Earlier this week we got the chance to spend a couple of
days riding the 2013 Yamaha Raptor 700R SE and YFZ450R in the famous Imperial Sand
Dunes Recreation Area--or more well known as simply Glamis--in southern
California.
The weather was perfect and the machines flawless. The
riding was once again spectacular and these machines definitely did not
disappoint in any way. These sport quads excel in the sand and we spent almost
two full days working them over dunes of all shapes and sizes.
The trip to Glamis was the maiden run for the Raptor 700R SE
units we rode. Okay, big deal you say. Well, these were some of the first units
built at Yamaha's Newnan, GA,
facility, meaning they were made in the U.S. You might remember that Yamaha
has moved its ATV, which includes the Raptor, production from Japan to the U.S., more specifically, Georgia.
Yamaha's ATV production transfer, first announced in early
2010, is a long-term strategy that will culminate in bringing the great
majority of Yamaha's worldwide ATV manufacturing to YMMC by 2013. (http://www.yamaha-motor.com/)
So riding the dunes on these units was somewhat historic.
And we practically had the entire dunes--or so it seemed--to ourselves as we
rarely saw anyone else except a few sand rails.
When we were riding, the guys from Camp Chef
(www.campchef.com) were
feeding us some great homemade meals.
Here are a few photos from our two
days of riding. Look for a more detailed report in the pages of Dirt Toys Magazine.
