review of 20+ mile ride of Raptor ---- long winded...
#1
09-30-2000, 12:23 AM
Well, I FINALLY was able to take my Raptor out for some real riding today. I'm going to give my honest review of it, so before you start the bashing on this quad or that, take it for what it is.
We started off the morning by doing some trail riding for a few miles through some fields. No real hard riding yet because the machines were still just started for the day. We took a trail over to an abandoned area where they used to make the material that covers most roofing shingles. It kind of like course sand, but with much larger grains. There is about a 75 foot hill made up of it, and the angle is an estimated 55 degrees. I had rode my Banshee on it and had a blast since it's the closest thing to a sand hill any where around here. When I had my Banshee, it was the most fun machine to ride on the hill, because of the tire speed that it would generate. It was much more fun than on a 400ex, 250r, 300ex or any ot other quad that we ever rode on it. I think most of you guys riding in the dunes know what I mean. Anyway, it was time to try out the Raptor on it. As suspected, it fell in the middle, somewhere between the Banshee and the 400ex. The tire speed was slower than the Banshee, but even in 2nd gear, it had enough low end to keep the tires spinning and not bog down. It was also very easy to bring it into a wheelie when coming down the hill, but I was too chicken to do if very high up and waited until I was close to the base of it.
Next on the agenda, we took them out to an open area about 3/4 mile long and 1/4 mile wide. It is made up of coal slack. If you've never been around it, it has a very soft texture to it. You can rough it up one day and as soon as the wind blows or it rains, it will be completely smooth the next day. This area is great for doing top end runs and riding wheelies. I'm not the wheelie champ, so I let my buddy (who is) take it for a spin. He had no problem bring it up into a wheelie in 4th gear and riding it (upshifting as needed) until he ran out of room. He did comment that it was harder to ride a wheelie on than on a 300ex or 400ex because it was so responsive, throttle control was much more sensitive. Since I had no chance of bettering his wheelies, I tried something else. I would turn in very sharp circles until I could get the quad riding on the 2 side tires, then I would gas it and for just a short period of time, I would be riding a one-wheel wheelie. I also checked out the limits of the front brakes. The suspension and the brakes seem to work well together and bringing the back wheels into the air by applying the front brakes very hard and shifting my weight to the front is not a problem.
While at our simulated desert, we did some top end runs and the Raptor seems to be faster than my Banshee was when it was stock and about even or slightly slower than my LRD piped Banshee. The difference in power delivery is what makes them feel so different. On the Banshee, you can feel it picking up speed for a while as you get into the workable powerband. The Raptor on the other hand just seems to give you a quick shove as soon as you hit the next gear and it's time to shift before long.
For the rest of the day, we did mostly trail riding. We didn't put around, we rode hard and fast. This is where the Raptor really shines above the Banshee that I had, even after I went to Moto-Fast pipes on the 'shee. The broad torque makes the Raptor incredibly quick in the woods. Although it is geared high (some may want to gear down a tooth), the torque makes up for it. In situations where I would normally have to gear down my Banshee, I could just apply more throttle and most of the time, it would just hunker down and pull to a blistering pace. The one thing that I noticed is that unlike the 2-stroke, if you lock up your rear wheels and kill the engine in a power slide or other maneuvers, you can't just drop the clutch and let the engine turn over resulting in a start up. Usually, you have to pull in the clutch and hit the starter button (it's nice yamaha doesn't require a neutral start). My guess is that the big 660cc piston is much harder to spin over without the compression release. Although this can be negative until you get used to it, it is also very handy for braking assistance by letting the engine slow some of the speed as you may want it to do when riding down very steep trails or hills. There really isn't much more to say about the engine on the trails other than it's a bad mammer jammer!
