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The Raptor
250 has plenty of power, which is very
controllable
|
One of the first things we were curious about
was what kind of power would this air-cooled 4-stroke
produce compared to its high-strung, 2-stroke
predecessor. We were pleasantly surprised with
how it performed. “The power in the Raptor
250 is more usable than the Blaster’s power.”
Stated Margaria. “You can lug it if you
need to and don’t have to do as much clutch
work with it to keep it going, and the mid-range
power responds really nice also.” The Raptor
250 has a fully manual 5-speed clutch that sets
it apart from its automatic and semi-automatic
competitors. “The quad is geared more toward
younger, more aggressive riders who want to have
more control over the engine.” Said Biolsi.
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| Yamaha
Raptor 250 engine originated in the "Tricker"
motorcycle, which is a popular freestyle
trials bike in Japan |
According to Biolsi, the engine for the Raptor
250 comes from a Japanese motorcycle called
the “Tricker”. The “Tricker”
is basically a freestyle trials bike that was
made street legal for the Japanese market. “The
motor has good low and mid range power and it
is also lightweight.” Said Biolsi. “Even
though it’s an air cooled machine, it’s
an all aluminum composite cylinder and has a
ceramic composite liner that’s spray coated
on there.”
 |
The
spark plug is conveniently located on
the side of the engine, and the carburetor
choke and fuel valve are very accessible
as well
|
Having the motor for this machine as lightweight
as possible was a major objective for Yamaha,
since one of their main goals for the Raptor
250 was to have it be as light as possible.
“One of our goals was to have the Raptor
250 be lightweight. The blaster was an exceptionally
lightweight machine, and we exceeded our goal
with the Raptor 250.” Biolsi said proudly.
“By using more advanced, updated technology
we were able to make a 4-stroke air cooled ATV
that is actually 15 pounds lighter than the
Blaster once you add all the fluids. It’s
also a minimum of 50 pounds lighter than full
size machines such as Honda, Suzuki and Polaris.”
Concluded Pat. The lighter weight and easier
maneuverability of this machine compared to
a full sized quad, makes it ideal for smaller
riders. “It’s easy to correct in
the air because it’s so lightweight. You
can also break the back end loose and slide
it really easy.
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| The
seat is easily to removed to reveal the
manual, tools, and airbox, and the air
filter is accessible without any tools,
only 4 clips and a wing nut for simplified
cleaning, and the air intake is located
in the front of the filter lid to provide
excellent protection from water while
riding |
 |
The 19"
Rear Dunlop Tires provide plenty of
traction yet allow the rear end to break
free for sliding
|
Traction was another key issue that Yamaha
wanted to improve on. Their new 19” rear
tires from Dunlop are a much-needed improvement
over the Blaster’s old balloon style tires.
The 19”tires allow for easy sliding going
into corners, and good traction on exit. Yamaha
experimented with 18”, 19” and 20”
rear tires and found that the 19” tire
combined the best balance of a low center of
gravity and ground clearance for everyday riding
applications.
