Hey all,
I'm looking to maybe buy a 2000 Yellow DS650. I've yet to drive one, so I have a few questions, please answer at your best.

1. How agile are they, i know they are heavy, but could it keep up with a z400 or 400ex (handling-wise)?

2. Are they tippy? (like the raptor, or worse?) Since they have more ground clearance that any other bike...C of G makes a diff too.

3. I've heard that they are nose-heavy, does this mean wheelies are rare??? Or they just take more coaxing to lift up. (Can you ride a wheelie over a distance?)

4. I am 6' feet high and weigh 165lbs., I am very used to driving my Sp500 and 400EXs and the such. Is a DS for me??

5. And finally, an important question, how are they on gas (compared to the raptors or EXs) in stock form. MPG would be nice or distance on a tank.

I also like to power-slide(mostly on 400EXs) on dirt or grass or whatever, can you throw a DS around without having the fear of tipping over(like on a 400ex) or do you have to cringe and take it slow (like on my sportsman). hehe

Thank You
This is very appreciated.

Jeff
Canada

 

Hi,lets see I have ridden the EX and the Z Man does that EX like too wheele! Z is nice water cooling,must have.Reverce what an idea. Butt boy the DS is just A wild ride!!!! Ase far as tippy not at all it's vary wide,Wider is better! As too power slides and rolling I think there all the same. Gas mileage that's riding stile.I'am 180 on a stock DS It ROCKS! Get on the wining team and come in for the big win!

 

My no means are they tippy. That is the beauty of being wide and long. Wheelies are a little harder but that's good in a drag and hill climbs. My friend has a 400ex, and I have no problem keeping up on trails with him. They are heavy, but with a few bolt-ons the weight goes away with the increase in power. Gas mileage seems to be okay. They use more fuel than a Honda but not excessively. Plus, they look wayyyyyy cooler than a raptor or 400ex.

 

don't get a 00. the a-arms suck. also they changed the oil valve. if you roll it, it will blow the rod bearing. i think it was changed in 01, but it might have been 02. ask around on here. don't have one, but buddy does.

 

All I can tell you is that I'm VERY HAPPY! I am a 4 week old newbie to the DS and I've already got the bug.

First off, the size thing for me is a non issue. I'm huge 6'10"/300lbs.

I throw that thing around like it's a toy. If will probably not handle like the 400ex. My buddy's got one and it is extremely agile. That being said, it would depend on what type of riding your doing. If you were going to race xcross, you would be a fool to have your Ds be your choice. If your looking for a bike to go trail riding on, desesrt racing, duning - kind of a little of everything. I would think that you couldn't go wrong. My 5'8"buddy owns a Shee and rode my beast this weekend. HE LOVED IT. Of course he mainly rides dunes. The DS is supposed to be one of the most stable quads made. It already comes +2 front and back (if i'm not mistaken).

All in All it's a very solid performer. I used to have a Sportsman 700. What a difference! I've ridden Scrammy 500's, 400's and Raptors. I will admit that some do better things than others. But when it comes down to it. In my humble opinion, I think that the DS does the most things right, while all the while being extremely reliable.

AS far as fuel milage goes.... I wondered the exact same thing. It gets WAY better than my 700 did, and compared to my buddies 400ex which is now a 417ex, on the same ride, both hauling at some pretty good speeds, on a 42 mile ride we returned to find he was basically at reserve and I had a quarter of a tank left. Just took my beast to Dumont this last weekend and was ridding beside my buddies Shee. He went through fuel much faster than I. I mean much! Long ride and dragging up the hill I came back with a half of a tank, he was at reserve.

Hope this helps.

 

the fuel is pretty good but you must remember it is a 650, so to compare it to a 400 is a reasonable thing to do. it does better than my sons blaster, it seems simlar to my friends raptors. hte 2000 have a issue with the steering, i cant say that it bothers me on my 01, the oil bleeder is the thing that would bother me but knowing about it i might see if i could just change. now for the wheelies, i think they are great, i can ride them for a long ways, but that is in the sand, with the lower front sprocket it pulls the front up with those crappy stock tires, so with real tires it would probably do really well, but probably not as well as the honda. size wise i'm about 20pounds bigger and like it, but my wife is about 30-35 smaller than you and she thinks it is great, so i would say get a ride and see what you think.

 

Wow guys,

I appreciate the info a lot.

Should I really stay away from the 2000s?

I'm kind of on a really tight budget here (16 years old, make around 475-550$ per month during school pumping gas, and around 2500$ per month during summer, as a Canadian Forces Anti-Aircraft gunner) (CDN$)

Whats wrong with those A-Arms and can that oil bleader or whatever be changed if needed??

Thanks

 

The style of riding I do the most is on llllooonnnnggg dirt roads (we have a lot of those logging roads in Canada) that seem to lead to nowhere, and some pit riding (minor jumps, hill-climbing, not really into those massive jumps).

And sadly, no gatdam dunes [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] canada sux in that department. The only dunes we have around here are Federally protected. If i was to take a ride on those, i'd be tortured and executed. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

I do ride some trails, but not all that much.

 

based on what you said, I think that the DS is your only logical choice. Long Dirt roads...... the DS will chew on and spit out most of everything else out there. I know, I ride dirt roads and switch backs twice a week. Best thing about it..... I do the same thing as my buddies on there Shees and EXs and they are flat TIRED. I'm ready for more!!!!!

You can change the a-arms, but I'm not sure about the oil thing????????????????????????????

 

Yea sounds good.

But what exactly is <u>wrong</u> with the A-Arms. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Thanks