Our dealer said they wont get their shipment till early to mid september.
Jeff

 

Hey Weibz, pick up the new DirtWheels and check out the speed runs, that is if you can read! The Raptor is a pathetic 1mph faster that a Banshee. Doesn't that get you excited for all that extra hard earned money you will have to spend on the Raptor since it is over priced.

 

To hell with the money....it is still faster... 1 mph or 10 mph.

 

JY2276,

Consider this. You seem to be caught up in top speed only, so here's something to think about. The ATV Action mag said that the Banshee may be able to pull on higher gear, while the Raptor could probably pull 2 or 3 higher (less teeth on front sprocket). This would be almost a 20% increase in gear ratio! If they are correct that it could pull this high of gear, it means that the Raptor has the potential to hit close to 85mph. Yes, you would lose a lot of low end, but remember, you don't need it. Do you? If so, then you would see the advatage that the Raptor has over the Banshee to begin with.

Another point can be made as well. You have stated that Dirt Wheels says the Raptor goes 1mph faster than the Banshee. If you look at the spec sheets on this website, you'll see that the Raptor is geared lower than the Banshee. In order for the Raptor to go faster than the Banshee, it has to be revving more than the Banshee. I don't know about you, but any 4-stroke that out revs a 2-stroke has to be a bad machine, especially when you consider that it's pumping 1 piston almost 2 times the size of both pistons of the Banshee.

 

If you are old enough to vote...YOU BETTER VOTE FOR BUSH. If Gore gets in office, his clean air legislation already has provisions to "reduce the harmful effects of the 2-stroke internal combustion engine on our environment". I don't own a 2-stroke but this is a stepping stone to shutting down all public lands to all ATVs. Why do you think Honda has not answered Yamaha's Banshee? They are still waiting to see what happens with the clean air legislation. California has already taken steps in this direction. Legally, this sets a president on which to build other, more wide sweeping legislation. Talk to everyone you know and get them to vote for Bush. Voting takes about 15 minutes of your time. The Democratic Party is about restricting your freedom to ride. Do yourself a favor and vote for Bush.

 

The more I read about the Raptor, the more I like. As fast or faster than a Banshee, handles WAY better, and the suspension sounds awesome as well. Although Im not about to buy a quad sight unseen, I am going to be taking a REAL close look at the Raptor next spring. Will I be selling the Banshee for it? Thats remains to be seen. IF the Raptor runs good in the sand, then yes I will. IF not, then Ill have 2 quads.

Either way, sounds like we Yamaha fans have "another" winner on our hands. Cant we just get alonG!

rOOSTkING...

 

I have a buddy that owns a Yamaha Dealership in Hobart Indiana, (approximatley 30 minutes east of Chicago), and he told me last night, that he checked on the Raptor he had ordered for a customer and he was told by Yamaha it was in transit. He's hoping to get it in by Saturday so he can take the guys Banshee, (that was traded in on the Raptor), to the Bad Lands in Attica this weekend. Also just a note to you all. My buddy has an exclusive Yamaha dealership. Meaning he only sells Yamahas. This type of dealerships will get the Raptors fist. Then they will go to the other Dealers. So it will take a couple of weeks before the other dealers get theirs.

 

Hey ptlm3,

Man i hope you are right. Did he say what color is coming in? I am first in line down here in south-eastern Indiana, (30 minutes west of cincinnati, ohio) I would really like to get mine. I have to start back to Purdue University on Monday. If you want to ride together at the Badlands sometime just let me know. There will be a group of us going there alot from Purdue.

 

With the money I saved on buying a Banshee I can invest on mods and blow your 1mph faster quad away! Quit your bitchin. Two strokes rule!!

 

I could do the same by adding mods to my '00 Blue Banshee and blow a Raptor away also. As you can see....I like 2-strokes too....but when a better all-around machine is coming out...gotta have it too!