I have a Warrior, a Raptor, and a WR400F(Enduro model of the YZ). You can't compare the 2 wheelers to the 4 wheelers, It's like comparing apples to oranges. You guys that are drag racing MX bikes have to remember one thing. They are geared for MX tracks. A recent issue of Dirt Bike had the top speeds for all these bikes. A yz 250 or 400 will only do approx 70 miles an hour.A 125 is about 60 to 65 miles an hour. Now an Enduro bike(IE WR400 or DRZ 400 or XR650R) will do around 100 mph. The MX bikes have close ratio gear boxes compared to wide ratio boxes in the enduro bikes. A bike will go a lot of places a 4 wheeler won't go, but it also hurts alot more when you crash, and you crash a lot more frequently. Fortunately a complete set of plastic for most bikes is only 100 to 150 bucks. I have the pleasure of riding all of my machines at one time or another, but I have to say that my bike sees the most miles.(I get more of a rush on a bike, It's more of a challenge).Save your money and buy a 2 wheeler and a 4 wheeler, then you have the best of both worlds.

 

I think you will be dissapointed with the YZ250F, if you have ridden a 250 dirt bike or that YZ400. It just doesn't have the power. Yes it is one of the top choices for a 125 class machine, but not the 250 class.

You will not get smoked by an XR200 on any type of reasonable trail if you have a Raptor. Once you get to a track it will be closer. The XR is a casual trail bike, not a full on race machine like a CR. Your Raptor will chew it up on fairly even terrain. Once you get to major whoops, or jumps then the dirt bikes start to shine.

I have the YZ426 and it rocks. I originally had the 400EX and was having a blast. Then I got the YZ426. I love it. It totally smokes the 400EX or Banshee for speed and jumps (11 inches of travel on each end for 250lbs). I didn't want to get back on the 400Ex. Then I just got the Raptor and I am impressed. I am riding quads again for now. Winter is almost over and I figure that I have a couple of weeks before it is bikin' season again. I had a blast in the snow with the Raptor and I will probably ride it occasionally in the summer, but the dirt bike has my preference for summer riding. It totally rips.

If I could only have one machine, it would be the Raptor, as I can ride it all year round, in the dunes, mud, etc. But I have a choice and I usually pick the bike to load up on the trailer.

Good luck,

RM

 

I think you're off on your horsepower figures a little with a Raptor and CR250. The Raptor is closer to 39 stock. Which mine isn't. And your numbers for the CR250 are a little optomistic I think. Anyway horsepower means nothing in a drag race. Drag racing is all about gearing and torque (which the Raptor has tons of.) My friends CR250 runs out of steam right when my Raptor comes alive. I literally kill him on the top end. I can't keep the front tires on the ground to be much of a match on the starting line. I've ridden his bike and it feels a lot faster than my Raptor. But in reality it's not. I think it's the two-stroke hit that gives that perception.

 

I've studied at a LOT of dyno runs for Raptors, 400EX's, 250R's, CR250's, so on, and so forth...

I have seen a whole lot of Raptor dyno runs in the 36-37 HP range and never one @ 39hp - not saying on the right day, with the right dyno operator, and the right atmospheric conditions it can't happen, but...

42 is most certainly not an optimistic number for a modern CR250, do a little research, the numbers are out there.

While you are correct that to many people the 2 stroke hit, gives the perception of more power than is really there, that is not the case with a modern 250 class MX bike. Those things develop SERIOUS HP right off the bottom and have a very serious power to weight ratio - anyone that's seriously ridden one knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Again, not saying that you can't outrun your buddy, but if you do, something's seriously wrong with the picture - be it rider, gearing, condition of the bike, etc....

Let's do a little math shall we?

Lets be optimistic for the Raptor....

We'll use your HP figure of 39 RWHP. We'll use Yamaha's equally optimistic *dry* weight of 400lbs.

That comes out to approx 10.2 pounds per horsepower, absolute best case senario for the Raptor.

Now... Lets see how much HP a CR250 at approx 220 lbs has to develop to equal that same power to weight ratio...

The number I come up with is: 21.6 HP

I seriously doubt that a stock CR250 has trouble developing over 21.6 horsepower at the rear tire...