I agree. I almost never hear people complain about the Raptor's looks but for some reason people think the Suzuki is ugly and would never buy it. If it's based on a Raptor and 400ex...then it should handle pretty good and the motor is awesome. It may not be the fastest top speed wise but i expect it to be a fast quad in real terrain (you mean there is more to being fast than going straight you say?).

 

I am starting to come around, I think I like it more than the 400EX. If the motor isn't wussed out than I would prolly get one. Also, anyone have a price on it, I heard mid 5 grand.

 

<< I just want someone besides Cannondale to build a &quot;Racer&quot;, >>




ltracerx, What is wrong with you? Or more to the point, what is wrong with Cannondale? You sound like someone who will buy ANYTHING from ANYONE as long as its not American! That kind of thinking really frosts me. Here you are willing to spend 6200 (what I've been told) and then another 1000 on hop ups, but you wont consider a Cannibal for 200-400 less that really doesn't need anything. Havent you (or anyone else who thinks this way)been watching TV? We have a responsibility as Americans to support OUR economy, OUR jobs and OUR people. You are willing to turn your back on this just because the bikes had some EARLY production problems that were fixed? I have news for you pal, Cdale might have had their problems in the past , but they are rapidly becoming one of the most reliable bikes you can buy. (Its kinda like getting on an airplane after a big disaster....It's the safest place to be)..everyone is on their toes and being extra careful with every thing they do. Remember The rotax engines they put in the ATK and Can-Ams(bombardier in the 70's)? They had a great reputation for running for ever. You NEVER heard of one of hem blowing up. Heck I know all kinds of people who have had Hondas,Yamahas etc. blow up. (They were modified to keep up with hp on the level of Cdales).. Ask your self this....How is it that a cannibal weighs 5 lbs more (375) than a Z400 (370), yet it has an aluminum frame? Its because it is over-engineered in many areas much like the DS650 is for increased reliability. I personally know of at least 4 people who have broken their frames on their ex's. Ok,so they had their early problems with spindles(redesigned)and ball joints (also redesigned). At least they had the b***s to recall them and own up to it (unlike most other companies). I DARE you to ACTUALLY RIDE a Cannondale and THEN tell me its not worth the extra money.

 

Thank you for putting words in my mouth Newzboy. What I meant by &quot;I just want someone else besides Cannondale to build a&quot;Racer&quot; is that I want more quads from all the manufacturers that are like the Cannondale quads. And actually, I am really considering a Cannibal for a couple reasons.1:They look sweet and from what I am told have the best Power-To-Weight ratio.2:It will support our economy.3: Nobody around here has one and I didn't want to follow the 250R and 400EX guys.4: It is the closest to a &quot;Racer&quot; type quad(besides other cannondales).

 

man, those cannondales are awesome!

 

I can't wait to see one on the trail.

Suzuki listened to the riders. Build a 250R style chasis, put one of the high compression 400cc motors in it, liquid cooled, and add reverse.

Hmmm, they hit it dead on. It looks like they are using the same tires as the Raptor, and even though those tires are only 2 ply, they hook up like crazy. (I like them especially in the snow. In the hard pack I would change them over to a Razor, or holeshot).

I am very excited about the machine. Look at the mods available for the Raptor, 1 year after it's release. Can you imagine the hop ups for this thing a year from now? And light! 370lbs.

Very cool. Don't knock it until you've seen it. More competition means better machines. And in the past 3 years, the industry has rocked! DS, Cannondale, Raptor, and now Suzuki. Can't wait until Honda or Kawi responds....

RM

 

am i the only one who thinks Newzboy is working for cannondale or something?

 

A year? i wouldn't be suprised if Yoshimura already has a full Ti exhaust ready. Suzuki allowed Yosh to develop racing exhaust for their DRZ400 before they started production.

 

<< am i the only one who thinks Newzboy is working for cannondale or something? >>



Yeah, I was kind of thinking the same thing. He probably polishes the corperate jet (Yes, Cannondale has a private jet). He sounds like the type who still drives an AMC Pacer because &quot;it has American in the name so that makes it the best&quot;. I think it's great that Suzuki is coming out with a quad that's small enough to race and has reverse. I believe sombody already makes a 440 kit for the DRZ that ought to drop right in. Now if Yamaha will just put the WR426 motor in the Raptor frame and call it the new Warrior...

 

Boy are my ears burning!...This may seem misplaced in a suzuki post (my apologies) but you guys brought it up so here goes.. Actually, Let me give you guys a little background since you've obviously seen my posts before....I agree, it does sound like I work for Cannondale.(maybe I should) I work on an air force base as a web page supporter (gov't contractor) and have a part time home rehab business. I drive a Ford Windstar and a Toyota pickup. I eat, sleep and breathe 4 wheelers and dirtbikes and have for almost 30 years (I'm 42)....I don't own a Cannondale ....yet...I am working on it ,but my wife and I homeschool our 3 kids and I am both salaries. My current group of bikes are all fixers (for sale)a 95 mojave,84 atc 200x,75 yam 125 mx.....most recent bikes just sold were 97 Banshee with cool heads ,motofast 2 into 1(very fun), cr 500, xr600(my fav)well, you get the idea. It should come as no surprise to any of you that I REALLY REALLY want Cannondale to succeed. I have a tremendous amount of American pride. I cant hear the star spangled banner and not get a lump in my throat. I realize no one wants to buy inferior bikes, hey I wouldnt buy an American car until the 90's because they were crap. But this company,these bikes are different. They are good,really good. I know all of the magazines are gun shy after &quot;Dirt Rider&quot; gave the bike of the year award to a preproduction Cannondale that had a lot of problems. Now they are very reserved in their praise for fear of a repeat. But these problems have been dealt with, and fixed. But realistically speaking ,the purpose of these bikes is to buy them and them beat the crap out of them...and they do hold up very well. I think they have turned the corner on the earlier woes and have full confidence in them. I have been personally corresponding with Scott Montgomery of Cannondale and when he tells me something ,I believe him. I have seen a lot of products and bikes come and go in since I was a kid and I believe that we are VERY fortunate to have a company like Cannondale showing this kind of effort. I'll bet the British would kill for a new quad manufacturer like this.....Sorry this post is so long, but as you can tell my feelings about this company are real and I can't help it. If you or anyone you know is in the market for a sport quad (or if they arent, and they have bad mouthed the cdale),you really owe it to yourself to throw a leg over this beast. I (we) want to hear from you new converts....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]