The suspension is worlds better than what was on my 'shee. I didn't find it tippy and appreciated the narrow seat. It makes shifting your weight much easier and makes sliding around corners so much fun. When using the proper technique as just mentioned, it carves the lines like it's on rails. If some find it to be tippy, it's only because it turns so much quicker and sharper at speed than most quads out there. If you could get a 'shee to turn as fast, it would have the same feeling.
At one point during our ride, one of the guys was afraid of flipping his bike by trying to get back up a hill that he had just came down. Although I had already made it back to the top as well as another guy, he refused to go back the way we came. Our only options left was to leave him or cross a stream (wonder if he made it home?---just joking). The water level was just below the intake snorkel. Even though I killed the engine while in the middle of it, the engine restarted just fine and with a little to and fro rocking motion (man, that reverse is handy after all), I was through the stream and on the other side.
On our way back, we rode our fasted pace of the day. It was mostly through dried river bed, rocky trails and overgrown trails through some fields. (This would be a good time to say that an aluminum skid for the A-arm would be a nice addition.) At times, I was at full speed in 3rd and close to it in 4th gear, so we are talking 60 mph+ speeds. It seems that the faster you ride it, the better the suspension works and it just starts to glide over the rough stuff. It's also nice being about to, almost at will, pull the front end up when you need it to clear a rut, hole or etc..
Well, I warned you that this post would be long, so I hope it was worth your time. Again, I'm not bashing any quad, just using a comparison that I was familiar with.
Today, I'm much happier with my Raptor than I was the day before. If it turns out to be a durable and long lasting machine, then I will have to say that it was money well spent.
Best Regards,
Scott
We started off the morning by doing some trail riding for a few miles through some fields. No real hard riding yet because the machines were still just started for the day. We took a trail over to an abandoned area where they used to make the material that covers most roofing shingles. It kind of like course sand, but with much larger grains. There is about a 75 foot hill made up of it, and the angle is an estimated 55 degrees. I had rode my Banshee on it and had a blast since it's the closest thing to a sand hill any where around here. When I had my Banshee, it was the most fun machine to ride on the hill, because of the tire speed that it would generate. It was much more fun than on a 400ex, 250r, 300ex or any ot other quad that we ever rode on it. I think most of you guys riding in the dunes know what I mean. Anyway, it was time to try out the Raptor on it. As suspected, it fell in the middle, somewhere between the Banshee and the 400ex. The tire speed was slower than the Banshee, but even in 2nd gear, it had enough low end to keep the tires spinning and not bog down. It was also very easy to bring it into a wheelie when coming down the hill, but I was too chicken to do if very high up and waited until I was close to the base of it.
Next on the agenda, we took them out to an open area about 3/4 mile long and 1/4 mile wide. It is made up of coal slack. If you've never been around it, it has a very soft texture to it. You can rough it up one day and as soon as the wind blows or it rains, it will be completely smooth the next day. This area is great for doing top end runs and riding wheelies. I'm not the wheelie champ, so I let my buddy (who is) take it for a spin. He had no problem bring it up into a wheelie in 4th gear and riding it (upshifting as needed) until he ran out of room. He did comment that it was harder to ride a wheelie on than on a 300ex or 400ex because it was so responsive, throttle control was much more sensitive. Since I had no chance of bettering his wheelies, I tried something else. I would turn in very sharp circles until I could get the quad riding on the 2 side tires, then I would gas it and for just a short period of time, I would be riding a one-wheel wheelie. I also checked out the limits of the front brakes. The suspension and the brakes seem to work well together and bringing the back wheels into the air by applying the front brakes very hard and shifting my weight to the front is not a problem.
While at our simulated desert, we did some top end runs and the Raptor seems to be faster than my Banshee was when it was stock and about even or slightly slower than my LRD piped Banshee. The difference in power delivery is what makes them feel so different. On the Banshee, you can feel it picking up speed for a while as you get into the workable powerband. The Raptor on the other hand just seems to give you a quick shove as soon as you hit the next gear and it's time to shift before long.
