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Quadzilla or Raptor?

3.2K views 26 replies 19 participants last post by  nitrousbaby  
#1 ·
Hey guys I have had My lt500r for about 3 years now and I love the savage flat out Brute force of my 547 stroker but I had not ridden a raptor before. I loved it with a passion. I was wondering if you guys think it would be better to put $2500 worth of works shocks on my lt500r or sell it and put a down payment on a new fuel injected raptor 700 efi? I love the travel that the raptor has and Im flat out tired of ripping at the kick start of my lt500r. Im a Suzuki guy from way back but i was flat out comfortable on the 660 raptor so I can only assume the 700s are insane. What do you think guys, what should i do?
 
#4 ·
Both of you have good points and I think I need to ride one of the new 700s. I have read but I dont know if its true, I have heard that the Raptor has huge potential to put out 50 hp no problem with a pipe computer and a hot cam. I have heard taht you can put a ct racing pipe on a 660 and get around 48 hp! My lt500r has around 55. Thats not that far off but you have to take into consideration the torque increase also. I have no idea. i need more feedback please help.
 
#8 ·
carloLT250r said:
I would personally keep the LT. There is going to be no comparison is power.. on top of that, the raptors are very very tippy quads because they sit up so high...I don't know, but I think your the first person I've heard say they like the stance on the raptor.
the crazy thing is that the raptor sits lower than my lt!
 
#10 ·
Well then the first hardcore remark today....I was waiting for this, I do ride in the imperial dunes and I also do a ton of desert riding. I will keep my lt500 for now but I need some shocks, this thing is beating the shit out of my in the technical stuff. Im sore as hell but in the dunes I havent been beaten yet. What set up should I go with?
 
#11 ·
well imo the 660 is a joke, imo they sit to high it feels like there gonna tip in corners, maybe its cause im only 5'7" and power isn't too impressive, i mean it does get up and go but my friend with a stock ds650 blows craptors with pipes filter jets out of the water, and at the dunes my brother with a 250r thats decked, bored port ect smoked a 660 with cam, pipe, and all this other sh1t by 5 lengths, so its up to you but imo i'd stay away from the craptor.
 
#13 ·
my bro had a lt500 once....he sold it cuz the fram cracked....then he got a 4$ grand rapter and put another 3 grand in to it....zilla was faster stock....and yea he did put 3 grand in it....but raoter looks better tho.......
 
#14 ·
bgdog66 said:
buy the raptor but keep both that way you have a backup you wont get enough out of your zilla to justify selling it
I agree, as long as he gets a 700 raptor
my neighbor has a 660 and I rode it a few times....I was very unimpressed, it was 100% bone stock though. I think the 660's are ugly personally.
 
#15 ·
You guys are the best, I dont have 1400 bucks for shocks and arms but I think i can play with the stock shocks a bit for now. The ass end comes up and bounces alot. The shock was just rebuilt and All three of them seem stiff. Is there anything I can do to get a better ride out of it. I do mostly trail and dune riding. I wanna hit the woops with out wondering if the the ass end is going to bounce up and buck me off. Thanks.
 
#16 ·
I have to ask why a rapturd? They are slow, and for a couple hundred more you could get a 450, witch is fast, and handles shit tons better. Go out and get suzuki's 450. You will have old school and new school. Make payments threw the dealer. Ive heard the lt450s are damn cool. Dont sell the zilla though, It would be like trading an oldschool charger for a new one, crazy IMO. In a few more years that zilla's value is going to sky rocket. That zilla commands respect where ever it goes, and with a craptor you'd look like a average guy on a quad, and slow to boot. All I know is I want a zilla bad, Im keeping my eyes peeled for one, and i wouldn't let it go either.
I'm a big boy too, 6'3'' 260 lbs, a cheap set of handle bars risers make a big difference, and also tilting them forward help too. You dont have to tuck your leg out and under the handlebars every turn. Also being big we need the power to haul our asses around, the zilla has that department covered. My shee screams along with me on it. Its better with my weight on it, when my friends ride it they just sit and spin, It grabs and wheelies with me on it.
Best of luck!
 
