dsracer666 rides his DS on the track, so you might send him a PM to get his opinion directly.

 

Where does a guy get one of those MrHorsepower end caps? One other thing about ds vs. yzf is money, purchace price is different, Yamaha, altough good quality, parts a expensive even compared to a bomb

 

I have ridden the 300EX, 400EX, lt250R, Raptor, and Banshees. The only one that comes close in my opinion is the Banshee. I weigh 230 and the DS is the best quad I've ever ridden. I must admit I was nervous when I bought my 04 DS650 since there aren't many around here in Fl, but I am glad I did. It is very fast even stock, and jumps great (got a couple of pics of me on mine 5 feet in the air, but I've had it higher). I've never ridden the Yamaha 450, but obvious diffs are that the DS sits high. You can get used to that and still take corners with the Banshees with no prob. Never had mine on a track so can't help there. So far everything I've run against I've beaten. I was loyal to Honda and almost bought the 450, but couldn't wait for it so got the DS and glad I did. And the 400EX doesn't even compare to the DS. I think it's a great quad and you will be very happy with it.

 

Mr. Horsepower has a website where u can find his end cap. Here is his site. www.mrhorsepower.net

 

Im giving mine away on EBAY right now.. i just started the ad like 10 min ago.. so it might not be up in the search feature yet... Anyway its got Zero Preload TCS all round.. so its lowered 3".... Its got the 46mm Lectron with race porting.. so YFZ450s will catch your rear view......take a look! over $3k in mods, sellin for $3.5k w/out title.
Jetjock16

 

Hey jetjock, Where did u get ur inclosed trailer for ur bikes. I am looking at getting one. How much did u give for urs? Lance

 

ebay item number 2465456830

 

Wow, thanks for all the feedback, guess I came to the right place.

As far as pricing is concerned 5899 (DS) vs 6899 (YFZ) where would be a good area to invest that thousand or so dollars into the DS?

I plan on keeping my 400 since it's payed off and I wouldn't be able to get any money out of it anyways. I have tried to test ride a DS but the local dealership ( 45 miles away ) just says, "nope you can't ride it, until after you buy it." So screw that, I'm gonna ride something a lil before I put the money down on one, and nobody around here has a DS so I can't just get on one.

On the subject of comfort and ergonomics. Does the DS like to be ridden aggresively? I have no problem with my 400 feeling small or anything, actually I like it. Maybe because I have had it for 5 years, so the switch to a YFZ wouldn't bother me, size wise. I have sat on a 2001 DS and it was comfortable but seemed big, everything was so spaced out on it. The YFZ feels alot like my 400 just from sitting on it and moving around.

The DS responds really well to mods right? I have heard of people getting around 55 - 60 hp outta these without dumping a lot of money into it.

I am seriously leaning towards the big 650. Considering I still have the 400ex to go race some laps and for tighter trails. I dunno tho, I do need something new and something fast.

Coyoteman, where you ride your DS at in Indiana?
Jetjock16, nice quad but I am wanting new.

Well enough of my rambling its getting late.

Thanks for the replys, keep them comming.

 

It seems like a really nice idea, have the two quads purpose built for very different things. Either one can step into the other's territory, however with varying results depending on the setup & owner. Having both though, could allow you to build each to it's potential in the favored category. I know I'll never get onto an MX style track, so I'm never going to worry about that personally. The DS does respond VERY well to mods - however they have to be the right mods. When the DS first came out many people tried a bunch of usual BS that works on other quads and the results weren't flattering on the DS - leading people to believe it didn't respond well to mods. Now that it has been on the market for five years, there are a couple of engine builders who've found ways to actually get excellent power from the DS without insane amounts of cash. For about $250, toy can get a billet end cap and have your intake ported for some excellent gains. Then buy a 15 tooth front sprocket to put some of the DS650s power down a little lower (which isn't much of a big deal what you loose on top stock the DS will hit about 78, I don't need to go that fast for any of the trails I ride.) Add a properly setup aftermarket carburetor and you have broken $1000 by some amount. a few more odds and ends will put you at 55 - 60 hp.

Personally, I am looking to break the $1000 / 50HP mark in the next month excluding the money I have in non-power up mods.

Another thing to keep in mind about the DS is that it is a rock solid platform. In stock trim, or carefully modified trim, it is nearly buttet proof. It also has the strength in the chassis to stand up to a pretty good beating. I launched my 2001 DS off of a 12' drop off at the Sand Dunes once & the only real damage to the DS was where my head hit the light - which still works so I haven't bothered to fix it.

 

Say blackhawk how much you need for your pipe? Also I'm glad I found someone else thats a Ford nut, every one up in Iowa drives chevies . '02 sd f350 turbo diesel drw chipped 4' exhaust, 00ds-650 stock so far