One thing to add about reverse is it's very useful if you ride a lot by yourself. With my work schedule I ride on my own a lot, reverse can be a serious life saver. This is especially true during the rainy season, I don't think I could go without reverse. I may not use it super often but it has definitely saved my butt numerous times.
i agree and on trails like i have owned my yfz450 and it is annoying and more frightening going to do that stuff with out reverse as for my honda250 trx i dont fear going places like that cause of reverse
My biggest save with the reverse is knowing that I can roll start my raptor in reverse. I had sheared the starter clutch bolts on my 660 out on a ride and then killed it going up a hill. Saved a lot of work having that reverse gear
We need to start some type of petition against the epa and California's CARB act. To save sport quads. Because sooner or later both these machines are going to get phased out due to low sales from no updates.
It’s hard to say the future will hold with these machines. I was told Yamaha sells every unit they produce and they’re pretty committed to the sport quad segment seeing as how they’ve never stopped since they were first introduced in the 80’s. I’m hopeful they’ll make them as long as they physically can. How will it work with older machines in Cali? Are they grandfathered in?
What’s the deal on emissions in California!?? I live in Pa. I know regular vehicles have certain criteria to meet epa out there, but I didn’t know off-road vehicles did too!!😎💪🇺🇸
@@edwardstroko4665 the rules here are so strict man it’s crazy. I personally think it’s dumb that everyime i go riding here in california a park ranger stops to check my exhaust to see if i have a spark arrestor in (if not you get a fine up to $900)
Really enjoy your channel, I would choose the raptor if the rider is over 40 and is not racing frequently. The raptor with mods is a fun machine for recreation. You can ride just as aggressive as with a 450 just depends on you the rider. If a rider is a pro he/she probably wouldn’t look at the raptor anyway. The Raptor is a blast and requires very little maintenance. For the weekend warrior and for someone who doesn’t want to wrench on the machine a lot, I would recommend the Raptor.
I remember when you first got that YFZ and let me ride it; I couldn't believe how stable it was, almost like it couldn't be rolled, and that was in completely stock format.
Pete I love your analysis when you comparing the YFZ 450 to the 700 thanks for doing that a lot of people don't understand the difference in those two bikes 😎👍💯🔥💪
I really love the 450 and how agile it is. Come to find out that yfz 450s are banned in California and can’t be sold new anymore 😢 so I had no choice but to get the Raptor 700. Really great quad, very usable power, super comfortable. No complaints really but she is a big girl compared to the 450 but I’m happy with the 700.
I have a 2009 yfz450r I bought it new and with routine maintenance I had 0 issues for 13 years recently had to have bottom end rebuilt. I trail ride and track ride my quad and it's exactly like Pete said confidence boosting and extremely capable it does beat you up a little after a full day of riding but insane power after exhaust, intake, and programmer feel confident up any hill and very fun to ride
Awesome video Pete! After buying multiple used bikes over the years, and now on to my first atv, a 2007 YFZ 450), I learned that unless you have receipts or if it's a newer machine, it WILL need work. My yfz seized after 2 months of owning it. Thankfully just crank bearing, but very unexpected. Turns out, oil pump failed. So anything can happen at any moment, just be cautious!
Awesome video with great points! I don’t think you could explain these two machines any better. The best way I explain them is the 450 is a quick revving small block and the 700 is the big block torque monster.
Great video. 50+ year old grew up on dirtbikes and three wheelerd. I was trying to decide between the two and decided on a 2021 raptor 700r se. More trail riding than racing. I can go hard if need to or just cruise around.
I have 2020 raptor 700R SE an i did a lot of research an found the raptor fits me better. You can haul but or just putts around an take it easy. Its pretty capable as well iv taken threw some rough terrain following 4x4 rigs an kept up pretty good.
Excellent breakdown. I’ve never ridden a quad or any ATV yet. So obviously knowing that the Raptor would be the right choice for me. Once my house is built and move out of the city the Raptor will be my very first real toy! Thanks for the video.
No reverse is a deal-breaker for me the extra couple pounds that it might consume is well worth it I'll take a good morning dump before I race I think a Kickstart would save a lot more weight than reverse.. great videos Pete Yamaha should have been sponsoring you you probably sold more Raptors than any sales man LOL but always try to keep up the independent work don't be a sell-out LOL love how you guys are redoing the old quads what the quad Wars that's awesome love watching you guys
I do just sand dunes riding and driven both machines, I’ll go with the YFZ all the time, such a fun machine to ride on the sand trails with better stability while cornering and hitting some jumps
I watched several videos comparing these two before watching your video. You gave me the information I was actually looking for, thank you for breaking down both of these.
