Hi,
I limited it down to 2 quads that I want from the 6 choices I had before the ds650 or raptor.I'm 5'9" and 227lbs and have about a year of riding experience.I will be riding on medium to big size trails with lots of jumps,whoops,hills,and turns and also my local dunes and at least once a month at glamis.I have a couple of questions about both such as:

1.Which one is the most reliable?

2.Which one is the easiest to turn?

3.Which one is better suited for my riding experience and the places I will be riding in?

4.Which one is the easiest and funnest to ride?

5.Which one whellies better?

6.Which one does better doughnuts?

7.What are problems with both of them and what mods can fix the problems if there is any?

8.Which one has better handling?

9.Which ones stock tires have better traction?

10.Which one power slides the best?

Thanks,
Dan

 

Come on guys and gals I need your info!!!!!!!

 

WE are still waiting for our Raptor, to let the shootout begin. But there are definite differences. The DS is bigger, more stabile, heavier. The Raptor can be made bigger, but the DS can not be made lighter. Both motors are very powerful and can be made much more powerful. Both gearboxes need a lower first gear for rough trail riding. Only the Raptor has reverse. Plan on spending some dough on either to get it really goin' for you.
Yamaha's dealer network has to be an advantage.
The DS is a work of art. The styling, the size, the engine. It is like owning a Ducati, or a Dusenberg, or a Porsche (I've had 2 Porsches and 1 Ferrari)
The proven Austrian Rotax engine, manufactured since '94,
is widely acclaimed and hot-rodded in Euro bikes.
TheYamaha will prove itself no doubt. The 2nd gear, carbs popping off, and axle problems will dissappear with 2002. We hope.
Geez ride them if you can. But a dealer parking lot test ride is a lousy way to judge anything. If I had ridden my stock DS before I bought it I might Not have bought it. Now it is a dream. And I liked the stock Raptor I rode on a good test ride up a favorite canyon, sandwash, and rough mountain trail. Both suck in slow rough trail riding without a good low first gear.
But the Raptor was better than I expected in the sandwash, still not as good as the DS. which is better at powersliding but might be even against a Raptor with a wider axle. But the Raptor can wheelie. The DS is like a +2 swingarm, +4 axle, and +2 A-arms on a raptor. But the Raptor is still 60 lbs lighter and has reverse.
Good luck deciding, I got to have one of each.
It is the only way I can figure it out!

 

I agree with 3TV on all of his points with the possible exceptions of #7 & 8. My best riding buddy has a Raptor and we ride 90% of the time at Glamis. In that environment the DS out handles the Raptor by a large margin. The Raptor can't turn nearly as sharply, while keeping all 4 tires planted, as the DS. In a straight line he is competitive with me, when we start zig zagging I'm gone and he is sucking sand. While the DS is powersliding through a turn the Raptor is tipping. It is just too high for it's width.

The other thing we have had to deal with is the carbs blowing off of his Raptor. We like to jump alot and get air whenever possible, and twice this season we have had to tear off the plastic and re-install the carbs while out in the dunes, this really sucks. My DS has never let me down while riding. For Glamis, at least, the DS is far superior.

 

demonic650 which one are you getting and why?