I need some advice please. I am getting my first quad. I have always been a lake guy and now it is time to get dirty during the winter.

I have narrowed 2 bikes down. I am looking to see what opinions between these 2 are out there. The salespeople are hard to listen to. I am leaning towards the Predator because of all the stock options it has (steering, suspension, etc.). The salespeople turn more towards the Raptor even if they sell both.

Is the Raptor really top heavy compared to the Predator? Is the extra cc's in the Raptor make it so much more capable than the Predator?

Any advice or comments are greatly appreciated.

i have ridden both, i own a predator. i felt the raptor had a very uneasy topheavy feeling to it, it also didnt really feel like it had a 660cc motor in it. the predator although heavier, doesnt feel top heavy, is very stable and has good power, it will also outrun most raptors. the 2004 predator is even better than the 03 since they worked out the bugs the 03 is claimed to have that i have yet to experiance. good luck

Just get the bike that feels good to YOU the one that feels comfortable when you sit on it . both are great bikes and will serve you well in the dunes so you can't make a bad move.

i own a raptor and am very happy with it.its my first quad so i am used to the way it handles.i have deep set rims to widen it.i actually like the height of it.it feels more comfortable with my size.i sat on a new 450 thinking i might treat myself but i didnt like the way it felt.mine is a 2001 supposedly the worst year,so far no problems with the tranny or one way.it has brute strength to pull hills with out having to wind it out.the power band is very smooth.power all the way through.well i love my bike and dont think you could really go wrong with a raptor or a predator.

I have a Raptor and have never ridden a Predator nor raced one, so I can't really compare the 2. When I first got the Raptor, it did feel kinda top heavy. I added spacers (1.5" front and 2.5" rear) and now it feels much better.

It is a fairly heavy bike but it seems to handle fine for me. Not very good through the woops (I haven't tried dialing in the suspension.) I added a pipe, put on a prodesign intake and changed the jetting and now it'll lift the front tires at will. It has gobs of torque but is not a high revver, which is fine with me, I'm not into shifting and buzzing it up.

Although I'm in my 40's, the Raptor allows me to keep up with 95% of the riders out there in the dunes with a comfortable ride and very little fuss.

One way of looking at things, all else being equal, is it's usually easier to add power to any bike than subtract weight. So if one bike is 90 lbs lighter than another and 5 hp down on power, the lighter bike is probably better handling and mods can be made for more power.

Have you considered the YFZ450? I keep hearing great things about that one. More power, less weight, all the good parts. No need to change anything.

R, Steve

I hate to stray from your two narrowed choices, but I have to agree, take a look at the YFZ 450. The bike is perfect for a beginer because it needs nothing changed, it is nearly perfect stock. I have been a diehard two stroke banshee guy from the begining, I bought my wife the 450 and she loves it. Much easier to ride than the banshee. And I must say that I am superbly impressed with the workmanship put into the 450, who knows you might see my banshee on the market soon!!! HEHEHE!!!

The 450's are definently the quads of choice, but the prices keep most from buying them, the raptor sits high, and the predator sits lower, I really dont care which quad I would get betwwen the raptor or predator, but if i had a decision, I would get the raptor

riden many quads in the past. Spent many hours on a raptor, 250r,400ex, and banshee and I must say the yfz450 is the one I would buy.

They all come down in due time.
Try to get a test ride with somebody who owns the bike your interested in??

Freedom of choice.

Get the predator over the raptor, deffinately better. But If your are looking at YFZ450 or Honda TRX450, would be tough choice. YFZ is pretty nice but pricey. Predator is good for the money. Faster and rides better than a raptor forsure. BUt, I may be biased, I own 2 predators.

