Hi all, just wanted to say that I bought a 2000 DS 650 this past Wednesday from closest Bomb dealer. I like it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img], even though I haven't got to spend much time on it yet. Had to replace an end on the battery ground cable first time I rode it - then on the second ride found right front hub to be a bit loose so that has been snugged up. Engine, transmission, clutch, etc. all seem fine, but I think I may need to freshen/tweak front suspenson and/or steering. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks, CraneMan

 

If it has the Kenda tires on it,change them to the Ohtsu's or a better tire.its like Night and day.have fun............

 

It came into my possesion with Razrs on the front & Spidertracs on the back. I will used it mostly for trails & occasional flat drags on dirt of less than 300 ft. Looking forward to ripping through soybean field stubble after harvest. Right now I'll have to ride mostly on woods trails, pastures & some logging roads

 

suspension setup

 

THANKS B W, for the VERY helpful link. And I've already reversed the engine mount bolt by the sprocket in advance of going to a smaller front. Called local Bomb dealer Wednesday evening about sprockets - didn't even have original size in stock, wonder where DS riders get non-standard sprockets [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] ?

 

CraneMan,

1. For sprockets a lot of people are using places like rocky mountain atv and the others whom you'll find advertised on atving.com or in the magazines.

2. You should get the oil filter cover from a 2001 or newer DS650 for your 2000 and then you can use the larger oil filters which will give you better filtration. This is one of the easiest and cheapest mods you can do.

3. If you change your own oil then be sure to remove the oil line on the bottom of the oil tank in the front of the machine & there is a metal screen filter in there which needs to be cleaned to prevent oil starvation.

4. Welcome to the DS650 gang & congratulations on purchasing the best ATV around!

 

This is all very good advise(especailly#3) you should go through your DS with a fine tooth comb, and then you will have a starting piont for regular mantainance in the future.




Bigger.

 

Thanks BlackHawk & bigger! When I got it I had them throw in a filter, oil and chain lube as part of the haggling - so my first oil change will happen VERY soon. I promise to look into the newer filter cover & longer filters. I'd posted in the 'what's in your garage' topic thinking someone might have good used sprockets to hook a 'newbie' up with. Standard gearing has more topend than I need in this area. I'd like to try 14 or 15 on the front and 42 or 43 on the back. 65-70 mph topend is more than enough where I ride, especially if I can hit that speed in less than 300' [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] - but I'd love having the quickest 2nd gear holeshot in the county [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img], which might require clutch upgrade [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] ?

 

Glad to see that you chose a DS they are great bikes, although the first 2 years did have a few bugs. I bought a 2001 brand new and had a heck of a time keeping it cool. I am from Ohio and we don't have dunes here so we aren't going 100mph+ everywhere. (too many trees to jump out in front of ya) Anyhow in the trails if you find yourself in an area where you have to go through rough terrain that requires you to slow down for any period of time you might notice your red light on the dash coming on, or your fan running what may seem like non-stop. This will work the fan motor literally to death. Believe me I have battled with Bombardier warranty dept. through 5 cooling fans. Finally I got tired of dealing with them and fixed it myself. I hand made a heat sheild for the bike that fits right between the pipes and the back of the fan motor to seperate the 2. (the factory heat sheild does not do the job, it is too samll) This keeps the pipes from "cooking" the fan motor. Then I put radiator shrouds from Alba racing on the bike to enhance the cooling process anytime I am moving. I added a high performance coolant called "engine ice" it is made by a company called cycle logic. Doing these things has seemed to help out tremendously.......although we will see here in the next few weeks how it actually works long term because I just recently performed these modifications. Also a little hint if your fan stops working, check the fuses under the seat.......they are located right in front of the airbox. One is a 25 amp fuse for the charging system, and the other is a 15 amp for the electric fan. I hope that this helps you out. Check my profile here in a week or so, if you want to see a picture of the heat sheild that I made. I should have my photos posted in a week. Oh, the other thing that I did was fashion mounts, and put the electric fan on rubber grommets like the newer baja and ds models.......this eliminates alot of the vibration that the fan used to get being bolted directly to the frame. Have fun riding

DS650rules

 

DS650Rules, from your comment about trees you might ride the same sort of conditions that I have. So have you made changes in gearing/tire size/other to make your DS a better woods/trail machine? I'm wondering what would be some of the better chain choices for a NON-sand rider that's going to make creek crossings nearly every ride?