DW's is about the worst magazine as it gets. They put a new suspension on the raptor, Right? Well they didn't on the DS because it allready has a great suspension. If you want a real comparision, then go out and raced them you selves!!

The DS does have better suspension stock, you just have to adjust it. It is way to hard if you dont. The Raptor handles great though. The DS costs what , I think I paid like $800 more. Take that money and buy wider A-arms and axle, and the Raptor beats it in everything. People say something about how hard the DS is to ride unless you get used to it...Sorry to say it ius no differance than jumping on any quad. The Raptor has tons more bottom end and torques, mid range fells better in mis range, top would have to say about the same.
IN MY OPINION the Raptor is a much better bike. The DS is just way to big and bulkey, The Raptor also has reverse, which is big advantage, for me at least.
I loved my DS until I lost races to Raptors and Rode a few of them.
I cant wait for the new 2 stroke they are talking about. That will look great sitting next to my other quads.

Well if you get wides a-arms and axles for your raptors, and then spind the same amount on a ds for pipes and rev. box. Then both quads will have the same width but the ds will have more power, for the same money.

I think you all need to read the article again. NO WHERE, does it state that the Raptor won the shootout. It does say, that the test riders prefered the Raptor over the DS, and that it was probably due to the extensive mods that were installed. What I took from the article was that, in order for the Raptor to be on the same level as the DS, they had to dump almost 3,000 dollars into the machine. So taking that into account, I would say that the DS won the shootout. Just my opinion.

did anyone bother to read the stock v. stock comparison??? The raptor won hands down. Look guys, I'm sorry if you went out last year and bought a DS (Distinctively Slow) 650 and thought you would be the king of the woods for years to come, and now you are just #2 at best. Oh yeah, noone ever remembers who finishes second. Sorry.


Chasman
01 blk/wht Raptor

One more thing how many of us buys a 4 wheeler or anything high performance and leaves it stock?? Not to many unless you don't have the cash to upgrade the stock stuff. The a arms and shocks aren't that big of deal. As I said above stock v. stock the raptor crushed it. So why would it be any different if you modified both machines ??

The mods I said will put the Raptor at same price as the DS. If you get pipes and rev for DS that will be more money for that still leaving money left over for the Raptor.

Obviously Yamaha products are better than Yellow crap. Who could doubt about that? Bombardier...what a joke!

Why do you guys believe what the magazines say? magazines are well known for being biased. I neither own a Raptor or DS, so I'm not playing favorites.

Chasman Raptor 3rd Baja 2000 DS650 1St

The DS is a nice machine but you had better be one big SOB to handle it. The Raptor feels like I am riding my 400EX except for lots more power. The DS seems to be heavy in the front end.