Raptor 250 or used blaster

[raptor brothers]

Question.I'm looking for a new quad for my son.I was wandering how the power output compares between a Blaster & the new Raptor 250.Does anyone know the H.P. dyno #'s on each.
Thanks for any help.

[Dr89]

i dont know the exact numbers but the blaster is a GREAT quad to start out on, it's going to be a little bit harder for him to learn on (unless he already knows how to drive a clutch and all that) than a four stroke, but in the end it will definately pay off. for a new rider, the blaster will get them much closer to "the feel" of a bigger bore quad than a pokey 250 fourstroke.

the blasters are very quick little quads and once he catches on to the whole riding thing he'll have a lot more fun on the blaster than he would on the 250. im almost positive the blaster is going to have a good amount MORE hp than the 250.

not to mention you can find some VERY nice blasters for VERY cheap...you really cant go wrong.

a blaster was my first quad and at first i didnt like it but eventually fell in love with it and am so glad now that thats wht my dad put me on, plus i turned out to be a pretty dang good rider lol ;)

[yAmAhA-rIdEr155]

i have a raptor 250, its better than the blaster

[Dr89]

how?

[yAmAhA-rIdEr155]

i've never drove a blaster, but i've read up on both and the 250 is better than the blaster from what i've read. i like the blaster, the 250 has more room wehn you ride, and its just an all around better quad in my opinion

[bradley300]

i have a raptor 250 and have had 3 blasters and here is what i think

a raptor 250 is basicly a blaster chassis thats 2 inches wider, the a-arms are an inch more foward and the swingarm is an inch longer. in short, the raptor handles much better stock for stock. power is really close in a drag race, but the raptor is a real smooth power thats easy to learn on.

the blasters only advantage is the amount of aftermarket stuff (currently) and if you want to build the motor, i would say the blaster can be made much faster than a raptor could, and for less money

IMO, get the raptor

[Dr89]

just my opinion, but i would never recommend a 250 fourstroke over a blaster...he'll be bored with the power so fast its not even funny...FACT: the blaster will hop up much cheaper and easier than the raptor ever will, you will always be able to get waaay more power out of a blaster than you will a 250, for nearly half the price, when he starts growing and wanting more power. for a kid starting out its the "fun factor" more than anything, and once he gets the hang of riding the 250 wont offer near the experience the blaster will.

[bradley300]

your just being narrow minded, a raptor 250 is already as fast asa 300ex, so are you saying you would never reccomend a 300ex either?

[Dr89]

im not being narrow minded at all, and i would recommend a 300ex i've owned a couple and i've also owned a couple blasters, but i will say i would skip the 250 stage, and go straight to a blaster or 300ex...but that also depends on the kid, he didnt give us an age/experience/etc...anyways so say stock for stock the 250 and the blaster are the same speed, add a pipe and filter and jet both and which is going to be quicker? which mods will be cheaper? which QUAD will be cheaper? its and undeniable fact that the answer to all those will be the blaster. now wht is arguable is which quad will give the kid a better all around experience and room to improve his riding skills? i have to give the nod to the blaster because it is a BIT harder to learn on and use the power, but it will benefit him more as a rider in the end. not to mention it will be funner to play around on.

[DuwBra]

Im gonna have to go with Dr89 on this one. The blaster was also my first quad, and I am damn glad it was. It took time to get used to it because it had plenty of power. But once I got used to it, I had the best damn time riding. They are just realy easy to control because of their weight and size. Once the kid grows up some, if he was to get the notion to get some aftermarket stuff for it, he could do it very easily and cheap, and it still be a fun quad to ride.

[raptor brothers]

OK guys.My boy is 10 years old 120# & about 5'5".I bought him a cheap *** 150cc Red Cat atv last summer & he has trashed it(I work on it more than he rides it)thats why I'm looking for something that can handle his hard riding style.Warning don't buy that China crap.My brother has a old Blaster he lets my son ride & I have had lots of fun on it too.I think the Blaster is one of the best quads ever(durable),but this new 250 has caught my eye.
Thanks,

[yAmAhA-rIdEr155]

the raptor 250 is a great machine

[Dr89]

well once again, all the more reason to buy a blaster...you cant put those things down...mainly because they're easier (and cheaper) to work on than any other entry level quad available...it comes apart and goes together so easy, there are VERY FEW things on the quad to even go wrong in the first place...and some of you will argue its a 2-stroke and will need rebuilt, you can literally replace the topend in less than a half hour and for under 80 bucks.

[TWILES]

I guess I'm in the same boat as "raptor brothers". My wife needs a new bike. I thought a Blaster would be the way to go for the money and fun-factor but then I remember that "I" will be the one working on it constantly and when it doesn't start exactly the way she thinks it should "I" get to spend the next 30 minutes explaining to her why we keep the motor cleared out. Her friend at the local dealership said something to her about the new 250. She won't go for a Honda so the 300ex is out but this 250 sounds like it pretty much IS the old 250X with a lot better motor. It CAN'T be any worse than a Mojave and is a lot lighter than the 350.

[bradley300]

she will probably be much happier on the raptor 250, being a fourstroke it will be easier to ride, especially if she's new to riding

[Dr89]

i'll agree there, for a wife i would probably recommend a raptor 250...for the kids tho i still adamently support the blaster.

