Sorry, but I just have to give Yamaha some true straight-up kudos for the Raptor 250.

I know a lot of guys here wouldn't even sneeze at this bike, but that's OK.

I still think this is a great addition as it is shaping up to look like the first "true" 250cc 4 stroke sport quad. A step way on beyond the other brands in this class.

313 lbs
28.7" seat height
42" width
Five-speed with manual clutch
Electric start
DC-CDI ignition
Ceramic composite cylinder liner
Oil cooler


Sounds like the bar has been raised for the 250 class.

 

I agree! It isn't even in the same class as the shaft drive 250's (that are based on utilities), and in all fairness shouldn't even be compared to them. Honda is going to have to put the 300EX on a serious diet if it is going to compete. The 250-300cc chain drive real sport quad class has really been neglected for a lot of years. I hope this will light a fire under the other manufacturers.

My only complaint is that the cockpit is very small. The magazines all said it is sized for an average size rider, but they are dreaming! This is a machine for average size early teen kids and very small adults (like all those petite ladies out there!), who are going to love an ultralight machine with descent performance. Should make a great play quad for the rest of us, just like the Blaster does.

 

See reply in other thread... LOL... (400EX?)

I haven't seen it in person, but I will.

I noticed it spec'd short... ... ...(don't want to ask) ...it's not as small as the blaster is it?

 

It has tiny little tires, so not much ground clearance. It is sized more like the Blaster, than it is like the 300EX.

 

You will know Yamaha is serious about there 250 sport ATV class when the use the 250 motor out of there YZ 4 stroke motocross bike. The YZ 250F used 5 valves(not 2 valves) and a Double over head cam(not SOHC) with a 37mm(Not 29mm) carb and 12.5: compression ratio(Not 9.5:1) .

Yamaha did not hold back on there 450 sport ATV,its has the same engine as its 450 motocross bike.

But with SOHC,2 Valve a old 250 Bear Tracker probably has almost the power of a 250 Raptor.

All the performance stuff is tried on motocross bikes first than with luck trickle down to there ATVs in time.

 

I was at a drag race last weekend. In the 350cc and smaller class, there was one Rappy 250 racing against 350 Rappys. The 350s had pipes and intake mods while the 250 was stock. In a 100 yard drag, the 250 was only a couple of lengths back. If it had those same mods, I'm sure the race would have been different. Pretty snappy for a 250 I'll have to argree.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TLC

You will know Yamaha is serious about there 250 sport ATV class when the use the 250 motor out of there YZ 4 stroke motocross bike. The YZ 250F used 5 valves(not 2 valves) and a Double over head cam(not SOHC) with a 37mm(Not 29mm) carb and 12.5: compression ratio(Not 9.5:1) .



Yamaha did not hold back on there 450 sport ATV,its has the same engine as its 450 motocross bike.



But with SOHC,2 Valve a old 250 Bear Tracker probably has almost the power of a 250 Raptor.



All the performance stuff is tried on motocross bikes first than with luck trickle down to there ATVs in time.</end quote></div>

After reading your post, I was inclined to think it was probably likely we had a "bear tracker" performance engine.

But then tonight I someone else got me started going back and forth on this mostly by saying it was a dirtbike engine.

Then I looked at the dirtbike engines, and then the current big bear 250 engine.

The big bear 250 engine didn't match up. Seeing it was a 230cc I decided to look at the TTR230 engine. Well then, the stroke and compression matched up. So I started thinking more along the lines of a bored out TTR with a Raptor 350 carb... which is more along the lines of correct I think.

Then I dug a little deeper on the net and found this....

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>The Raptor 250's two-valve, SOHC, four-stroke engine was borrowed from a stunt motorcycle sold in Japan. Simalar to a trials / stunt bike engine, we would expect this engine to have a lot of bottom-end power. The Raptor's motor is air cooled, features an all-aluminum and ceramic composite-plated cylinder, which helps dissipate heat, reduces weight and improves cylinder life while the wet sump system with an oil cooler offers increased cooling ability. If you're considering crying foul about the fact that the engine isn't water cooled, four-stroke engine builder Powroll states that an engine of this displacement may actually be better off without water cooling, as the extra drag caused by the cooling system may in fact reduce power slightly.</end quote></div>

And I found a whole lot more "good" in that article.

In the end, I'm starting to think this bike IS what I was hoping it might be... A truely FUN truely SPORT 250cc quad... one that can fill a wide open gap in the market created by discontinued models (mojave, 250x).

So while it is NOT a big bore, a drag bike, or a race ready... it ought to be a lot of dang fun in tight woods where I sometimes like to do some technical ripping around... which I do these days on a loaner 300EX and have a ball.... which brings back good old memories of my old 250X.

That's not to say I'm running out to buy one tomorrow... BUT
At 313 lbs this raptor 250 ought to be a gass for flicking around like that.

 

i looked at one in the dealership yesterday and really it looked like a 4 stroke blaster with an oil cooler and round bearing carrier. o and some of the ugliest front plastic i've ever seen.

 

Motor comes from the Tricker...sadly not available in this country.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com...t05_yamaha_tricker.htm