The g/f has decided she wants to start riding with us, so I am buying her a quad. She's tired of sitting at home, so it's either ride with the group or.. well.. ride with the group.

I found a barely used raptor for $5000, and I was going to get that for her.

Here's my logic: First, she's 5'11 (I'm 6'7&quot, so she needs something full sized. She needs electric start and reverse, I don't want her kicking or pushing. She's never ridden before, but she is rather adventerous and I'm sure she can adapt quickly to a quad.

My friends all keep saying buy her a warrior, let her start there. I think I'm making a better choice in the raptor. I do plan on limiting the throttle with the throttle limit screw, so she can't kill herself. I plan on making it warrior speed to start, but then as time goes I can work the throttle screw back out and let her have more and more power.

My other thought is we might go sand riding again next year, so a raptor really makes alot more sense, warriors just don't have enough umphhh when it comes to sand riding, at least if you ask me.

I'm not looking at any brand besides yamaha, as every quad in our group, all 17 of them are yamahas, I like the parts interchangeability idea. Plus I know yamahas. I'm also not getting any 2 stroke, or 4wd.

Any opinions on this?
Thanks
Brad

PS.. NO! she doesn't have a sister!

 

I think the Raptor is too much for her.. get her the warrior

When that raptor pops up on her what is she going to do then..better yet how about a 400ex? Just my opinion

 

I have to agree with joeyd. Way too much quad for a beginner. But I have to admit that if I was the first timer getting a new quad... it would be the Rapter. But I also have a death wish. lol

 

How's it going to come up if I have the throttle lock set way down?

You can, and I will, lock the throttle to half throttle...

 

let her ride yours around the yard and if she likes that power get her that but if she doesn't like that power find some one with a warrior and let her ride it and get the one she fells most comfeturable with!
Thats what I would do.

 

If you have the throttle locked way down, that gap between first and second gear is gonna be REALLY BAD. Anyways, you bring the front end up on a raptor in first gear by only giving it half throttle. I'd suggest getting her a Warrior or a 300EX. A raptor isn't for a beginner.

 

Use the throttle limit screw on yours and let her ride it around in an open area and see what happens. Just like one of the other guys said.
For $5,000 I would go with the Raptor as long as she can handle yours relatively well I don't see a problem. I was riding a Warrior when I was 13 and a Quadracer when I was 14 so I think she can handle it. Just give her a good warning on what it's capable of. If you said a Banshee or Quadzilla I would say that's alittle much, but a Raptor pretty tame until you get on it. Later

 

Let her try yours out. If she likes it get the Raptor. I bought my girl a Trailblazer almost 3 years ago. She didn't want to shift so I figured this would be easy. What she didn't like was it was heavy, wide, & knowing it was the slowest quad of all our friends. So just last May she upgraded to a new 400EX. She didn't even know how to shift! But we worked on it (And wore my patience thin!) & now she shifts good. If she learns how to come out of the hole hard in 1st & 2nd then she can do some racing on it[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I just keep telling her to practice.
A 400EX lifts the front end real easy to & it's no problem for my girl. Plus no matter what Dirtwheels says, the 400EX is still a fast quad & she handles it well. At Silver Lake dunes she saw a blue Raptor & was like, "Why don't I have that?" I said because we got yours for $4900, because you said the Trailblazer felt tippy & I know you'd say it about that & because ( no offense Raptor guys) I don't have time & money to be repairing it." She was happy with that, & then suggested something about using Raptor plastic! I said don't even start changing things.
So far the 400EX has been fun for her & ME !
Also, now she has no excuse not to keep up !
Moral of my story..... Just get her the one she wants first. If it's the Raptor she will adjust. Fact is, a girl who's first quad was a Raptor would be safer than a guy who's first quad was a Raptor.
If it were a CR250 that would be one thing, but a Raptor should work out fine for anyone who has common sense.

 

Andrew...

I like your logic... and you're so right, women are alot less daring, she just wants to have fun. I think it's the perfect quad for her, and the fact that I can ride if if mine breaks, just a bonus [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

 

I wouldn't think a Raptor would be a very good machine to start off on either. It might be alright if you have lots of open spaces. I think it would be a handfull for her in the woods with no experience unless you would put 12T Front Sprocket. I not ridden a 12T front sprocket Raptor so I am guessing she would need this because the Raptor is geared high.
Its just not a putt around type of Quad. She will be stalling it alot if she has no clutch knowledge. I am glad that I started small and progressed forward. I don't like that throttle limit screw that Yamaha puts on there machines. It could make a bad situation worse if power is needed and its not there. Chet