OMG!!! That would be a total crime!!! Frame and suspension update .. sure thing, better rubber and more stock power .. bring it on, cosmetic changes to one of the only truly unique looking quads on the market .. NO EFFING WAY!!!!

I know I've said it a dozen times or so by now, but I truly don't like what they did with this newest entry. I'm all for having updated the Warrior, but to rename it to the Raptor is just wrong. The styling couldn't be much different from the Raptor since just about everything on the market now looks similar ... I just think they should have kept the Warrior name alive. It's a disservice to the best selling ATV of all time to rename it and Yamaha should have had better respect for a machine that has brought them so much revenue[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]. Just my .02

 

I don't totally disagree with you on this, but with the trend in the ATV marketplace going towards the Performance side of things, I think that Yamaha is trying to appeal to this trend. The Warrior has stood the test of time and is one of the best selling Quads of all time. However, when you think Performance, the Warrior doesn't generally come to mind. On the other hand, the Raptor name is synonymous with Performance. I said it before, this is a marketing issue, used to help sell ATV's nothing else. I personally think that the improvements to the old Warrior, are worth having to live with the new looks and name. Just my .02.

 

I hope that Yamaha will continue the Warrior model and name. It would be a shame to discontinue the line. Yamaha has probably designed a great Warrior ATV to surpass all our expectations.

If not, maybe they could refresh the body/chassis design (different bumper, better seat, longer a-arms, narrow the frame in front) - then add a YZ250F (or larger cc) type high performance 4-stroke motor and go with slightly smaller tires.

However, they might give the 250F motor to the Blaster when manufacturers stop making quads with 2-stroke engines. I know that Yamaha listens to its customers.

BTW, my second quad was a '87 Warrior that I bought in summer of '86 (it was the first Warrior in the New Orleans area), and I kept it six years. I loved it.

 

has n e one even ridden this thing yet

 

Yep...my wife has one. It's called a Warrior.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

NLWarrior, if you don't want something like that to happen, go talk to yamaha, and tell everybody else to do the same. I agree, it does look great, and I will NEVER forget the first time I rode one. That said, I still think that change <u>could</u> be a good thing to a certain degree. I think that if they get enough input from yamaha lovers like me and you, they could do a tasteful face-lift. One last thing is that they would keep the name. It just puts screams power, I still shiver everytime I think about the one that got away.