And so what pays for all the expensive tooling used to design the existing cases and internals? One more gear would require more room inside the cases, which would require case redesigning. Highly unlikely. They can't make the gearsets smaller to compensate either, because then they sacrifice durability...already an issue with this gearbox. Get rid of the reverse to make room for the 6th gear? I don't think so! All that needs to be done it to strengthen the existing gears, and to rethink all the ratios to better suit the needs...based on everyone's bitching. 1st gear needs to be lower. 2nd gear needs to be lower and closer in ratio to first. 3rd gear is probably OK. Fourth gear a tad bit higher. 5th gear needs to be higher to take advantage of this engine's ability to pull it. 80mph top end no problem. 5 speeds is enough for a torquey 4-stroke. What they SHOULD have done is build the Raptor with a 6 speed to START with, then we could all be happy.

 

Why would anyone be mad about a manufacturer making a better product?

I have read many posts on this website complaining about the banshee not changing at all since the beginning.

I agree with the posts questioning this being true but if it were true I think it would be a great thing to have the option available.

It wouldn't be hard at all to sell my Raptor and get a 2002.

It may have been that Yamaha had the choice of releasing the engine with the current gearbox from the MZ in 2000 or wait till 2002 to release the Raptor at all.

What choice would you have had them make? Don't feel like a guinea pig. OE manufactures have to make decisions like this all the time.

 

Don't feel bad guys. The dirt bikers go through this just about every year.

 

I highly doubt that Yamaha would indeed change the intire transmission after just one year. Come on guy's just look at Yamaha's past four wheeler's the Banshee, Warrior, and the Blaster. People they have been the same almost since they came out back in the late 80's. So do you really think they are going to change the Raptor, after one year of production, not to mention not being able to build them fast enough now to keep them on the showroom floor's. They have a excellent bike in the Raptor so I think it will remain the same for year's to come. Just the cost alone to retool the manufacturing plant's would probably raise the price of the bike another $500. It's all rumor's.