Hello all,

Been hanging out here the last week or two and decided to join up. Have a couple of question as well. I am 39 and been off the dirt for about 15 years. Going to get a quad in the next month or so but obviously it's a whole new ball game out there and there is only so much you can tell from reading reviews etc.

Have a couple of questions for some of you that have been riding for a while. I used to have a pretty much stock 86 Quadracer LT250R and really liked it. Felt it would have been perfect with a few mods, pipe and port etc. but it got stolen before I got them done. Before that, I rode dirt bikes, 4 and 2 strokes for years.

Flash forward to now. I plan on doing mostly local stuff, messing around down by the river, have a field to lay out a flat track course with a couple jumps on it. A couple of trips a year to the mountains for some tight trail riding and an annual pilgrimmage to Little Sahara for some Dune Blasting.

I am a good size guy at 6'2" and 260lbs in gear as well. I am looking at 3 main options considering budget right now.

1. 87-91 LT250R - They fit me better than the TRX does and are about half the price of a TRX in this part of the country. I know this quad and feel it would work for me but do not want to ignore the new stuff with the better suspension as 10 years of riding/racing has taken it's toll on me and the back, knees and hips aren't what they used to be.

2. 92 and Up Banshee - Always wanted one but never got to actually ride one, and they are plentiful around here. Lack of low end and old suspension is a concern though, especially for those mountain trips.

3. 2001-2003 Raptor 660 - Right at the edge of my budget and always loved Yamaha. Not sure about the 4 stroke thing in a quad tho. Reverse isn't a big deal to me.

Now that you have the back ground...Thanks for sticking around this long. My main questions is with cornering...flat track style of cornering, Hanging off the side with the bars cranked, flat tracking through a sweeper, steering with the great 2 stroke power and the rear end of the quad. I absolutely loved that and I am not sure the Raptor can do that as well as the old 2 stroke quads did. Doesn't look like it from videos I have seen anyway.

Love the Hit of the 2 strokes as well although I am not a revver by nature. I know, sounds wierd, but that was one of the things about that LT250R, it had great low end and mid for a 2 stroke as well as decent top end. Not having to use premix would be awful nice tho too.

I would consider myself an intermediate level rider and would love to hear from someone who may have owned an old LT and can compare it these type of riding conditions to the Banshee and Raptor.

Posted in the Yamaha Forum as well but Want some Zilla guys thoughs.

 

Having owned 2 of the 3 quads (LT & Banshee) & ridden 660 & 700 Raptors, I can tell you you'd hate the Banshee for anything but sheer speed. They ride terrible & handle sub-par. As you already know, no low end lugging at all for tight situations. LT250R's are better riding, but seriously...... if you can afford a nice used Raptor, buy one. You can ride a Raptor all day & not be sore, or you can ride a Banshee or LT for 2 hours and wanna go home. I understand the "cult" following the old 2-strokers have, but they are just that.... OLD!!!!

Sounds as though you've never ridden a Raptor, right?? Stock for stock a Raptor is just as fast as a Banshee or LT, put a pipe on either 2-stroker & it's a different story. Having said that, you'll have the same amount of power, BUT 100 times the ride quality & handling. No worring about carring pre-mix gas & I know you said reverese isn't a big deal, but take mine & what I know others will tell you, use reverse just once & you'll change your mind.

One more thing. Don't buy an '01 Raptor. They all had bad transmissions. There is a "fix kit" for them, but it'll cost 'ya $700-800
You're better of taking that extra 7-800 & using it towards an '02-up Raptor.

 

Thanks theCATman. I appreciate you sharing your experience. I think the main thing I am worried about with the Raptor is cornering. I loved flat tracking, power slides on the LT. Since the Raptor is at the top end of my price range it doesn't leave anything left over for wider axles, a-arms etc either.

Your right I haven't been able to ride one. I know someone with a Banshee and a DS 650 that I am supposed to hook up with and go try them out soon. But do not know any Raptor riders around Tulsa yet.

Thanks again for the info!!

 

Have you considered the yamaha yfz450.From what I hear they handle good and alot of power.Im pretty sure they would probably be faster than the lt250 and probably handle just as well.I love the old two strokes as well but I sure like the convenience of having a newer four stroke motor that you can just hit a button and go.The old zilla I've got is nice to keep around just in case someone starts beating up on my kfx.I've drag raced several of the newer sport bikes and beat them with my zilla but I havent tried them all.

 

My experience mirrors theCATman's. I have an '86 LT, and have ridden the '87 model year plus a banshee plenty. I have also put a bit of seat time on the Raptors, and I would have to say the raptor fits with what you want to do well. They are taller and have a different feel than the LT will, but it is something you would get used to. Notably, they ride so much better than an LT although they do give up a little in stability. The YFZ or similar 450 is a great choice too, you get handling on par or better than a trx250r with suspension light years ahead. They do require more frequent maintenance though. good luck shopping.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I agree the YFZ is likely the better choice. The way the used ones are priced though puts them about 1-2k out of my price range. Going to try to find a way to get a test ride on a raptor and check it out. Your feedback here has helped and been greatly appreciated.

 

Have a 01 Raptor 660 and stock it was dissappointing. I added a couple of mods: full exhaust, cam, port-polished head, rev box and a huge improvement!!!!! Got my 04 KTM 525sx stock....and my eyes were opened for where to go for real speed without putting alot of money into a bike with decreasing the realiability issues.... Sportquads require alot of money to be wicked and that's a shame, because the companies do that on purpose!!!!!!

 

i whould stay away from the 01 model raptor because they have bad trannys. the only way i whould but one is if it has the upgraded tranny.


and yes jty2k they do require a bit of money to make fast. i have a raptor 700 which is one of the cheapest quads to upgrade (atleast the cheapest 4-stroke) and it is costing me 2500-3000 grand to get about 75hp

 

I must be one of the lucky 2001 Raptor 660 owners, because I've had mine since Aug. 10, 2000 without any transmission problems.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: JTY2K

I must be one of the lucky 2001 Raptor 660 owners, because I've had mine since Aug. 10, 2000 without any transmission problems.</end quote></div>

yep your a lucky one....i have a couple of friends who had to replace theres. it costed quite abit