I have an 03 Raptor and an 04 YFZ 450, by the way I am 6'0" 240 lbs. I absolutely love both bikes, I am in the process of putting mods on both bikes, the raptor has more mods, but I would choose the 450 right now and here is why: If you want to go tear up the dunes the 450 is easier to make it go where you want, the power is more controllable, and the faster you go the better it handles, the 450 is bone stock for the moment, the raptor however is a more comfy ride, and can feel the extra 50 lbs over the 450, you have to be aware of the power cuz it will put you on your back, I have a full pipe kit, air filter, jet kit, one tooth smaller in the front sprocket (highly recommend) +2 chromolly a-arms, triple rate shocks up front, and a +4 rear axel. since the bike is so wide it is very stable, as soon as I put the +4 swingarm on I will choose the raptor again, my bro rides the 450 he is 17 and about 150lbs, and whoever gets through the whoops the fastest wins up the hill, which most of the time is him, I cant keep the front on the ground at the start, that will change with the swingarm, also I believe that aftermarket parts are easier to find for Yamaha than for the Predator, but I still believe how the bike performs is up to the rider, and the riders style, if one is comfy but does not have huge suspension travel, and one is uncomfortable but has travel, do you need the travel cuz you will use it, or just to say you have it, food for thought, but at least you will be riding and not vegging out in front of a T.V., good luck, be safe.

Thanks to all of the replies.

Let me get a bit more detailed. I am going to be trail riding up North in the summer (AZ) at elevation 5500 ft. Not up and down the side of a mountain. Usually logging trails or something like that. Reverse is not that important. During the winter, I'll ride it in the desert and go to the dunes 1-3 (3 at the most) times a year. I'm 6'2'' 205#.

The yfz is cool but not that comfortable on long rides (from sitting on it 10 minutes at the dealer). I am concerned about the top heavy of the Raptor (is it that bad). Is the Predator steering and suspension that much better? I am buuying something in the next 2 weeks and this is a harder decision than I thought.

Thanks again.

Boat Guy...I'm going to agree with tron.....take a serious look at the kawa/zuki 400's for what you are planning on. We have two of them. They are easy to ride, handle well, plush suspension, will keep up with everything else (not beat in a drag, but keep up) and are reasonably priced with lots of aftermarket support if you want more in the future. Mine are stock except for paddle tires, and can go anywhere in the dunes. These are great "all around" units which is what it sounds like you are looking for.

And you can get them at LA cyclesports for about $5790 otd, at least through their internet sales dept. Although, after I just checked, you can also get the pred for $5795 otd from them, raptor is $6399. All in the same ball park, all have good and bad points. Best bet to make a sure purchase is to try and ride one of each to see what will fit you the best. It'll be interesting to see what you choose..

I have a predator and love it although this last weekend of riding I did notice that the seat seems to push you forward and after a long day of trail riding it can seem tiresome. My buddy rides a raptor and it is a nice bike but stock for stock my predator will out run it. For the price I paid for my bike it would be hard to justify buying a 450 unless you plan on racing it. This is just my opinion and if you have a chance take both bikes for a ride and then decide.

My friend has a Predator and I have ridden that. I loved it, but my question to everyone is basically what would I be missing by getting a Predator over a Raptor, or would I be missing anything at all. I only want to buy one quad in the next 4-5 years and I'm trying to make sure I am happy with it.

For what you want it for, it sounds like you want a raptor. I was gonna tell you to go with a pred for dunes only but if you'll be out in the desert and trail riding, the raptor will be better. It has the torque to lug you around in a gear higher than normal for cruising in fast, slippery desert and the comphy ride will be welcomed all day in the saddle. It is a bit narrow but that's a good thing for trails as you can squeeze past bushes, rocks, and other trail distractions. It's not narrow enough to be dangerous if your not pushing it at a race pace. The only thing I would change for your application would be better tires as the desert eats up the stockers pretty fast. Something like holeshots would work really nice but don't even plan on replacing the stockers till you need to. They will work fine except for being a little slippery. Again, not to the point of being dangerous.

The predator is a nice bike in it's own right but is set up more for racing. Lower,stiffer suspension, peaky powerband, and harder saddle. I think that you would be happier in the long run with the raptor.

