Hello Everyone... I'm considering a Raptor 700. I own a 660 and a DS650. I'm considering on scrapping both of them and just focus on one quad that can do everything. I've ridden many YFZs and while they are fast and have a funky powerband... I just can't ride one all day the egros kill me. I have yet to ride a 700. How different is it from a 660? Does it have that front end lift of ease like the 660? How well does a 700 do in trails? Track? Dunes?

Last question... what do they go for? I'll travel a few hundred miles to pick one up at a deal. I know here in NJ they are going for 7k. Thanks for any who will respond with any input.

 

I think you will be happy with the improvements to the 700 over the 660. It is shorter, wider and longer so this addressed alot of the complaints of the 660. FI is great and I wont own another quad without it. Comfort level is the main reason I got a 700 over a 450 and I can ride all day without any back pain (unless we just get to carried away jumping lol). The front end comes up easy if you want it to but its not hard to keep down and takes no effort on trails to keep it down. I cant compare it to a DS there really arent many around here and have no experience with them.

Trails = Its great in the trails and handles any situation very good. This is its strongest selling point to me with its torque and FI it bogs down very well when needed.

Track = Im not a big track rider so it does fine for me and my skill level on one but most find the suspension to soft and if going to run one much new shocks really helps this out. Personally the soft ride is what I like so I will give up some handling for that.

Dunes = Im sure its great but no dunes in MO lol

I bought mine for $6100 a year ago for a 06. I saw a place in tenn selling left over 06 for $5584 this week in a trader.

Ive had mine almost a year now with no problems and if I had to buy a new quad it would be a another 700 but probally a SE (they have better front shocks) [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
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I love my ds as you problably do, but they just haven't made any changes to it in so long that would make me take it over a new 700... The 700 is lighter and is more up to date on things when compared to the ds, even though the ds is a great quad...I would go for it if you can find a good price on it and I would problably say the raptor 700 is as light as a 450 almost and handles like one with ds suspension and a big bore.

 

How about servicing this thing? Does it have that goofy linkage in the rear shock? Oil changes easy? Are things accessible?

 

Yes oil is easy to change everything is accesible without removing anything. Spark Plug is on the side not under the tank like on some quads. Only maintenace I remove any plastic or anything for is valve adjustment.
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my forst post here and just my .02 I am 6'2" 275lbs and I love my 700. Bone stock its great in the trails, fast in the flats and tight in the turns, (compare to the z400 I was riding). And in a 200 yard run in the dunes I finished 10 feet behind a 450r with a guy half my size.
bberck-the dunes are only 8 hours from here. you should go if haven't been there.

 

Hello Stranger!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Entomber:

I got to riding the Wife's Raptor when we were in Glamis in Jan. I too feel the YFZ is just much to small for me (6'2" X 225#). The Raptor 700 is a totally different bike than the old 660. Wife had the 660 before and one of the best moves I made was upgrading her to the new 700. That old 660 was truely a CRAPTOR (she had the 2003 - no worse than any other year.)

The Ergos are great. I'm not as comfortable as on the DS but, the DS is like a Lay-Z-Boy of Sport Quads. I'm sure if I get in a bunch of rough stuff I'll be longing for my ol' Big-Bird.

What I do like. . . nimble, nimble, nimble. . . SOOOOO much lighter. I can do things with the Raptor I could just never do with the DS. The front end on the Raptor is very well balanced. I always felt with the DS that when the front end came up she was gonna keep climbing right over the top of me. I feel like I can ride the Raptor with the front wheels in the air and it will just hold it there. Awesome for the rough stuff.

I just got my very own 700. . . paid about $7300 OTD (including taxes, etc.) That's for the Blue/White SE one. I was very happy with that price.

I have the "3-mods" in the front door waiting to be installed this weekend.

Ordered a steering stabilizer for her too. I think the steering stabilizers are only a matter of time before they are standard equipment on a Sport Quad.

I see the end of the road for the DS. . . either BRP is going to change it and try to keep up with the Yammy or they will abandon. . . maybe not this year but, sometime.

The used market for the old Raptor's is quickly going down. The new 700's are what people want so, the 660's are going down in value quickly.

I'll miss the power I had with my old DS but, I just want to ride these days and I feel the Raptor will fire up every time for me. That fuel injection is sweet too.

Changed the oil on the Wife's last trip. Took off the skid to do it. Easy job.

 

Well my son out grew the t-rex and time to hand it to the little girl now. He will be riding my Raptor 660 this year.. but I think next year I will take the plunge on the Raptor 700. Mark your right on all accounts and considering you had a monsterous DS760 and switching to a Raptor must have been a big change. What worries me is EFI. I'm sure when it works it's great, but what about when it fails? Your SOOL. I've seen it many times on a Z450 and Cannondales. Again guys.. does it have that goofey rear linkage in the shock?

If I got one first thing I'd do is beef up the suspension. DS is hard to beat in that area.

 

I have the gytr edition and it has better shocks then the standard raptor, and they are very tuneable.
The quad has grease fittings on every bearing in the suspension, which is very nice.
I feel that they do well in pretty much every situation. I haven't been disapointed yet.
It jumps nice, easy to wheelie, and handles far better then the old 660.