unit, and they have alot of experience building aluminum frames, even if they are bicycle frames. I do have to disagree with one statment though, I've never seen a bent or broken DS650 frame unless you count the ones that were run stait into trees or buggies. Every other frame I have seen bent, but I think all the extra weight on the DS went into making the frame unbreakable.

 

Hey Knutz, thats interesting. I've heard a couple stories about Raptor frames breaking. Like you said I've never heard of a DS frame letting anyone down. CornDog I dont think there will be any problems with C-Dale frames breaking, but time will tell. You also have to consider that most, but not all, people who buy the Cannondales are going to ride them VERY HARD and let the quads take a beating weekend after weekend. Most people aren't buying the Cannondales just to have the meanest quad on the block, they are buying them to race. Ryanstones is right, steel frames break also. In a mag. test not long ago they tested a lonestar frame with not much use on it and it developed a crack, so even after market frames can break. I disagree with you about the Raptor having simpler maintance. On the C-Dales you don't have to adjust your valves, and you don't have any carbs to worry about needing cleaned or adjusted. Also I read the other day that you have to drop the engine to get to the clutch on the Raptor! Anyway I'm not bashing the Raptor but I will say this. From what I've read in this forum the Yamaha warranty totaly sucks. From what I've read also and from what I've personaly have experienced the Cannondale warranty is the Best.

 

I too have thought about the durability of aluminum frames. Aluminum unlike steel likes to crack instead of bent. If you look a mountain bike aluminum framed bikes that are ridded hard have a lifespan of about 2 -4 years where steel bikes last for decades.

As for using dirt bikes to gauge the durability. Dirtbikes are design to take forces straight on, this is evident even in the spoked wheel design. One off center landing on bike and your wheels are taco and you crack a frame. A quad on the other hand take a lot of lateral impacts and frame twisting the frame has no way of absorbing. Off camber landings or hitting a rock at speed put increadible amount of lateral stress/twist on the frame. Look at the 250r swing arms 86-87 were steel and one inch longer and hardly even break. The shorter 88-89 aluminum swingarms are more likely to break.

The advantage with the Cdale is the fact you could replace the frame sections, a very well thought out solution.

 

OK, this is from an earlier post I made .... but its related so I'm going to copy and paste in what I said earlier...
"
Hmm ... If I may I would like to add my two cents worh here...
I was pretty gung-ho about the Raptor espially when compared money wise to the cannondale, but recently I have really been upset from what I have been hearing from the pros, and many of my friends. Let me explain. First off I just came back from nationals in Crawfordsville, IN. Last year I saw at least 3 raptors competing out of over probably a couple hundred quads, this year not even one. I have a couple friends that are trying to find buyers right now to get rid of their raptors. They have had all kinds of problems with theirs. from blown rings, to bent upper a arms (from what I hear are vary thin aluminum), and bending handle bars, snapping clutch levers, ect; Now most of these guys are pretty hard on their machines, but from what I was told Yamaha Raptors are good up to a point, and then if you push them any harder they start bending and breaking parts way earlier than compared to other quads. It seems that Yamaha in the search of lightening up the Raptor has done some serious reducing of the structure integrity. When I was getting gas on my way to nationals I was talking to the gas station attendant, he also said his brother was wanting to sell his Raptor and go back to 250Rs, because he was tired of blowing rings. I honestly have vary little time on a raptor, but only your can decide if the risk is great enough for you when spending that type of money, I would deffinately go for a heavier quad if this meant having a stronger chassis. As for the Bombardier, I have heard nothing but good things, and despite its weight I have heard people taking 50 foot jumps in the dunes and having no problems what so ever. I don't know go figure... "