Yamaha Raptor 700 Special Edition

Ripped!

No ATV manufacturer provides consumers with a better choice of colour and graphic combinations than Yamaha. Our test machine's brilliant white fenders with trick carbon fibre look-a-like hood and trim, combined with slick graphics, further highlighted the Raptor's aggressive styling. Fit and finish on this beast are first rate.

The riding position is relaxed and roomy - good for big blokes. Controls are well laid out and can be adjusted to suit most riders, with the exception of the reverse control which is mounted on the front right fender. For easier operation we'd prefer to see it at arm's length on the handlebars.

RIDE AND HANDLING
The Special Edition Raptor comes standard with YFZ450-style fully adjustable front shocks. While to the casual observer they look the same as YFZ450 shocks, they have been resprung and revalved to deal with the extra weight of the Raptor. The improvement in overall handling gained by these shocks is well worth the extra asking price. While the standard Raptor's non-fully adjustable front shocks provide a smooth and predictable ride, they pale in comparison to a fully adjustable setup that allows the rider to dial in the settings he prefers for any kind of terrain.

In testing on our closed course track, the Raptor's front and rear suspension handled all obstacles thrown at it. Even the Raptor's extra mass seems to work for it, keeping the quad well planted when encountering small rutted-out obstacles that tend to bounce its lighter weight cousin the YFZ450. The one thing we didn't like about the heavier machine we noticed during flight time: if the Raptor got out of shape in the air it takes a lot of muscle to bring it back into line.

The Yamaha has a high centre of gravity and a narrow wheelbase too, which make it two-wheel when pushed hard through corners, so don't expect to your Raptor to round up 450s in corners. Generally speaking though, for its intended application - trail riding - the Raptor's handling will please most riders.

Dunlop radials are fitted on all four corners. The tread pattern has changed from last year's tyre but we didn't notice any difference in overall performance. The rear hooked up well in sandy loam-type conditions, but was less impressive on rocky terrain, while the fronts steered precisely over anything.

BRAKING
The front brakes on the Raptor are straight off a YFZ so there's no problem here, although the extra weight of the Raptor will take a little bit more to pull up. For '07 the front master cylinder has been changed and now incorporates an adjustable brake lever. Rear brakes have improved over last year's model with a new ventilated disc replacing the old solid unit, which in our opinion definitely improved the pedal action.

ENGINE
The Raptor is powered by 686cc, single cylinder liquid cooled SOHC four-valved dry sump engine, driving through a wide-ratio five-speed plus reverse transmission. This engine has nothing in common with nasty big-bore engines of the past. The Raptor employs the latest in hi-tech wizardry including Mikuni fuel injection and twin-balance shafts to propel this beast with smooth and effortless ease. A strong, linear power delivery allows the Raptor to chug with torque when you need it or rev hard when you're feeling frisky, characteristics make this Yamaha attractive to everyone, from novices to experts.

A light, smooth clutch action makes getting off the line easy enough, and we thought the wide-ratio gearbox was well suited to the varying conditions you'd expect trail riders to encounter. It's not happy on a tight closed course, but that's not what this missile was designed for.

IN THE END
The Raptor 700 Special Edition is a great machine for the recreational rider and will only strengthen Yamaha's stranglehold on this market sector of the market. It's good to see a manufacturer moving away from the old Henry Ford adage of, "You can have any colour you like as long as it's black".

And while we're talking Raptor, we've just taken delivery of a brand new long term 700. In future issues of the ATVA we'll be chucking a lot of fancy hardware at this bike so stay tuned for the latest bulletin on Project Raptor.