#17 ·
turftaimer said:
I have to ask why a rapturd? They are slow, and for a couple hundred more you could get a 450, witch is fast, and handles shit tons better. Go out and get suzuki's 450. You will have old school and new school. Make payments threw the dealer. Ive heard the lt450s are damn cool. Dont sell the zilla though, It would be like trading an oldschool charger for a new one, crazy IMO. In a few more years that zilla's value is going to sky rocket. That zilla commands respect where ever it goes, and with a craptor you'd look like a average guy on a quad, and slow to boot. All I know is I want a zilla bad, Im keeping my eyes peeled for one, and i wouldn't let it go either.
I'm a big boy too, 6'3'' 260 lbs, a cheap set of handle bars risers make a big difference, and also tilting them forward help too. You dont have to tuck your leg out and under the handlebars every turn. Also being big we need the power to haul our asses around, the zilla has that department covered. My shee screams along with me on it. Its better with my weight on it, when my friends ride it they just sit and spin, It grabs and wheelies with me on it.
Best of luck!
the raptors I just feel comfortable and I sit right on them. But as I can see the lt is a peice of art work and I sould make due with the fastest production quad on the planet. thank you gentelmen but I still need some advice on the suspension set up, any on ehave a clue?:blob4:
 
#18 ·
i used to own a 01 raptor 660 and its was shit, the 2nd gear went out and i had other problems with it, then i traded it for a banshee and that was the best thing ive done lol
 
#20 ·
ive ridden a 700r with +2 arms 450 shocks and piped, its nothin to write home about, stock their front suspension sucks too unless u get the SE or whatever with the piggybacks.. yea they have like an inch or so more rear travel but big deal... they got great torque and low end but up top and especially in 4th and 5th, they are far from exciting,, just make alot of noise...you sit very high up too, and they are very tippy, the problem has still not been fixed.. and my friend has had nothing but trouble with his EFI, and all around electronics bullshit, some fan sensor and some other crap.. very tall and heavy, not a big fan of them mysrelf,id rqather have a yfz450 with a nice thicker seat cushion! hahah
 
#22 ·
Quadzilla everytime and all the time!
 
#23 ·
Dude,if you want to go slower,and have tons of trouble,and not have to kick start,then you should buy a warrior.Ive only got a 250 with a pt pipe and boysen reeds and i thought the guy on the 660 was only playing.turns out he was really trying.Ive never ridden one,but i dont need to now.
 
#24 ·
I wouldn't waste money on a new LT450R, I can tear them up on my tecate, so you won't be impressed with it if you ride a punched out Zilla. I'm into being a little different from the crowd, as with my tecate if you show up on a nice Zilla your gonna stand out. If your a big guy you might try a DS650, every squid and his brother rides a Raptor, guys that ride zilla's and DS650's mean business!
 
#25 · (Edited)
BTW your suspension is 20 years old... of course its gonna suck! Works are cheap and make a great improvement but if you wanna absolutely love to ride your zilla again spend the money for Elka's, its amazing how nice they really are. I would stay away from the cheesy shocks that claim to be as good cause they never really are. If your shocks are about 16" long or so you may be able to upgrade to some shocks off the 450's you can get them on ebay pretty cheap and they have to be better than worn out shocks made with 20 year old technology.
 
#26 ·
I'll clear somethings up.

I have both a LTR and a LT500. Currently I'm doing a "new school" rebuild of the 500 (latest in suspension, engine (there is some new stuff out (DR Q))

I believe it will be awesome when done. I bought the LTR with plans to sell the 500, well, after owning the ltr I decided to keep both and restore the 500.

They are very different machines.

The LTR is a very nice bike, I believe it would be hard to get the 500 to out handle it. (better geometry, stronger frame- better structural rigidity) and with a few bolt ons they aren' t slow at all. or at least they can accelerate pretty hard.

but they aren't that fast on the top end, maybe 75 with mods, maybe closer to 70.

But the suspension handles high speed hits incredibly - great all arround bike (trail - dune - motocross)

It is not a 500 though, doesn't have the same feel - for sand a properly set up LT500 is king for a duner IMHO.

A raptor 700 needs a: fuel contoller,pipe, and an aftermarket front end to make it decent IMHO that's really close to or over $10K and you still have a high center of gravity trail bike that does everything just OK - to make HP you have to spend$$$.

- I hear the raptors are nice trailbikes/duners - but I'm very tall and arround 300# and I chose the LTR over the 700 with no regrets. THe LTR huals me just fine. and the raptors stock for stock don't make any more HP, just more torque

But neother the 450s or 700 have the extra power of a modded 500 2 stroke that I need to be ahead - so the 500 is getting built.

THe 450's are nice for sure. but they really aren't that far ahead of the LT500/TRX250R's

ANd yes the 450's are probably a better choice than the 700 IMHO. unless you ride exclusively trails/mud then get the 700.

Do what you want. a new bike is the easy route , but not for free,and don't expect it to be light years ahead of what you already have.