I thought the stock shocks on the YFZ were made by Elka?

 

In that case, which is the more important shock/s to replace? The Two fronts or the rear?

-horgen

 

What motors did you guys have in your Raptors? Did you race a few YFZs before you traded? Where could you gain/lose ground? Just trying to learn.

 

I had a sparks pipe on my raptor along with a hot cams stage1.Power was not the issue as the raptor had plenty of power.Id say the biggest gain in lap times over the raptor is in the corners the yfz corners flatter and the steering is effortless.Yfz is much better in the whoops and breaking bumps also.Ive raced dirt bikes also to me the yfz reminds me more of a dirt bike than any quad Ive ever ridden,easy to move around in the air and forgiving if you come up short.

 

Horben- Race the yamaha and have a blast. Be ready to fix a few parts along the way. Good shocks are mandatory in my opinion. Makes life easier on you and the quad will survive longer. Getting replacement parts should not be a problem. Don't block those honda 450r's and make them stall, they will hate you as they are trying to re kick start them. lol

 

Thanks for all the advice. I am having a hard time swallowing the fact that the Quad is more important than the rider's skill. It seems to me that on an MX prep'd Raptor I could be equally fast in a 4 lap moto.

However the responses from those who have ridden the YFZ450 are unanimous, faster lap times on a stock YFZ450. From what I can tell, the frame and steering system on the YFZ450 must be something else to get that much better lap times. Especially through the whoops. I'd think an MX Raptor could blitz through the whoops much faster than a stock YFZ450. And the cornering, well, I am not surprised a stock YFZ450 is better.

-horgen

 

Horben, just because its fully MX'd doesnt mean that the rider on that quad is any good!!! I've never understood why people modify their bikes(motor wise and strictly for MX) when nearly all of the people never reach the true potential of what they have to begin with, so to me I see it as wasting money!!! For example, I could take a bone stock YZ250F and lay waste to someone riding a 450cc or 250 2 smoker that is modifed with aftermarket shocks, pipes, filter, motor work etc.!!! Trust me, its rider!!! My YZ285F is modifed because I sometimes run it in the Pro/Am class!!! My 426 is modified because the people I race against have theirs modified and they are good enough to where its usually a full swapping the lead nearly every lap!!! But for you, get the quad you like, ride it till you cannot ride it any faster!!! Cuz sometimes, making it faster can ACTUALLY SLOW YOUR LAP TIMES DOWN!!! Believe it or not it happens!!! But most people think if you make the BIKE faster that its going to AUTOMATICALLY make YOU faster!!! NOT always the case unfortunately!!! What's your opinion on that Rid, you agree????

 

Thanks for the input TellicoGrizz660. I agree with you 100% and haven't modified my Raptor's HP specifically because I haven't been able to ride it at its full speed. However the time does come when it is time to modify a Quad.

Case in point would be my Grizzly 660. When I bought the quad I couldn't trail ride over 40mph because the rear end would swap and the quad felt unstable. Now, after 2 seasons and 2,000 miles, I can ride down most trails with the throttle wide open and not be riding “over the edge”. As a rider's abilities and comfort on the machine grows, it is no surprise the machine needs to grow too. Much like a computer user upgrades their computer as they learn to do more with it.

With that in mind, I think Ridley and me are on the same page. However the question comes out again: Is trading the Raptor off for a YFZ450 the best bang for the buck? Or do I keep the Raptor and modify it… now that I can out-ride the beast in stock form (To be fair, the stock shocks are really what I am out riding, the 660CC motor produces plenty of power for cross-country and mx racing.)

Thanks again for the responses. I believe one point in this thread has been come through clearly. Either the Raptor or the YFZ450 will get me through a race season; but the nimbleness of the new YFZ450 can provide an edge the Raptor can not be modified to match. However both need new shocks, axles, a-arms, plus many other extras to be competitive in a A-Class and national level ATV racing.

-Ben Horgen

 

Before this MX Raptor bash fest gets out of hand, let's do some math. For argument's sake, we'll agree that a MX Raptor weighs 75 lbs more than a YFZ. To use the same numbers, we'll also agree that the YFZ can make 55 HP. Using those numbers, a 350 lb YFZ with 55 HP has a power/weight ratio of 6.36 lbs/HP. The heavier Raptor needs 67 HP just to equal that power/weight ratio. To make a significant power/weight difference, you're looking at 75+ HP on the Raptor to "over power" the lighter weight 55 HP machines. I'd be willing to bet that none of the ex-Raptor MX racers had anywhere near 67 HP when they jumped ship.

Ridley - I understand your complaint about the Raptor rear suspension geometry but look at some of the early MX Raptor mods, people used 250R-style suspension upgrades and they just didn't work. A shorter swingarm and forward a-arms are bass-ackwards from what a Raptor needs on the MX track. After 3 years, folks are learning the Raptor needs a longer swingarm to balance the front/rear and forward a-arms will make it push in the corners. A Raptor won't ever be as good in the turns as a YFZ but with the right suspension, it's a heck of a lot better than stock.

horben - It's all about personal preference. You'll need a pile of money to improve the Raptor's handling and bring the power/weight ratio into modified YFZ range. If you've got the cash, it's fun to mod the hell out of your quad. If money is an issue, get the YFZ. You'll eventually upgrade the suspension but it's not mandatory right away and you'll never spend $5K for a mega-HP motor.

Personally, I'd rather drive a big block Shelby Cobra Mustang over a Honda VTEC:-)

 

I don't think anyone answered your question, but no, Elka doesn't make the stock YFZ shocks. They are.... Kayaba? Something like that. I believe it is a Japanese shock company. Also guys, are the TRX shocks made by the same company too? I think they might be...

I need to get my Elkas onto my bike... oh wait... I need LT arms for that... oh wait... that means I need a grand... oh wait I don't have a grand [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]