My brother inlaw has a 05 Raptor 660 and he always has a problem keeping the front end down always wants to comes up and he never gets out of 1st or 2nd gear. We do alot of woods riding so it's not alot of open area riding. Any suggestions or comments on this problem or how to modify to correct this. Swingarm ? gearing?

 

is have an 05 660, but mine it stock, is his? if his is stock then i would recomend leaing over the front or no revving so quickly.

 

Learn how to position one's weight on the bike and feather the clutch. Taller gearing will reduce the tendency as well. A +2 swingarm is a great length for a trail bike.

 

Without being too hard on your brother-in-law it sounds like he just needs to learn how to ride his new machine. He needs to start off slow and learn how to manage the power. It's not something you can tell someone how to do, it's something that must be learned through experience. Preferably in an open field and not on the trail. Make sure he is wearing a helmet. Most learning experiences are the result of some pain being inflicted.

 

just a quick QS. what is meant by feathering the clutch, sorry for jumping in the thread i just didnt want to start a thread for such a silly question

 

Instead of just releasing the clutch lever when you want to go, release it slowly as you increase your throttle and you'll have smoother, flatter starts. Works especially well when you have too much traction, a light front end, or are starting in 2nd gear. Allows you to keep the revs up while the bike starts or turns.

 

oh right i get what you mean, i actually do that naturally, i didnt know it was called feathering,
i got severely stuck in mud the other day and had to keep the revs up pratty high while coming off the clutch easy and not all the way off til i got the wheels to spin, oh and this was in reverse,
so is that an example of feathering ?? thanks for the reply maddog