If the Raptor turns out to be the new king, I'd like to know how it does against the LT500. Also, I'd like to know how the Raptor performs IN SAND against 2-strokes.

 

I dunno... Thoes LT500's are REALLY REALLY fast!!!
It'd be a un race to watch, though...

 

I really dont see the Raptor as a high performance quad— that best describes the Suzuki 500 and of course the Yamaha Banshee 350. The Raptor is more like a sport quad, sure it is the fastest *stock* quad made but beyond that what else?

Take a look at it this way— the 400ex has been around for a couple of years now and to acheive the horsepower/feel of a tricked out 250R is expensive and difficult.

4-stroke motors are just harder to squeeze horsepower out of than 2-strokes. Its too bad the environmentalist got their way by lobbying to the government about us being a hazard to the air quality. I would sure like to see more of that old school 2-stroke stuff with some new tech built into it.

Mike
http://home.earthlink.net/~dm-graphics

 

Glamisman you seem to be the only honest person here the raptor is a cruiser not high performance like the banshee or lt500.

 

have any of you guys felt the mid and top hit of this thing, you may change your minds

 

I have not read a Raptor but I have ridden a Quadzilla. Have you ever stuck your head out of the window doing 75 mph? I think that is what riding the 'zilla is like. So no doubt in my mind I would like to have the Quadzilla.

 

Hey Glamisman when a Raptor can draw 45-50hp and weighs less then 400lbs. How can you say thats not high performance! The banshee is anywhere from 28-34hp stock and you call that high performance. Come on. Yeah you can modify the banshee till hell freezes over and you'll be lucky to to get the horsepower of the raptor. And you'll spend 10 grand in the process on modifying a 13 year old quad. All you need is a one minute ride and you'll change your mind. Don't get me wrong the banshee is a legacy in the quad world when it comes to the dunes but thats about it. Its handling and feel isnt worth it in the woods and technical riding. Glamisman just take a ride on one and you'll too will be selling that banshee.

 

For the short run I made into 5th I had the same feeling so it may not be that much different than a quadzillas top end, but I can tell you the ride feels so much better and so much more refined.

 

When they talk about the fastest stock bike, it was usually unclear about who was fastest. The banshee adds all claimed it was the fastest production quad. The banshee was the fastest quad available after 1991 (when the LT500 died) and thats when they ran the adds. I bought a completely stock LT500R, and it was a fast bike just the way it was...but everything they did to the bike from factory was to kill the power of the 500 to something thats ridable. The final product was actually 49hp at the rear wheels for the 1987 model. This does not seem that impressive, but it is STILL the most horsepower ever released into the public on a 4 wheeler. The stock pipe and silencer on the LT500 is a big power robber. The catalitic converter look alike silencer is so restrictive you wouldnt even believe it! The pipe is detuned for top end, the stock porting is very horrible, and the gear ratio is set in the sky! (This bike will do 80mph bone stock.) The factory killed the power to keep people alive, and it was still a monster. The 660 raptor weights 398LBS and has 45hp. The LT500 (which is a much bigger bike) weights 392LBS(still weights less!)and has 49hp. There was actually alot of effort into designing the LT500, a lightweight body, alot of aluminum, and great suspension for the time..anyway..It looks like a close race to e, but heaven forbid the LT500 owner buys a $175 exhaust upgrade.

 

war99: Hehe, I already paid for a Raptor and I will own one of the first CA models very soon.

What I meant is that you wont see tricked out Raptors beating tricked out Banshees. I have owned every high performance quad including a super fast Banshee that had $5000 worth of engine work done to it. The new 4 strokes are great, but they are no match for the raw power of a 2 stroke.

Yes, the Raptor is the fastest and most powerful stock quad, but as far as the fastest high performance quad well that is best defined by the Suzuki 500 and the Banshee 350. Who knows I could be completely wrong here, I would love to tell you all after riding my Raptor in Glamis that it is the faster than my old Banshee was.

Mike
http://home.earthlink.net/~dm-graphics