Hello all,
I am new to the sport of ATVs. My wife and I are looking to buying a couple bikes. I want the Yam 450 and she likes the Raptor. She rode about 10 years ago and I have only riden street bikes. Are these good choices for "first" bikes? I have looked at alot of comparos and have seen that the 450 is pretty much "the best" and the raptor is in the top 3. Any info or references would be much appreciated. Also, does anyone know the hp or top speeds of these bikes?
Thanks

 

any replies here would be great....

 

Both are great rides, you won't disapointed. I have a Raptor simply because of cost. I refuse to buy a new ATV when used ones can be had dirt cheap comparativly

 

Yup...both excellent choices.....my wife bought the Suzuki LTZ 400 and she loves it but now is crying cause she didn't get the YZF 450....I like the Raptor cause I'm at 6 ft..210lbs and the 450 seemed a bit small to me. By the way.....Welcome to the forum[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Thanks for the replies...

I was also looking at the Kawa/Suz 400. Why does your wife want the yfz now? I also hear that the raptor is top heavy. Is this much of a concern for you? Im 5ft 9in 190lbs so i dont know if it will matter much? I want something fast but also comfortable for trail rides. I think the raptor is probably the best choice cuz i hear that the yfz is not comfortable AT ALL.

 

She thought my Raptor had a bit too much torque for her...so she decided on the 400...but after riding it awhile...my friend shows up in the driveway with his new 450....my wife rode it and said thats what she should have bought instead....I like her 400...and so does she...it out handles my Raptor...the thing cuts like a knife on the trails and has plenty of power...but my wife is really into drag racing quads so instead of spending 7 grand on a 450...we decided to do the exhaust' jetting and intake for now and plan on a 450 kit for next season....I don't find the Raptor top heavy at all...no more so than her zukie..The days of the low riding Honda 250R are gone...It seems all the new stuff is higher...some offset front wheels on the rappy and she is fine

 

does the 400 have enough power for bigger guys or do you need the torque of the Raptor? I dont want to get the 400 and not have enough power. It should probably be fine for my wife though. Also, does your friend complain much about the comfort of the 450?

 

Friend has the Suz 400 and it's a nice quad, and he's 6' or better and probably 200 pounds I'd say. He's a better rider than myself, so he can actually beat me on my 660 when we "race" or fool around. I would ride one and love it as well.

 

Another factor to concider is what type of riding you do....We do the Dunes ,,,,alot...so I wanted something that would carry my fat as$ up any hill..If I only rode trails I would have probably settled for the 400...My friend rides his 450 and then my Raptor and he says the Raptor is more comfortable...I agree..I can't ride his 450 as long...I can ride the rappy alllllll day long and still feel good when I get off...But then again..the Raptor was built for trails and the 450 was primarily designed for MX....Thats not to say that is all they are good for however...If you go to the forum listed"Modded yfz vs. Modded Raptor" ....page 1....scroll down the threads till you you see some videos listed in blue....do a "Save target as" and you can see what kind of riding we do.....

 

Cool, thanks alot!