Hi,
I’m thinking of buying sport quads to play around on this summer. I love my utility, but I want to have a sport quad too. The DS650 always looked pretty cool to me, you do not see many around my neck of the woods.
My questions is, are they a good trail rider, or are they geared to high? I really don’t care about top speed, but I want a peppy ride, how do they handle. I would like your un-bias view. Here are my top three choices. Yamaha Raptor 660, a KFX700, or DS650. Out of these three which would you chose .

Thanks for your input

 

All are nice bikes. I prefer the DS just for the ergonomics, It fits me better. they ride awesome, bulletproof motor when not tampered with to extremes[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Very good power very stable, a little heavier to throw around than the raptor but also more stable. Go sit on or ride each it will help make up your mind easier.

 

I cannot give an unbiased view because I own a DS and love it to death. Would not buy another bike, but Crazy is right all the bikes you listed are very nice each in thier own way. The DS has KILLER suspension... best stock suspension available. That is really what sold me on it first. It also just feels nice and big. No other quad I sat on at dealerships made me feel comfortable like the DS did. I don't know how tall you are but the DS is made for big guys. Its like butter... (in my best Homer Simpson) mmmmmm butter. Actually the KFX felt similar but I wanted a munual. Hope that helps.

 

I'm a hardcore trail rider I run 20 and 40 mile runs. I run very hard and push my phyisical limits every time I go out. They handle great and with the torque they have I pretty much stay in third gear. =]

 

I own a KFX700 and a DS650X, both are great machines and have awesome power and torque, each one has it’s own unique characteristics that make it a better machine for different reasons, the KFX does have a reverse and much more ground clearance, the belt drive on the KFX is kind of a wild card, some people hate them, some love them, to each his own, I had the KFX before the DS and I didn’t realize how much I missed the manual clutch and the ability to choose when I wanted to shift, not when the bike wanted to, I personally prefer the manual clutch. The shaft drive on the KFX is nice, low maintenance no sprockets and chain to mess with but you can’t change your gearing either, I ride about half trails and half dunes so I do change gearing as needed. The suspension on the DS is a lot better, and I mean a lot better, not that the KFX is terrible, I have yet to ride a stock machine with a better ride than the DS. Fuel mileage on the KFX is poor at best and I had to buy a six-pack rack and carry an extra two gallons of gas to be able to cover approximately the same distances as I can with the DS on a single tank full. If I had to pick only one machine to keep, without question it would be the DS. I have only ridden a Raptor one time and I felt like I was ridding on a kids machine, it had great power and was a nice machine, but the KFX and the DS were definitely built for us bigger riders.
Hope this helps, just my experience with both machines.

 

Hey,
Well i have a ds and my best friend has v-force. His has a pipe, jet kit, and filter along with clutch work. You can see my mods. They both have great power, but the 700 tends to be more of a wheelie quad. We hill climb alot and the ds is alot better than the 700. I dont know if it is a balance difference or what but my ds out climbs his easy. The 700 wants to flip over, and the same for other situations. My ds has more top end speed from 3rd gear on. The auto tanny has its pros and cons, personally i like have control over the gears. He says though, the 700 never bogs out so the power and torque are definetly there. His 700 tends to run alot hotter than the ds, he says this is due to the back cylinders dont get alot of air. His is also alot harder on fuel than the ds. So far he has never had any trouble with it at all, so I would say that it is reiliable. Hope this helps.

PS. I like my ds better though, just personal preferance.


Later,
Chiknhawk

 

Also the engine break system takes some getting use to. The first time i rode his on asphalt and let off the throttle it felt like i was going over the bars. lol

 

I have ridden all three bikes quite a bit ( my friends have them), i own a DS in fact I own two DS"s while the other 2 are good bikesI prefer the DS and so do they both have bought DS's since riding mine. The others have hit the nail on the head they are just comfortable....we call it the couch. With a few mods it can crank. Just my 2 cents.

 

Thanks Guys.
Sounds like I will be trying the DS