Ive seen this posed on the Suzuki forum but i wanted to know the other side of the story. Sure the Suzuki guys are going to say the Z is better [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

So have any of you Raptor riders riden a Z400 ? And if so what is your HONEST opinion?? Im just about ready to sell the Tank and buy a real quad but im still unsure if i should get the Z400 or the Raptor.

Any opinions would be great, i will be doing mainly woods riding and some dune riding.

 

I know that any reply to this is treading on thin ice. as the proud owner of a 2003 black and red 660 i may be a little biased but here it goes.

The primary concern is the type of riding you will do. If you are looking to race everything on wheels in straight lines then the raptor is your best bet. it does make arguably 7 hp more than the z (28 vs 35) or so. dont yell at me for the hp marks, they are approximate. in cal the raptor makes 33 though.

If you ride in hairpin trails and plan extensive mx tracking, then the z might be best for you. it does handle somewhat better thanks to a lower center of gravity and a wider for its size stance. however, the raptor is no slouch in the handling department either, being perfectly suitable for the vast majority of trail riding.

The raptor is a faster machine and handles well. The z gives up noticable hp for a moderate handling increase. as a person who likes to race and ride, the power of the 660 far exceeds any minor handling loss.

IMO

 

ps, i got mine for 6100 out the door in may, the day after the first batch of 03's arrived. so the price diff isnt really a concern

 

I rode a Z400.

Things that impressed me (things I liked better than my Raptor)
1) smoother shifting
2) less handlebar vibration
3) felt a little lighter

Things I didn't like about the Z400:
1) a lot less low end power
2) I felt a little cramped on it (but in time I might get used to it)


All in all, I feel I made the right choice for MY riding style. It would of been close, but even if the Raptor had been next to the Z400 on the show room floor, I would of picked the Raptor.
JUST MY OPINION!!

 

I agree with Maddog on letting the type of riding you do decide which bike to buy. I also agree on not letting the price be a deciding factor. I got a heck of a deal on my 2002 LE. Just my opinion. Happy shopping!

 

Thanks for the good honest comments. This still dosent make up my mind but from what ive heard it looks like i cant go wrong with either one. Hmmm why cant they have a bike that has bulk power and great handling in the one package [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

At the moment im still leaning towards the Z400 because ill be mainly riding tight trails but when the time comes ill look at both and probably make a spur of the moment desission like i do with everything!

 

Hmm, A polaris owner not considering the Predator? I think I'd wait and check it out at least before leaping one way or another. JMO

 

Ah, yes i would love to get the Predator but unfortunatly a reverse gear is a must for me.

 

I'd hate to get to a deep creek bed and unable to cross, leaving the only option to jump off reach for the grab bar and pull 415+ lbs backwards and around. I like the twist of a wrist on the Rap and Z myself. I gotta have reverse in the woods. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Go with the Z, it's awesome and will easily run with a stock Raptor after adding exhaust. I've owned 3 Raptors and think they're a blast, but the Z and my KFX400 are so much more fun to ride because they handle more like my MX'er. A hopped up 400 can run with the Raptors. My stock motored CRF450 quad will toast a Raptor 660r so you see you don't have to go with the biggest motor to be fast![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]