Our first ride on the new 2013 Yamaha Raptor
700R Sport was interesting to say the least.
Some of the trails East Fort Rock OHV Trail
System were just wide enough for one ATV. In
some sections they literally cut through huge
trees, over four feet in diameter, that previously
fell across the trail.
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East Fort Rock OHV Trail System has some
very tight technical trails. We even had
a chance to drive though a tree that was
4 foot in diameter |
Throughout the day, Mother Nature played her
role on our riding with a mixture of sleet,
rain, and cold wet snow; only the bravest of
riders hit the trail during her furry and by
the end of the day everyone was soaking wet
head-to-toe with icicles.
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The
2013 Yamaha Raptor 700R ATV ate up everything
that was thrown at it with its 686cc liquid-cooled
w/ fan, 4-stroke engine |
Despite the cold weather and high elevation,
the 2013 Yamaha Raptor 700R Sport ATV fired
right up each time we hit the start button with
the help of its fuel injected 686cc liquid-cooled
w/ fan, 4-stroke engine. The big bore engine
had more than enough power to navigate the trails
at the East Fort Rock OHV Trail System. The
torque of the Raptor 700R made it easy to ride
with minimal shifting. It seemed like the Raptor
700R had a sweet spot for third gear even in
the tight trails. I could stay in third gear
even in some of the tighter areas and not have
to shift into a lower gear; which made it easier
to ride compared to other models I have ridden.
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It
was amazing how well the Yamaha Raptor
700 ATV handled in the woods despite weighing
in 422 lbs. It felt very nimble &
was easy to move around on even in tight
woods |
We were pretty surprised how nimble the Raptor
700R really was. It was the first time I rode
in the woods with a Raptor 700 and comparing
it to riding in the dunes is like comparing
apples to oranges. Despite weighting over 400
lbs it was fairly easy to maneuver the Raptor
700R around and between the tight trees. It
felt like I was riding a 450cc-based machine
with a smaller frame just with more power.
“We picked the East Fort Rock OHV Trail
System because of the tight trails and we wanted
to show off the precise light steering and excellent
handling characteristics of the Yamaha Raptor
700 ATV.” Said Pat Biolsi – Yamaha
Testing Department.
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For 2013
Yamaha Raptor 700R comes with piggy
back front shocks. Yamaha offers the
Raptor 700 without the piggy back front
shocks thus reducing its MSRP
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For 2013, Yamaha is producing both the Raptor
700 & the Raptor 700R, which both handle
great on the trail. There are only a few differences
between the Raptor 700 and the Raptor 700R.
The main difference is that the Raptor 700 does
not come with the piggy back reservoir shocks
up front. However, the rear shock on each model
features 10.1-in travel with rebound and threaded
preload adjustment. We really didn’t feel
much of a difference between running the Raptor
700 and the Raptor 700R with piggy back front
shocks, but for those more aggressive riders,
the piggyback shocks will resist fading after
a long ride compared to the standard shocks.
Yamaha was able to shave off several hundred
dollars off the MSRP from last year on all three
2013 Yamaha Raptor Sport ATV Models. In fact,
they were able to make the 2013 Yamaha Raptor
700 ATV $700 less than last years model by removing
the digital speedometer (on all three models),
and by replacing the piggy back shocks with
non-piggy back shocks.
