Hey, im new to the Yamaha section of the forums....I have been riding a Polaris Trailblazer 250 for the last few years, although i occasionally had the pleasure of riding a Banshee with a 400 powervalve. Im looking for a new machine to ride. One with more power and torque. I have head the Raptors have a nice power band for the trails. Our trails are usualy muddy, and there are lots of long steep hills. I just wanted to know if the Raptor is a good choice for me.

 

My raptor, when it was in stock form, was super rideable in the tight, wooded, hilly and often quite sloppy trails here in northeastern Ohio. However, it's going to be quite a jump from the 250 Trailblazer. But if you've ridden a powervalve Banshee, you should be able to handle it no problem.

Whether the bike is for you also depends on size, comfort, price, etc. I would find someone who owns one and take it for a spin.

 

raptors imo are the number one trail quad. they handle great in tight wooded areas and handle mud awsome( with a pair of itp mudlites on it). they feel great in midair as far as balance goes. awsome power and torque. they can be tricky going up real steep hils, rider must have good throttle control becuase the front end loves to float. with modifications they scream. the only bad habbit they have in stock form is tippyness. which are mostly due to the weak sidewalls of the dunlop tires they equip them with, new tires will help alot but i suggest a new axle or wheelspacers for width. going from a 250 trailblazer ( which i also own)to a raptor. will be like going from a go cart to a nascar. so be carefull. they can be a handful at times. have fun and KEEP RIDING[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]