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By Jason Zittel
Photos by Frank Hoppen

The 2013 Yamaha Raptor 700, 700R and 700R SE are made in Yamaha's production factory in Newnan, Georgia, where the company has made a significant investment to guarantee the highest quality products are assembled right here in the United States, which is the world’s largest ATV market.When I first discovered that Yamaha would have something new to offer in their sport line-up my ears perked up and my curiosity began to run rampant. I could not wait to find out what the boys in blue had up their sleeves. My enthusiasm tipped the scale when I was informed that I was the lucky guy that would be the first to ride the new machine at its maiden voyage in Oregon.

I woke early to catch the first flight out of Pittsburgh and should have been tired but the anticipation of the journey and Yamaha's unveiling amped-up my eager morning. After a rocky propped airplane ride into Bend, Oregon I grabbed my EVS gear bag from baggage claim and made my way to join my fellow ride testers and Yamaha staff at the prestigious Oxford Hotel. I headed to the top floor for our pre-mission brief for the next couple days and met up with other magazine guys, who were almost as eager as I was to find out what Yamaha's latest release was.

The anticipation grew as it was time for the red carpet event, the unveiling of the new 2013 Yamaha Raptor 700, 700R, and 700R S/E. Yep, three all-new and much improved versions of an already bad-to-the-bone ATV. They sure didn't disappoint! Boy, was I getting restless at this point. As I learned more and more about the machine and how proud they were of the many improvements I noticed the other test riders were now sharing my same excitement. Everyone was impressed and the room was electric.

I have to say my mind was absolutely blown by what I would discover the next day when it came time to throw a leg over Yamaha's all-new 686cc Raptor monstrosity. Jason Zittel stands in awe of Yamaha's impressive all-new Raptor 700