Ok, asking this question in THIS forum is obviously going to get me some BIASED replies, but thats just what I am after.

I do NOT own any ATVs.
I have never owned an ATV.
Heck, I have barely ever even ridden an ATV.
(though I LOVE riding my Bombardier RX-DI Jetski!).

Nevertheless, I am 6ft, 205lbs, and live in Lake Havasu CIty Arizona and am surrounding by endless miles of desert rock and sand.

So, I have decided I want to take up the fine sport of ATVing, and I want to get my whole family involved.
I have 4 kids and a wife.
Twins, 12 years old.
Little boy who is 4.5
Little girl who is 3
And a very tollerant wife who is willing to try just about anything that I put in front of her.

Having looked online and read all that I can, I am leaning towards the DS650 for myself.
But I know NO ONE who owns one, nor have I ever ridden on one.

And though this quad seems to be the "King of the Dunes" all of the reviewers are always concerned about how it handles on trails or in rocky areas.

So what I want is some honest feedback from current owners about how this beast is to drive out in the dessert where I am going to take it.
Not just on the sand dunes...

 

The Ds is the best quad for open areas. The bike is built wide and long for stability. It soaks up bumps better than any quad I have ridden. I have access to Raptors, Banshees, 400exs and, a Z400. The bike is built strong. After two crashes the only thing I had to fix was readjusting the handle bars.

 

i ride open desert, and the 650 is the best for it. I just put "Pro-Armor" skid plates on mine and am planing to buy better desert tires for it. it's not a good bike for a twelve year old.

 

for where you live you can't go wrong, great family sport

 

The quad is awsome. Heck before i did all my mods i took it deer hunting last year. We went to the mountains and rocks and all that stuff and i think it did better than the guys that was with us and there grizzley's. Awsome quad and the best riden one u will ever ride. I promise. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Lance

 

I spent last Thanksgiving at Emrald cove. We put over 120 miles flying around that desert. The DS is awsome to ride there. There are enough whooped out areas that you can just sit back crack the trottle and hang on. Went all the way back to the resevoir there were some nasty spots and the big couch on wheels did fantastic.

 

I lived in LHC from 1970-1982 and still have relatives there. I know the terrian there and you would not be sorry. You are close to Glamis and would be able to make some trips to the sand.

 

I am 6' 220 lbs, 49 years old. I am on my third DS. I ride everything. The handling of the sport quads is so much better than the top heavy utility types, though some are better than others. But in a nutshell, the sport quads are too small, and exhausting to ride, despite their handling advantages. Great for kids, I am too old for the rough ride and hard seats on the pack of sport quads out there, and not old enough for the 15 mph utility squad.
Enter the DS.
Bigger, and heavier, with a cushy seat, and plush long travel suspension. I can ride a DS all day long, just as for instance, I can ride a Polaris Sportsman all day. But the Sportsman handles like an Ice cream truck, and the DS handles like a Ferrari.
Then there is the Austrian Rotax engine. Same motor used in the F-650 BMW dual sport. Bullet proof. More powerful than any other stock quad. smooth, even, dependable power. Best shifting transmission on the planet. Flick.

The improvements in the '04 model, especially the Baja X, lighter, even faster, better equipped and way cooler looking, drove me to re-up for the third time. I have taller 6-ply tires for the rocky desert I ride in, the stock tires didn't hold up long. Dunes are okay, but there aren't any around here. I love the little sand washes and rocky mountain trails we ride on. The DS is king. Nothing powerslides around a fast fire road like a DS. Power, adrenaline, suspension, quality. This is no sushi bike.

 

I've had Banshee's, a Quadzilla, and LT250Rs. I currently own a DS, a 400EX, and 250R. I have riding buddies that have Raptors, Suzuki 400's, and YFZ 450's. I also live in AZ, in Tucson. I'm familiar with your terrain, as it's pretty close to what I ride in too. I'm 6' 1", and 265LBS. I love my DS!!! It handles great, has outstanding stock suspension, and great power for a stock bike. IMO there's no better stock bike for the desert, and dunes!!! However, from what I've read, the fact Bombardier shortened the swingarm on the 04 models negatively impacted their handeling, and suspension. I'd look for a 2003 model, or one that has been upgraded with a '00 - '03 swingarm. Also, if you look at the posts on this forum, alot of HP can be gained with just a few mods.

 

OK, so its great in the wide open spaces.
No one seems to argue that point.
But what about anything OTHER than the wide open dessert??