For the rest of the day, we did mostly trail riding. We didn't put around, we rode hard and fast. This is where the Raptor really shines above the Banshee that I had, even after I went to Moto-Fast pipes on the 'shee. The broad torque makes the Raptor incredibly quick in the woods. Although it is geared high (some may want to gear down a tooth), the torque makes up for it. In situations where I would normally have to gear down my Banshee, I could just apply more throttle and most of the time, it would just hunker down and pull to a blistering pace. The one thing that I noticed is that unlike the 2-stroke, if you lock up your rear wheels and kill the engine in a power slide or other maneuvers, you can't just drop the clutch and let the engine turn over resulting in a start up. Usually, you have to pull in the clutch and hit the starter button (it's nice yamaha doesn't require a neutral start). My guess is that the big 660cc piston is much harder to spin over without the compression release. Although this can be negative until you get used to it, it is also very handy for braking assistance by letting the engine slow some of the speed as you may want it to do when riding down very steep trails or hills. There really isn't much more to say about the engine on the trails other than it's a bad mammer jammer!
The suspension is worlds better than what was on my 'shee. I didn't find it tippy and appreciated the narrow seat. It makes shifting your weight much easier and makes sliding around corners so much fun. When using the proper technique as just mentioned, it carves the lines like it's on rails. If some find it to be tippy, it's only because it turns so much quicker and sharper at speed than most quads out there. If you could get a 'shee to turn as fast, it would have the same feeling.
At one point during our ride, one of the guys was afraid of flipping his bike by trying to get back up a hill that he had just came down. Although I had already made it back to the top as well as another guy, he refused to go back the way we came. Our only options left was to leave him or cross a stream (wonder if he made it home?---just joking). The water level was just below the intake snorkel. Even though I killed the engine while in the middle of it, the engine restarted just fine and with a little to and fro rocking motion (man, that reverse is handy after all), I was through the stream and on the other side.
On our way back, we rode our fasted pace of the day. It was mostly through dried river bed, rocky trails and overgrown trails through some fields. (This would be a good time to say that an aluminum skid for the A-arm would be a nice addition.) At times, I was at full speed in 3rd and close to it in 4th gear, so we are talking 60 mph+ speeds. It seems that the faster you ride it, the better the suspension works and it just starts to glide over the rough stuff. It's also nice being about to, almost at will, pull the front end up when you need it to clear a rut, hole or etc..
Well, I warned you that this post would be long, so I hope it was worth your time. Again, I'm not bashing any quad, just using a comparison that I was familiar with.
