We usually only get a brief amount of time with a unit and never suffer any of the oddities an owner might. However, for those machines we take home and spend a healthy dose of quality time with, we get to see the true personalities and uncover any demons lurking inside. Sometimes the honeymoon is short, while with other machines, we return them reluctantly at the end of a year. Starting with this issue, we'll be relaying our trials and tribulations to you. Whether it's bliss or torment, the plan is to give you the skinny, along with any cures and aftermarket accessorizing we do on our machines. As the leader of this pack, I grabbed the new Raptor for myself and, thus, here's the first of ATV Rider's Long-Term Hauls.
One of the first fuel-injected sport quads on the market, the redesigned Raptor was naturally a target of our undivided attention and testing. Its combination of smooth power, handling and EFI added up to trail fun, and we have ridden the blue machine more than anything else in the garage. So with introductory testing, two shootouts, a race and a heavy-duty pipe shootout in the equation, our machine is showing some premature aging that reflects its hard 40-plus hours of life thus far. We bent the rear brake rotor pretty early in the testing somewhere-the stock skid plate was no match for a rock intent on ruining a brake system. Fortunately, rotor replacement is a fairly straightforward process; dismount the caliper and rotate it forward, loosen the four bolts holding the rotor on the axles, pull off the right rear wheel, swap the parts and reattach everything.
Before I raced the Raptor in the Lake Elsinore GP, a bit of armor and comfort features were added to our test mule. Underneath, to prevent more rock damage, was AC Racing's belly pan and swingarm skid plate. A set of stylish AC Racing Black-Line Pro Pegs (made from 6061-T6 aluminum) nerf bars and footpegs kept my boots planted and toes safe. An IMS/Roll Design front bumper and grab bar provided a hand-friendly way of pulling the front anywhere along with more protection. Speaking of treating my hands nicely, I swapped the stock grips for Spider SLT dual-density grips and mounted a set of Cycra M4 hand shields to keep the debris from impacting my paws. Along the way we also installed a K&N air filter via Quad Works' power kit to boost the power. And currently the Raptor has a Hindle exhaust system mounted.
The exhaust test (March '06) heaped the most abuse on the Yamaha. Besides simply scratching the plastic extensively with our boots, we also broke several of the tabs on the plastic and ruined the aluminum subframe's exhaust mounting holes with more than 50 pipe changes. So the next stage of mods includes replacing the subframe and some of the bodywork, along with freshening up the looks with a set of graphics from Adapt Racing (www.adaptracing.com) and mounting some new treads from ITP because the stock tires are as tired as the rest of the machine looks.
Pounding out lap after lap on the rough Glen Helen track while exhaust testing highlighted one weakness of Yamaha's new sport-its front suspension. Besides lacking adjustment abilities, the stock shocks are simply not enough for true comfort. I'll be checking out the aftermarket for a cure or two to make the ride more compliant and allow me to push the big girl even faster down the trail. We'll be back with a follow-up report on how the Raptor is working with the improvements in a few months.
The TollHours on ATV: Approximately 45 hours
Repairs:Rear brake rotor (PN 1S3-2582W-00-00): $38.76Subframe (PN 1S3-21190-09-00): $331.03Exhaust pipe gaskets, x2(PN 3YF-14613-01-00): $3.41 each
Normal Maintenance and ServiceThree oil changes, one oil filter(PN 4X7-13440-01-00): $5.95
ModificationsAC Racing: 714/808-8330; acracing.comBlack-Line Pro Pegs: $285.95Engine skid plate: $109.95Swingarm skid plate: $129.95 Cycra: 740/929-0188; www.cycraracing.comM4 Hand shields: $49.95Hindle Products, Ltd.: See your local Parts Unlimited Dealer; www.hindle.comTitanium Stealth Offroad full systemIMS/Roll Design: 800/237-9906; www.imsproducts.com
Custom classic bumper: $129.95Stainless-steel placard with a laser-cut ATVRider logo: $49.95
Quad Works: 951/695-5305www.quadworks.netPower kit: $134.95Spider Grips: www.spidergrips.comSlim Line SLT grips: $16.95