I copied this from RaptorRider660R, and these are the results from ATV Action shootout.


Drag Race: 300 ft on pavement, Raptor hard to launch, wheelies alot, Predator heavy front, launches good very close, LTZ 4 Lengths back.

Raptor
Predator
LTZ

Track: Very close, edge goes Predator:

Experts, Intermediate, Novice times

Predator 48.1 48.9 57.2
LTZ 48.5 50.2 56.7
Raptor 48.6 49.9 56.4

Motor: Raptor Power everywhere! Next was Predator, Low on Power was LTZ 400

Raptor
Predator
LTZ

Tranny: LTZ way ahead smooth and spot on gear spacing, Raptor with linkage very notchy, distant 3rd Predator, disliked tranny!

LTZ
Raptor
Predator

Suspension: Perfect balance LTZ,Close second Predator, Best rear Shock, Distant 3rd raptor, TOO Soft!

LTZ
Predator
Raptor


Handling: Great tires, pro steering takes it to next level, LTZ nothing wrong with it, Raptor, too thin, too tall!

Predator
LTZ
Raptor

Jumping: Predator smooth for its weight, LTZ well balanced, Raptor Soft Shocks!

Predator
LTZ
Raptor

Whoops: None perfect, LTZ can tend to pack on long whoop sections, Raptor light front end great power, Predator heavy front end hard to keep it up!

LTZ
Raptor
Predator

Hills: LTZ Smooth, Raptor *****, Predator both

All even! For different reasons


Brakes: Predator with steel braided slightly better than the other 2.

Predator
LTZ and Raptor

Wheelies: Ltz light front end smooth power, Raptor dual carbs didn't like, Predator heavy front end designed to prevent wheelies.

LTZ
Raptor
Predator

Woods: LTZ Smooth light, well balanced with reverse, Predator next great handling good power, Raptor Tall and Tippy.

LTZ
Predator
Raptor


Dunes: All close Predator last because the razrs sucked in the sand!

Raptor
LTZ
Predator

Overall:

LTZ
Predator
Raptor


However, if you take just the performance part of the shootout , the Predator beat the Z in Drags, Track, Motor, Handling and jumping while the Z beat the Predator in Suspension, Whoops, Woods and Dunes, the Predator would win. Overall it looks like a good shootout, and I like the way they broke things down in catorgories. Now all you have to do is look at the type of riding you will be doing and compare them to help decide which atv to buy.

 

The only part I really disagree with is the "front end heavy" on the Predator. Mine climbs for the sky everytime I mash the throttle.
Oh, the more I ride mine the better the tranny shifts............................................ ......................................

 

Very interesting and objective.

I have to agree on the tranny. Gearing too high and shifting without clutch is tough, but getting better as break-in matures. There is a learning curve as to shift timings until you drop to a 13 tooth front -then the gearing is good. the suspension from the factory is setup wrong, especially the back, which might explain the bad whoop performance. Mine sucked in the whoops until I backed off almost all the rebound dampening, then it came alive. As for the heavy front-end, I agree but I learned to compensate for the whoops and wheelies by shifting weight rearward and now I actually prefer the predators weight distribution. The rest of the time the weight distribution feels great -especially on the track. As for dunes, who the %^&* rides dunes without paddles? LOL!!

Personally, if I was to pick a quad from this review, I would weight them by ordering the categories in the order of importance to myself, and then come up with my own winner. For me it would go something like this:

1. Track
2. Handling
3. Motor
4. Suspension
5. Jumping
6. Whoops
7. Brakes
8. Transmission
9. Hills
10. Wheelies
11. Dunes (dunes would normally be higher, but since paddles weren't used and I always use paddles what good does the test do me?)

In the end the Predator was the best fit for me by far. Then again, I already knew this one ride after breakin!

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I read in the last issue of ATV Sport, they said that "Shootout" was done, but isnt going to be published until the April issue.

How would someone get a hold of that information already????
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

what would be way more informative is to add say $500 - $1000 off extra's onto each quad, pretty well typical of what most owners would do and test them again, who rides stockers............. Polaris would be at a disadavantage until the aftermarket gets going though.

I can't comment on the Polaris and look forward to some back to back seat time with my Raptors, but have ridden the LTZ and Raptor back to back in the sand and on sand/clay forest based trails from 1st gear technical tight as hell to WFO top gear whooped as fast as your brave and I find some of the conclusion above hard to figure: our rating was that the LTZ front end whilst plush would bottom before the raptors front, in high speed whoops (60mph plus) the LTZ was nervous and the front wandered alot, I'm talking wide open 6th gear on the limiter stuff here, the Raptor took the whoops better as it was easier to keep the nose light and the chassis balanced, the LT ran out of power then started to dig in the nose............

I can't figure the way to soft comments on the Rap, do these guys do any setup for themselves, did Yam soften the rear spring for 03 ? Agreed that under hard riding the Rap front does bottom, but our experience is that the LTZ would be hard on the stoppers also ! in general we found the Raptor is alot faster in the woods over the LTZ and allot easier to maintain a high avearge speed on, for a 400 though the LTZ is impressive.

Agreed that the Raptor is to narrow, what the heck where Yamaha thinking, the axle is narrower than the banshees............ a wide rear axle transforms the handling, why can't the factory see this and add something decent like Polaris has.

Dunes, geez any bozo knows that the radials will be way better than a bias ply tire............ thats where my comments about adding a few dollars of aftermarket like most Joe averages do then retest..........., Polaris could have had there dune version on hand................................ then what !!!!

Given all the Polaris hype I honestly expected it to gut, clean and rip the others...............

as for the LTZ been the best alround quad........... as nice as they are......... NOPE: not for the riding I do.............. others will have differing opinions.

So I dunno, read these tests with a grain of salt and best of all do your own back to back riding !

But let's face it, man has the sport quad market got some great quads on offer !!! and it's only going to get better and good on polaris for bring such a well set up package onto the market.

Kiwi

 

I don't see how the Raptor could be first in the drags....my buddy has a 2001 Raptor (set up for MX)...far from stock...and my stock Predator stomps him (at least two bike lenghts) in 300 ft. We both race MX and do very well, so the "rider inexperience" excuse can't be used. I am not saying that my situation should represent all Raptor/Predator races....but neither should "theirs."
As for Power...give a a break....Predator! Predator! Predator!...enough said.
The Predator front end is NOT heavy! The machine is desinged to stay on the ground...but given the massive power, you ARE able to loft the front end.

 

I still don't see how they justify saying that the LTZ is best over all?

 

We all must remember that these shootouts are a matter of opinion. You will find just as many that agree as you will that disagree. I have owned several shootout losers and now a winner of several. To tell you the truth I never thought my losers were all that bad. I have out performed several of the so called winners on my old Arctic Cats over and over.
The only thing that matters is if you like it. To the mags favor, I never thought I would see the day when Honda lost a shoot out. But look at the Rincon, loser and Honda that is something that has never been printed in a mag before.
You have to agree that it is a great time to buy a quad, there are so many choices. I think it will only get better as Yamaha and Honda will not set and watch their sales drop.

 

I definatly don't agree with dunes issue. Since I raced plenty of 400 ex and 440 Z's the first time
I took my Predator to the dunes and all of them had sand tires and me all I had was my stock
raz'rs at the time. We raced on flat ground and up steep hills and I smoked both of those bikes by at least
1 -2 bike lengths easily. So imagine if the Raz'rs suck in the sand how bad it would have been if I to hand sand tires.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Im still skepitical about this shootout. Was it printed in a Mag? Who is the source and what connections do they have in order to get this information????


Need Input!! lol

RED