the DS650 sucks in tight trails.and with no reverse it is a royal pain in the @$$ at times. but it is great for running around on,powerfull and big.just not a woods bike at all.

At 6'3 250-300 you are not exactly a giant, you can ride just about anything. you are muscular ,not some giant fat blob of crap. i would get a yamaha banshee or a honda TRX 250R . they are made for duning and cross-country racing. no reverse on those two ether but theye are lots lighter and much more manuverable that and you can set up the shocks to how much you wiegh on any bike. these are older bikes but thats no big deal there tons of them in good shape at at good prices used.

for big bad boy sport quads there is the suzuki LT500 quadzilla and the DS650.

the raptor 700 is a cool bike to. but the seat was hard and the bike did not fit me right ,it was uncomfartable.

 

One of the magazines has a shootout in the current issue between the Raptor 700 and the Kawi. Might want to check it out???? (Do be sure to avoid the old Raptor 660!)

Both the Kawi and DS are HEAVY compared to the Raptor, and the Raptor is 50 pounds heavier than the 450's. Go light, this is riding not weight training! Especially in the dunes, you want to be as light as absolutely possible.........

The 450's are faster than the big bores........that may not make sense to you, but in the modern scheme of things displacement doesn't mean much (except when comparing engines of identical design). And keep in mind that a 450 is 150 pounds lighter, so it has a huge power to weight advantage. The 450's are all rev, and make their power at very high rpm. The Raptor on the other hand, has a lot of torquey low end grunt.

 

And, you mentioned DUNES. Where exactly will you be riding????? A place like Oregon Dunes for example has lots of trails, so you absolutely don't want to be on a huge wide pig when riding there! There a "trail" quad is your best bet.

Glamis on the other hand is more open and has way taller stuff, so the ability to really spin those paddles is important.

 

I am also 250 pounds but only 5 feet 10 inches, this will be my first ATV also.
I was going to get the Honda TRX400EX because I think I need reverse.
But if I don't need the reverse, I want the 450R.
My guestion, is reverse that much needed?

 

My vote goes to either the Kawasaki 700 or the Yamaha Raptor 700

 

I'm 220 here and I ride a Raptor 350!!! I also have a 250r and I just had the rear shock rebuit for up to a 240 lb rider, I have seen soe pretty big people on 250r's.

 

If you ride the trails I do you NEED reverse. Not just want.
For dunes, I don't see any need for it.
It just depends on where you ride.

 

My 400EX is older, and doesn't have reverse (they added reverse in 05, as I recall???). My 450R doesn't have it either. And, I had a Z400 previously that did have it.

I consider reverse a NICE option in a sport quad, but NOT a necessity. These things are light enough, that you can turn one around by hand pretty easily.

 

Thanks guys for all the replies.
I think I'm going with the 450R.
I don't need no stinkin' reverse [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

There is NO WAY I'd go withou reverse. You'll do fine without it but once you've had it you'd never be without. Sort of like power windows and keyless entry. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]