I currently have a 400ex, and ride mostly at the Pismo Dunes. I am a big guy (6'2" 275 lbs), and don't ride too hard. My main goals for any riding trip are to: 1) have fun, 2) not get hurt, and 3) not have the trip ruined by my quad breaking down (not very mechanically inclined). The 400ex worked fine for me until my riding crew and I took a trip last spring to Dumont, when it became obvious pretty quickly that I needed more power (rolling backwards on dunes as big as there are at Dumont is not much fun).

From reading this forum, it looks like the DS 650 may be the quad for me. I like its size, power, and uniqueness. Questions for those of you that have a DS 650: 1) is it a "green sticker" bike in California, 2) as long as I keep up on the maintenance, am I likely to have problems with it (like I said, I don't ride real hard, and don't jump at all)? and 3) what would you watch out for if you were buying a used unit? It looks like there is a good chance that I will win an Ebay auction for what looks like a clean, low hour 2001 (all stock) from a guy in New York. My bid is $3,350, does this seem like I am getting a good price (I will have to pay an additional $300-$400 in shipping from NY to CA)? My assessment of the bike is just from looking at the pictures, for whatever that is worth. I have never bought anything this expensive on Ebay before, and am pretty worried about being taken. I have corresponded via e-mail with the guy and he has answered all of my questions and seems straight up and honest (all positive feedback), but how can you really know? Any advice from anyone who has either bought or sold quads via Ebay would really be appreciated. Would there be any hassles caused by buying an out of state bike and registering it in California? I apologize for the long message, but there seems to be a ton of knowledge on this forum. I hope to soon join the Bombardier brotherhood.

 

First welcome to the forums!

Second, the DS IS FOR YOU!! No doubt!

Third, Its hard to be sure what condition the quad is actually in off of Ebay, but DS's are very tough,and if you have a good gut feeling about the guy then I sure everything will be fine. You will have to pay 400 + for shipping though. If you get out bid, I would try and look for one closer to your area. The New BAJAX is a really nice looking DS, if you decide to bite the bullet,and buy new!



Good Luck.




Biggerisbetter.

 

It sounds to me too that a DS is a good choice for you. If the deal on E-Bay don't work out for you, maybe consider a new '03 that a dealer might have left over. I know my dealer has a left over Baja that would probably only take $5600-5800 to get out the door. In fact, I remember one on e-bay still on a pallet for about 5300. Otherwise I think a used one would probably be worth the $2000 savings.

 

I don't think a New York quad would be green sticker here in Calif. I belive that in the vin# if the 8th letter or number is a C or a 3 then it will be Red stickered.


Edit......
In this case you should be OK though. If it's 2002 or older then it will be green sticker.

 

i think the ds is tuff than the honda and i don't think that is bad since i also have the 400, it works great for my son you need a ds with your size, one of my friends bigslim is about your size 230 and he can't ride the 400 so you would wonder how you ever did after getting on a ds. who know with all that suspension you might even do a little jumping

 

Yes, the Ds is a green sticker. All four stroke bikes in California are green stickers. With two strokes it is different I think that if the two stroke was built on or before January 1,1998 it is a green sticker, and if it was built after 1998 and has a 3 or a C in the 8th digit of the vin. number then it is a red sticker. If you maintain a bike and change the air filter and change the oil after every ride then your bike will last a long time. You will have to rebuild the motor every couple of years, even on a four stroke. Don't buy used. I bought a 400ex for what I thought was a good price but the bike was worn out and needed an engine rebuild. I then sold it for a new banshee and was much happier buying new. It is worth the extra money. If you buy a new bike though, be careful to break it in right. The dealer will give you instructions on how to break in your motor. I also ride at Pismo, when do you go to Pismo?

 

hey
jusrlax


what part of ny is the ds in if its from long island . if so find out what part and
if you wanted i could go look at it for you .. take it for a test ride make sure every thing sounds straight .

 

First: yes, this is the bike for you!
As for buying if off the internet the two biggest concerns I have are. . . is the seller legit? Do a search for eBay or scam and you will find there are people out there that are trying to take advantage of us!
Next concern (biggest potential issue for a used DS) is. . . has the tranny been popping out of second gear? This is something that has been fixed on recent models but, if you have to replace a bent shift fork you have to split the cases (about a $900 bill at the dealer.) The part itself is only about $50 but, the labor is a killer! The good news is this isn't that common of an issue.

As for the green sticker issue. The DS is built the same for all 50 states - green sticker. The Raptor is built the same for 49 states and then for CA. I don't know what the difference is but, if you buy an out of state one the VIN as indicated above will be a C or a 3 meaning you get a red sticker. NOT all 4-strokes are green sticker. To add to the confusion, it was units made before 1997 were all grandfathered to green sticker but, this year they changed the date (I think it is 2002's). The reason for the date change was to start from scratch because of all the confusion. I received a green sticker for my daughter's LT-80 2001 2-stroke (yes, they do red sticker quads that small - it had a red sticker before this.) I also received a green sticker for my YZ426F which had a red sticker before.

Send me a PM if you want to call to ask any questions.

Good luck!

(Put your home-town location in your signature so we know where you are from - great way to meet others.)

 

It's simple...Big Guy + Sand Dunes = DS650! You can't go wrong...they're bulletproof, extremely stable, & extremely FUN! Personally, I'd spend the extra $$$ and find a great deal on a 2003, or spend a few more $$$ and get a 2004 model. Anyway, have fun, and welcome to the club![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Well, I had convinced myself (and more importantly persuaded the wife) to buy the DS 650 off of Ebay. With a half hour left in the auction, I was still the high bidder and thought I was home free. Then, people started coming out of the woodwork and bid the price up by $600, which with the cost of shipping from NY, made it seem like less of a good deal to me. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] Based on what you guys are telling me (and I really appreciate all of the great advice), I need to get a DS 650. My trusty 400ex should get me through the next couple of trips to Pismo, but before the trip my riding buddies and I are planning in January (to either Dumont or Glamis), I need more horsepower! I went and looked at some new units at the dealership here in Fresno, CA, but I can't see spending that much coin on something that I use maybe four to six times per year (but I may change my mind). For the time being, I will keep my eye out for a clean used unit for sale, but it seems that you rarely see them around here.