Hey - just thinking about buying a Raptor and lots of people I talk to that DO NOT own one for personal use (including dealers) seem to have mixed feelings about the bike and how good it is. So instead of listening to the mixed bullsh!t of garbage on the pros and cons of this bike I would like to hear some input on the bike from people who actually own/have owned one.

Just to add some input to focus on some of the things id like to hear responses to these are some of the negative things I have heard:

*Way to tipsy even with +4 axle, +2 Arms, & 20x11 tires.
*Not very quick on the take off or to fast
*Tranny sucks and will fail
*Clutch burn outs are frequent
*Overheating problems

 

Ive also heard they have starter failure problems so post your $0.02 Raptor owners.

 

Its the best looking bike on the market along with the Vforce,DS650 and the 450R.
Hmm,tipsy,Ive never flipped it but Ive had it up on two wheel many time,you just counter-steer the other way and it come right back down.
No tranny problems with the 02 and up,the 01 is the one to watch out for...
Mines never overheated.
I love it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

All those complaints are BS...I have an 04 and ride it all the time and have never had any problems. Also the tipsy thing is really over-rated...When Im on the track I can keep up with the 450's and other race machines easily. Hell 2 weekends ago I beat 2 MX banshees, 2 yz450's (tricked), 2 z400's (tricked) on the track.

 

Anyone who tells you its tipsy, Dont know how to ride.
If you want sompin thats a rocket get a shee
No problems with my tranny
No problems with my clutch. and i have 1500 miles on mine probably 300 of them in the sand 900 in the woods and 300 on roads. Suspect failures to inadequate operators
Never had mine over heat. I heard my fan come on one time when i was put put 1st gear thru this trail lookin for elk.
I have only had one problem. but it was a warrenty deal. I had a minor oil leak that was fixed with a new crush washer.

 

Yeah my fan has come on too,when I was teaching a friend how to ride,he was in first gear all the time going real slow(learning),the fan came on so I told him to get off for a moment while I rode it round the track to give the radiator some air... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Just lean into the curves on a Raptor and it wont come up on two wheels,ride it like a dirtbike [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

my two cents: hmmm....

well, they can be tippy, depending on how much momentum you try to carry through corners and how sharp the corner is. you can always throw the machine around. I recently rode a stock raptor around my practice track (MX) and found it a little tippy in one corner. Then again, I'm used to a raptor that is +3 1/2 inches longer and 4 inches wider. However, for a stock machine, it is great.

my bike takes off quite well, though the three-year-old piston is probably experiencing some power loss at take off. if you feel it does not take off well, a simple gearing change can improve that. For instance, I run 12/44 sprockets and launch out of the hole quite well.

the tranny sucks and will fail... on the 01 models. 02 and after, no problems. my 02 has had no tranny problems. clutch action is great.

I must admit I have had overheating problems. You can go to my page to see my mods, this might explain it slightly better, but I was overheating on my practice track. I have since fixed the problem.

As a raptor owner who has ridden all types of terrain, such as harsh trails, cross-country style race tracks, motocross tracks, dunes, leisure trails, mud, and so on, I have to say my Raptor has handled all of them superbly. However, I have done some major mods to it over the three years I have had it to help improve it's performance. While I did ride it for nearly a year stock, there is no way I would give up the mods I have now for a stock bike. While it does handle great with an excellent power spread, you can see from my page that I have had to do some major mods to make it handle the way I want it.

Good luck, and happy hunting. I hope this helps.

 

If you've ridden motorcycles, a Raptor feels awesome. The stock tires do not slide worth a crap, I think that's part of the reason people think it's tippy. If you ride in the woods, it's narrow and that makes it great for trails. The starter one-way is junk, save a couple of hundred for a L&A replacement. The carbs are a pain to work on, the floats have a mind of their own. The motor has a tremendous amount of torque and really wakes up with a pipe. For anything except MX, I think the Raptor is king.

 

Mine was tippy...see pics..not no mo..... If I had to do it again it would be the YFZ but believe me I suprise quite a few with my raptor on the MX track. I just had to do quite a few modifications to say the least to get it MX worthy. Trail riding, Id rather a raptor, just for the comfort factor. Dunes probably the raptor, mx...hands down the YFZ...it's up to you NEO ..you must make a choice...LOL

 

I had an 01 and I ran it clear up until the day I traded it in for my 04 and had zero problems with it. I like to think I ride hard, maybe not but, I never had to replace anything (except bearings) clutch worked fine, starter worked fine. Fan ran once, and like everyone else says it is when you are putting along touring (not what the raptor is for) I also agree with most when they say that yes it is tippy but blame it on the tires alot and the riding level. if you ride with your weight up and not back on your back tires it wont 2 wheel even without the +4 axle and such. Dirt Wheels calls it the king of the trails ( with a pipe and axle) I would agree...