Hey guys,
I was talking to my neighbor at the lake and noticed he had a sport quad. We talked for a while and I'm starting to think that I may want to get one. I currently have 2 utilties and will probably trade in my rubicon and get something that I can ride with my neighbors.

So my question is what does everyone recommend for someone to ride semi-aggressively. I'm 6' and weigh about 250#. I was looking at a couple of magazines and am currently looks at the DS650X(which is what my neighbor has), Yamaha Raptor, Kawasaki V-force, Suzuki 400.

I kind of like the idea of the v force for 4wd capability when climbing hills because there are some fairly steep hills but I was very impressed with the looks of his DS650 also.

My riding background is: I raced hare scrambles on dirt bikes up until about 5 years ago and was a fairly competitive C class rider. I mostly ran 4 strokes 400-600cc. Since then I have just ridden my utilities and played around with them some.

I'ld prefer for my quad to be fairly comfortable, have reverse, be able to pop a wheelie fairly easily over obstacles and ditches, and be stable jumping/sliding around corners in the woods. Right now I'm probably looking more at the DS650, Raptor, and V-force.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

-lee-

 

Well the DS doesn't have reverse, but it is fast and comfy. The V-Force is not fourwheel drive, if that is what you meant. I don't believe you could go wrong with either of the three (DS, Raptor, Vforce) The DS and V-Force are heavier than the Raptor, so you might want to consider that. The Raptor and the DS have more of a aftermarket following and can be built up for max performance. The V-force is shaft drive and automatic, which is suppose to provide comfort and ease of maintainence, but I would rather get the sporty feel of shifting and a clutch and the chain is not that hard to take care of, and only gives you problems if it is neglected. I have a Raptor, so I tried to give each that you mentioned some credit. But I have had no problems out of my 2004, and would buy another in a heartbeat. The Raptor is comfortable, pops wheelies very easily, many say it is tippy - but i say you get used to it and spacers for the rear would fix that, it jumps great and slides great too.

 

The Z400 isnt a bad choice either. I weight a bit less (180lbs) but im 6 foot and a friend of mine has a z400 and if i were looking for a sport quad its probably what I would end up buying. It really is a great all around sport quad and does very well in the woods. the gears are long and the power curve is smooth so it has power pretty much everywhere in the gear. it has reverse which you are looking for. Ive only ridden it in stock trim and I was impressed with it. I havent ridden a raptor or a DS so i dont have anything negative to say about them just figured id let you know my thoughts on the Z. I wouldnt rule it out as a possibility

 

the ones you listed are good choices

the v-force is a belt drive auto,,,,so it would feel nothing like your old bikes

the z400 or raptor would probably suit you best w/reverse and a clutch,,,,,and they will wheelie at will

the DS has no reverse but is a great bike for a larger rider

I am 6-2 250 and do just fine on a raptor

 

Raptor, lots of power, alot less weight to muscle around then the other two, and its comfortable as hell. go with the raptor you wont be disapointed. your neighbor might have a hard time keeping up with you though [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Raptor is a great trail bike. Just widin the axles a little to make it a little less tippy. Ds will do just about everything. Ds is very stable and feels safe. Great bike for some of the bigger riders. Whatever you get, don't get a auto.

 

have you looked into the yfz 450 being smaller and lighter it would be easy to slide corners and being shorter it would not be as tippy,but i think if you must have the reverse to go with the raptor, the ds is too big and the z400 doesnt have as much torque for instant power if you need it

 

The YFZ also doesn't have reverse and isn't really well in slow trails, and I think he is to big for it too, I would say either the Z, Raptor or the Predator, the predator and the raptor have the most power, and suspension wise, I would say the predator then the Z. But I do like the raptor better because more power, it's comfortable, really easy to wheelie and lots of torque.

 

The z-400 or the new pred seem like the best trail quads

 

like its already been pointed out - the vforce is not 4x4.

i think a raptor will be your best bet. gobs of torque, is comfy, and can move when you crack it open.