Okay guys, I like the Raptor so much I have one on order but I still think when it comes to the adrenaline rush the Banshee will win out. I believe I will have to spend twice as much to make my Raptor equal to stroked Banshees. Hey in sand drags the Banshee will be the king for a while. There are guys punching out 700cc in Banshees. As much as I love fourstrokes I don't feel dollar per doller they will compete with a two stroke in a drag race. Now I know not everyone drage races so, I think thats where the Raptor shines is in every other catogory, even MX, unless it is a real short course. Hey I'm thinking about turbos and EFI to compete with the Banshees in sand drags. Hey I've been even thinking about a custom Lonstar Raptor (you know they'll do that) frame with a trick R1 crotch rocket motor. Well if the Raptor ain't fast enough guess I will have to remortage.

 

And how successfull were those Tecates??? My Banshee uses Tecates for toilet paper. There's going to be a lot of 400EX's for sale real soon! Bet that pisses Honda off! RAPTORS ROCK!!!!!!!!!

 

ScottD,
That's like saying Vipers aren't fast because I don't see alot of them. The fact is the Tecate ran with a 100cc bigger quad & on top of that had more ...I guess "style" is the word.

 

I cant wait to see one at the dirt drag. I hope it a lot better than that joke of a atv 650 bomb.

 

First of all, you will have to sink lots of $$ into a fourstroke to compete with a twostroke, I don't care how many valves you have. The fact has been proven time and time again. Yes the Raptor will probably be faster than a Banshee, stock for stock. But with a mild port job and pipes, The banshee is making just under 50 ponies and the wheels. You are going to spend some bucks to keep the Raptor in that realm of performance.
The Yz426 powered "Banshee" in Dirt wheels had only the brakes and body work from a banshee. The entire front end is a custom set-up from laeger's calles a Pro-Trax T-pin front end. Take a close look at those spindles and you will realize that they are not like anything offered on a production quad. The frame geometry mimicks Honda's 250r. As far as winning races, looks to me like Jeremy wins on any machine he is put on. Does anybody else see the problem of comparing full works(totally hand made custom racing machines) with what we will be able to purchase?

 

I think Banshees with whip on the raptor but no the top end. But How many times you get that big of strait away to go 90 down through?

00 400ex
www.geocities.com/cory_14/

 

WAR 99 ,
Both the Tecate 3 and Tecate 4 were the leaders when it came to horsepower and speed. The Tecate 3 was a bit faster than the Yamaha Tri-z and Atc250R, while the Tecate 4 was faster than the TRX250R and the Suzuki LT 250R. Now that is really only talking straightline speed/acceleration, not on the MX track of course.

I would not recommend that WAR 99 race a Tecate!!

RoostKing...

 

I have no doubt the Raptor will be a great quad, but you are forgetting something. You say that the Raptor is going to smoke everything??? Sure it will be fast, but when was the last time you were ever 5th gear wide open in the woods??? How many G.N.C.C races have you been in??? I race most of the G.N.C.C races in the south and when you have trees three inches from both sides of your quad you are not wide open much. Sure top speed will help in the open sections, but the open sections are rarely very long at all out of ten miles you may have a mile and a half of open sections. In the G.N.C.C it takes a good machine I will give you that, but it is more rider than machine as long as your machine stays together. For example what is leading the points right now??? Bill Balance's 250R sure there are Banshees in the pro class and and even a Banshee with the YZ426 motor in it and I am sure it is faster on top end, but you don't see the Banshee or the YZ quad in the top five? And when was the last time you saw one take a victory in the G.N.C.C Steven Holbert on his 400EX took the victory in Macon this year. The Raptor is 3 inches narrower than the 400EX I am intrested in seeing it on some of the nice off cambers. Sure you can buy +1 a arms but the EX does not need that. Oh well it will be intresting, but the Raptor will not just blow away the EX in the GNCC.

 

Are you guys dumb, everyone had to come out with quads with 650's and 400's to compete with the Banshee, and they still get smoked if the Banshee is moded. and then Yamaha comes out with a 660 and you think they are following? They were just waiting for little red and the little bumblebee to get "perfected" so they could smash it with a bigger quad all over again. I can't wait for you guys to come across a raptor on the trails.

 

I will take the new yamaha on with my dads qaudzilla I gaurantee the new yamy will get smoked as a matter of fact i will race him on my 250r and I will bet all the money in my pocket right now (hehe)seroisly I will race a new raptor with the zilla anyday any time anywhere. and don't say in tight woods because a good rider will make up for the zilla being wide.