You’ve heard about the incredible cooking options from Camp Chef. You’ve witnessed the HD video capabilities of the GoPro HD Hero2. Now for the real reason we love to visit Glamis… incomparable ATV riding at itÂ’s absolute finest.
Sure, the dunes are great but what makes it incomparable is when you ride the very best of the best… at Glamis.
The Machines
Yamaha’s Raptor 700 and YFZ450R. Could you ask for anything better than these two beasts? The answer is, no you could not.
Depending on your riding preference, you’ll definitely prefer one over the other as they are completely different vehicles to ride.
Our field of experienced journalists and test riders were nearly split down the middle on which quad they preferred in the dunes however nobody had a “love one, hate the other” type scenario. In reality, you can’t go wrong with either of these choices so the response was mostly which ATV you loved more.
For me, perhaps because I’m officially one of the older media guys now, the Raptor is King of the Dunes as far as I’m concerned.
The motor just snorts along like a stallion in full stride while the suspension provides luxurious comfort allowing you to park your butt on the seat for the duration without bottoming on big drops or sending jolts up your spine over washboard bumps.
You know you’ve got more than enough power to climb anywhere or lead the pack if you wish, and the comfort to go full out all day.
The YFZ450R is definitely more rigid, lightweight and has a lower CG. You feel like you’re wearing the 450 like a pair of pants which gives you the confidence to throw it around a wheelie at will.
Make no mistake about it, the YFZ is a veritable rocket-ship on four wheels and is built to perform at a level not right for everyone. When I say, you can’t buy a better stock sport quad today, I stake my reputation on it.
If you’re in the market for a serious, race-ready performance ATV and you’ve got the skills and experience to saddle it up, then this is all the quad you need and more.
I’m a seasoned rider for sure, but much better riders than myself, like Yamaha’s Phillip Lash and racers Dustin Nelson and Josh Row (yes they were riding with us), put on a clinic jockeying the YFZ450R in the dunes.
Some of the things these guys can do with this quad looks so easy but a few attempts to duplicate their techniques will leave you humbled and in awe.
The new YFZ450R’s we got to ride looked pretty slick as well, sporting a brand new yellow/black color combination.
Owning the Sport Segment
Let’s be perfectly honest. The sport ATV segment probably makes up less than 20% of the total ATV market but Yamaha rightfully owns it.
You have other choices, but no other OEM puts as much of its heart and soul into this segment than Yamaha and the results speak for themselves.
We know you can’t possibly ride every sport quad available today, but I’m willing to bet my colleagues and anyone else who has had the opportunity to compare will tell you the same thing: Yamaha makes the best sport quads, hands down.
Visit www.yamaha-motor.com
