I have just been bitten buy the new machine bug and honestly I should just keep what I got but I cant help it. I went riding with a freind yesterday and and he has a YFZ with a slip on and rejetted, otherwise stock. WOW that thing hauls. I have ridden with him several times but yesterday was the first time i got to put any real seat time on the machine. I cant stop telling everyone how impressed I was. I still cant balive the power compared to my DS. So today i went to my dealer who sells most major brands and had a look at some new toys. I realy want a YFZ but they cant keep them on the flore they have had a few new 06s already and they where all sold before they ever had them. Even though i love the power of the YFZ it realy is not the most practical machine for my riding taste. I want something that is going to be reliable over the long term and good at trail riding. They have a KFX400 for $5000 even and a new 06 Honda TRX450 with elec start for $6400 and a 700 Raptor for $6500. The new 06 YFZs are the same price as the Raptors but getting one would be hard to do. Revers would be nice but I have been withought it for almost 5 years now so Ime used to that. As my sig says i have a DS 650 now so obviusly motocross is not much of a concern and that is what the YFZ is for. I like the looks of the Raptor and definatly like the Fuel Injection because my wife and i go to Colorado once or twice a year and it would be nice not to have to rejet. My best frend has a Z 400 and i realy like that thing but after riding the YFZ I am hooked on the power and the freind with the Z rode theYFZ and now wants to either trade or put a big bore kit in his Z because he wants the power as well. I am having a hard time deciding what to do. The KFX is cheap but short on power compared to YFZ. Does anyone know how the Raptor compares to the KFX/z400 power wise? If the KFX can keep up with the Raptor and is that much cheper then i will just continue to rejet for Colorado. Thats the other problem. If you have ever rode in Colorado specificaly the Taylor Park area, you know how rocky it is. I have been leaving the DS at home when we go because it just would be a big heavy pig in the rocks/boulders. I want to be able to ride it everywhere out there and not have to pick and chose because of not being able to make it. I am asuming that the YFZ would not be the greatest machine to have in those situations. I am afraid the machine would not hold up to the 700 miles a week of rocky terain. Now to throw anouther twist into the hole mess I have been eyeing the new Polaris Outlaw for its ground clearence. I think that thing would be hard to beat in Colorado buy anouther sport machine. I just cant get myself to own anouther polaris after my last run-in with them. That and for most of the riding around here it would be out of place. We just dont need that ground clearence around here.

HELP I just dont know what to do. to many machines to chose from.

 

wow, after reading that novel, its hard to say. first off, i know what you mean about the yfz's power, it was alot more than i expected, it really is an awesome machine. as for the atv prices, they aren't bad, but there are places around here to get them quite a bit cheaper ( i got my yfz for 3500!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] ). I havent ever ridden the new 700r, but i dont think that the kfx/z would be able to keep up with them ( the 700 has more power than the 450 is what ive heard ), a highly modded kfx/z might be able to hang w/ the 700, but i really doubt it will keep up stock for stock. taking into consideration of your conditions, i would recomend the 700r or the yfz ( not b/c im a yamaha guy, but b/c of what you are looking for ). the polaris outlaw looks really awesome but i never buy a quad the first year they come out, i like to look and see if anything goes wrong w/ them. hope this helps

 

Ya sorry to be so long winded I just figured I should put as much of the info out there as posible so as to answer as many of the questions as posible before they come up. Or something like that.

Thanks for hte input. i was just on Yamahas web site and they realy are not running much of any real deals rite now but Kawi is so i will look harder at that for now but still keep the yamahas on the table. I think I would be happiest with the Raptor but hte price diference and kawis deals are hard to turn away from.

 

i was just joking about the novel thing, anyway, i know what you mean about the price of the raptor, i could buy a car instead of a new atv... they are getting outrageous. yamaha doesnt ever run any deals anyway, just make a good choice is all i can really say.

 

Stock the 700 is very close to the YFZ drag wise. Both will beat the Z400 unless you are running one of the 450 kits(big $$$) It sounds to me your best bet might be the Raptor. It has plenty of torque for that rock crawling you do, reverse, more comfy seat, etc. etc. The YFZ is simply amazing with what it is capable of, and would also fit. The YFZ makes you look like a hero a lot, and now the 06 Raptor has a lot more of that DNA infused into it.

 

Dang....I thought all you Iowa boys was partial to the Predators...LOL (Iowa is home to Nicholas Cycle, big Predator racers).

Sticking with the Yamaha though, I'd look hard at the 700r if I were you. Great low end, good speed, more comfortable, and probably better all around than a YFZ for your kind of riding. If I was looking again, I'd give it a very hard look...

 

I would have to agree withe the Raptor, however have you read up on or looked into the new Zuki450?

 

Thanks for the replies. I have prety much decided to go with the 700 raptor. I went in to the dealer over dinner break and talked to them amd looked the machine over real good. I like what I saw. I cleaned the DS up and parked it in the front yard with a for sale sign on it so now its just a matter of time till I get my new toy. If I cant get it sold in a short time here they said they will sell it for me or take it in on trade. I dont want to trade it because I want to use the money from selling it for the windows I just ordered for my house. I decided the Raptor would be the best choise because it has all the features of the KFX with more power and Fuel Injection so I dont have to rejet it for Colorado. With that does anyone want a well used 01 DS 650???[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] I will miss this big ol beast but its time. My wife comented that I have never kept ANYTHING I have owned for this long. We have been dating and maried for almost 8 years and I have had 6 trucks and a hand full of work cars, a couple bikes, and in the last 5 years weve been maried I have had 3 ATVs not counting her Grizzly. This thing has been around for over 4 years now so I have an itch that needs scraching, I think the Raptor will surfice.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]