I got a 2023 raptor R, I went to Oklahoma to pick it up then went strait to little Sahara dunes with it. It was amazing after riding my yfz there for the last year. It definitely out powered the yfz. But I agree with all of this video
I own a raptor, yfz, and a banshee, the raptor will perform better every time. It will do the same thing as the yfz & banshee but worth more capabilities. Hands-down, the best sports quad ever made!
Great job, was thorough and informational! I just wish the QUAD prices weren't so high, especially with inflation and all!!! Make more videos please, the do help!!
Good video! I have been researching the Raptors vs the YFZ and from everything I have gathered the Raptor is going to be my choice. I'm at the "dad" status and just trying to have a good time with my kids that are more YFZ status. But, the Raptor will be able to hang with them when I want it to.
Was set on a 450 but after watching this video I decided the raptor was better for me because o mostly rode trails and gravel roads around home but I also rode tracks which had me stunned but I think the raptor will perform for me when o want to ride tracks. Just picked up a 21 Friday thanks Pete
Thank you so much for the advice and video because I’ve been looking at the Raptor and YZF since 2018 and I’m still looking but I’m aiming more towards the raptor
Great info!!! I ride a 2017 yz450f recreational. Definitely a track bike. My first quad was a blaster but grew up riding dirt bikes. 98 kx 250. And first was an 89 yz 80. By no means professional but I just love the Yamaha reliability. Just cool to see some honest input. Thanks!
Man every time I watch your videos I wanna get a Raptor haha, I'm on the Outty but the sport quads are always there deep down, awesome video as always :)
Great Video on the 2 different options. I 100% agree on the confidence the YFZ inspires vs the raptor. 1 min on the YFZ and I was feeling right at home. The raptor was a lot more learning curve, for me at least.
Coming from somebody that owns a yfz450r hes def right about you just dont have a limit with the yfz like the more you loose fear the more fun it becomes to ride im stil learning its potential after 2 years of ownership
As always love the channel and this is a great video. For somebody like myself, a little bit older, I would go towards the raptor myself due to the seating position and also the soft seat lol as a younger rider I would probably be like you I’d have both of them. Peace and God bless.
I agree! The Raptor is much more practical for an older rider. I’d say the only thing the 450 has going for it is the lower center of gravity and increased stability which makes it safer in my opinion. Older riders tend to ride within their means more so the Raptor still tends to be the better fit 😅👍
@@kellyburton ok thank you do u think its worth it to have both machines or no? and do you ever feel like you were abt to fall on your side on the raptor
I have rode both of them and I personally would pick the YFZ450s over the raptors, Hence that’s why I own a yfz450!! Like Pete said tho it depends on what kind of riding you mainly do! Great explanation of both quads tho!!
I XC race and actually chose the Raptor over YFZ. A big reason is it's more narrow. I feel faster in the tight stuff. YFZ is almost too wide for the woods in stock form. Raptor also steers faster/tighter but obviously the YFZ can carry more speed through the turns. Raptor suspension is more plush going fast over bumpy stuff but the YFZ definitely handles jumps better. The motor has so much torque it's great at just chugging along in slow/technical sections when you're not on the throttle much. You don't have to keep the motor spun up like the 450's. Also has the power to go up almost any hill in any gear with no momentum. The ergonomics of the Raptor are more comfortable for me (I'm 6'2" 250lbs) The taller seat height to foot peg ratio makes going from sitting to standing less fatiguing which you're doing a lot over a 2 hour race. Reverse is definitely not necessary but it's so handy to have. TL;DR everything that makes the Raptor a great trail quad makes it a great XC quad. If you're riding a MX track there's no comparison, the YFZ was clearly designed for that.
@@sydneymatsepe5263 Hey Syd I think you want to ask Pete one row up in the "Add a comment" section as you are replying to my question to him about his exahust change from R4 to R5..
I decided to change from the R4 to the R5 since it was a new product from Rossier at the time. They’re no longer producing the R4 unfortunately. It makes around the same performance overall and is a tad quieter than the R4 was
I want the YFZ because I enjoyed swinging my old 700 but my main property isn’t very big and the larger property I can run hard but at points I’d be in a low gear going slow
If you’ve never rode either, pick the one you like the look of because I can tell you I trail rode a yfz450 for years and it was comfortable and fun to ride as any other atv. Now that I’m older I would have got the raptor 700 but you’re talking about marginal differences only someone as experienced as him would notice besides comfort..
