I have a 04 raptor since last september (it is my first bike) i've ride in the snow this winter ,some trail and small dune since the spring come but lately I really got to love jumping.
Now I jump about 6 to 7 feet high for about 25ft long .
what i want to know is if an aftermarket suspension will be a good buy. I'm all stock for the suspension.
What to buy and if i don't change will i break something.
I'm sure i'll go for bigger jump soon.


P.S. I weight about 140lbs.
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04 red and white raptor
CT racing full system
Razr rear tire
pro-flow air filter
stock gearing (soon 12-40)
Renthal handlebar
acerbis handguard

 

better suspension is always a very good idea, get something soon if you keep flying[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I only wish i would have changed the suspension on my rappy sooner. IMO its probably one of the best investments you can make!! Check out my sig for a great set up thats not too expensive and works wonderfully. I ride mostly mx tracks and have just recently raced my first national at budds creek and i couldnt have asked for a better ride.

 

I agree with hogman, suspension is the best improvement you can make on the Raptor unless all you do is ride on flat surfaces in a straight line.

I recommend Elka SSD shocks. They will help you in four main ways:

1 - They will soak up the jumps much better. They will give you better take offs and softer landings.
2 - They are adjustable. You can adjust the ride height, compression, maybe damping depending on which ones you buy. You can set them up to work best with how YOU ride.
3 - They will lower your quad by 2-4 inches while giving you more suspension travel. They do this by resting a few inches into the travel (called sag). This lets you take corners quicker, and helps it handle better.
4 - They are rebuildable, so if you get wider a-arms or longer swingarm in the future you can have your shocks adjusted to match them and work best with them.

The first upgrade I would make to a new quad would be Elka shocks. Good luck with your decision.

RR1

 

i replaced my stock springs with some triple rate works and it was a difference of night and day.

 

get some elkas

 

eyeball engering has good a-arms that are cheaper, but they are not caster adjustable.

 

i liked the look of the eyball ones plus i havent heard / seen people talk bad about them.

 

Anything is better than stock, buy as much as you can afford. A Raptor is a new machine with a good suspension.

 

the stock shocks on them suck i would know im still stuck with them they are squeeky and what not but i can deal with it for now shocks are expensive