All useless arguments aside, are any of you (who own a ds) dissapointed in its, performance/ handling? I dont know anyone with one and im just curious if it is truly a high performance atv, like a banshee or R.I.P lt500r. thanks.

 

Mine is pretty new but even knowing the DS's weaknesses I think for the mostly wide open riding I do here in Arizona it is the ideal machine, so no I haven't been diappointed at all. I am encouraged and excited as well about the motor's responsiveness to aftermarket modification.

 

Every bike has it's pro's and con's. Personally speaking, for me not to like something it has to be pretty bad. The number one thing I look for is reliability. Even if I’m not satisfied with it’s speed, handling, or whatnot is it going to last?? Hell, I still have a Kawasaki Mojave 110 from when I was a child, sure it sucks now when you look back at it (no rear shocks, slow, etc.) but IT STILL RUNS! So, to me that’s an excellent bike.

All gripes aside, I love my DS. It has tons of power, it’s more than quick enough for trail riding, climbs hills like crazy, handles very well, superb comfort / ergonomics, and very well balanced.

It’s not a perfect bike. Thinks I don’t like: upper chain roller flat out sucks, oil dipstick hard to put back in, changing oil is a long drawn out process, heavy (difficult to load/unload and get unstuck).

My Mojave has been very reliable, it’s not the best handling machine, but it’s fun to ride wheelies on.

My Tecate is just crazy, it’s a lot of fun to ride, but hard to get parts for.

The Raptor, I’m sure will be a very nice quad. I’m very impressed that Yamaha released some competition for the DS. Also, the color scheme rocks, I’m very pleased they included Black as a color!

 

NO!!! I have ridden every type of performance quad, and the bomb is by far (so far) the most comfortable and easiest to manuever stock quad I ever rode. That also makes my old bones appreciate
this bike even more I have a lot less fatigue that turns into more faster lap times overall.
Now if you want the fastest least expensive racer the banshee still holds that title.

 

So far I am pleased. I wanted dependable power housed in a strong stable frame, it has all that. Mid range torque in stock set up is amazing. I ran it in sand today with 12 paddle Haulers and no problem just don't let them start to dig in too much or get ready to start lifting and pulling. As mentioned oil dipstick is a pain to get back in. I am going to install a small light so I know when and how much the electric fan is on, not that it's a problem, just like to know. I think it really needs an after market pipe to get the low end torque up though, you gotto keep the 'R's up.

 

