Ok a little background first. I have been out of the quad scene for about 2 years now. Lookin to get back into it!! Most riding will be Michigan trails, two trackin, a little sand. I am not a racer and dont want the bet drag racer or the best dirttracker. Looking for something with lots of power and great handling on the trails. Im 30 yrs old, 6'4" and 245. My last quad was a banshee with pipe, filter, reeds. I loved the power and the instant pull that it provided. If I go to soemthing else will I be dissapointed?? I am considering another banshee, a raptor, a predator, or a DS650. How will each perform on the trail and power department compared to the banshee? I dont want any brand bias dudes to give advice like buy this because its the best. I am not brand bias and just want to ride and have the most fun possible. Will any of these quads be close in power department next to a piped banshee? I would love to go 4 stroke but I dont want to be dissapointed in the adrenaline department. Oh yeah, I know there are other choices out there (KFX, EX, V force) but I am not considering any of these so no need to recommend them.

Thanks a bunch!

 

looking at your size, there is one obvious selection that I would recommend.

DS650!!!!!

Why?

Because it has the power your looking for. You don't hear of many problems, and built to allow someone of your stature to fit comfortably on it and not beat your knees on the handlebars.

Depending on the width of the trails you ride on, the width might be an issue unless you plan on waiting for the '04's to come out. Otherwise the DS is the machine your looking for. The Raptor will be nothing more than a Z/KFX with more power. You'll feel very cramped on a Raptor.

 

uh sorry but if ur implying the ds will be narrower or smaller in anyway ur mistaken

 

2004DS650,

do you have any evidence to back up your claims? If you haven't looked at the Bombardier site lately, they have the '04 specs and pics listed. Review that info and then tell me if I'm wrong. I might be. So in that case, I would rather be informed of the correct info on the new '04 that are coming out, including the Baja X.

 

If the weight of the DS650 won't bother you (500 + wet) then that would be the bigest and fastest out right now. I ride a lot of Michigan DNR trails and the width won't bother you much, but the weight on there horrible wooped out rut fest trails will tire on you by the end of the day.

 

nope. he said he doesnt even own a DS.

 

This is jus and fyi for ya. I have the Z400...this past weekend i raced my friend on his banshee....he has the complete toomy pipe & kit installed. We went for it on a roll...and basicly stayed dead even. 2 and 4 strokes *feel* very different to ride...but in the end...they come out about the same! Youll b a lot happier on the trails with a 4 stroke [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

funny thing mobster, 2 vs. 4 strokes in a drag race.. lol.. You cant mean to tell me that a Shee with T5's and Jet kit would even be close to I assume a stock engined Z. Your defination of "Bascially dead even" must be off a little.

back to the point, clc900, I live in Michigan and rarely see a ds in the trails. Mostly there in the wide areas or drag racing. Where do you want to ride? I know bascially all of the trails around the tri city area including bull gap,any in Manistee, and all in roscommon, and my shee has no problem. It is wider than an Ex and same width as a rap, and it never has problems in tight spots. Only problems it had was rider error. I do reallllllly like the Ds and it would be a good choice for what kind of riding your talking about. I grew up riding two track trails and I know how that stuff is. The Ds is made for the dunes in its width, travel, and all together tune handling. And with your height, its perfect. I am also 6'4'', but only 175 lbs. I feel a little cramped on my banshee, but id never give up the power for the new 4 strokes. The DS is known for reliabilty and its Rotax engine is really a plus. It wont have such a top end pull, but the bottom end grunt is unbeliveable. Im sure you will be happy with any choice you will make, but in my opinion, the DS is the best choice...

-nick

 

clc900,
All the quads you list should HAUL. But I think the banshee will give you the biggest RUSH. The banshee powerband cant be matched by the 4 strokes. If you do go 4 stroke get the ds650. I had a raptor, it had power but needs a longer swingarm, a better rear axle, plastic turns white every time you roll it, And my tranny was acting funny before I sold it. The DS is bulletproof right off the dealer floor. Not sure about the predator? Never rode one. I would not buy a first year model tho.

 

The Predator is a nasty machine, just because it's new and not the most popular don't remove it from your list. I picked one up 3 weeks ago and I'm very happy with the performance. It is the best out of the box quad I've ever ripped.