Heres my two cents. Raptor alittle narrow so need more body english to ride,also wheelie happy so when side hilling on sand it doesnt always go where you want it to.I put wheel spacers in rear and a +4 swingarm to take care of those problems. The Z400 well balanced,cushy but just alittle down on power from the Raptor.Have LRD 440 kit in mine now so a good bit more power( and thrill) .YFZ is fast, only quad I havent owned but raced it with my WTEC Eraser w/520KTM engine, good thrill factor and everyone if taked to loved it. Seat hard but you could get new padding/cover. Think you may need this quad coming off of SHee. Hope this helps.

 

Good info.. thanks..
How is the Raptor going to feel compared to the Shee?
Again.. is the $1000 more for the Raptor worth it over the KFX/Z really?

 

*cough* no *cough* ... lol

I don't think so, for trail riding and if you are staying close to stock, that it is worth a cent more. JMO though, I almost bought a Raptor then went crazy and wound up with a Cannondale for 2 grand less.

 

Raptor seat alittle high and feels tippy when riding.Dont sit a far forward as on a Shee but soft seat and ride.

 

If you want the same kick in the pants power that you get from the Banshee your gonna HAVE to get a Raptor, theres no other bike that compairs as much to the Banshee as the Raptor does! Also the Rappy isn't hard at all the throw around at all, I've had no problems with that since I bought it. If your really set on not getting a Rappy then I'd get the YFZ but your gonna have to sacrifice the extra money for that and you'll never have the modifacation potential that just a pipe, silencer, and filter add. I'm not sure what the YFZ's power is like at all but I doubt it's like the Rappy's powerplant at all. Also, with the Z and KFX you'll NEVER have the same power that a Banshee or Rappy has, the 400cc engine just doesnt cut it, but they do handle great! I don't think the Z and KFX have exciting power at all just enough to get the job done.

 

Raptors and Z's have almost identical power and torque on bottom(raptor may have just a bit more) but after 3rd gear the raptor eats up the z.

 

Has the starter been beefed up at all with all of its problems for 04? I'm really curious if the 04 Raptor is any different then the 03?

 

I dont think so.. I think they are all the same besides the 01 with the tranny problem.. so i think they have just been adding colors... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] And YES THE RAPTOR HAS MORE POWER THAN THE Z... You gotta be kidding me guys u can feel it too.. My brother owns a Z and its nothing compared to my raptor. And YES THE RAPTOR IS VERY EASY TO THROW AROUND...And BibBubba is very right the raptor is the closest to the shee.. Cause you dont lose that thrill and that burte force and the UMPH of the bike lol. I really think that the raptor is going to be PERFECT for you..

 

I realy don't want to get into this but.........

The Raptor will be best for what you describe as what you want to use it for and be close to what you had with a shee. Stock for stock the Raptor and shee are pretty dang close, can go either way in drags. Bottom end (trail riding) is hands down better on the Raptor than the shee. If you want the quick reving and somewhat 2 stroke feel like a shee then the YFZ is the only thing that comes close and it is faster than either the Raptor and shee in 300' drags (stock). The shocks are fully adjustable and can be made cushier if your not mxing with it. The seat can also be made cushier with new padding and cover.

 

Yes I know but I think the raptor is going to suit him more for the type of riding he's going to do... Because the raptor seems a lot like the banshee in the dunes and is a monster on the trails.. I just dont think anything can climb like the raptor and the banshee... I think its either go with the raptor or i think the good thing might be is make ur shee into a monster [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]