Just got back from the Hare Scrambles at Horn Rapids ORV Park, where I took first in open and the overall against a field of 70 some riders. Second place wasn't even a raptor but a tricked out 250r. The course was 18 miles long with long straights, lots of whoops, and many turns. I was the only DS to race and I'm rock stock.

 

that's great!

 

thats great to see dsracer, bet there are 70 more people thinkin that ds650's are the ****.
2000 ds650
woods stg 1 kit w/acc. pump and clutch springs
alba gripper seat and graphics
renthals
graydon nerfs and bumper
pro design kill
turf tamers

 

I think the DS has proved to be a very formidable high perforance atv.

 

thats great. im glad a ds won. I am from lewiston id. and i went to the race also. my ds never left the trailer. I sat in line to get into the pits for 20 minuets. when i got to the gate to pay for parking i saw all the wheelers take off. 15 minuets erly .(I was pissed). i drove over 150 miles to go. great race though. did you get the holeshot. you were the first one i seen.it would have been something for the ds to get first and second place.

 

3TV what dunes are you talking about? Every time I have gone to Little Sahara lately I see at least 4 or 5 other Raptors besides me. I go to the dunes just about every week and I see probably 3 or 4 Raptors for every DS.
To see a Raptor up here is quite common but to see a DS is a novelty.
On a side note: I ran into a guy out there a month or so ago from Colorado on a worked DS650 (pipe, piston, cam, re-geared etc.) who wanted to race me on my stock Raptor even though it was obvious he would win. We were both very impressed with how well my stock Raptor hung with his DS. He wasted me pretty good going up Sand Mtn. (he had haulers and I had stock knobbies) but in a short 150-200 yard drag he only got me by about 2 lengths mostly due to his hole-shot because of the paddles. Out in the dunes he couldn't shake me and we was a good rider.
This guy really loved his DS but was admittedly kinda pissed about the quality of his DS, he said his original engine blew with less than 10 hours on it (which was why he had the engine mods) and had numerous complaints when comparing little things like the oil lines, cheap front sprocket guard, chain roller, and he also didn't think the fit and finish quality of the DS was very good. To be fair he also said his was the 5th one to roll off the assembly line so they have probably improved and worked out the bugs since then.
I don't want to make enemies of any DS owners, just wanted to say that when the owner of a very modified DS is impressed with a bone stock Raptor, it leads me to believe that you might be seeing Raptors in the winners circle more often once the owners have time to ride and fine-tune their machines for racing.
'01 Blue Raptor '00 Trailblazer '99 Scram400 4x4

 

CONGRATS man. Chalk another one up for Bombardier!!

 

congrats

 

I saw your DS and a 400ex on a trailer behind a Dodge ram. I was worried about not being able to race also as I had to wait in line for ever. I didn't get the hole shot I had a decent start and ended up second into the first turn. I pulled on a bunch of banshees and 250r's as well as my buddies raptor. I'm close to were you live right now as I go to school at WSU and live in Tri-Cities. Were do you ride around here.

 

That's great DSracer! Glad to hear you pulled off a nice win on the mighty yellow beast. Good luck to anyone competing in the coming months as the race season approaches! newdsowner.