FASTER AND BETTER, AREN'T NECESSARILY THE SAME THING!! The DS is at its best in the OPEN desert, but it always surprises me that you eastern trail riders pick this bike, when there are so many other choices out there.

 

As far as Trail riding goes, there is an issue that prevents the DS from keeping up with the Z in the woods. I have both a KFX700 and a KFX400. While the 700 is my absolute choice for Trail riding, There are areas where we ride, that I can not get through on my 700 due to the width. It only takes an inch or two to make all of the difference in the world (Boy how many times have you heard that guys?).

The trails that we ride on were made by guys riding Warrior's and Honda's, long before the big boys like the DS and KFX700, not to mention some of the big 4X4's came along. So some of the trails through the woods are tight, and would prevent a larger quad from getting through with any kind of speed, let alone through at all. If a Z/KFX can get around a tight corner or a tree, and the DS has to do a back and forth manuver, the DS isn't going to be able to keep up.

Now if we are talking more of an open Trail riding situation, I believe that the advantage would have to go to the DS.

So what have we learned? "Size Matters" at least when it comes to Trail Riding. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Check out this post Here Read were it talks about a FAST DS650, no the DS650 I was riding against was this DS. I am not saying I got a super duper fast z but as I said before I am right on his butt. Now this DS650 is fast and it kicks butt but the Z is not that far behind is what I am saying. Its only a few bikes length behind him on the straights and ONE bike length behind him on the hills. So you tell me if you got a faster DS than his cuz I have NOT seen one faster. So with all that said please come down off that high stool of yours.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]Z400=kids bike
yea and the 250r is too then rigghht
for 250 cc's less the z400 is quite abit better

 

Let me clarify again for those who do not have both bikes and have not ridden both bikes on the same trails. The DS is not as easy to ride through the woods fast unless you don't have to change directions very fast. The DS has trouble doing so because of its weight not its width. The extra weight also contributes to more body roll. The Z is much easier to ride and much less work on the trails. The DS really shines on the fire roads and wide open trails where you don't have to worry about manuevering too fast. The DS's extra weight also helps when the terrain gets real rough, it just seems to glide over the rough trails then.

There is a good reason why the DS wins in the desert races and the pros know better than to try it on an MX or hare scramble!

 

Which is bigger and which is faster?????

 

Bigger as in frame or engine?
Fast as in sand/drag race or XC/MX?

 

Bigger as in frame.
And faster as in street drag.

 

John, did you realize the last post in is thread was over 14 years ago? That might be some kind of record.

The DS 650 is much longer, wider, and heavier than a Z400. In a street drag, it would also be quite a bit faster. It also hasn't been made since 2007.

 

I remember Roy Bresnihan. He bought a new DS and brought it to the challenger TT race.
All stock!
As he raced the exhaust fell off. He still kicked my ex son in law's *** (banshee). They were fast.