Well, well. Let me give you guys 411. I've been riding for 2 years... Started with a 84 Honda ATC 200S.. Then a 85 Lt250R.. my brother has a 04 TRX 450R, love it. It's time for me to get a "NEW"( 04, 05) quad.. Im looking into something that'll suit me good... i've ridden banshee's,400ex's,dirtbikes,warrior's, yfz 450. etc. So i have some skills within my 2 year period of riding.. I was looking into a raptor! The YFZ is too expensive! Is the raptor considered a LAY Z BOY quad? Just sit. 3rd gear, in the dunes. Enough low end to keep the rpm's up.. tell me is it good for me compare it to my 250R.. I love my 250R, but just need something new.... What do raptor guys have to say... Get a TRX450R instead? YFZ450. i rode both... so..

 

I have a YFZ and Raptor. Rode a 250 quadracer for years before having those two. The Raptor is fun and powerful and comfortable. If I were less interested in jumping I might prefer that over the YFZ. But I love to jump and yank the bike around and all that, so the YFZ is the best one for me, and the power is of course better than the Raptor (although that can be fixed). If you don't maybe prefer the small and light leaper, you can get into an '02 & up Raptor pretty reasonably and juice the engine up.

 

id go with the raptor, there fast out of the box, but like Shady said, if you wanna jump or anything, get the YFZ, but whatever you do get a yamaha over a honda!!!!

 

It all depends on your style of riding. A Raptor won't hang with a YZ450 or TRX450 on the track. That's their domain. Bring those three bikes on natural terrain & the outcome will be different. Raptor is made for versatility. Also, there is another bike to consider.... The 2005 Polaris 500. Their are two versions with different gear ratios. I'm not brand loyal & Polaris has done something that not even the big three (3) (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki) has ever done. Also, I didn't know that they offer lifetime warranty on their axle & chain!!!!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Raptors need to be lowered.

 

bottom line:

raptor

fast
powerful
comfortable

yfz
faster
more powerful
less comfortable

just comes down to what u want out of the quad. i personally prefer the raptor, but thats just because i may be buyin one myself

if u do get one let me know what u think of it

 

ok, the yfz, is not faster than a raptor. m buddy has raced a yfz on his rap, and there just about dead even and the raptor has more top end.

 

A bike is all about how it feels to you. It dont matter what anyone else is riding. as long as what your riding feels good. Like My Rappy I could care less if it is gonna whoop someone elses. I wouldnt really wanna ride a yfz on rocky and rough techincal slow trails. id take it over about anything on the track though. except maybe a cr500 motor is a lobo roller or sompin.

 

Its hard for me to compare the yfz and the raptor.. NAMELY because i have a raptor and i have it modded and it has been modded the whole time i have owned it.. Currently I LOVE it i took it to the dunes.. just got back today.. and went with 3 of my buddies that have semi-stock raptors.. they didnt know i had engine work. (didnt tell them) but we raced. we all have the same pipe same jet kit same air filter and same paddles lol (imagine that) but (i have a modded engine) I BLEW THEM AWAY lol they were likE NO WAY im like yea ur right i have some engine work so.. i raced prob a total of 50 times this weekend and every time i came out ahead.. i even let people go first then i would catch up and waste them.. I raced yfz's trx's MOSTLY raptors and a few banshees.. the piped jetted and cool headed banshees could hang up with me but if i got a good start they didnt stand a chance. but i won every raptor none as modded as min)(thats a given) but i was happy with my bike.. finally got it jettted right and what not.. but heres my suggestion

If moneys an issue.

get an 02 03 raptor mod it and LOVE it

if moneys not an issue

get a

05 pred.
05 yfz
05trx
or
05 raptor.

pred and rap are most versitile.

and the yfz and trx are a little bit quicker out of the box. but not much you can easily overtake them with a few cheep mods