i've rode a 04 enough to know it was almost as fast as my wifes stage two, it handled great i thought it would be somewhat less than the older versions but it was great.

 

I am very happy with my 04. I have raced stock raptors, raptors with pipes, older DS's with pipes and have beat them or held my own. I have beaten a few banshee's with pipes or held my own. My bike is all stock except for a KN Filter. I am 6-2 and 230. I don't hit the rev limiter because they raised the limit. I have only ridden it in the sand and it turns way better than older models. I could not be happier. Sandman430 rode my bike and is impressed with it's performance. It is fun to Wheelie and go one the trials! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

yeah i rode the o4 of dssleauths and he said it was ok to race it, i'd take it over a older version. but not a 720 version[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I neve rode anything but mine, which is an '04 X. However, I love it. The suspension is awesome, the power is awesome, and the build quality is awesome. I just raced a stock Raptor and one with a Yosh and jet kit. I smoked them both. Then I even let them have the hit and went around them both. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I also can go around any motocross or oval track faster than either of them. I think this has got to be the most underrated or most ignored machine out there. It's a shame, because it flat out rocks. I just got the new issue of ATV Action, and I swear to god, they must have tested some other brand DS650, because I hardley agree with anything they say. Sometimes I think these mags. just like to hear themselves talk. They can't blow Yamaha enough, but the Raptor is 10cc more, has 5 valves, and is light...yet it's slower. The YFZ will light your pantleg on fire and carburates terribly at low RPM, but it's the greatest thing ever. I'm not knocking either of those bikes, I think they are both great, but a little more subjectiveness would be nice.

 

The magazines are olny subjective to your machine if you pay them enough. Yamaha has so many machines by merely plugging their machines they get all sorts of extra advertising dollars. That is why the Raptor outsells the DS 25 - 30 to 1. Most people don't know anything about the DS, so why buy it?

 

Yup...the DS will go down in history as the best ATV that nobody bought. What a dubious distinction. Maybe, just maybe, when it is finally replaced/upgraded (major, not lightening, shortening, etc.), it will get the attention it deserves.

 

At least WE know what's best..[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

There are differences, but they not "huge" in my mind. The changes I did notice was the swingarm, shocks, paint and stickers. I also noticed that the tach is a little cheaper, and the mount for the dash is different (now very flexible on rubber straps). I guess they had some vibration problems with that new tach and decided to mount it differently. Other than those changes - I dont see any else significant.

 

they say the engine is the same, but they lie it ran as good as my wife stage two a little slower but i mean heck a quad length at sand mountain is pretty close. at florence it would be hard to see any difference. in my view its the engine that is the big change, the rest seemed about the same. well the rev limiter seemed to actually work.