OK, I'm not partial to Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, or Bombardier. But my dad is thinking about getting a Raptor. I think this will be a great quad for woods and trails, but we ride exclusively dunes. He doesn't need reverse, and he doesn't necisarily need a great handling quad for dunes. He'd need good suspension, which the DS offers, and he likes speed, which the DS has too. FOR DUNES, do you think the DS is the way to go?

 

I would wait untill they have a shoot out between the Raptor and the DS 650, and nthen I waould make my choice.

 

From what I gather you all are strictly duners and if I were you then the DS650 would be my choice of machines. That is one intimidating machine and it is big......I like it!!!!

Feel the rush!!!!

 

If you are old enough to vote...YOU BETTER VOTE FOR BUSH. If Gore gets in office, his clean air legislation already has provisions to "reduce the harmful effects of the 2-stroke internal combustion engine on our environment". I don't own a 2-stroke but this is a stepping stone to shutting down all public lands to all ATVs. Why do you think Honda has not answered Yamaha's Banshee? They are still waiting to see what happens with the clean air legislation. California has already taken steps in this direction. Legally, this sets a president on which to build other, more wide sweeping legislation. Talk to everyone you know and get them to vote for Bush. Voting takes about 15 minutes of your time. The Democratic Party is about restricting your freedom to ride. Do yourself a favor and vote for Bush.

 

OK...So is that a vote for the DS or the Raptor?

Motordude: I agree about waiting for a shootout, but it sounds like the Raptor is mainly for woods and trails, I dunno. The best thing to do is wait, but I just wanted to hear your opinions.

 

motordude,
there is no need to wait for a shootout. i can tell you right now that for dune riding the ds is the way to go. it is the perfect dune machine. you gunna want a lot of travel and a lot of suspension. the ds has the raptor beat in both of these catagories.

 

Im not that sold on the DS for the dunes, at least the dunes at 8000feet in Walden. Most could not climb many of the hills that a big 650 should be able to. WHy not suggest to your father getting a banshee, replacing the front shocks and have the rear worked up. Then youve got a proven dune machine that will rip. But you own a Banshee, so you already know this!

RoostKing...

 

Well, whichever the new quad will be, it will be his, so will the banshee, but I'll be riding it.

 

the raptor can do it all and its fast. plus the ds650 is more expensive and built by a company just coming in to the atv industry

 

I have to agree with Roostchicken. The DS really doesn't seem to perform very well in the dunes at all. Maybe it's just too big and heavy, I don't know. It is a fast quad, but honestly I don't think it really fits in anywhere all that well. If the Raptor is what they are saying it is I would have to go with it. Think about this, you will get stuck in the sand somewhere; I would rather yank out 400 lbs instead of 500 lbs.