Most ask what quad to get and what's faster, what jumps the best, how many horse-power, bla bla bla... I would rather know what you dislike about your Raptors?

I definately want one and have wanted one from day one but want to hear from "owners" what they really think could be better or what are the "obligatory mods".

Thanks!

 

One thing you won't like is getting dusted by a strawberry smelling banshee
ahahahah.
Just kidding.
Nice post. I'm curious to see how it ends.

 

Xplor,

Obviously you know all that's 'good' about the Raptor, so I wont go there. I no longer have a Raptor, since I traded it for a 13 year old quad, but I can speak from experience. First off, I did NOT trade the Raptor because I was dissatisfied with it. I traded it just to do something different and that's just me.

Here's what I didn't like about the Raptor:

1) It was IMPOSSIBLE to stay dry on the Raptor. I think the engineers purposely designed the Raptor to throw mud and water DIRECTLY into your face. Even the slightest moisture on the ground will end up on your body.

2) Too high of a center of gravity. It 'felt' unstable at high speed cornering and the front end made me nervous if I was climbing a steep hill. It has so much torque that if you don't manage it properly it will come back on you.

3) This one is a touchy subject, but after getting used to the bike, I kinda expected more power. I know it has a lot of potential, but I was thinking "WOW, 660cc, there will be NOTHING to even touch it!!!", and that was simply not the case. My current quad has a motor that is over 2 1/2 times as small as the Raptor and it will still outrun the Raptor. I know my 250cc motor is not stock and it's a 2 stroke, but I think you'll understand my initial excitement..."WOW, 660cc, there will be NOTHING to even touch it!!!". However, it does have more power than most people need and you will probably never use its fullest potential on the trails.

4) The price. After having one and looking back on it, I think it may be a little over-priced. It deserves to be the most expensive sport quad out there, but I still think the price is a little steep.

You asked, and that's about it. If you enjoy sport quads, then you'll love the Raptor!

 

Lets see........I don't like the lean idle circuit that I have only recently got fully corrected (surprisingly few people seem to have this problem though).

It's annoying that the clutch don't wanna work perfectly until properly warmed up.

I always rub my boot on the high rear fender when mounting up (maybe gettin' a bit lazy there?).

Of course, don't like the air filter set-up.

Sometimes after climbing very steep hills and then immediately proceding to navigate some very tight stuff with the clutch pulled in, it does'nt wanna idle good...very odd..the 400ex I had done the exact same thing too.

Last thing that comes to mind is the plastic swingarm guard...although I still have'nt bent anything after some abuse.

Hope this helps...

 

I don't like the fact that my upper a- arm snapped in two pieces when I flipped it over backwards in second gear but that is my fault. I thought for sure the first thing that I would do was pipe. But the first thing you need to do is widen the machine before you even ride it. It is too narrow for the stock power. A 400ex corners better, but when I put a-arms, rear axel, and full exhust I believe I will be vey happy.

I also do not like the gap between 1st and 2nd gear bit I hear a pipe will take care of that.

 

First of all, I want to be very specific about this. I love my raptor. But nothing is perfect, just a compromise of what is most important to you individually.

The first thing I noticed that I disliked is that the axle is too narrow. As for the front, I don't care what the specs say, it's a tad wider than a banshee. I've seen it with my own eyes.

Second, first gear should be a tad lower. You can't go over rough and tight stuff without using the clutch a lot. It is still better than a 2 stroke for this, though.

And third, it could use some more rebound dampening. The adjuster dosn't do much (if it does anything at all)

 

The rebound dampening on mine works excellent.

The changes should be, as already mentioned:
1) Wider axle (the front is fine)
2) Closer ratio on gears 1 & 2 (a 12 tooth sprocket makes it much better)
3) Sits a little high for the narrow axle.
4) Tons of power, but they could have traded some of the low for a little more on top end.
5) Just from what others have said, it may need a stronger spring and shifting fork in the tranny, but I haven't had a problem.
6) I think there were some defective A-arms on the initial shipment. I was the first one to report breaking/bending the aluminum upper. I did it coming down hard from a wheelie, believe it or not. Since the replacement, I have been just as hard on it as my ex-banshee and the A-arms have been fine. In fact, I did a $2500+ damage roll down a hill and the A-arms held up.

Of course depending on where you ride, you may want to go with heavier skid plates. GYT-R and PRM are the only ones you'll need for this area. They both have great products.

 

The fact that someone will come out with
a bigger bader one and I'll have to buy it
and start all over again

 

Hey Brian.

Everything said is bang on, too high, too narrow, too powerful!?!?! I don't know about that one. Want to try mine out before you buy. We could arrange a time in the next few weeks.

Brian Bingo

 

Thanks Bingo1... That sounds like a great offer. Now if only this darn snow would stop falling! I can't complain though because I am going to attemp jumping an infamous double on my MXZ that got the best of me this winter and broke Zorro's sled too.

When we see some dirt I will take you up on that offer. I am going to start saving my money!

Brian T.