First of all the Raptor isn't even close to weak! Lets take this into consideration, the DS650, it's a streetbike engine also and the Raptor is still faster then it! So that says it's not slow and weak! It may be tuned down a little from the streetbike but thats out of common sinse! Who is gonna buy a quad with 60 horsepower from the factory!? It would be uncontrollable for everyday people to own! They wouldn't want a quad with that much power, they couldn't handle it! On the highway? YES! on an MX track or trails? NO! The Raptor smokes a 400ex, beats Cannondales, kills banshees (stock of course), DS650's, and basically everything produced! They accomplished what they were going for and they did a very good job! Now since it beats all 400 class quads made logicaly the Suzuki can't be to much better, my guess is that it will be inbetween the 400ex and the Cannondale.

-Darren

Also out of curiosity what did they tune down from the streetbike engine? Probly little things like compression, cam size, exhaust, intake, and etc huh? And if im right most of those are little modifacations and are very available so if you really want 60 horsepower from your Raptor to make it have uncontrollable power it's your choice.

 

Don't be to surprised if the new Suzuki is just as fast as a raptor. It has a nikasil coated cylinder (less friction) with dual overhead cams. I've owned countless 250r's and a 400ex and I can tell you this,on a track either honda will out handle a raptor. I have experienced this because I bought a raptor and raced it as well. You can have all the horsepower you want, but it won't mean squat unless you have your suspension figured out. Suspension and handling is much more of a factor when racing than horsepower. My raptor is terrible in the whoops compared to my honda's.
I already ordered my new Suzuki and I'm chomping at the bit to get it. The first mods I make will be shocks, a-arms and axle. Don't get me wrong, I like my raptor but I want something new. By the way, I have seen several pumped up 400ex's destroy piped and geared raptors in sand hill drags.

 

Well if you've seen 400ex's beating Raptors it was deffinatly the rider and not the machine. I've raced completely built 400's in the sand with suspension and the whole works and they never beat me once, they would loose by about a quad length. And if they have ther quads built that much they obviously know how to ride. Also I completly blow away only piped and stock 400ex's if you wanted to know.

-Darren

 

How can you beat a "completely built" 400ex that is lighter, wider, and lower that could be pushing 20 more hp easily if it really is completely built unless the rider is completely lame. I have nothing against raptors I actually think looks wise they're the coolest thing ever made. But I have heard everybody in every forum say they've beat everything under the sun.

 

Bubba,
The Raptors they sell in Oregon must have modifications from the factory. Because the ones they sell in Ohio & Indiana lose to big, fat, overweight DS's. The motor in the DS is used in BMW motorcycles. Raptors beating C'Dales was news to me too.
As far as accomplishing what they set out for. Do you really believe Yamaha set out to produce a weak framed, mechanically unreliable quad?

 

How can you say it's the rider and not the machine. My hell,how hard is it to sit at the bottom of a 600ft. sand hill and hit the gas and go STRAIGHT up. This doesn't take much skill if you ask me. I'm sure if I dumped a lot of money into my raptors motor I could beat some of these very fast 400ex's. I am not brand loyal and I'm just commenting on what I've seen for myself.

 

We really need to get a bunch of women in here since the testosterone makes every guy think him quad is the biggest and badddest. I have yet yo see a Raptor that can beat a DS at anthing other than tight, tight trails and a race in reverse. And no I dont own a DS. I looked hard at a Raptor, as I could have bought any or as many quads as I wanted. I decided to get the best "handling" quad and mod it to get the power. I will say it aain, top speed means very little in the real world.

 

It's kind of funny actually. I go to many local riding areas around where I live and for all the different kind of 4 wheelers I see I don't see any racing. The way I've heard people talk about racing in some of these forums you would think there would be racing going on every where. I've also noticed that DirtWheels ATV Connection, ATV Sport etc all said the identical top speeds for Raptors and Cannondales. Raptor 71 and Cannondale 74 yet I hear guys with stock Raptors all saying they can do 75+. I'll also say I have ridden a cannondale and there is no way a stock raptor beats a stock cannondale with to evenly matched riders under any conditions. The Cannondale revs higher and revs faster is lighter, lower to the ground and has a higher top speed. I'm not into totally nocking Raptors I think they look really cool but they're tall with a short wheel base. I seen Doug Eichner beat a Raptor on his 440ex on ATV Television and I saw 250r's and 440ex beat them in the best of the desert series, and I've also seen 6 or 7 Raptors on our 3 local mx tracks and they usually finish in the middle of the pack. If it was only 1 or 2 guys I would say it was the rider but for as often as I've seen it happen I think there is a couple of design flaws in ther Raptor that need to be remedied.

 

This post is beginning to be lame. Everyone is turning the Raptor into the "bad guy". It's like all other quads are trying to be better then the Raptor but can't do it. Everyone is jealous of it, everyone compairs there quad to the Raptor! What does that say? It says that the Raptor is the best new hi performance quad made! No one compairs there quads to Banshees anymore or the DS650 or even the 400ex, it's all against the Raptor! I'm not being concided here at all but facts are facts.

-Darren

 

Somehow and I can't imagine how the point has been missed by you and proven by you in one post. For that I thank you.