i tell you what i don't miss with the 2 strokes and that is the way they would be in the garage more time then riding them.with the raptor you don't have to worry as much as often. No premix..don't have to worry if i have enough oil .change the pistons evry 2 months..also take note. On the raptor and i think evrybike yamaha makes there are zerk fittings evrywhere!! When is the last time you saw a zerkfitting on a quadzilla. Less maitence=more riding=more fun

More maitnence=more aggravation=less time riding

 

Swytak
I too had a 89 Zilla,But some low life stole it right out of my garage. Witht the insurance money i bought a 96 Banshee(brand new at the time) and was somewhat pleased with it. since then i have owned 2 other banshees, a 90 250r, a 99 400ex and the Raptor. I would trade any 2 of those quads to have my Zilla back in new condtion. I am seriously thinking about buying one again, u can find some pretty decent ones if you look. I am tired of waiting for the new quad to come out just to have it suck ***. Now I hear that Suzuki is possiably making a 400 thumper with a reported 45+ hp but you know that by the time it comes out it will be just another "peppy 4-stroke". And of course there is the Cannondale for what thats worth. Screw this, im gonna go get a Zilla.
QUADZILLIAS F*ckin RULE!!!!!

 

If you're talking grip, then any big bore thumper will be great. A 400EX, in more powerful, and probably as much grip. Depending what you're doing, a DS could be a problem. If you're riding in TIGHT woods, or muddy places, get a lighter machine (my shee is "constantly" hung up on the axle in mud, but just by stepping off and pushing(wether me alone or me and Xplor), and we're rollin again. I guess with a 60 pounds heavier machine, it could turn into a prob...exhausting prob. If you're gonna do mainly MX...get the DS, you have the power of the Raptor, the width of race ready machine, and the Bomb price (ouch). The Raptor will be a better all around machine, but will be tippier on Mx tracks.
I think it's just a matter of..."I got this bike, I'll use it". Any big bore sport quad will keep up with a shee (unless they're really prepared)...but I have a shee, no reverse, no grip, but I love it...
For my next machine(in a long time), I will simply decide with the styling, and get used to my bike...

 

Stock for stock the Raptor beats any thing except the old zilla wich `only has speed on the Raptor.
You cannot compare a piped or any modded banshee to a stock bike. The Raptor does really good stock against it though. Put a pipe and rejet the Raptor and there you go it beats the Banshee again.
What was your 250R? A Cr250?

 

Stock for stock the Raptor beats any thing except the old zilla wich `only has speed on the Raptor.
You cannot compare a piped or any modded banshee to a stock bike. The Raptor does really good stock against it though. Put a pipe and rejet the Raptor and there you go it beats the Banshee again.
And too i forget your name,What was your 250R? A Cr250?

 

I ride only at the dunes at 4700ft on my modified raptor, full Big Gun exhaust, air box drilling and cutting, richend the needle, up .5 on the mains, Renthals, wheel spacers, Runs flawless! I love to jump and race on sand tracks at the dunes. The sand sucks up power and will wear a motor out three times faster then on any hard packed surface due to the constant "sinking" affect while riding. I have rode bansees, owned many 295rs, and have a 400ex also w/ same mods. My brother has had three Quadzillas. Lets not even go there on a track. They DON'T JUMP period, are just to massive in size for any kind of track at all. King of Low end grunt! The 400 feels SLOW in comparison to the Raptor. My 295's are very close in speed but my Raptor will smoke them on a track in the sand, due to constant wheel spin on the 295s. The EX and 295 will shine in the whoops over the Raptor, but my Raptor jumps better then both of them, and I had Works tripple rates on my 295. I usually raced my brother on his 295 and my buddys modified banshee w/ tripple rates also. We are all expert caliber riders and the Banshee was consistantly last. We never ride w/ paddles because the two guys in back get buried and racing is supposed to be w/ knobbies anyway. The Raptor simply motors away in the tighter corners while your trying to find the right gear and keep the nose pointed foward on the other two. Wanna race up Sand Mtn 600ft high 1200ft long buy a Banshee or Quadzilla, if you do any other type of riding buy anything else.

 

Don't expect the Suzuki 400 to have anywhere near 45hp.

The engine they are going to use is the DRZ400. This engine in the bike doens't put out that kind of HP and don't expect it to put out more in the quad. I expect low-mid 30's at the rear tires.

 

I think its fast. My buddy has a piped shee and I'm just as fast if not faster in a drag untill topend. He has me by about 4 mph. I just put a 14 tooth on mine but we have only rode in the snow. I don't think I lost any low end but untill I can see the dirt I don't know for sure. Once I buy a pipe I should have no problem taking him.

 

Hey 3Raptor8, you better buy more than a pipe if you wanna keep up with me!!!

 

I think there was a lot of hype on the Raptor. I think that most of the magazine tests were done on a pre-lawyerized quad. As delivered, it is pretty fast, but it doesn't have all that much more power than a 'shee, there is some significant (but manageable) body roll, and it is probably slower than a Quadzilla. That said, I still think it is a better quad than the 400EX. If I duplicate the most FST mods from this months 4whlATVAction (works steeler front shocks, 3" wider rear axle, increase front wheel offset by 1", and add a pipe), you get a better bang/buck than the 400EX and something that should be able to compete, and usually beat the mod banshees, quadzillas, etc.. The mod banshee cost is probably within $500 of what I described above, so I don't think money is a discriminator here.

As far as I go, I don't need more power right now - I need a little more help to make sure I can use all I already have!