Hi Guys,

Looking at buying Skak Trak Edge paddles and would appreciate some input on the number of paddles for a basically stock DS650 2004.

Minor mods are white bros E series pro meg muffler, opened up the air box and vortex CDI

I have been asked the following questions.

1. How many paddles do I want?
2. Douglas rims 10*9
.125
.160
.190

Not sure what the above numbers mean in relation to performance or stock Baja rims but I would like to keep same bike parameters as the stock as possible.

Question 2 I believe should 10” rims as I have chosen 22x11x10 tyres.

Is this the right choice?
More importantly am i wasting my money here?

I’m a social rider so no racing involved.

Appreciate any imput

Dave

 

I think that the 22x11x10 edge 8 paddle would be an excellent tire for your DS. I don't have one so I'm not the best judge in the matter but have seen lots of diff. paddles on lots of diff. bikes and these seem to be a really popular size and paddle.

Welcome to the forums by the way.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Hi Davidk1,

I am running the 22x11x8's as I ran into frequent digging in problem with other brands but that may have been more size related than brand. Others here on this forum do well with 21" sand tires on the DS but I beleive they may be lighter riders in general. The 22" heigth is same as stock I beleive the 11 make them and 1/2" wider per side and the 8 is the number of blades ... I beleive....for a basically stock bike I think these work great.
Skat Track Edge is a great tire for what your looking to do. They really hook up well and dig in when you need them to on steep dunes but yet still turns on a dime.
I went with the douglas .190 series rims as they are a bit thicker and can take more abuse what with the DS being a bit on the heavy side and all. I got mine from RockyMoutain as the price was good and they were the only vendor to carry them at the time.
If you run the 22x11x10's you will get more bite and less slide ability so its a trade off for straight line acceleration.

Just my 2cents worth...

 

Thanks Guys,

you've enlightened me somewhat

Dave

 

I'm wondering about your mods if you aren't interested in racing?
If weight is no concern, then .190 rims would be the way to go. Minimum of .160 on a bike the weight of the DS unless strictly racing.
Skat traks are good tires and not a waste of money but why Edges? Haulers will get you out of a hole quicker, up a hill easier and if you actually felt the need to race someone they will knock off a couple bike lengths on a short steep hill.
Here's my take on sand tires. Edges direct the forward movement of the bike sideways, basically meaning they aren't efficient. They will let you turn slightly easier with stock front tires but you should really have front sand tires as well.
All the power and handling of the DS is wasted unless you pick the right tire combo for the terrain.
I suggest 22 inch 8 or 9 paddle extremes, They're worth the extra $$ as the haulers come apart.

 

Correction on the paddle sizing from any earlier post. 22x11x10...22 is the tire height, 11 is the width and 10 is the rim diameter. 8 Paddles should be plenty.

 

mystereid,

Further to your comments I choose this tyre because I thought it would be the best choice for social riding.

I know absolutely nothing about sand tyres and was picking a tyre I thought would be good for turning and carrying combined weight of around 330kg.

I was under the assumption that straight paddles are a lot hard to turn.

The sand here in Australia is fine and can be very soft at times so I want something with good flotation that also turns well.

As for the rims, I want something that not going to bend easily if I get a bit excited!!

I have a set of 20x12x9 kenda trakkers which I find are no good for the DS.


Dave

 

Get the .190 rims or ITP c-series the edge is very good for traction but not the best for drag. I got the C-Series and 20-10-10 edges.

 

I had the edge 8 paddle on my bike for awhile. They were good, but I needed more. Gread for sliding and carving. Good tire, but I went to the 10 paddle extreme. Love em. Never get stuck, climb out of all the holes, but lost some slidability, but it was worth it. I still bring both sets with me when I go, depends on what riding I do.

Bear

 

Davidk1,
I think you definately want 22 inch tires and .190 rims. I also think 9 or 10 paddles will work better in soft sand, it seems like the denser the sand the fewer paddles you can get away with and the reason people run 8 paddles is that each paddle robs a little horsepower. Since racing doesn't concern you I would go with 1 or 2 extra paddles.
Now you need to decide between v paddles and straight. You might try searching all the forums through the search button at the top of the page.
I had 20 inch Skat Trak 10 paddle Edges on my quad first and got rid of them as soon as I could. They dug too many holes and lost too many races.
I lived in Adelaide for three years when I was young, where do you ride in Australia?