Just a 'short response'.
I love my DS. For years I rode anemic 4 strokes watching closely as small manufacturers (Phillips, Husenburg etc.) attempted to bring us the 'Holly grail'. I read eagerly the latest project thumper quad. How much? Can "I" build it? Is it WORTH it? Does everyone remember how many times Dirtwheels mag. etc. splashed headlines like 'Hondas new 600 sport quad'. Just another $15000 project. The 400EX may have been heralded as the second coming of Christ, but in reality we were all glad that there was simply another CHOICE. It was 5 1/2 grand, a Honda (without racks & camo) and most importantly a 4 stroke!! Detractors were few, mostly disgruntled and hardened Banshee owners. Preposterous they would cry....a 4 stroke as the sport king. Are you out of your skull? Well of course we all know that they are two different animals. And while the LACK of choices in the sport ranks necessitates comparing these two I believe we will see the day when there are enough current models to have apples to apples shootouts. That is what this is all about...choices. Enter Bombardier. Most people can't even agree how to pronounce their name let alone the quality/ engineering merit of their products. For me it was: huge motor, yes. (How many project quads featured a lightweight 300cc power plant. We already got those. Big CC's = big news!) Long travel, aftermarket quality suspension, yes. (Ever noticed how many of our peers have bought or talked about buying- shocks, A-arms, swing arms, Douglas wheels, tires etc. to put on their new Shee or 400EX!! I haven't heard one person mention spending upwards of a $1000 to make it handle as others have to.) Liquid cooled, yes. (My friend with his '00 Banshee tells me ride for an hour, let it cool. No problem. This has been well established over the 14-year production run. Or you could buy the trick radiator and cool heads etc.) High output stator, yes. (What will Ricky Stator do if all manufacturers get this smart?) Progressive, if not revolutionary, styling. Yes. This is of course subjective. But please, who can argue the major manufacturers upping prices regularly to offset enormous R&D costs of those new and exciting colors and graphics. There is no doubt that things could not be better at Bombardier. Jetting ALL DS's rich from the factory is a small but annoying oversight. Sure it's simple to fix but word spread like wildfire as to the lack of bottom end and an untimely bogging condition. Recalls are appreciated by owners but add fuel to the fire for haters looking for reasons to say 'see! I knew it.' In reality recalls are commonplace and accepted in the automotive world, particularly with a new model. Lets face it. How serious is the chain roller, brake hose positioning, oil sender unit and ball joint clip. Not how serious if they fail, but how serious is it to fix. Sure we can all gripe about the potential situation of a ball joint falling off but most of us also have old sometimes abused quads we take out and jump and race etc. Put it in perspective. We are not talking about swing arms cracking (Suzuki) or air filters leaking destroying motors (Yamaha). At least not yet, anyway. And that is the next point. The DS has not had its first birthday yet!!!! Bombardier might be as bad as everyone else when it comes to rectifying problems and making upgrades with each new model year. BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET. Let's find out. I let almost any friend or friend of a friend try my DS out. After I've watched him/ her ride awhile to know they know what they're doing. This isn't to sell them one but to educate their opinion so it isn't based on word of mouth and forum rhetoric. No they don't all like it, but it takes some getting used to. It did for me. The Raptor has me excited. Not because I will sell the DS but I might consider owning one as well! You of course need the funds to play this way but out the door will be my anemic 4 strokes I talked about. More choices people. There is no way the Raptor can fulfill every ones fantasy. Neither can the DS, 400EX, Banshee or FX400. Everyone has a slightly different fantasy. How long do you think it will take for Lonestar, LRD and Durablue to come out with A-arms and axles etc. for the Raptor so it will have the suspension dimensions & geometry that are considered high performance i.e. Trx250R & DS. The FX400 will most likely suffer this sort of uneducated microanalysis (if it hasn't already) and the Raptor somewhat less, it is from a major established manufacturer after all. It took Polaris years to gain an even half respectable review on their products, no matter how innovative they were or how many choices they gave us. Tough crowd I guess. And finally, the personal side. This forum has been awesome & entertaining. I have learned so many things from following the threads I've lost count. And regular visitors & posters alike would probably acknowledge the valuable contribution that Scooby has made. Scooby you personally took the time to respond to an email and helped me out. I thank you publicly. But I, as have others, am noticing the progressive negative nature of your postings. Not that they are not factual or entitled. I just believe that you have tried single handedly to do what aftermarket companies take months/ years and lots of money and resources to accomplish. Namely take a ground up new quad, full of potential and work all the bugs out resulting in something along the lines of a built Banshee or 250R. They are still developing new and trick items to make these 14+ year old quads what they COULD have been from their respective manufacturers. Don't stop posting your opinion by any means but realize that lots of people are reading your opinions and that getting screwed over by outside sources such as Ron Woods should not spell lemon on Bombardiers part. This is just my opinion and as such I expect it to vary widely from others but remember that all our opinions are based on our own experiences. The guy who pumped $5000 into his killer Banshee duner is less likely to 'get' the point of building a muddy 440EX woods racer and vise versa. The guy with the Tecate4 cannot explain why he would spend all his resources finding stuff for this relatively obscure early racer. Other than it might have been his first or that it's cool to have what the masses don't. In any event the only thing that can take the DS or any other quad from us (apart from the &%$#*@ greenies & government) is the lack of sales. If we don't buy 'em they won't make 'em. Viva la difference!!!!

Yella Terra

 

If you read that in an english accent, its even more dramatic.

 

Ah, the 4th of July will long be remembered as our nation's independence day and now the day Yella Terra delivered his famous Bombardier oration. I'm getting all misty-thank you kind sir for your understanding words of wisdom.

 

YellaTerra, Are you suggesting that you don't want me to post problems with the DS??? I believe in "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", so I let the problems be known or they'll never change. AND YES, I AM DISSAPOINTED IN THE DS OR AT LEAST IN MY EARLY PRODUCTION DS.

 

Firstly, I was unaware of my Shakespearean talent. Thanks 747. Secondly, as I stated somewhere in the DS650 oration, I am absolutely not suggesting you stop posting. I am merely suggesting that everyone put your comments in perspective. Bombardier is new(to ATV's), the DS is new, the problems are minor and we are all better off for having the choice. I personally love the stuff like 'the chain roller sucks, and TM Designworks makes a killer replacement'. There, we have a problem and we have a solution, courtesy of a posting. Enough said.
Sorry if I rambled and sounded unappreciative. Yella Terra