With the Yamaha dealer show in progress in Vegas specs of the new Yamaha are filtering out.

Here is what I've been told by our sales manager who is there...

660cc thumper
electric start w/ reverse
narower than the DS,
and Yamaha claims a dry weight of 398lbs.

I'm sure ALL the details will be out by the end of the week.

 

Yamaha is posting '01 models on June 8. Stay tuned!

 

I traded in my motorcycle today for the deposit and reservation of the new yamaha, i still dont even know what it is like but from the pictures it looks awesome and from the rumors it even sound better,please any body, as soon as you hear anything post it , particularly on price or date it comes out

 

sounds like its gonna be good, lots of power, reverse,and about 400lb? wow

 

Jerry,

Let's just hope that they didn't use the "off the shelf" chain adjustment and air filter set-up. Those are really my only concerns for now. I think I'll wait and see how they'll do, but I have a feeling that the power output won't compare with our modified Polaris machines. Still I hope to be proven wrong.

 

Mike,

I totally agree. I've put more time and money into my 400L than I care to be reminded of! I have built my 400L to be good at one thing, and that is straight line dragging (300' E.T runs). It can hold its own on trails, but without much underbody protection I try to stay out of them as much as possible.

I do have my 400L listed for sale here locally, although I don't feel an urgency to sell it, I thought I'd see if I got any bites on it.

I'm just trying to find a happy medium between drag racing and all purpose riding. A this point it looks like the Raptor fits the bill. Although the suspension specs don't overly impress me it has everything else going for it.

I hope that if I do end up on a Raptor I can remember how to shift!

 

Everything on the Raptor is up at the Yamaha web
site. Go to the links page, choose the ATV section
and it's all right there. Looks pretty cool, especially the reverse. I like not getting stuck but if I had the bucks I'd probably go get one.

 

I believe the Raptor will be king of the sand & fire roads, ie the fastest. How will it handle in the woods, a good shootout will tell us this.

One thing is for sure, the bar is about to be raised a notch!

 

I'll let you know how they perform in the woods as soon as one shows up at a GNCC race. From what I have read an seen so far, they won't be any faster that a 400EX in the woods. Now as for the desert, fire roads and other high speed areas, watch out.

 

the raptor's msrp will be $6200 at least thats what the new issue of atv action says.