YOU don't need a fire breathing big bore quad to have fun on four wheels. Take the Raptor 125 for example. It's big enough and angry enough to take a full sized adult without being too much of a handful for younger riders.

Before the ride
An air-cooled 125cc four stroke single is Yamaha's choice of power for the minor Raptor. It's a pretty basic unit, runs a 29mm carby and a compression ratio of 10:1, and the moderate maximum power is reached around the 8000rpm. Maximum torque chimes in a bit lower at 6,500rpm. Interestingly the carby is the same as the one found on the bigger 250 Raptor.
A five-speed gearbox gets the rear wheels turning, with a clutch up on the left side of the handlbars engaging it all. Chain drive is the final link in the chain, so to speak.
Even though the small Raptor is at the cheaper end of the sports ATV market, its level of standard equipment is higher than you might expect.
The frame is a substantial affair, with something like 52 parts welded together to make the chassis which houses the little motor in its 'cradle'.
You will find dual shocks and double wishbones at the front, with 190mm of travel. At the rear a single shock and swingarm controls the ride, with 200mm of travel.
There's no drum brakes on this baby either, it's discs all round.
To give you an idea of the size of the Raptor, it's got a seat height of 715mm, a wheelbase of 1110mm, and it's 1018mm wide. Overall it's just over 1.5m long, and 1m wide.
Weighing in at 136kg with a full tank of fuel (9 litres) might sound heavy but it's easy to manoeuvre. You can easily pick up either end to move it around.
Steel wheels hold the big balloon tyres, AT19s at the front, and AT18s at the driving end.

In the paddock
The sticker says the bike is suitable for riders 16 and over. Size wise I think the Raptor would be suitable for riders under that age, depending on individual size and ability. Realistically I'm too big for the quad. I still had lots of fun but it would be better suited for lighter and smaller riders than myself.
That said I had a ball blasting around the farm. Over jumps, wheelstanding up hills, or semi-sliding around the grass track, the little Raptor really surprised me. Sure, more power would have been nice but the suspension worked very well, and the disc brakes pulled me up without any issues.
Even though the engine is very basic it still likes to rev. And rev it I did, with no 450cc like grunt at the tip of my thumb I had to keep the engine on the boil to do quick laps around the test track. Not once did it complain, and with a Yamaha you're not likely to break the motor in a hurry. Regular oil/filter and air filter changes will keep this jigger running strong for years I reckon.

Verdict
At $5,499 the Raptor is pretty good value when you think how versatile it is, especially considering it's nearly $2,500 cheaper than the 250 Raptor. Not only can you teach novices how to use a clutch without seeing them blast into a fence at warp speed if it goes wrong but older riders can also have a ball revving the beejesus out of it. It's small enough to be easily manhandled into a trailer or dual cab, and big enough to cater for everyone in the family. There's a lot of merit in that you know.