I was in the same boat you were about a year and half ago, except I was looking new. I looked at the Raptors, Outlaw and the DS. My cousin had an '01 DS I rode it and instantly fell in love, I looked at the other two read alot of online reviews and comparisons. I ended up getting an 06 DS. The other thing about the DS is add up the price to buy all the bolt ons that it comes with and it becomes an even better deal. I have not regreted it one bit. My cousin bought his 01 brand new and just started doing power adders. They are reliable, excellent power, comfortable ride, and fast. What more does a person want in a quad.

 

if you like the the ds, then thats would i would go with, but i don't agree at all what people say about the raptor, well maybe the 660 , but not the 700. I have an 07 raptor 700 se, and it is as good a machine as the ds. I've ridden the ds and l like the raptor better.


The point to all this is go out and ride all the machines and see for yourself what you like better, because believe me everyone has there own opinion

 

I agree the 700 is a whole different machine than the 660. But you won't find any for very cheap used right now. They are just to new of a machine. And he only has so much money and that is the only reason to steer him away from the Raptor. The 660 is what he would find for his price range and I don't suggest a 660. Thats it. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

To answer your question about the front fenders, the majority of us live and ride here in the SouthWest. Primarily dune and open desert riding. No need for fenders to keep the mud off of you when you never see any. And any weight shaving that can be done is a plus. Most of us don't run the air box and snorkels either. Fenders, brackets, airbox, snorkels, all about twenty pounds combined. It's easier to unbolt stuff than it is to DIET!

Ned, so your saying that you can ride your 700 at a breakneck pace through the dunes for ten hours and feel as good as you would having done it on a DS??? I think not. It's a good bike but having a balance beam shoved up my *** is not my definition of a comfortable ride. And it'll beat the shoulders and back pretty good too. Maybe the group I ride with just doesn't go on normal rides. Only time we hit camp is when the bikes need fuel. A routine weekend at Glamis will rack up 120+ miles through the dunes, sometimes more. That cannot be done on a Raptor.

 

i 'm not gonna fight with anyone, ive never ridden dunes, i'm from the midwest where we ride dirt trails and rocky trails, and i ride all day long just fine, all i'm sayin, is that its mostly a matter of opinion, one guy says there crap another guy likes em, just go with what you like riding and enjoy it. in this area of the country we don't se alot cam am stuff cuz nobody sells it, like i said , i've ridden a ds and i think there cool, but not a mind blowing better than any other machine out there.

 

Not fighting, just counter pointing. I could probably ride quite a bit longer through the woods and trails on a Raptor than I can through the dunes. Grew up riding in NorthEast Arkansas so I know trails and woods are fun, but nothing like shredding the dunes at 70mph. The DS would easily be too wide and heavy for serious woods riding, but it can't be beat in the dunes.

 

thats cool. i've never been on dunes, like to try it some time

 

The predator 500 dosent use a KTM moter, Therefore it is polaris and from what i have heard ( people who have them) say that they are unreliable and they have had many problems. If you want a polaris buy the one with the KTM moter. The DS is better then the raptor unless you have money to mod it cause there are a lot more options for the raptor

 

I can't comment on woods riding but for dunes the DS is the bike to have. I've beening duning since 89 and have ridden just about every quad/3 wheeler ever from the manufacturers. When the DS first came out I kinda scoffed at it and didnt give it a chance. My brother picked up a 2002 baja DS and when we would go on dune rides I noticed he was always the least tired/sore and having fun. So I threw a leg over it just for the fun of it and I instantly was sold on it. The weight is NOT an issue! These things are very well engineered and built tough. I bought an 04 for myself the beginning of this year for $2700 with only 5 hrs on it and couldn't be happier! Sure there are faster/lighter bikes out there but for the overall complete package of duning all day and having fun the DS is head and shoulders above anything else out there.

 

After reading the comment above me, I guess that brings another issue. I don't live anywhere close near dunes. I could go to Idaho somewhere, but I wouldn't go to Idaho just to ride dunes for a day. So, most of my time would be spent up in the mountains riding on some trails and old logging roads. Would the DS still be the one to get or is there another quad out there that could do the job better?