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By: Jason Giacchino
July 2010 - Off The Pegs
Yamaha Further Seals
the Raptor Gap
I don’t play brand favorites when it comes to
the what’s happenings of the major ATV
manufacturers; especially these days when,
having had an opportunity to carve test laps on
examples of each of the big four Japanese
branded 450s, one from the USA, one from Canada,
and one from Austria. There is absolutely
no doubt in this author’s mind that a rider can
be competitive on OEM equipment originating from
all over the globe.
That said it takes a pretty secluded viewpoint
to overlook the incredible attention Yamaha, in
even a time of economic uncertainty, has been
paying to the sport performance segment of the
ATV industry. After all, while a majority
of its competition is holding fast with
carry-over models in the hopes of the global
economy showing signs of improvement, Yamaha has
been busy dropping all-new performance-oriented
ATVs on the market first in the form of the
YFZ-450R, followed by the more woods-friendly
450X, and it appears 2011 will witness but
another manual clutch sport ATV model joining
Yamaha’s ever-growing lineup.
With the YFZ designation being devoted to
Yamaha’s race-oriented quads, the Raptor moniker
has been synonymous with the company’s
sport/performance trail models. Until now
the Raptor line has been pretty thorough with a
90cc, 250-, 350-, and 700cc model choice holding
down the fort for sand, trail, woods, and
recreation riders looking for zippy performance
and long-travel suspension. For 2011 the
gap between the Raptors will become even tighter
as Yamaha will be the first of the Japanese
manufacturers to target the void between the 90
and 250cc displacement class.
Enter the Raptor 125; a brand new sport entry
based on the highly successful Raptor 250.
Nestled within its steel frame spars is a single
overhead cam (SOHC), 124cc air-cooled
single-cylinder mated to a manual clutch,
5-speed transmission package. To get the
go-juice to the ground, Yamaha spec’ed 18-inch
rear and 19-inch front Maxxis low profile sport
tires and a slightly smaller 428 chain (to
decrease drag).
All new plastics coupled to the lighter engine
result in a 30-pound weight reduction over the
already-lightweight Raptor 250. Other than
these differences, the 125 will boast all of the
features that have made the 250 so popular in
the last couple of years: Dual hydraulic disc
brakes in the front, single hydraulic disc in
the rear and long travel suspension numbers (7.5
inches up front, 7.9 inches out back).
While proponents will be quick to scoff at the
lack of a high-tech mill providing the
horsepower in the newest Raptor, Yamaha’s logic
is that overcomplicating things in this emerging
segment could only potentially discourage
beginner riders looking for sport performance
right from the get-go. Besides, if the
aftermarket success of the Raptor 250 is any
indication, the industry will be awash with
hop-up and performance enhancing components for
the 125 in no time.
Additionally, Yamaha has been the first of any
of the major manufacturers to recognize the
demand that exists in the small-bore performance
quad market; a place currently dominated by
Taiwanese and off-brand knock-offs, many of
which lure purchasers in with attractive initial
pricing but lack any sort of dealer network or
parts support.
Like all of the Raptor models, the 125 is
targeted toward trail riders seeking sport
performance though we’re excited by the prospect
of using the new machine as a starting point to
create some slick custom race equipment (not
unlike the popularity of pit-bike racing a few
years back). Additionally, since this quad
is the first of its kind, we wouldn’t be
surprised to witness the formation of a new
air-cooled 125cc racing class begin to spread
among facilities around the nation just as had
happened with the Raptor 250 a few years ago.
As if all of the excitement surrounding an
all-new sport quad weren’t enough, we hear
Yamaha’s slapping the wheels they developed for
the YFZ-450X (which were both lighter, stronger,
and designed to resist pinch flatting) onto the
flagship Raptor 700 for 2011. The Raptor
250, meanwhile, will finally receive the factory
upgrade racers and fast trail riders have been
begging for since the machine’s inception: All
new shocks with tuning potential that puts the
suspension on even some of the current 450s to
shame! These babies will offer piggyback
reservoirs, preload, compression, and rebound
adjustment right off the showroom floor.
Also, as an added bonus, if initial spy photos
prove accurate, it looks to us like they will
bolt right up to the new 125.
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