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Yamaha Raptor 125 ATV Links |
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2011
Yamaha Raptor 125 ATV |
Ventura, CA - Yamaha has always
been known for putting out “first in its
class” machines, and trying to fulfill the
needs of its loyal customers and the manufacturer’s
new Yamaha Raptor 125 is no exception.
Based on Yamaha’s Raptor 250 design,
the Raptor 125 was designed to fill a void in
the youth and entry level sport quad genre that
had previously been left to the Taiwan and Chinese
manufacturers. The price of those machines,
while at a considerable value, seemed to be
substandard, leaving many consumers unsatisfied
with their quality and performance. Yamaha recognized
the need to give consumers a good quality machine
that catered to youth riders, who were looking
for a stepping stone between the 90cc quads
and the considerably more powerful, 250cc models
and with that in mind, the Raptor 125 was brought
to life with a competitive price point of just
$3,399
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Yamaha
setup the test track for the Raptor 125
test ride at Ventura Raceway, which is
located right along the ocean at the Ventura
Fairgrounds. The track was built in the
infield of the oval dirt track |
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| The
Ventura Raceway infield track was a blast
to ride the Yamaha Raptor 125 on with
its numerous jumps, turns & high speed
sections |
ATVRiders.com was recently invited to the Venture
Raceway on California’s scenic coastline,
where Yamaha was putting on a test ride featuring
the Yamaha Raptor 125. The Ventura Raceway is
a facility that is used for sprint and dirt
car races, and features an oval dirt track that
offers great views of the ocean.
Yamaha took the liberty of designing a special
track that was set up in the in-field of the
oval. The track consisted of table tops, single
jumps, whoops, tight turns and a high speed
turn where we could let loose. The track was
wide enough to allow for passing and big enough
to have at least ten riders on it at a time.
It was a great design for testing out the Raptor
125, but I did have my reservations. To be honest,
at over 220 lbs., I am a bigger rider, and I
was a little worried about throwing a leg over
a 125cc machine, but my worries soon proved
to be unfounded.
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Yamaha Raptor 125 engine is based on the
TTR 125 dirt bike with a few changes to
better suite an ATV chassis |
One of the first things you notice about the Raptor
125 is the aggressive look of the machine that
definitely fits right in with the Raptor family.
This ATV is powered by a 124cc engine that features
a two valve, single overhead cam and is electric
start.
The engine is from the TTR125 dirt bike, but was
given a new exhaust system, carburetor, and cams
that offer better mid-range power and torque to
suit the quad, and the clutch has been redesigned
to handle those needs. The Raptor 125 is the first
ATV in its class to offer a 5-speed manual transmission
and the 29mm Mikuni BSR Carburetor offers a light
throttle effect to reduce thumb fatigue.
I was definitely surprised by the power of
the Raptor 125. I was able to wheelie the machine
at will coming out of turns and it pulled nicely
in the wide open areas. And being 31 pounds
lighter than the Raptor 250, the power to weight
ratio of the machine is excellent.
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The
124cc engine in the Raptor 125 provides
plenty of power for an enjoyable ride
for someone of any size as I was able
to experience first hand during my test
ride. Considering that I weigh in at 220lbs,
I was expecting the Raptor 125 to bog
down under the extra load, but amazingly,
I was able to zip around the track just
a quickly as other riders weighing nearly
100 lbs less, which was impressive. Ofcourse,
it took a little more time for me to get
back up to speed from a stand still &
the top speed was surely hindered by the
extra weight, but regardless, it provided
an extremely enjoyable ride, which proved
the Raptor 125 to be a vehicle that could
be enjoyed by a large range of riders
of different weights and experience |
