Hi i am looking into getting a Yamaha Blaster, this will be my first ATV, i have been a Dirt Bike rider for the past 2 years and want to switch to atvs, so i do no how to ride so please dont reply or talk to me like i have no idea about motosports, but i have been on a blaster and i loved the thing, but the only thing is i am going to be riding at a club that has 3 mountain peaks on it and 3/5-1/2 mile hills to get to them, that r not extremely steep where u have to go into them perfect but they r steep where they can be a challenge to go up, i have gone up them on my bike witch is a Yamaha TT-R230, i am just worry it wount have enf power to get me up, i am 220lbs and 6ft i  love the size of the blaster manly because i will be in verry tight woods, this post is not ment for u to post saying to get a different atv this is about the blaster. thanks

the blaster is wider than u think and the short wheel base witch means wheiles easy wich can get u in troub le in the steep stuff

so it does have enf power to get me up just i might run into the frount end wanting to go up?

i dont relly like them for trail riding becase there wide and short wheel base it prolly wont have enuff power

Dont ge a blaster. Under powered easily breakable turn. If your 10 and wanting to learn how to use a clutch then go get one.

get a nice condition 400ex, you may have liked the blaster driving around a flat area but that suspensions going to kill your ass in the mountains during some serious rides
plus they're cheaply made, it's a 30 year old design meant for 12 year olds, don't cheap out, you'll be much happier with a nice 400

Like stated, I think you will like a 400ex or Z400 much better! The blaster will have enough power but the frame is much too small for someone your size and the suspension will beat you up when the trail gets rough!

Basters are low powered and need lots of rebuilds.try a look at the suzuki or kawi 400

Dadster, on 16 January 2012 - 05:19 PM, said:

Ha! I am 51 years old and have been riding dirtbikes for many, many years.
I still ride a KTM 300 and 125 and had a Husaberg 450 not that long ago and bought a 660 Raptor thinking I'd like to try a sport quad..
Well the Raptor, like the 450 and any of the 450's out there, was heavy and fragile and took a lot of care to keep running.

My son bought a Blaster and I fell in love with it. Small, light (300 lbs) and easily repairable or modifiable, I love it.
As for power, I put a 50(ish) hp KTM 250 SX motor in mine and he has his stock Blaster motor modified to over 30 hp.
30+ hp is a better HP/weight ration than many of the 450s out there or my 660 Raptor, these things FLY!

Yup, the shocks suck. Cost me less than $100 to improve that. I did raise the steering tube, took me about 2 hrs labour.
I put an improved hydraulic brake on the back, about $50. Fixed up my front brakes with all new cables and pads for $50 too.
For a minimal price my son or I have a much faster machine than my 660 Raptor and so light we can pick the darned thing up
if we ever need to.

I have ridden many of the machines recommended here and I still like my particular Blaster better.
Light weight, easy to maneuver, cheap and easy to repair crash damage, tough motor, great gear ratios.
The comments about suspensions are valid, but easily cured with cheap used shocks from other models.
I have 50 hp on a stock wheelbase Blaster and can easily control the wheelies, or wheelie at 60mph,
or shift my weight around to make it do anything I want it to do. Highly recommended.

Well if you really wana get up those tricky hills, Id suggest a new set of rear tires

yeah i wouldnt count them little blasters out, my buddies is damn quick... but for what you say you are going to be mainly riding you should consider a 400ex or a warrior/raptor you can lug them around or go fast, the blaster is nice if you want to go mess around for a bit but i wouldnt ride one for a long trail ride i just dont like 2 strokes trail riding to much clutch work.

Hear is the best advice i can give you.. if you want a blaster take the 600 it cost to buy one and throw it away. They are like a power wheels ride it a few times and throw it away. get a 350 warrior if you like a small bike with reverse that blasters dont have they are great trail bikes. or get a LTZ 400  they are a great all around bike with alot better technology than the 400ex

if you get a blaster aim for a 03 and up.

What a properly prepped Blaster can do? Click on this video link:

http://www.facebook....150947660815803

That is me on my Blaster. Looks larger than the other quads because I am closer to the camera.

I would do a 2005-2007 Suzuki LTZ 400 you can modify them to the sky and they are the best woods machine we have found so far. my dads is scary fast for woods ridding till I broke the transmission in it. it was an 2004. I say 05+ because they improved the frame and the shocks to adjustable and frame wise it comes already gusseted.

My previous quad was a 660 Raptor:



That I used to take in the same terrain as you see in the Blaster pictures in posts above.
The Raptor is the King of Wheelies, with torque to loft the front wheels at any time.
Suspension was noticably better than the Blaster. It had reverse, but was awkward to engage and electric start only. Heaven help you if the battery died, it would have to be towed to bump start. No kick starter. As light as a Raptor is, 400 lbs is still 75 lbs heavier than a stock Blaster (mine is stripped bare to 298 lbs). 75 lbs is what, the weight of a Bar fridge? can you imagine riding through the woods with a Bar Fridge strapped to your quad?

Light, simple, cheap to buy, modify and repair. I do like the Blaster for trail use.
Not hard to double the HP of the stock engine either. Head and cylinder mods will get it in the power to weight range of the 450s and Banshee. My son's Blaster has a liquid cooled DT200 cylinder on it that is stock 32hp which is pretty close to the much heavier Banshee's 36hp (think refrigerator on your quad!). For me, weight is the factor. Lighter is always better once you get off the flat road.

Wait a minute...  Wasn't there posts here from folks telling you that Blasters are unreliable? That frames break? That the suspensions will kill you and rough terrain? That it is too small for a big guy? Do any of these guys OWN a Blaster? Do they have 35 years of off-road riding differnt machines behind them? Or are they just telling you what they heard? I am a "been-there, done-that" kind of guy, and I have learned that first hand advice is always better.



Look at the pictures. These quads are driven hard. That is a bedroll strapped to the back of the Raptor. Both the Blaster and Raptor are used for multi-day trips through rough terrain in eastern woods. Would you take an unreliable machine there? If you need to compensate for something missing in your life, buy a bigger machine. If you know the secrets of a 2 stroke and are in good enough shape to really ride, you will love screaming past all the larger quads on a Blaster...

Id put a chain on the blaster it would make it faster

benellibrian, on 22 May 2012 - 03:27 PM, said:

Good eye.
Actually it had just snapped off on one of the initial test runs, and just towed home in that picture.
Chain that came with the bike, stiff links. Pulling a big wheelie down a field road and bang.
Broke one side plate. What is left of the chain is still there, just derailed. Here is the mess it left:



Now running a bit different set up with a casesaver (and leveled carb):



And an aluminum rear guide:



Muddy bike, well worn.

I had a blaster that was a 03 it looked new and had a FMF fatty Pipe and FMF pro silencer II I think that's the silencer anyway it was bored to a 255 and I went through water like the video above but it didn't have near the power I wanted and I was 12 then... So I got a 660r raptor and then I had enough power... But if you get one get a 06 250 blaster allot better bike.

Edited by Dirt_Rider_Forever, 23 May 2012 - 11:49 AM.

Dune bum, on 01 February 2012 - 08:38 PM, said:

needs lots of rebuilds

i bought a 02' blaster because it was a steal, and to flip it later. There ok but you have to do a couple things to make them a little more peppy. Mine came with a fmf silencer, i took the oil injection off and rejetted it and noticed a big diference in performance (rode stock first trip) and took the airbox lid off.  Not bad but im not into quads all that much but cool little project for a friend to come along.... I agree, you should go for the 400 4t, you can lug em and sounds perfect for the hills and riding you do.