Well I need some opinion's, and I know about everyone here has one. I'm looking for some serious help, because I got the money to spend on my motor. I want to keep it trail ride-able and still be very fast. I do minimal drag racing on the 300ft stip. Maybe once a month through the summer. But I do lot's of racing my friends. Now I'm fast, and rarely get beat, but I'm ready for a hop up in power. I have talked to Bob Craycraft on several differnt occasions, and I'm really interested in the signiture 686.

But with the talk of the rod failure, and the JE piston's detonating, I'm really paranoid now. So here's what I have to ask you guys...if you had $1700 to sink in a motor, what would you do? What kit would you think of installing?

I have only had this Raptor for 6 months this month. It was riden quite a bit at the end of summer/fall, and rarely ridden over the past few months. Yamaha installed a new one way, and a new GYT-R clutch on the warrenty. I have the mod's below already installed, and I do lot's of trail riding. I do quite a bit of hill climbing. So what would you guys do with the cash?

Keep the stock bore, and raise compression, swap cam's, with the port job?

Go ahead and get the full 686 and chance the rod failure?

All opinion's would be greatly appreciated and help a ton. I have not been hard on my Raptor in anyway. I don't float it out, and I don't over rev the bike. So I'm sure the stock rod has not been under severe stress. I have really taken care of this quad. I change the oil regularly, and I sorta baby it. I don't p*ssyfoot around on it if that is what your thinking, but I don't dog it either.

So please give me some opinions. I got the money, and I just need some help making the decision.

 

How much of the work can you do yourself, do you plan on taking the engine apart and putting it back together yourself?

 

Yeah, I got a buddy who has a 770 Raptor, and has toren his own down twice. So he is taking it apart, and putting it back together. Plus I got TheRaptorMan helping me with the tuning and stuff. So yes, I will be taking it apart and putting it back together on my own.

 

200 piston/gaskets
250 stage 2 cam and springs
400 port and polish
50 cylinder bore
600 35mm FCR's (you should be able to find some used ones on ebay for that)

you have 200 left to do what ever you want with.....

 

Alot of the guys on the forum like the Carillo rod, kind of wished I pulled the trigger on that upgrade when my tranny cratered. I am kind of gun shy on upgrading my raptor any more than I have, which is nothing compared to guys on this forum. It seems like there is reliability issues related to the gearbox you cant get around and a bunch more ponies will only worsen that problem. The next money I am investing in my rappy is a new rear shock, probably elka, and revalving and putting rezzies on my works front shocks. When I am honest with myself, which is hardly ever, that quad has more power than I can put to the ground and ride effectively.

From what I hear on the forum, if I were going big bore, one of the Craycraft packages is the way I would go. You hear good things from Craycraft guys. Let us know what you do.

 

If you go big bore, ie 686/727 I'd upgrade the rod. I am not practicing what I preach though, as I did not. The sparks bikes seem to run realy well. If your not in a hurry that's where I'd spend the money. I have never seen a signature Craycraft bike run, with my wanna be 686 and my fat azz it runs ok for what it is. Raptorfam660 has access to both and the Sparks is faster in his camp. Bob Craycraft is top notch as I'm sure you have found out by talking to him and you can't go wrong with that decision for sure.

 

I agree wshrdskin. I would also upgrade the rod to be on the safe side. I did not the first time, and I am not sure if that is the reason my wrist pin went, but if I did it again I would have done the rod around $200.

I like Craycraft and Sparks. Sparks does have a wait though. So I went with Craycraft. My bike is strong, great for all around riding, duning, and racing. It is a Signature 686 without the titanium valves. I am also upgrading to those right now as well. You will not have any customer sevice issues with Craycraft whatsoever. (I think Bob wishes I wouldn't call so much[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]) My dad's bike is definitely faster than mine right now. I would talk to Bob about a different cam than the stage 2 possibly. It is a good all around cam but I think it needs more on top??? What pipe are you going to run?

tough decision, I would go with whatever Bob recommends, he may even recommend a ross piston???

 

See I really don't want to split the cases for a 686. 727 is too much for what I want. I really don't want to do that bore, and I have seen the video's from RaptorFAM660. Even talked to him alittle about his bike.

I really want the 686...and I'm sure the rod failure is like 1-10 on the failures. I know there is a lot of 686's with stock rod's and carb's that run damn good. But all the opinion's and experiences help. There is a couple places that split the cases here, but I don't really want to spend a ton of cash just to get the rod installed. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

I'm definetly going to talk to Bob again. ASAP. I'm running the pipe I have now. I love my Alba Pipe, and it's great for low and mid range. So I'm going to keep it with the pro design intake and k&n.

He might reccomend a Ross piston, I know sixsixt said that Craycraft was getting some Ross piston's soon.

I'm going to send the top end to Bob, and he said it will be sent back to me ready to bolt on. Stage 2 Cam and the valve springs.
The 686 I'm looking at is the full signiture series. Valve springs, valves, stage 2, 11:1, port polish, bore/hone, heat coating and all.

And thanks guys....please keep coming with your opinion's and help. I'm looking to ship my parts to bob at the first of march. So I'm looking at the tear down and ship within 3 weeks.

 

I hear you, my dad and uncle have stock rods with their sparks motors. I also don't know if the rod is even bad on my bike, I am just replacing it just in case that was what caused the wristpin breaking. I'd hate to put it back together and the same thing happen again.