Best Exhaust for Yamaha Raptor 700: When to Get What

I’m not sure where 16 years went. It feels as if the Yamaha Raptor 700 was introduced to the ATV world only a few years ago, not in 2006.

Maybe the 2nd gen being out in 2015 messes up my time frame perspective?

Time sure flies, man…

Anyways, what would be the best exhaust for Yamaha Raptor 700?

Here’s a quick overview of what I consider the best picks currently:

➥➥ Best value Yamaha Raptor exhaust: The Big Gun Evo Slip-on exhaust. Made in the US and lighter than stock exhausts, it achieves maximum clearance and comes with removable spark arrestors. Best bang for your buck currently.

➥➥ Best premium exhaust for Raptor 700/700R/SE: None other than the Yoshimura Signature full system setup. It delivers top-class power on a quieter operation due to its unique pyramidal shape. A bigger core, increased muffler packing volume – and made locally in the US again.

➥➥ Best performance exhaust for 1st gen Raptor: The HMF Performance Series. This exhaust comes with an unrestricted core for optimal flow and boosts both horsepower and torque evenly. Very aggressive sound, and a respectable decibel amplification too.

Generally, I’d recommend anything coming out from this list of brands:

• Big Gun
• HMF
• Monster
• Yoshimura
• Dasa
• DMC
• DG

I feel over the past years, Big Gun has been making waves in terms of the company’s exhausts price/quality ratio. Here’s how the Big Gun Evo looks and sounds on a Raptor 700:

Let me elaborate more on your options and what makes each of them stand out. I’ll introduce a few more alternatives too.

However, I want to discuss something else first. Namely…

I know, I know – to some of you this is obvious. Still, I’ve seen many make this mistake and spend more money than they needed to…

Here’s the thing:

Unless you simply want the cool factor, it makes zero sense to plug a dual exhaust system on a 2nd gen Raptor.

This means anything from 2015 onwards – and yes, this means the newer 2019, 2020, and 2021 Raptor 700 models too. It also includes both the 700R and 700SE lines.

Why?

Simple: the 2015+ Raptor models come with a single header. The 2006-2014 generation of Raptor 700 came with a dual one. This is why you would see the old guard benefit heavily from dual exhausts.

On any 2nd gen Raptor, you’d be throwing money out of the window. You won’t really get better performance, higher RPMs, or deeper growls with a dual exhaust system.

The only benefit you might see is slightly quieter operation, actually. But if you want your Raptor to purr instead of growl, you can do that with singles too.

If you still want the cool factor of such a setup, there are quite a few options. There’s even the Big Gun EVO R exhaust in a dual configuration for 2015-2019 Raptors:

Just to get this out of the way: the stock exhaust on newer Raptors is around 89-90 lb loud.

Some of these will boost your 700’s growls more than others. The HMF hits especially hard in terms of torque; Yoshimura will surprise you with its clear, enchanting sound even on lower RPMs.

In case you missed them earlier, here are my quick notes on the benefits of each of the top 3 choices. I’ll follow up with some alternatives, of course.

Want a runner-up pick too?

I talked about DG Performance among my list of approved brands. Their Performance Sport Series exhaust is an alternative to the setups I’ve discussed until now.

What this Raptor 700 slip-on exhaust focuses on is pure torque. It’s also very simple to install compared to some other exhausts. While not as lightweight as the others, it still remains a well-designed, balanced take on aftermarket Yamaha Raptor exhausts.

With its granite-colored body, it’s also a fresh breath of air for those of you who dislike the shinier aluminum designs.

The Sport series fits any 2006-2021 Yamaha Raptor 700. Though, as discussed previously, I recommend a single exhaust on 2nd gen ATVs due to their updated design.

Together with Yoshimura, there are three other ultra-premium brands in the aftermarket exhaust department.

These would be Barker, Monster, and Dasa.

If you didn’t like the Yoshimura I showed earlier, here are some comparable setups:

• Barker dual exhaust system for 1st gen Raptor 700: check it here.
• Monster’s Monstercore single exhaust for 2015-2022 Raptor 700: check it out here.
• Dasa’s full exhaust system for 2015-2020 Raptors: you can see it here. Goes out of stock pretty often.

I think with these three, generally, I have exhausted (hehe) all the available quality options you have.

Some of them are applicable to other Yamahas such as the YFZ450 beast, considering they have decades of supplying great ATV aftermarket parts.

Obviously, you can go and pick some lower-quality, off-brand exhaust.

I don’t think the Raptor 700 deserves such disrespect, though. As I pointed out, there are some very affordable exhausts on the market right now if you put up the price tag for the performance and durability you receive.

This article is also a part of my tribute series to Yamaha ATVs. It comes straight after my post on carb configurations for the Blaster 200, a true ATV classic.

2006 was groundbreaking for modern Yamaha ATVs, but there’s also some nostalgia involved. The same year the Raptor started its journey, its smaller cousin – the convenient Banshee 350, ended its life cycle in North America.

Yamaha really is the brand that opened my eyes to how entertaining these vehicles can be. I’m happy to see them sticking to their traditions after all these decades of hard work!