If you had to opportunity to own both, you would know that a 400ex can beat a Raptor. In a drag race, no way. On an mx track, definitely. I rode the Raptor full time and timed laps. I could get off the Raptor onto a 400ex with light mods that I barely rode and beat my own times on a Raptor. Forget the breakdown factor. I had to buy the "spare" 400ex so I had something to ride when I drove 7 hours to ride. It didn't take long to realize the Raptor was costing too much more for its fun factor. I am not cheap either. Hell, I just spent $230,000 on some land so I have a place to ride. The Raptor was just to damn inconvenient.

Oh yea and the Raptor had a full triple rate Elka suspension with the sag option.

 

Touche, But that's why I'm getting rid of the Raptor for a yfz. good times

 

My original point was that it is fun to beat other bikes as it is mostly the rider. The point for many owners moving away from the Raptor is that incrementally it doesn't increase the "fun" factor at the same rate it hits the wallet. Keeping a Raptor in tip top shape is more expensive than any other sport quad out there. Without a doubt, a 400ex is cheaper to maintain than the other sport quads. Honda is the only one whose replacement parts are within reason.

Anyhow, show me a poweful quad and 90% of the time I will show you a rider that is afraid to crack the throttle or can't handle the power anyhow. The "fun" factor is taking a slower machine and out riding people you know are on faster bikes. I am not the one saying that a 400ex is faster from a pure mechanical standpoint. I think testing by the mags has proven that a 400ex will get beat in any type of drag race by all the other sport quads. So then, what is more fun and says more about your riding ability than beating a faster bike. If I do get beat, who cares since it is only a 400ex. But, how do you handle getting beat by one? After all, you know it isn't your bike right? What excuse do you use so you can get to sleep? Maybe I better upgrade those shocks and maybe the a-arms and axle. Nah, I think it is my tires. Maybe I better get that 696 or 720 kit. Damn, I can't get beat by that 400ex again. That thing must not be stock. Yea, I heard that guy had some crazy $hit done to the engine. ZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzzz (asleep at last). [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

/NotuRaptor

 

Well I had a rapter, It was an 01. First month was back in the shop with a starter clutch problem. About 8 months after that it was 2nd gear in the tranny. To months later I sold it. I bought a z400 and have had a blast since, atleast until my wife too it from me and I bought another Yamaha...............the shee!

 

Well guys I had a fun ride with my rator as well, but it is now gone from the garage. Noturaptor2 is right the cost of maintaining the raptor is not worth the grin that you get from the massive torque. Plus with me having an 01' I was terrified of the 01' transmission. It was worth it to me to not have to worry about blowing up my motor everytime I went out for a ride.

Now I can RIDE and have FUN instead of saying to myself, "Ok, Now I can't speed shift cause I have that crap 01' tranny, and I can't put it in reverse, and I can't jump too high cause my weak 01' axle is going to break. Now.....what was fun about this thing again....? O crap thats right I have to go order ANOTHER replacement part when I get home cause something ELSE broke. Man I have to work more hours this week so I can afford these parts....ughhh!!!........"

To those of you who still have your 01' raptors I wish you many happy trouble free rides, but man I rest much easier now that its gone......

 

Noturaptor: i agree and i don't. i own a warrior as well and can admit...there is some thing more satisfying beating people on that...rather than just lining up with the raptor and blowing them away.

However, Ex guys love to point out that there little ole 400 will beat a raptor on the track. that has not been my experience. i don't know of any raptors that show up at the track that aren't modded. i do see the occasional stock ex though. but most are setup for track as well and normaly are 440's. regardless, they don't fair as well as you may think against a raptor with +3 a-arms and elkas. sure it cost 4K to get my raptor lower and wider. but it is. and it has a stage1 cam and highcomp piston.

and before you say...look what you had to spend on it to get to handle like that...then i would point out alot of these EX's on the track have the same amount of money in there quads. they run wider a-arms and elka's as well. Showa shocks don't cut it on the track.

what i can't argue is the amount of money it takes to maintain the Raptor in it's true fighting potential. and then when you get it there...you can't ride it in most trails because it's to wide. thats where i'd find myself on the wifes warrior that i've modded nicely.

LOL...im racing my friends through the trails on a warrior....and they're like...Dude don't you own a Raptor. i tell them i ride the warrior to give them a chance. my real fear is...something will break on the raptor and it will keep me off the track.

Flynbryn: did you already sell it? what did you get for it? what are you gettin next? expand please.

 

Yep Kuz I sold it last night. They offered me exactly the same that I paid for it, and knocked off $500 on a brand new 03' Predator that was on the floor......HAD to do it. I couldn't pass that offer up. It handles 10 times better than my raptor did, its a little down on torque compared to a rappy, but it revs WAY faster. I love it. I'll miss my raptor, but I won't miss all the maintnance and stuff wearing out/breaking all the time. Like Gary660 has said, it seemed like everytime I rode it I was replacing something else that went bad. I just got fed up, and now that I have the Preddy..... I can't wipe this stupid grin of my face. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I'm on my stock chain and stock rear sprocket still. Almost no signs of wear or stretching. The quad is 3 years old with Stage 1 Bolt ons. The front sprocket was changed for lower gearing last summer. Had minor signs of wear.

 

YOU SOLD A RAPTOR TO GET A PREDATOR????????? Just wait for all the repairs you will have now, may not even make a whole day. That would just spoil a weekend ride.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img]

 

TriRap, I don't feel the need to justify my decision to you. I did my home work on the reliability, and found many satisfied customers...... I'm extremely happy with what I got.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]