I want to find out which bikes might be something I like. I'm looking for a few different things.
I ride 95% at the dunes here on the oregon coast

-manual shift (5+ gears)
-manual clutch (can do with auto if need be)
-electric start (could live w/o it, just depends on the bike)
-reverse
-smooth ride, the sand roads with the whoop-de-doo's pretty much suck.
-at least 300cc, I prefer 400cc or more
-durability

...And of course I don't have an unlimited budget, so the cheaper the better

One bike I have seen is the Polaris Predator Outlaw with the IRS, it seems like it would be a smoother ride compared to a solid axle bike.

 

I saw in another post that you live near Spinreel. My GF's relatives have a place on 10-Mile Lake (about 5-minutes from Spinreel), and we try to make it up there every summer.

While I live close to Glamis and Dumont, I'm not that big a fan of the open dunes. What I really like most, are the sand trails at Oregon Dunes! We have precious few single track trails around here, so it is a treat to ride out there.

As for what machine would be best, you do want great suspension to handle the whoops, and quick agile handling. Reverse is nice, but that wouldn't be a killer for me.

What works best up there is one of the great trail quads! We have ridden the Honda 400EX and 450R, and Suzuki Z400 up there, and they all do extremely well....especially the 450R with its ultralight weight, superb suspension, and tons of power!

You mentioned the Outlaw, but I think a SRA machine is way better for the sand. If you are on a budget, maybe a used Z400 might be the ticket. These engines are tame in stock form, but have tons of hop-up potential with just a few simple mods.

 

the 525irs would be a smoother ride not sure how it handles the sand. they make a 525s which stands for sand and it's sra.everything i've read said the 525s is tricky to ride.the high power and low weight causes traction problems.the irs has more weight so it's less tricky to ride. with rath racing and c t racing fielding owtlaws this year more aftermarket parts are coming out more everyday

 

The S stands for straight rear axle. I read in a recent Dirt Wheels (take that for what it is worth) they tested the Polaris IRS vs SRA and they liked the IRS in the sand.

 

I can see how IRS would be a plus in rocky terrain, but sand has lots of whoops and I just can't see how it would be any advantage there. Sand is all about being ultralight and floating along on the top, so the extra weight penalty of the IRS is a big downside as well.

 

i think the irs is about 30 lbs heavier. i think the 525irs and 525s shootout in the sand was with stock maxxis tires.

 

First, thanks for all the feedback. On the IRS in the sand, my dad has a Sportsman 700 which weighs, I think, just over 800lbs. It has 4 wheel independent suspension and the best way we've found to conquer the whoops is to haul *** and plow through them (or over, not quite sure). Let the suspension do the work.

...my two cents on it...

 

Nobody knows about busting whoops like us desert riders....but sounds like you already had your mind made up on IRS, so I don't really see the point in your post.....

 

Look For A DS650 Bombadier:
Open trails and sand dunes etc.
Big Power and reasonable to buy for a very high quality race rocket.
I just bought a 2004 Baja X model like new with two extra paddle tires & aluminum rims, big Gun header & K&N air filter etc, all for $3,200

No belt crap to deal with.

Awsome machine for bigger riders as well.

A straight axle is better to slide around than an IRS system on the dunes etc.

Garman

 

garman-You familiar with Oregon dunes??? While there are some open dune areas, it is mostly very tight sand trails that run in between the trees and bushes. This is trail quad conditions....and not your classic open duning conditions that folks in the rest of the country are use to!

So my point is, the DS is way way to big for this place!!!