Same here, Im 15 155 lbs and 6' tall, I ride a blaster, few mods nothing amzing, and it is way to small, I need to keep up with the hills and woops, oh and my dad, Im expeirenced enough to go to move up on anything, I need something that will last 10 years, I would love a raptor, but I would be fine with any of the 400s or predator, I would mostly be riding at superstition and the dunes, Im not worried about being top heavy on the raptor, and the banshee costs to much for engine upgrades, I think the raptor would be the best choice for me to grow into, what do you guys think?

SHOCKER>...... 450. Thats all I can say. I cannot express how nice this quad is! Alright I am done.
Late

I went through the same thought process and ended up with a predator.
I like it alot and it was 500 dollars cheaper than the raptor.

I even looked at used raptors and ended up with an 04 predator.

What does everyone this of the 2004 DS650 (the 40# lighter one). Looking at side by side comparisons, the DS has everything beat with the exception of weight.

Is this thing a pig like my friends say, or is it a good all around quad for the money? Will 1 or 2 mods (pipe, filter) make this bike fast as hell?

From what everyone has told me, it is a good dune machine, but what about trails 5-6' wide at the minimum?

Thanks for all of the replies so far. I really appreciate them.

I Have both the Raptor and YFZ450

the Raptor did seem top heavy at first, but very comfortable (I added +2 A Arms, and Rear Axle and Works Shocks) and In My opinion for the Sand I PREFER the Raptor is handle Excellent Now (doesnt have that top heavy feel and it Dunes Great)

The YFZ450 what can you say read about it, outta the Box it is an awesome Bike (But It Feels almost to Small to me, almost didnt buy it for that reason alone, then I said ah WTH, and I dont regret it) I Plan on Extending it out as well.

If I had My choice I would almost lean toward the Raptor (if you widen it) (jet it) (air Box mods) it will hang with the best of them.

Just my 2 cents

trails that width the ds and the predator will be a tight ride. with the offset wheels i have on my predator my front end is 51" wide, rear is 50". check out the new atv sports magazine, it just cameout, has a 2004 buyers guide in it, and they gove their recomendations as to which machines are good for what type of riding etc. this is about the only atv rag that gives a good honest report on quads. i have ridden my predator on a desert course and i loved it. plenty of torque to pull hills and rock climbs, some narrow spots were hairy but i managed. and my boke is bone stock still.

i to had the same dilemma i had the raptor screen saver and the predator on my wallpaper. but i came down to was i dont have to do one thing to the preddy, and from what i understand you have to do alot of mods to bring the raptor to the preds level handling wize. i spend some time on the predator owners website and they say to change the front sproket and gain the torque the raptor has (and lose 7 mph in 5th gear) also the predator was way cheaper. i love the yamaha thing but this was too much for me to swallow. lastly that damn predator sure does rev well, it acts like a 2 stroke. once you hit the pipe it snapps your neck off and keeps your rear paddles spinnin always a good thing. the adrenilin factor is high. this bike has all the bells and whistles . its not why its why not.

i need some advice i just got a new 04' blaster and took it to buttercup dunes well my bike ran good it wasnt broken in yet but ran good well anyway i have sand tires on the backs not the fronts well i was in a bowl and my bike started to crab and was very loose in the sand how do i prevent this it scared me half to death makes me not want to ride out there anymore. please help me figure out how to stop that.

What exactly do you mean by "Crab"?
What kind of padles do you have? Skates? Straight?

The Pastor

Hey Boat guy, seems you have a lot of advice to sift through. I am a first time quad owner of about a yr. now. This is how I see it, not putting much time on the predator I went with a raptor. A lot of my riding is as you discribed and around the same elevation here in AZ. The raptor's ride is comfortable and the power is always there. You get the feel for it being top heavy and to me it wasnt that big of a deal. My biggest complaint about the raptor is the low clearance on trail rides. I can see myself going through some skid plates, I ride it often in the sand as well near here at our little dunes and it handles great. I recently made my first trip to glamis last month as was even more impressed on how well it handles in the big bowls. What ever choice you make should be a good one, at least you will be riding. Good luck and let us know how things work out!