recently i discovered my love for MX. Dont get me wrong, i love trail riding. Right now, my raptor is perfect for trail riding but only decent for MX. Its pretty much impossible to have a quad perfect for both worlds. The two inherantly need different setups. Some can be adjusted but some cannot. For this winter, i am planning on putting a +4 axle, +4 or +3 a arms and better front shocks. In my opinion, this is all it needs to make it a good mx racer but at the same time, im gonna take down half the forest with me if i try to take it down the tight trails of Pennsylvania.

Here come the question. Is the raptor worth putting the money into turning it into an mx quad. I love my raptor but if its not a worthy foundation for building into an mx quad i wont bother ill sell it and get a yfz, the new honda 450, or a 440ex. See, a 400ex isnt so great stock for mx, but its frame and motor too give it a lot of potential. Its strong suites also happen to be vital components of a quad that usually determine how good it is. So i would really just like to hear some opinions on what you think

 

no replies? im surprised

 

ttt-good question. i would like to race mine one day also. dont tell me i need another one[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

exactly!, i would love to hear some opinions

 

ok dude your right to make it wider thats the first step to MXing with the rappy considering its tippyness. ok next thing open up both of its breathing holes and rejet it. after that u will have a potent MX machine. i wouldnt trade it in for a yfz i would take the money u saved from not buying a yzf and put it in your machine the raptor is a great machine after u widen it up and open it up. the front shock thing is a good idea to. jus my 2 cents aiight den -PEACE-[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

thanks, i didnt want to have to go buy a yfz too[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

You only need to go +2 on your A-arms. Adjustable shocks are a must. I went with WORKS Steelers which are not adjustable. Don't get me wrong, they're good, but for not much more money I could have had "great". If you're running stock gearing, you would be better off going down one tooth on the front sprocket. Get rid of the stock air filter and spend the hundred bucks for the adaptor and either K&N or foam filter. The +4 axle is good. Right now I'm using wheel spacers, but it's only a matter of time before I bend or bust the stock axle.
The Raptor is a great MXer as long as you're doing it for fun. You're only going to use about 1/3 of the Raptor's power. Suspension is what is going to make you faster.

 

I have to agree with the suspension mods mentioned so far. I went from TT/oval track racing my Raptor to MX racing and it's required a completely new setup along with better physical conditioning on my part. My 01 is still very stock, but the 12 tooth front sprocket, front lowering kit and Lonestar axle made it a whole new machine. I can actually slide over jumps coming out of corners now, and continue sliding when it lands 5-7 feet away. I'm going with the +2 A arms with the best shocks I can afford in about a month. After riding a Raptor at the track with full Lonestar/TCS suspension, it seems like the way to go. Then maybe I'll even get a pipe for it, even though it already has enough power to run down ANYTHING in the straight sections.
As my abilities increase, I'm also running into the throttle response issues on big landings. I'd like to know more about carb setups that can handle this type of riding.

 

whats wrong with the rear shock geometry? will someone please fill me in? thanks for teh replies so far!

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: warrior86
whats wrong with the rear shock geometry? will someone please fill me in? thanks for teh replies so far!

Basically the angle of the shock being more diagonal than vertical in referance the the frame.