@@thathondaguy7138yes the bulk of the action clips are from Appleton. That’s actually one of the few public ride parks open year round for quads. I’ve never been there in the winter, I kinda want to try it this year 😬
Get a snowmobile! Or ice track race some sport quads kinda like how dirt bike riders do in the winter in MN. I ride my can am outlander 650 in the summer and arctic cat riot 800 in the winter. You can pretty much always ride something depending on where you live or how willing you are to drive.
I almost got a sled this year but Polaris loaned us the Scrambler so I held off. I actually wanted to do some ice stuff this winter but we’ve had very inconsistent ice conditions. They’ve had to cancel events around us unfortunately. Maybe the 2nd half of winter will be a bit more practical. The Scrambler is getting a few performance parts at the end of the week so I hope to be back out in the snow with it soon 😬🤘
Hi Pete! Been riding since 5yo and finally plunged into a `22 Raptor 700 after coming from a Warrior. I am in Georgia and would love to coordinate some rides!
For people in the comments section: If you drop down to a 13t front sprocket on the yfz, it does help a bit on the trails. Not Raptor level, but a noticeable improvement.
@@PeteHager I don’t worry too much about top speed. I’m not going to outrun a Raptor anyways. You won’t need to run it wfo all the time. It gives the rider a chance to catch a breath.
Imma be real the raptor is very good at being on soft terrain, and tunes, but rocky terrain or harder terrain nope. I drove a 2021 and the bike is all around good but it’s almost like the bike wants to thro you off, 450 is so much easier to handle in trails. Me personally the 450 beats the raptor all around except speed.
Hey Mr. Hager, love the video. I was wondering if you could do a little preview of how easy your suspension can go down. I've been so curious to see if my raptor's suspension is very different from everyone else's.
At low speeds the suspension is very plush now but it firms up dramatically at higher speeds with how Ron set it up. If you haven’t adjusted your factory suspension it should be pretty close to spec unless a previous owner adjusted it. Maybe post a video of your own machine if your worried about it being too soft or firm in one of the Raptor groups on Facebook. Then other people could share videos comparing. Hopefully that helps 👍
I have not found a Raptor 700r I just can’t let go of yet but if one comes up that make since I will be adding it to the collection 😎 for now YFZ 450R for race day and KTM 525xc for race/cruise
Awesome videos Pete! Can't beat those Yamaha sport quads. Great analogy also. *As ya know i own both myself..weve spoken. '10 YFZ450X Bill Ballance edition (4hrs total use) & '21 Raptor 700R-SE (< 5hrs use)* . I really need get some hrs on em in '23. 😀 -Ohio #Maxima #Fox
If your riding the YFZR slow it’ll definitely start to get hot. Both machines benefit from airflow for increased cooling but the Raptor is definitely better at running slow speeds 👍
I trail ride but ended up going with the yfz. Just not a big fan of how big and bulky the raptor feels. I’m coming from a yz though so that might play a factor in it and what you feel more comfortable on
The YFZR is still a lot of fun to ride on the trails. The Raptor can feel big and bulky compared to it, especially since you’re coming from a bike. If your on the limits the YFZ is hard to beat in most circumstances 👌
Great comparison! However I must ask, since you've done all the suspension mods on the Raptor, would you say it now narrows that gap between it and the YFZ450R as far as trail machine and track machine? How much more confidence do you have in the Raptor now when track riding? And do you ever intend on doing a wider rear axle on the Raptor at some point to even out the front and rear widthwise?
Thanks man! The new set up has significantly improved things on the track with better stability and bottoming resistance. Honestly I didn’t think it could handle as well as it does now 😬 it’s hard for me to push for those upgrades to Raptor owners because I know it’s a significant investment and I don’t want people to think the Raptor isn’t good enough in it’s stock form. I will say doing those mods have made it the ultimate do it all machine for me though, I absolutely love riding it now. If most of my trails were narrow like a lot of the 50 inch trails in Michigan then it wouldn’t be the most practical but the vast majority of trails are wide now due to the SxS’s so overall I’m super happy with the decision. I already had a lone star adjustable axle in the rear before upgrading my a arms so it’s the same width front and back. Even after all the mods I still think the YFZ is a better track machine from the factory. The ergonomics, power plant, and how well it flys make it a bit more practical 👍
I’m struggling just to find a yfz to buy. Can’t get dealers to call me back or email me back. Been looking for about 6 months pretty hard and within 2 hours I have had zero luck
I’m torn on what I want to get cause all the reasons why the raptor is better than the YFZ when it comes to trails and stuff is why I would get a raptor but the way I like to ride and stuff is exactly why I want a YFZ so I’m torn on what to get
It can be a tough choice.. if you’re riding style is pointing you towards the YFZ then you should go for it! They handle amazing and love the berms and jumps 🤘
