in a used ds what should i look for and look out for? never even rode one.

 

what year?? most of the guys will probly tell you to check the fans in the older models let it run for a while and see if it kicks on they had a problem with the fans i guess... what year and how much?? mines for sale its a 2002 baja you can see pics on my page

 

im going to try and find some one that wants to trade my banshee for there ds, or other 4 stroke.

 

I traded my 98 'shee for a 2000 DS, and I love it!!! I'd suggest checking all the usual stuff, like bearings, ball joints, air filter, spark plugs, etc. They're exceptionally well built machines, one could actually say overbuilt. Just look for the things you'd look for on any bike, and you should be ok.
Justin

 

Make sure it's been regularly maintained (as Freakneh hinted at).

I would recommend checking the compression also. Someone else will have to chime in and tell us what the stock compression and allowable variance is. (I can't remember).

Look closely for any frame stress (cracked or chipped paint is often a sign of this). When checking the suspension, do all the parts match? Does it look like one of the a-arms looks newer than the others? If so question the owner as to what happened to the original. Check the air filter. If he's too lazy to clean it to get ready to sell the quad, what else was he too lazy to do? Are the rims bent, is the steering stem bent? Is the chain well oiled? are the tires in good shape? Is the axle nice and straight? These all seem like little petty items by themselves, but when combined together they establish a pattern of proper maintainance or a pattern of abuse.


If the owner has aftermarket parts, does he still have the oem parts that were removed? The reason you ask this is to see if the aftermarket parts were installed to replace abused/damaged parts. Some people sell their oem parts after a while so weigh that into the equation also.

One trick I always use to see how serious people are about maintainance is to look at all the fasteners (nuts, bolts, screws) on the quad to see if there is any marring, rounding etc. If there is, this is almost a sure sign that the person doing the maintainance was too cheap to buy the proper tools. Actually this tip applies to alot of stuff (motorcycles, quads, PWC's, guns and so on)

Ask him where he regularly rode it. How often did he ride it? How many hours would he guess is on the engine. How many times has he changed the oil? What are his regular pre and post ride maintainace procedures ?

Check out the gas in the tank? Does it smell varnished?

Anyway you get the idea. This way you will have a good idea what your getting yourself into, and if needed can be used as a tool when you haggle over the price.