Yamaha announced several changes at its 2009 unveil at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, Calif. The most significant sport model news involved white as a secondary plastic option for its lineup, a more convenient Raptor 700R and an all-new Raptor 90.
With 40 percent of the sport quad market and the segments No. 1 and No. 2 selling machines (Raptor 700 and YFZ450, respectively) Yamaha is the sport quad market share leader. One way to ensure you stay on top, is to never rest. That’s why Yamaha engineers were assigned the task of making the Raptor 700 better and improving the flagship youth model. Combined, youth quads and the sport segment comprise about 30 percent of all the models sold in the ATV market. With these redesigned models and the arrival of the highly anticipated 2009 YFZ450 (talk to us in September), Yamaha could up those numbers and add to its market share.
Let’s take a closer look at the Raptor 700R and its smaller sibling.
700R Yamaha said it prides itself in listening to its critics, which usually means its dealers and customers. Yamaha said many of the Raptor 700’s changes were inspired by feedback from these two areas.
Look closely enough and you might notice a slightly different nose on the Raptor. Yamaha engineers did their best SoCal nose job and gave the 700R a cleaner front cowl and styling. There wasn’t really anything wrong with the older styling, but a change was required because the cowl had to accept the Raptor’s new digital meter.
ATV Sport
Yamaha said the Raptor 700R is a versatile model, but typically owned by dune enthusiasts and trail riders, not racers, so the digital meter is a perfect addition. The meter includes a low-fuel indicator, oil light, speedometer, dual trip meters, neutral and reverse indicator and full diagnostic capabilities.
Along with being more convenient, the Raptor 700 is also more comfortable, thanks to improved suspension settings up front and an all-new thumb throttle assembly.
ATV Sport
The front shocks now have a 5mm longer stroke, improved comfort settings and new high- and low-speed adjustment knobs. Yamaha said it changed the knob design to simplify the adjustment.
Extensive testing was done by the Yamaha product planning department on the thumb throttle assembly. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, Yamaha said there is more to it than meets the eye — or is it thumb? The shape of the assembly and throttle lever was altered to produce a better overall feel and reduce fatigue.
The Raptor 700R SE model also wears new colors and graphics. A cool dark red chassis and matching painted cowl blend well with the jet black plastic. Updates also include YPAD grab bar, heelguards, and a wave-style rear brake rotor.
Honey, I Shrunk The Raptor The Raptor 90 replaces the old 80 model, and was manufactured in Taiwan to meet Yamaha standards. Inspired by the Raptor 700R, the 90 is sure to attract more glances with its improved look and overall package.
ATV Sport
An 88cc forced air-cooled four-stroke powers the little quad, and the three-speed gearbox was jettisoned in favor of a more rider friendly continuously variable transmission. That’s roughly a 9cc boost in displacement, which is sure to be used by this quad’s 12- to 15-year old user group. The Raptor 80 forced riders to shift between three gears but was outfitted with an automatic clutch. Now, riders simply gas and go. For experienced riders 12 and up, Yamaha added a cool adjustable rev limiter within the CDI. The restrictive limit is set at 4800 rpm. The
less restrictive setting jumps to 8000 rpm with the removal of an electrical sensor. Yamaha said, “this built-in safety feature will allow parents to alter the 90’s performance to better match the riding conditions, terrain and rider’s skills.”
True suspension performance and travel is just as important for kids as it is adults, and the Raptor 90 has it. The Raptor 80 used a leading arm front end design and had around 2 inches of travel. The new 90 is outfitted with a slightly heavier double A-arm design with twin five-way preload adjustable shocks, which offer 4.4 inches of usable travel. The rear end’s swingarm design has a five-way preload adjustable shock and an additional inch of travel compared to the old 80.
For improved stopping power, the rear end was upgraded to a hydraulic disc brake, yet the front end retained the dual sealed drum configuration. Also, the Raptor 80’s shaft drive was replaced with a lighter chain drive.
ATV Sport
Full floorboards offer more rider safety, as the Raptor 80 only came with footpegs and a heelguards. Low profile Maxxis tires come standard. The 90 will be offered in Yamaha Blue as well as a new, standard black-and-white color. This new color comes with an industry first, a dual graphic kit. One kit features red flames and the other purple highlights.
The biggest news of all is that the Raptor 90 will carry a significantly reduced price (The 80 was $2,599). However, as of press time, that price was not set.
