Hey guys 01st got a 2001 DS650, always wanted one of these bikes and now I have it, was just wondering if there was anything I should do beside the normal maintenance stuff like axle bearings, grease all the fittings, I ordered new tires already, would like new handle bars as the Tags that are on it dont feel right, what bars are most people using on these big quads??? I am a shorter guy only 5'9'' but I weigh in at about 220 so I am looking either at 2 or 3 inch risers to make me feel more upright cause I am short. Also this quad as a full Ron Woods stage 1 kit with twist grip setup, I ordered a stock thumb throttle already just need to get a cable now. Any other info on this big girl would help.

thanks guy.

 

Welcome. It seems like you have already been doing some searching around here for common problems. Bearings can be any issue with these bikes.

Axle hub retainer has been known to loosen and can trash the bearings if not dealt with.

I would change the oil, remove the screen that is inside the nipple at the bottom of the oil tank and see how clogged it is and clean it. I plan to clean mine every oil change.

Since the grease zerk for the rear swingarm is hard to get to, the older bikes seem to have worn swingarm bushings. Check this by holding the rear grab bar and pulling it side to side and listen for popping noises. Popping noises can also be bad carrier bearings.

Check your chain roller. If it's the original roller, it's probably wasted and needs to be replaced. Check chain tension often and keep it within spec.

You probably want to take the time to set the front and rear sag. Copied from another post:Front race sag should be set at 3 1/2 in with you seated on the quad. In other words, lift up on the front of the quad so that the suspension is fully extended, and measure from the ground to one of the front bumper bolts. Then sit on the quad, jump up and down, roll the quad back and forth, and make sure the suspension is settled to the height it will be at with you sitting on the quad in your normal riding position. Then have someone measure from the ground to the same bumper bolt; the measurement should be 3 1/2 in less than the unloaded measurement.

Make the same adjustment for the rear suspension, except race sag should be set at 4 - 4 1/2 in.

Setting the toe of the front wheels to 1/8in tow out helps keep the bike more stable at high speeds.

You should be able to go thousands of miles on this tank of a motor before having issues with the valve shims, but it's not too hard to check them.

I replaced my handlebars after an accident with some Tusk aluminum bars. They were cheap and my hope is that they will bend in the next accident before the steering stem bends ($$$$). I got the raptor bend, and the bars just barely kiss the top of the tank at full turn.

After my accident, I also invested in a tethered kill switch. That $16 switch would have saved me $$$ if I had it on before. In 1st gear, this bike has so much torque it will just keep going until it hits something or falls off a cliff!

Keep all the zerks greased, lube the chain properly and often if you have an o-ring chain, pull the carb and clean it/set the float height a couple times a year.

When I pulled the carb the 1st time I was surprised to see rust and lots of white film inside. I run Stabil Methanol fuel treatment in the gas now all year round.

Looks like you are set for a good carb, CDI, and exhaust. I think the RW kits comes with a K&N right? I think the K&N lets too much dirt through in dusty conditions (run your finger inside the carb boot and check for dirt) Get yourself a good UNI filter if the K&N dosen't cut it. Keep up with washing and oiling the air filter at proper intervals. I think the K&N is ok for street use (I've used them for decades on my cars) but not in the dust.

if you had the stock carb, I would have suggested to check out the OMR stock carb mods at the top of the page.

The DS650 is a very reliable bike if taken care of.

 

Yeah I have done a little homework on these, as I ride rocky coal trails and big hill climbs of loose coal and rocks, I had a Trx450r and wanted something bigger, I hear that with a set of cams and some head porting these monsters are mean, we do some drag racing and cant wait to see how this thing fairs against my buddies 450's, 700 raptors, kfx700, rene 800s, and outlaw 525. I know the rotax motors well as I work on seadoo's so I know how well built they build their stuff. I know that most of the people I ride with told me not to buy a DS650 as its so big and heavy and has no reverse but nor did my 400ex's or my 450r, I did get pampered when I ride my wife's kfx700 but oh well. I have a moose foam filter on it as I do ride in alot of dust. I have contacted Woods and talked about doing the cams and with the 11.5:1 piston already in it they say 60-65hp on proper tuning is not unheard of. I just hope that I didnt buy something I am not gonna like, as we do long rides of 70-100 miles round trip sometime with playing in some of the coal pits and dragging on the coal roads.

 

60-65 hp would be pretty sweet.

I'm 6'6", 230 lbs and the DS just feels right for me. almost all of the trails I ride are also Jeep trails, so I've never really considered the DS's size and width to be an issue. I have been down some trails up the the mountains of AZ that are just quad trails, and were not fun at all because of how narrow they were. I can see why some people have a hard time deciding between the DS and the Raptors for instance. But down here on the desert floor, I wouldn't have any other quad. Up in the mountains, I would learn to deal with a Raptor. When I've borrowed my friends Raptor, I have almost tipped it over numerous times in the corners down sand washes, and when hitting it hard down the fire roads, the Raptor vibrates so bad that my vision is blurred. I call my DS a Jet-Puyffed marshmallow sometimes, as it's as soft as a marshmallow as it fly's by on Jet power!

I typically ride with a group of motorcycles. I can't really hang with them through the woops, but I am typically on their rear tire on the fire roads, and passing them in the sand washes.

 

Sweet, I cant really wait to get ripping it up with this monster, I ride with a guy that has a 760 or whatever it is raptor 700 big bore with nothing but the best money could buy on it which i know till kill me. I just want to get setup and ready for spring really, as I am not sure how I feel about putting a 500 lbs. quad in the snow and getting stuck all the time.

 

You might also want to add stiffer clutch springs. I had to on mine when I put the pipe on it. I could feel the clutch slip a bit in certain conditions. If your interested I have a new set for sale.