Have the V and love it, but have had the hankering to also look into a secondary machine to play on. Anybody familier with the DS650 Baja? Likes...Dislikes?

 

Good power, soft shocks, faster top speed, no reverse. Good for sand. Not so good for mountain trails.

 

Hi Happy,
I heard that the DS was not previously good on trails, however I think the Baja X version is lighter and lower with the intent to make it a good trail machine. Have you tried this newer version?

 

IMO The DS is a better machine just beacuase my personal pref's like the manual shifts.. I say Get a X and ride hard!

 

I have not rode the X yet. I think the long travel on them makes them less stable on trails. I rode one around my mountains, and off camber hills with potholes were a problem if you did not hit them right (going downhill). It would "stink bug" on you (back end would come way up). If you do not ride in tight trails or trails on hills much, it would be good I guess. It is great for the dunes.

 

I have owned two DS650S as well as a V force and they are both great machines. The DS is lighter and faster over 50 mph and handles the rough better than ant machine out there in my opinion. It has won the Baja 2000, roof of Africa race and so many others where long travel suspension and reliability are key factors.
Tonto

 

I have ridden them both a lot. And a preference would depend a lot on your riding areas. Day to to day I prefer the v-force because of its easy of riding and you really need some wide open terain for the ds to show it is faster. We put air shocks on the front of the v-force and it rides just as well as the ds. If I want to go out and jump big or go high speed cross country the ds is better. If I am going to ride tight trails in the mountains I don't like the ds. The v has better ground clearance and the auto is much faster than shifting. In the mountains you are always shifting the ds. If you have faster more open trails then the ds would be fine.

 

I have also owned both a vforce and a ds650 and agree if the trails are more open and fast you really cant beat the DS but in the woods and on very tight trails the vforce is better.
Pumpingpremium

 

I wouldnt buy a ds for real tight trails, I would rather have a v-force for that over the ds, But if it is open then you cant beat a ds for the comfort, suspension, reliability and power. I ride the wifes z if I am in real tight woods, but in open areas and the dunes I am on the ds. I would say buy a ds also you wont be disapointed.

 

I've owned both also. The V-Force is very much better in the tight stuff. The DS is MUCH better and much FASTER in the open. They're both big but not as hard to muscle around as you've read. For tight stuff, neither are desirable. I'd get a z400 for that. Raptors are awesome too. Sometimes I wish I would have gotten a Raptor instead of my DS. Don't mean to make your decision more difficult but you should try to ride all of them and then decide.