Today, I'm much happier with my Raptor than I was the day before. If it turns out to be a durable and long lasting machine, then I will have to say that it was money well spent.
Best Regards,
Scott
#2
09-30-2000, 01:41 AM
BASH
I TOOK MY NEW RAPTOR ON A LONG TRAIL RIDE UP TO THE HILLS OF NORTH ALABAMA THIS PAST WEEK. I RODE THE BANKHEAD NATIONAL FOREST TRAIL..ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT AS CHALLENGING AS YOUR RIDE APPEARED TO BE, I RODE WITH SOME DIRT BIKES AND QUADS WITH SOME CROSS COUNTRY RACER FRIENDS..I TOO WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH MY RAPTOR..ALTHOUGH I AM GETTING UP THERE IN AGE (46), I WAS ABLE TOO SUPRISE EVERYONE WITH THIS QUAD! I HAVE AN '88 "R", SET-UP FOR CROSS-COUNTRY, AND MY COMPARISON IS THIS: THIS QUAD IS AWESOME!! IT REALLY RIVALS MY "R", IN ALL AREAS!! THE SUSPENSION FELT AS GOOD AS THE "R's" OHLINS, I WAS REALLY PLEASED WITH HOW WELL IT TRAVERESED THE ROCKY, WASHED OUT TRAILS. IT ALSO CORNERS REALLY WELL..LIKE YOU SAID, YOU CAN REALLY MOVE AROUND ON THIS QUAD EASILY..I LIKE TO HANG OFF IN CORNERS AND IT FEELS ALOT LIKE MY "R"! I WAS ABLE TO RUN AWAY FROM THE DIRT BIKERS WHEN I LEAD, AND WHEN I FOLLOWED A DIRT BIKER, I STAYED ON THEIR A$$!! ALTHOUGH THEY COULD CUT THE APEX OF A CORNER BETTER, THE INSTANT THROTTLE RESPONSE WOULD LAUNCH ME BACK TO WHERE I WOULDN'T GIVE THEM AN INCH..DID I SAY I LOVE THIS QUAD? I SEE WHERE SOME HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TALL FIRST GEAR, AND I AGREE..BUT I CAN LIVE WITH IT UNTIL WE (RAPTOR RIDERS) GET THE GEARING SOLVED!! I DID STALL IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK IT STALLED NO MORE THAN MY "R" WOULD HAVE..I BELIEVE WE THINK OF FOUR STROKES AS ALWAYS BEING ABLE TO LUG WAY DOWN LOW, BUT THE RAPTOR NEEDS A LITTLE CLUTCH WORK, LIKE A 2-STROKE. I LET EVERYONE WHO WANTED TO, TO TAKE IT FOR A JAUNT AND EVERYONE WAS IMPRESSED! THE RAPTOR WAS ALWAYS THE FASTEST ON THESE HIGH SPEED TRAILS..I ALSO HAVE (2) 350RX's, AND I KNOW THEY CAN'T COMPARE IN REGARDS TO POWER..THIS QUAD HANDLES AS WELL AS THE 400EX (WHICH I HAVE RIDDEN MANY TIMES), BUT HAS THE POWER OF A STOCK BANSHEE OR "R"! THE TRAILRIDE STARTED OFF IN A GOOD RAINSTORM, BUT I NEVER WORRIED ABOUT SLIDING UNPREDICTABLY..THE DUNLOP RADIALS WORKED REALLY GOOD IN THE SLICK CLAY..I HAVE JUST ORDERED SOME ITP "XC HOLESHOTS" ON .190 RIMS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL DO MUCH MORE FOR ME THAN JUST IMPROVE PUNCTURE REISTANCE..THE PLASTIC GOT A LITTLE SCUFFED WHERE THE TOP/BACK OF MY BOOTS RUBBED THE REAR FENDER, AND JUST UNDER THE TANK, WHERE MY KNEES/PANTS/BOOTS SCUFFED THE BLUE PLASTIC..FINALLY, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS MUCH FUN ON A NEW QUAD SINCE I BOUGHT MY FIRST 250R IN '89!!! I HAVE ORDERED JUST ABOUT ALL OF YAMAHA'S GYT-R ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING THE CARBON FIBER PIPE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GIVING IT A DISTINTIVE LOOK ( WITH THE LIGHTNING GRAPHIS/SEAT COMBO)..I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO OTHER RIDING IMPRESSIONS..
BAMA250R (RIDE RED..OR BLUE!)
