1) I am considering buying a V-Force before our ride at Danbury,WI this spring and would like some feedback.
2) How would you compare the V-Force to a DS650 (if you've ridden a DS or against one)? I know Bartlett has ridden both, but haven't asked for a comparison yet.
3) How much does the IMS gas tank cost? I have heard the twin likes gas?
4) Does the pink clutch spring really make that much of a difference? What else needs to be done to the clutch to increase speed?
5) What's the rev limit? I may get a CDI sometime down the road. Will I have to get heavier valve springs if I add the CDI?
6) Have you bent the tie-rods, if so, how much to replace them? Aftermarket?
7) How do the rear brakes seem to hold up?

Thanks for any and all info you can provide.

 

The DS is going to be stronger in Stock form. Even though the parts are starting to make it to the marketplace, the potential of the KFX700 is really yet to be seen.
The DS has a better suspension, but the V is very plush and comfortable even on long rides.
I have the Pink Spring and HMF Duals. The improvement was quite noticable. The secret to getting the most out of the KFX700, is getting the clutching right for your mods and your riding style.
I have never hit my rev limiter. Several of the new CDI's look promising. I haven't heard of any Valve Spring changes being necessary.
I trail ride a majority of the time, and I have yet to damage a Tie Rod. They do make heavier aftermarket Rods, but I'm not sure who.
There is a missconception about the V's rear brake. If there is any problem, it is that it works too good. It will also last 5 times as long as a conventional rear disk brake. On top of that, I have had my 700 for over a year now, and the emergency brake still works like the day I bought it.
The major downfall of the V is its manners when it comes to going down hill. If you don't keep taping the throttle it will go into free wheel mode, and until you get use to it, it can be a little tricky to deal with.
It is the best Trail Quad I have ever ridden, and when it comes to Dune rideing, it will go anywhere you want it to. I have yet to find a Dune that I can't make it up.

Hope this helps. I also believe that Biggerisbetter has both a DS and a V, so you might ask him. Good Luck.

 

I have rode a ds650 on mtn trails and did not like the handling on them. It was tippy on sidehills and off camber trails (due to the 12" of suspension). My V stays planted on all trails. The ds650 feels good in the dunes. The V I think does better in the dunes for the riding I enjoy.

 

Like RPM said, I have both,and I really like them both, I have had my DS for over 3 years, and I still love riding it. If I was primarily a trail rider I would definatley stick with the VForce, Simply because it is really nice NOT to have to worry about Shifting, just brake & Gas[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] And in the trails thier is no quad that accelerate like the V-force. Its V-twin engine is very smooth and pulls very hard 0-40mph. Its a blast!!

If you have seen Kawisaki's new ADD with the v-force parks in the Woods, and the add says "some monsters are for real" THAT Pretty much somes what I feel like on the V-force when riding through the woods. With the sound of the V-twin and givin its size, The V-force is a MONSTER amoung toys in the woods!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Now if you really like your DS, KEEP IT. It definatley has its strong pionts over the V-force. But obviously you wouldnt be asking about the V if you were totally happy with your DS now would you.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]



Bigger.

 

The biggest concern with the DS is that the ball-joints have gone out after one year. I don't care to drop $400 on ball-joints every year, not to mention anything else I might break. For the riding I have done, I think the wear is a little pre-mature. Maintenance isn't the issue. I kept everything cleaned up and greased. One day it was fine and the next, it was all over the road.

Not to mention the V would make it easier to take someone along on a ride.

 

I have had my v for a month now and i bent a tierod. i have not ridden it hard at all. you can get stronger aftermarket ones, but i stayed with the stock ones. the stock tierods cost me $7.00 a piece at ronayers.com

 

I agree with RPM. I also bent a tie rod and got the ronayers stocker. THe reason I went with the stocker was I figured having it bend as easily as it did, it may have prevented something else from breaking. Since there aren't many $7 parts on this bike, I just bought a bunch of them.

 

The IMS tank is $225, but they were on sale for $199. I read on another thread I posted about it that the V-force gets around 15 mpg average.

www.imsproducts.com

 

I haven't had any problems with the tie rods yet. I hit a couple logs and and trees pretty hard, what are you guys doing to bend them. I do all woods riding. the bike goes straight and doesn't pull,they don't look bent how do you tell?

 

I have had my V-Force for a year and do nothing but trail riding. I have bent 1 rim is all. The EPI pink spring made a big difference and the rev limiter will kick in at 75 mph. When a new CDI comes out it should help the V because in the upper rpm you can feel the the engine stop pulling as good as it does on the low and mid rpm's.