i would say bombardier took the first step i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 426 in dirt wheels is banshee based and both have been beat by 250r 16 year old hondas a stock tecate4 is faster than a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

Okay first off 400 freak where do you see technological advancement on a 400EX. It is a simple dry sump 4-Stroke 4-Valve nothing special.
As for Banshees and 250Rs and the Kawasaki 250 they will always be around and can probably still kick butt on the track cause lets face it they are two-strokes so simple modifications make a world of difference. But as for the Raptor you can see how far Yamaha has came they have taken the first substanial step into big cc ATVs. They have patented the first ever 5-valve 4-stroke. So hats off to Yamaha for making the Raptor.

 

i would give bombardier the first move i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 400 bored to 426 is banshee based the one in dirt wheels and both have been beat by 16 year old honda 250r's a stock tecate 4 will smoke a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

i would give the bow to bombardier tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 400 bored to 426 is banshee based both have been beat by 16 year old 250r's i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc a stock tecate will smoke a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

i would give the bow to bombardier tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 400 bored to 426 is banshee based both have been beat by 16 year old 250r's i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc a stock tecate will smoke a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

i would give the bow to bombardier tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 400 bored to 426 is banshee based both have been beat by 16 year old 250r's i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc a stock tecate will smoke a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

i would give the bow to bombardier tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 400 bored to 426 is banshee based both have been beat by 16 year old 250r's i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc a stock tecate will smoke a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

i would give the bow to bombardier tim farrs 426 is 250r based the great outdoors store 400 bored to 426 is banshee based both have been beat by 16 year old 250r's i dont think a stock raptor will be competitive in gncc a stock tecate will smoke a stock banshee and to this date jeremy mcgrath has won more on a honda than a yamaha

 

For some reason some of you seem to be having a hard time understanding what I wrote. I didn't brag about technological advances, I simply stated that without the success of the 400 that all this stupid bickering probably would not be taking place. The high performance market was stagnant for years, Honda took a big step introducing a new performance quad and with the success that followed we are now reaping the benefits. And with the ds650 ALREADY on the market the Raptor IS NOT the first big cc unit out there.

 

Just to clear things up,yamaha has been using five valves on four stroke engines for over 15 yrs.Does anyone here remember the genesis motors used in their street sport bikes back in the mid 80's.Not exactly new technology,new to atv world yes,but not new.I wholeheartedly applaud yamaha for continueing to push the sport atv market.The street and dirt bike segment gets new stuff every year,while the atv market(excluding utilities) hasnt seen anything new in a decade until recently.I say this is the tip of the iceberg of things to come.So sit back and enjoy your ride.Remember that there will always be a machine faster than yours somewhere,but maybe not with a faster rider on it.