The August issue of ATV Action has a test ride report on the 2001 660R Raptor. In the article is the following quote:

"With the bottom end push of a Honda 400ex, the midrange punch of a DS650 and the top end rev out of a Banshee, Yamaha has combined everything we've liked about different high-performance motors into one striking powerplant. On the handling end, Yamaha paid serious attention to the chassis and suspension successes of Honda's 400ex and 250R, then tried to emulate and improve on them. They did."

Another quote:

"Every reservation I had prior to riding it-- the rather narrow width, a big, slow-revving motor, and a heavy feeling-- all turned out not to be true."

Some of you who have been bashing the width, weight, seat height and headlight design should be pleasantly surprised. Yamaha did tons of engineering work on this machine to get it right the first time. Let's not forget that as awesome as the Banshee's power is, the chassis was designed 15 years ago. Hats off to Yamaha.