IN the last couple of months, I read a magazine article that published speeds and times for all the 400+ quads. They listed soft and hard terrain, up comp hill to a certain spot and rolling speeds from one established speed to another.

My question.... I thought that it was Dirt wheels but I can't find the article. It could of been two different mags. I'm think that the times up the hill wasn't in the same article as the speed and times listed. The mag that had the speeds and time listed had a spread sheet in the middle of the page (rt side I think). I'm going crazy trying to figure out what magazine article (s) it/they were in. I have to shut up some na-sayers. I figure that the radar gun and stop watch are hard to argue. No matter how many times I beat him, He is trying to say that some is different about my quad than other DS's - mods or not. This guy is nuts!

Please let me know if you guys know what articles and magazines I'm talking about. A mag name, and month would be great.

Thanks guys.

 

I know that ATV Sport Mag recently (March or April edition) did a shoot-out between 8 quads (DS, Raptor, Predator, 400EX, Z400, KFX 400, Banshee and Cannondale) The comparison took place in Hungry Valley (mostly hardpack from what I understand) They did radar comparison's on on 0-30mph, 0-45mph and 20-40mph. In all three tests, the DS came out on top.

Hope this helps.

 

THANKS! That is the one, if I'm not mistaken, that had all the times listed in a spreadsheet type format. Now, someone else did one that actuallyshowed Comp hill at Dumont and they imposed a start line and finish line. The DS took that as well. Or is that the same magazine????

I have to put this to rest. Please help if you can.

Thanks!

 

those are my stomping grounds,look for that rap with black rims..

 

Hey Raptor, I didn't see hide nor hair of you two weeks ago. You'd said that you were going to be there, but no show!!!! Scared? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

bigdaddy, the one mag atvsport april 2003 had the one with the 8 quad shootout, the one with the hill times was in atv rider also april, it rated the ds below the honda 400. i read these things to make my weekends more fun[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Thanks sandman, that's just what I was looking for.

MUCH GRASS! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

bigdaddy i read the test last year in dirtwheels and the raptor won the shootout, well i think they won one area, well i was on the thinking throne and noticed they had it arranged 1-5 place wise and the ds had won a lot of the test, so i decided to place and then add up the scores. well the raptor did come in at 25 and the other machines were higfher well then i added up the ds it came in at 22 thus with that thinking i came up with the idea the ds had won, well as no big suprise it came in fourth but was lucky not to get last. well since you haven't made it a secert that you are a big guy, i'd like to see dirtwheels get a bunch of guys your size, and do a quad test, i'd like to see a speed test,of a suzuki 400 with a 300 pound guy on it. well even my wife likes the ds and she is 135. well hope that carb works for you. well next year we could get all the ds guys at fsw and race the other quads and then wwf, think our side might win[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] i now bigger is thinking he likes that idea, my wife said she would cheer for our side[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I hear you Sandman.... Not even thinking of getting guys my size. Get some regular buds in there say about 6'2" about 220 - 250lbs. Can't see them possibly riding anything else. Just doesn't seem right. I have been battling this since I was a kid. Used to race (1/4mile) a ZX-11. That was the biggest bike I could get my hands on at that time. I dwafted it! I'm sure that I still dwarf the DS but it's simply my only choice. That being said, I don't think that I would trade it if I were a wee man. I came from a Sportsman 700.... forget the size for a minute, the thing seemed to decay as it got older. what's worse, the company simply played dumb when it came to known problems. The DS feels SOOOOOOO solid, it gives you a great deal of comfort.

It sure gets a raw deal. I've got a buddy that I work with that has a Quadzilla. He is 6'5" and goes about 305. He dogs my bike left and right. Says he'll kill and swears that his Zilla will out perform it everywhere. This, even though he has never seen it go, nor has he ridden it. Ready for the funny part???? In the series of words out of his mouth as soon as he gets done doggin' me, he says that it's (the DS) the only bike that he would ever buy. I think that people just like to dog it because it is so unique and that it does so many things well. I kind of like not having the Japanese bikes. Call me fool. But I know that as big as I am, Many have seen my rear shock work while going up the hill. A shee, 4 or 5 new Z400's a bunch of Scrammy's and a Predator. This all happened two weeks ago at Dumont, being my VERY first time out, improper drag set up, and giving up 100 - 125lbs of body weight to them.

Go figure [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Is it me or do all of the new bikes have the same look? Obviously the new 400's for Suz and Kaw are the same bike, but the plastic looks very raptorish and the frames all look almost exactly like the 400ex. When you see a Bomb, there is no mistaking it. People draw comfort putting others that are different down, thus making themselves and rest of the masses seem more acceptable.

Then again, I've always liked traveling the path least taken [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

there are the little things that don't get talked about much like having fenders that you can take off and put back on try that on a raptor after you cut your fenders off. or look at there chain and then look at your makes it seem like a kids quad. i like the raptor, and ride my brothers wifes enough to have a feel for them, but wouldn't trade. well if you can't take the zilla on the hill try the whoops. i'm trying some new gear compos this weekend so i'll let you know how they work when i get back.