The Yamaha Raptor 250
Written By:
Staff
There has never been a better model for budding sport riders than Yamaha’s beloved Raptor 250. It’s sporty, it handles excellent, it’s as reliable as your favorite dog, and it looks great. Even today, despite its size (and ours) we still have a blast out playing on the Raptor 250. With every ride, the Raptor 250 becomes our personal time machine and it reminds us of what we loved about riding in the first place. What makes the Raptor 250 special is that it’s a true sport machine. It has the racy lines, a front and rear suspension design similar to Yamaha’s YFZ450, chain drive, and a quick revving 249cc two-valve, four-stroke engine with electric start mated to a five speed gearbox with a manual clutch. From our experience, the Raptor 250 is also extremely reliable. Maintenance tasks are no problem since the air filter is right under the seat and the oil filter and dip stick are on the side of the motor. Chain adjustment is simple as well and features the same eccentric axle carrier adjustment system of the YFZ 450 and Raptor 700R.
On the trail, the Raptor 250 is comfortable and the ergonomics are perfect for younger, smaller riders. The motor has enough zip to keep things exciting, it handles great, and it’s easy to ride all day. In the air or on the ground, handling is very confidence inspiring and no other model in its class even comes close. The Yamaha Raptor 250 is easily, easily, easily the best 300cc Sport ATV of 2012.
