The Yomega Raider is one of the best tournament yoyos, being used in numerous yoyo competitions especially in 2A division.
This yoyo was used by reputable names in the yoyo space such as Shinji Saito, Jennifer Baybrook and Alex Garcia who made this yoyo a legend. The yoyo remained a bestseller for Yomega even till this day.
You don’t need to be a pro to get it, you can just have fun with it and learn new tricks with this yoyo. find out more about what makes it this yoyo so special below.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Yomega
Shape: convex/standard
Weight: 53.34 grams
Diameter: 58.95mm
Width: 35mm
Trapeze Width: 12mm
String Gap Width: 2.5mm
Material: Plastic
Bearing: Size E Yomega Small
Response system: Starburst
Where to get it: Amazon
Short presentation
The Yomega Raider is a yoyo produced by Yomega Corp as one of the most iconic models since the ’90s along with the Yomega Brain and the Yomega Fireball.
Yomega Raider represents one of the best choices for advanced players for 2A throughout the world. The Ball-bearing system makes this yoyo even better than the Yomega Brain or Fireball. Why? Because the ball-bearing system is more advanced than the transaxle system and much smoother so that you get longer spin times.
Construction and Design
The Yomega raider presents a convex body shape similar to the earlier Fireball and Brain model plus a starburst response system which does its job ok.
The bearing used in the yoyo is even smaller than an A-sized bearing in the ProYo BumbleBee and the original releases in Duncan’s Hardcore series.
Mods
Some yoyo players decided to modify the yoyos gap width for optimum play for 2A, by simply destructing the components of the yoyo to reduce the string gap width. You can’t do this however you want, you need to be careful and patient.
The Yomega Raider is similar in shape and construction to the Duncan Bumblebee. This yoyo certainly isn’t for small kids or absolute beginner players. You need at least to know how to throw or return the yoyo to your hand.
Playability and feel
This Raider is better than another Yomega transaxle yoyo because it is somewhat easier to do string tricks with. The bearing has less friction than the plastic sleeve has onto the metal axle.
Watch the video below by clicking twice on the image to see how this yoyo plays!
The tricks you can make with this throw are just related to looping and sleep tricks, as you can’t do finger grinds, thumb grinds fingerspins due to the looping shape. This aspect doesn’t let you do string tricks as easily because of the narrow shape and the sides that are close together.
Make sure not to overtighten it as to not crack the plastic threading for the axle.
Pros:
Spins better than transaxle yoyos
Easy to take apart
Resistant
Looks cool
Cons
You will have a hard time doing string tricks with it.
Conclusion
The Yomega raider can be suited for tournament-level 2A tricks for only around 10 bucks. Just get it to see how cool it plays!
If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments section
Do you recommend it over the YYF Loop 720?
Any choice is ok.However if you are a beginner I recommend you to buy the YYF Loop as it plays well straight out of the box.If you are more of a pro player and know how to mod your yoyo you can buy the Yomega Raider.