I TOOK MY NEW RAPTOR ON A LONG TRAIL RIDE UP TO THE HILLS OF NORTH ALABAMA THIS PAST WEEK. I RODE THE BANKHEAD NATIONAL FOREST TRAIL..ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT AS CHALLENGING AS YOUR RIDE APPEARED TO BE, I RODE WITH SOME DIRT BIKES AND QUADS WITH SOME CROSS COUNTRY RACER FRIENDS..I TOO WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH MY RAPTOR..ALTHOUGH I AM GETTING UP THERE IN AGE (46), I WAS ABLE TOO SUPRISE EVERYONE WITH THIS QUAD! I HAVE AN '88 "R", SET-UP FOR CROSS-COUNTRY, AND MY COMPARISON IS THIS: THIS QUAD IS AWESOME!! IT REALLY RIVALS MY "R", IN ALL AREAS!! THE SUSPENSION FELT AS GOOD AS THE "R's" OHLINS, I WAS REALLY PLEASED WITH HOW WELL IT TRAVERESED THE ROCKY, WASHED OUT TRAILS. IT ALSO CORNERS REALLY WELL..LIKE YOU SAID, YOU CAN REALLY MOVE AROUND ON THIS QUAD EASILY..I LIKE TO HANG OFF IN CORNERS AND IT FEELS ALOT LIKE MY "R"! I WAS ABLE TO RUN AWAY FROM THE DIRT BIKERS WHEN I LEAD, AND WHEN I FOLLOWED A DIRT BIKER, I STAYED ON THEIR A$$!! ALTHOUGH THEY COULD CUT THE APEX OF A CORNER BETTER, THE INSTANT THROTTLE RESPONSE WOULD LAUNCH ME BACK TO WHERE I WOULDN'T GIVE THEM AN INCH..DID I SAY I LOVE THIS QUAD? I SEE WHERE SOME HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TALL FIRST GEAR, AND I AGREE..BUT I CAN LIVE WITH IT UNTIL WE (RAPTOR RIDERS) GET THE GEARING SOLVED!! I DID STALL IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK IT STALLED NO MORE THAN MY "R" WOULD HAVE..I BELIEVE WE THINK OF FOUR STROKES AS ALWAYS BEING ABLE TO LUG WAY DOWN LOW, BUT THE RAPTOR NEEDS A LITTLE CLUTCH WORK, LIKE A 2-STROKE. I LET EVERYONE WHO WANTED TO, TO TAKE IT FOR A JAUNT AND EVERYONE WAS IMPRESSED! THE RAPTOR WAS ALWAYS THE FASTEST ON THESE HIGH SPEED TRAILS..I ALSO HAVE (2) 350RX's, AND I KNOW THEY CAN'T COMPARE IN REGARDS TO POWER..THIS QUAD HANDLES AS WELL AS THE 400EX (WHICH I HAVE RIDDEN MANY TIMES), BUT HAS THE POWER OF A STOCK BANSHEE OR "R"! THE TRAILRIDE STARTED OFF IN A GOOD RAINSTORM, BUT I NEVER WORRIED ABOUT SLIDING UNPREDICTABLY..THE DUNLOP RADIALS WORKED REALLY GOOD IN THE SLICK CLAY..I HAVE JUST ORDERED SOME ITP "XC HOLESHOTS" ON .190 RIMS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL DO MUCH MORE FOR ME THAN JUST IMPROVE PUNCTURE REISTANCE..THE PLASTIC GOT A LITTLE SCUFFED WHERE THE TOP/BACK OF MY BOOTS RUBBED THE REAR FENDER, AND JUST UNDER THE TANK, WHERE MY KNEES/PANTS/BOOTS SCUFFED THE BLUE PLASTIC..FINALLY, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS MUCH FUN ON A NEW QUAD SINCE I BOUGHT MY FIRST 250R IN '89!!! I HAVE ORDERED JUST ABOUT ALL OF YAMAHA'S GYT-R ACCESSORIES, INCLUDING THE CARBON FIBER PIPE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GIVING IT A DISTINTIVE LOOK ( WITH THE LIGHTNING GRAPHIS/SEAT COMBO)..I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO OTHER RIDING IMPRESSIONS..
BAMA250R (RIDE RED..OR BLUE!)
#4
10-01-2000, 10:10 PM
I could not agree more. I took a 4 hour ride today on my raptor. This is the 4th time out on it and I like it better eavery time I ride it. Today we were doing some pretty good size table top type jumps and it flys and lands comfortably.
And doing reverse wheelies with the front brake is pretty cool to!
mike
01 blk&wht raptor
And doing reverse wheelies with the front brake is pretty cool to!
mike
01 blk&wht raptor
#5
10-06-2000, 01:56 PM
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