Hey i was just seeing how many people tral ride with there ds? 90% of my rideing is trails. How does this compare with the 400ex on trails? thanks

 

90% of the ridding here in Canada is in the mountains and the woods. It did take me a bit to get used to ridding my DS through the tight wooded areas, but I know love it and would not even think about another machine. Just remember there is always going to be a clearing aroung the corner when you can easyly take over a 400ex.
My 2 bits anyway !!!

 

my riding is 99% trails. The width has not bothered my yet. Lack of reverse has become more of a problem than the width. I don't know about all you guys, but I have yet to encounter a trail that is only 46" wide.

 

My uncle that i ride with has a ds and has a good time on the trails. He shreds hills on that thing, makes my warrior look like a badger. They look like a blast on the trails. Good riding!!!

 

The DS is an awesome trail machine, especially out west where two trees close together is a rarity. Honestly though, I think that "only narrow quads can be ridden back east" is a bunch of Hooey. A Polaris Sportsman, as 3TV pointed out a while back here, is 48" wide and has no problems or beefs about being too wide in the woods. Wider is better. Iaho Laula. The DS has the stability, horsepower, great handling, suspension and ground clearance, just watch that rear sprocket and disc around rocks, so far so good.
... As has been pointed out so, so many times, the DS's only real drawback is it's weight. For trail riding it is no disadvantage at all. MX is probably the DS's weak point, because of its weight, which sucks because it is the only quad that already comes with the widetrack MX set up, besides the $14K Cannondale Moto. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

I aso spend alot of time in the trails

 

It's been almost a year i guess since I did any trail ridding. My DS was bone stock then. And as I recall. The width wasn't a problem at all. Even the weight wasn't bad untill it was time to back up for one reason or another. But once in a while a rock or root sticking out of the side of the trail would just jerk the bars right out of my hands almost. Dude that sucked. Then trail woops would just woop my butt. I was quite tired at the end of those rides. I have since taken care of the handling prob with a-arms, steering damper, and 23" fronts. I fly at wide open throttle through woops now with a big azz grin on my face. Slamming rutts with no fear of losing contol at all. The DS has all the power you need for awsome trail ridding and now with the mods I made I am going to have a great trail ridding season.

 

eaglecollector.....how do you like you maxis all traks? I bought a set for trail riding but had not had a chance to try them yet. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I ride 50% trails, 50% open country/sand. Some of the trails I ride on were a little narrow for the DS at first, but I'm wearing them in to my size. All we need is more DS's out there and then no trails will be too narrow. Handling is great after you dial your suspension and toe in for your style and weight.
What's this about reverse?? I forgot there was such a thing, never had it on any of my sport machines. Ride smart, not backwards, I always say...

 

About 85-90% of my ride time is on tight wooded trails. I haven't encountered a trail that was too narrow for the DS, and we ride some TIGHT ones. The best ones are when the trail is rutted from the "normal" sport and utility quads and I get blast right through and not get hung up in the ruts.