[TWILES]

She can ride pretty good. She had a 450R I let her have after I decided to get a bike. I think it will be light and easy for her to handle. A Blaster would be too but they are little bit too much of a hastle.

[raptor brothers]

I'm not sure what I'm hearing about the blaster.I think it's one of the most durable & trouble free quads ever.It also handles rolls better than any quad I've seen.My brothers has been rolled several times with very little damage.It also has hundreds of hours & is still going strong.My other brothers 660 just flipped on it's side doing donuts & it cost him $140 to repair it.The draw backs I think to the blaster is the kick start & not being wide enough.

[Robin Hood]

Get the Raptor 250. More stable and a lot more smooth to ride. It's actually lighter then the blaster too.

You can easily outgrow both of the quads, but in the long run, I'm sure I'd be more satisfied with the 4 stroke.

When aftermarket companies start producing parts for the 250 I'm sure that you could turn it into a crazy machine.

[RagunCajun]

Bored with the blaster? The powerband on a 2 stroke doesnt get boring like the tractor pull the 4 strokes have.

Like the guys says, you can find blasters very cheap. One reason is people out grow them. The other reason is the 4 stroke craze went nuts. Everybody any their momma wants a 4 stroke. Good knews for us folks who loves 2 strokes:D

The Blaster has a nice simple 2 stroke engine. Parts are cheap and you can do any repairs yourself. The aftermarket is huge for it.

As for rebuilding the top end, well if jetted right, it will last a long long time. 4 strokes need top end jobs too.:p Dont listen to lies like 2 strokes cant putt putt around or they foul plugs. Another big one is they need new top ends all the time. LIES!!!

As for the blaster being harder for a beginner to ride than a 250 raptor. That's true but personaly i wouldnt even factor that in. Come on, you gotta give it more gas or slip the clutch more to take of.....woooo big deal.

Bottom line, get the blaster. With the money you save, you can laugh at the raptor 250 owners:devil:

In many years to come, you get rid of that and get big pappa banshee:cool:

[TrX450Rfreek]

i ride a kx125 and a xr80r but ive rode a raptor 660 tht was piped and jetted and i cant remember wat else, ive rode an 04 yfz450 and a atc 250r three wheeler and i just rode a Raptor 350 with a hmf slip on last friday
i was suprised how much power it had i couldnt get it to wheely standin up but sitting down i could and its small and light just a lil front heavy , im 5'11 and 200 pounds and turnin 15 10/28 and if i thought the raptor was fast and ur son is 11 i would go with the 350 instead because it will last him alot longer than a 250 and the shifting is real easy and has reverse
imo i would go with a raptor 350
im thinkin about getting one

[Honda10]

I say go for a raptor 250, it looks a lot better than a blaster and has close to the same power.

[DuwBra]

Yeah go ahead and get the 250. You'll be sorry when he starts complaining about power. As an experienced rider i wouldn't be caught dead on a raptor 250, but a modded out blaster, perhaps.

[bradley300]

the biggest issue with buying a used blaster is there are a whole lot of 14 year old kids that beat the hell out of them and only half know how to take care of and fix them. i wouldnt buy a used blaster unless i knew the person well and knew how well it was maintained

[RagunCajun]

Originally posted by bradley300
the biggest issue with buying a used blaster is there are a whole lot of 14 year old kids that beat the hell out of them and only half know how to take care of and fix them. i wouldnt buy a used blaster unless i knew the person well and knew how well it was maintained
the same is true with all used bikes, you never know what you are getting unless you know the previous owner(s) good.

All my bikes were used and all worked fine. That is a reason i love my two strokes...easy to fix, work on etc. You can find a nice blaster for under $1400. New raptors cost a tad more ;)

[OffRoadBadBoy]

I grew up on a blaster.You can put that thing threw hell and back and it will ask for more.

I have the best memories of riding from my blaster days.

Being 60 pounds and all bone,i could get sick air off of speed bumps.

Good times =)

If you did not read that,

CHOOSE BLASTER.

Make it old enough so it has 5 gears,i cant remember when they made the 6 speed,03 or somthing like that.

[bradley300]

its always been a 6 speed

[Hondamaster5505]

heres my .02


Before i had my 400ex, i had a 1996 yamaha blaster.

I HATED the ****ing thing at first because of the clutch.

After riding it a little more, clutch became second-nature, and i absolutely loved it. I started getting bored stock, so i added a FMF fatty pipe and LRD silencer, and i had so much fun with that bike. I got the pipe system for $165 on ebay.

Jumping, i got about 4ft no problem and i weigh around 200lbs.
It has a very snappy powerband, but its still easy enough to learn on. (its not like the banshees arm-breaking powerband that hits at 9000rpm, lmao)

It actually has decent low-mid end power for a 2-stroke.

I paid $600 for mine. Even to this day, and having a 400ex, i miss my blassie :(

I definetly recomend the blaster, heres some comparison specs.

Blaster: 20hp 323lbs 6-speed
raptor: 18hp 311lbs 5-speed

The raptor frame isnt much different then the blasters

[bradley300]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505


The raptor frame isnt much different then the blasters

its not much different, but still way better. take a blaster chassis, add a +2 axle, +1+1 a-arms and a +1 swingarm and you havea raptor chassis. they are a world apart when it comes to handling becasue of this. the shocks are also much better than the blasters

[RagunCajun]

go buy a nice blaster for under $1000 and just change the suspension and put a gforce($200) real axel.

done with money to spare.