i agree with Ace... I DO own a 07 preditor(its my boys) i would not trade my DS for anything else out there. i just did a ride last weekend of 188 miles in rough terrain, some desert up to the pines and i will say this... I was a bit sore (I am 45) but at the end of the trip i could have gone another 100 miles with no problem. the parts are a bit more$$ but these machines are bullet proof and fast especially for what everyone calls a tank.I ride on fire roads dune severywhere and i have never felt like i was on a tank... it feels nimble to me. in the end it is YOUR $$$$ not mine but after $2000.00 worth of mods to a preditor most stock DS's will still beat it. i am biased but i do own 4 polaris machines 1 honda & a DS.the plaris is VERY reliable machine and a good bang for the buck. you can't go wrong either way.

 

I read a comment saying that if I can't afford a Raptor then how can I afford a DS. I could afford a raptor. My budget puts me at a maximum spending limit of $4,000. I've found many raptors under or at this limit. Basically, I don't like spending a whole lot of money so I'm looking for as good as I can get for as cheap as I can get. I found an '04 Polaris Predator 500 with about 40hrs. on it for $3,000. Then, I found an '06 Bombardier DS650 baja for $3,995. I've also found many raptors for between $3,000 to $4,000. I basically made my decision between the Predator and Bombardier for these reasons: The Predator because it's the cheapest "newer" ATV I've found and the Bombardier because it's so reliable and very powerful and very cheap for a "newer" Bombardier. If the Raptors are really that good of an ATV, I wouldn't mind thinking about getting one but I always thought that the DS650's were a pretty good quad compared to the rest out there. Also, like I said earlier, I'm not exactly the biggest dude out there so my only concern about getting the DS would be that it's too heavy for me. I also want to be able to do wheelies so thats why the weight of the quad is an issue to me. Also, thanks for all the help. Yes, there are a lot of biased answers on here but all of you have been pretty informative and I thank all of you for that.

 

Here is California I have seen new DS650 going for $4500 and Vic I think has seen them new going for $4100...

 

I also have owned a Predator and I know that my machine was very reliable and very well powered. I am always surprised when people put it down especially people that have no knowledge of them.

My husband has a DS they are IMHO the most comfortable bike out there, Period. You really can ride for ever and not be tired.

Like you already stated the 450 isn't best for you so at least that is out of the way.

The Raptor is a great bike. Although I wouldn't buy a 660 either. Trying to mess with 2 carbs can be a pain. And every time I have tried to do a doughnut on one I have almost flipped it. So take that for what it is worth. I never had that problem on the DS or the Predator.

But Both the Predator and the DS are more costly to mod. But if you look in the right places you can find a very reliable nicely modded DS for a good deal. Look in my profile. LOL [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Just look around you may be surprised. Check out the garage thread and the garage sale and swap shop thread. There are many out there just gotta look for the right one for you.

Were are you located at?

 

I'm located in Montana. I'm really leaning towards the DS more and more but it's still a hard decision because once I get one, I won't be getting another one for quite some time.

 

I forgot to comment on your size concerns. Both of my boys started riding DS's when they were about 140 and 100lbs respectively. With proper instruction and supervision they learned to both control the weight and to use it wisely. My youngest now weighs around 150 and can wheelie all day long. And I'm sure if you were to ask some of the fine folks on this forum that know him and have ridden with him over the years if he can handle the DS that the answer would be a resounding quite well. He can shred the dunes in a manner that makes me wish I had his skills! We put the GPS on his bike at St Anthtony over Labor Day and he was cruising Devil's Dune at 76mph. Not shabby for a young man, or a "heavy" DS either.
I think you would end up more than satisfied with it, and you have this and several other forums to get help along the way in getting it set up the way you want. I will state up front that most of us bigger gentlemen run 22" rears due to the torque of this massive beast having a tendancy to bury the 20" rears up to the axle.

 

I will vouch for Aces youngest boy. He can ride his azz off. He wheelies, jumps like crazy, and whips that big ole DS around just fine. One more thing I'd like to add, is if your going to get a DS, you should be able to find one for less than $4000 that has a lot of Sweet mods that you won't have to put on and pay for in the future. Good Luck Bro!

 

I would be very happy to say I have got to see Casey ride on more than one occasion. He is a very good rider and sounds to me like he is built just like you (atv_fan). He is very tall and very thin.

You will get used to whatever you end up with. And I for one think you would be happy with either of the two you are trying to pick from.

Good luck in your choice.

 

if u loved the '01 DS u'll REALLY love the '06

 

I probably would love the DS and the only reason I had the weight issue in the first place was because the owner of the one I rode said that it might be too big for me. Not in a rude way, but the way I'm built I'm not exactly heavy by any means and the DS's are notorious for their weight. One thing I noticed, after looking on Google and this site as well, is that most people take off the front fenders. I was just wondering why this is done. Is it just a looks issue?