Not all 400ex owners are babies. I just got back from the dealer and have put my money down on one of these Raptors. I am tired of getting dogged in a straight line...just tell me I am going to bet my buddies DS650. I can't stand the whippings I am getting on the drag strip. If this sucker handles anything like my 400ex I will be one happy dude.

 

A high performance machine is typically light weight making it easy to move around manually. Reverse should be standard equip on all heavy utiltiy pigs.

My 3 wheelers and quad are operated on anything but smooth, dry terrain (yes, I ride in the snow & mud, a little foresight goes a long way, reverse should not be a substitute for good judgement) and very seldom do I ever have to dismount to back up, if I do, I don't mind jumping off and moving the bike around a bit... If I wanted to sit down and not have to get up, I could be on the couch, drinking a beer, getting programmed by the tube.

Not that I would mind having reverse, it's handy, but not something to base a buying decision on, on a high performance machine. There are far too many more important factors (like weight, crankcase width, cost, etc...).

Heck, if I had it my way, I wouldn't have electric start either.... (But it is handy at times too, costly at other times though)

 

WHOEVER GETS THE FIRST FX400!

 

For one if you dont know this engine is from a European Street bike, you know like CBR's ninjas, that kind of street bike. twin carbs, so it should have good throttle response, also it features a Five valve head (the only thing I can think of with a 5 valve head is a Ferrari) so how many sluggish street bikes you ever seen. also width is not a concern, id just slap on some durablue wheel spacers or or offset rim

 

The EX has it's hands full handling the Scamblers let alone the rest, the Banshee should be in there instead.

 

And when the Raptor stuffs between two tight trees, the EX will get hung up! I even stuff my Kodiak through trees that my buddies EX wouldnt fit through (that shocked the crap out of both of us). Wide is better for the sand, but who wants a wide machine in tight woods?

 

Look at it from a engineering view:
Both of these machines were built fairly recently. When the 400EX came out, it was the hot ticket since it was a new release. There is nothing really wrong with the quad, except the engine isn't as powerful as it could (should) be. However, it takes all of its technology from the late 1980's. The 400EX's were nothing more than 250R's with less powerful engines. Honda spent no money in R&D to develop anything better. The Yamaha on the other hand is a new machine from the ground up. Twin 33mm carbs, ratchet-shift tranny, 5-valve heads, titanium valves...all new technology for the ATV world. None of us know how the machine will perform yet, but Yamaha deserves the credit for a definate step in the right direction. This quad may have opened the door for many new sport quads to come....from all manufacturers.

 

since the first time i rode a 400ex I said it's too wide for me to race in the woods. my warrior has a front width of 40 and a rear width of 42. its great for woods racing. i can haul A$$ through tight technical areas where the 400 just can't doit I have had people that i race against tell me whart an atvantage i have over thier 400's. the first time i got to race againt a 400 was at a race at buds creek. i was following a 400 on the first lap and i'll ad mit we were going pretty good until we hit a tight section the it happened he went to go between two trees and i thought to my self if he fit i'll fit. well he didn't he stoped dead ind i nailed him and then the guy behinded me nailed me. too this day i still have a 400ex exaustpipe imprint in my front bumper.and on the subject of reverse it is very nice to have its not necisary but when you get in to a bottle neck because some honda get stuck or nails a tree you just put it in reverse and find away around in the mean time every one with out reverse is toof thier bikes trying to move them and i'm gone. in a race seconds count and you need to use every atvantage you can get.and for the electric start it goes with reverse if you get in a bad spot and happen to stall it hit the botton and go. also woods races are dead motor starts guess who normal gets good starts(except for me last year) electric start bikes. good old YAMAHA my have made my dream bike come true but only time will tell.

 

Nice point, the raptor sits higher and and isn't as wide, which means a higher center of gravity, which also means more of a tendency to tip. The light weight makes it easier to slide perhaps, but again makes it easier to tip.
Also just what are you going to do with 650+ CC's in a tight trail. Sounds like a track and dune buster to me... don't get me wrong, I'd love to have one. But the trails I ride, my blaster is more than enough.

 

raptor duh because it is a yahama and yamaha's rock the raptor is going to kill the 400ex and the ds650 and leave them in the dust!!!!!!!!!!

YaMaHa FoReEvEr