DS 650 PRO's and CON'S

[backwoodsracer]

I have always wanted one and id like to know theyre major issues and the good stuff about em. Pictures too!

[hondariderdylan]

Everything i have ever about them was about how much they weigh.

Apparently they weigh more than the factory that built them does. search around in the 650 forum and you would probably find more opinions already posted

[yellowzo3]

They are really heavy. They're best for wide open riding in the dunes or fields... Definitely not the best choice if you're more into XC riding. The quad itself is just big and sits up high.

From what I've seen they're used for desert racing the most.

http://www.atvriders.com/atvracing/score/2007/2007scorebaja1000ds650atv.jpg

[yfm250rider]

its a heavy beast and the front stock shocks are not very good

[backwoodsracer]

Well I looked into the weight thing and I saw all the specs it show that every year it got a little heavier!? That was weird in 2005 last year I think? It weighs 473

[CJM]

Guy that comes every so often to the pit I go to has a DS650 with a busa motor in it. He says its way to heavy..

[tayyo789]

Its very heavy, but they have serious potential in the dunes and desert. It takes some work, but there are ways to lighten them up almost to the point of a normal bike. The best thing about them is the motor. Stock, it doesn't impress, but they can reach 70 hp very easily, and be somewhat reliable still.

[backwoodsracer]

don't have any known issues?

[tayyo789]

well, it has issues, like everything else, but overall they are extremely solid bikes. They really overdid everything when they designed them. They are marketed for long desert racing, and they were designed to handle the abuse

[Tommy Warren]

they are fun to ride I would have bought one if it had reverse....

[backwoodsracer]

why does everyone says it weighs so much but for a big bore 470 isnt bad!?! the ltr 450=414 stock, yfz=370, and 450r=350,RAPTOR 700r=422, 700xx=508, outlaw 525=395

[jesshamner]

I'll say its heavy because it feels heavy when you're riding it. My Cannondale is the same way.

IMO.....
Pros: Very comfortable to ride, suspension is decent and provides a pretty soft ride. The seat is nice. The engine has lots of power and is practically bullet proof.

Cons: It feels bulky. It does feel heavy when riding it and "nimble" is not a word I would use to describe it.

The perfect use for this is cruising around the desert or dunes hence the model name DS650. Dune Sport or Desert Sport. Its not a great hill shooter and its not the fastest quad out there. When it was released, I believe it was said to have had the highest top speed of any quad ever made. Who cares unless you're in the desert.

A guy I know bought one because of this claim and rode it in the woods. He did ok but it wasn't ideal. I remember he popped a tire off the bead while in a rut. I'm not sure exactly how it happened but I bet it has something to do with speed, weight and the angle he hit the rut.

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by Tommy Warren
they are fun to ride I would have bought one if it had reverse....

Indeed. I'm okay with a big, heavy quad because I'm a pretty big guy.

But from what I've seen, it doesn't look like it was EVER designed as a motocross racer, they couldn't possibly have been trying to shave a few pounds off it, so why in the world didn't they put reverse on the biggest and heaviest quad out there? Absurd.

I bet a reverse gear would have doubled their sales.

[vinson581]

i owned one, they are extreamly comfortable and quick with the omr carb mods, and bolts ons, but they arent reliable AT all, the oil is a pain to change on the older years, and it just doesnt have the quality of the big 4

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by vinson581
i owned one, they are extreamly comfortable and quick with the omr carb mods, and bolts ons, but they arent reliable AT all, the oil is a pain to change on the older years, and it just doesnt have the quality of the big 4

I have to disagree with this statement.. I've never seen a DS give someone problems. Other then the crappy stock front "fender" mounts, they're pretty rock solid.

[witech]

FInd someone who owns one from a forum and test ride one. I rode one on Wisconsin trails and it was an experience for sure. Ultra smooth ride with all the suspension travel. When the big motor kicks in it hauls but you can feel the weight as when it gets rolling its like they dont want to stop. It gave me a sense of invulnerabity like sitting on a horse and if I were to hit anything it felt like it would just smash through and keep going.
They may not accelerate like a lighter quad but on a long fast trail they have the speed that most will envy .
And as a mx'r no they are not . I give them a thumbs up for what they are made for .

[backwoodsracer]

Originally posted by witech
FInd someone who owns one from a forum and test ride one. I rode one on Wisconsin trails and it was an experience for sure. Ultra smooth ride with all the suspension travel. When the big motor kicks in it hauls but you can feel the weight as when it gets rolling its like they dont want to stop. It gave me a sense of invulnerabity like sitting on a horse and if I were to hit anything it felt like it would just smash through and keep going.
They may not accelerate like a lighter quad but on a long fast trail they have the speed that most will envy .
And as a mx'r no they are not . I give them a thumbs up for what they are made for . Appreciate the input, now I know you can't tell me that it's specifically good for me, But do you thinkbit would perform well just cruzing on the trails and racing strait aways, and how's the balance on it when wheelieing?

[jesshamner]

Its fine for basic trail riding and drag racing your friends. If your trails are tight, it might not be that much fun though.

[JOHNDOE83]

I like ds650s, they are good all round quads, they are a lil on the heavy side and a lil sluggish when stock.

DS650s when modded motor wise and with a lil weight change can be REALLY fast race worthy atvs. In the atv drag racing world they are a top competitor and they have great dune and trail qualities, its kinda like a 4x4 quad you can MX without the 4 wheel drive.

DS650s are nice imo.

If I could afford one Id get one, the only con is a lil on the heavy side, slightly sluggish bone stock.

Id take a DS over a raptor anyday.

[Duceswild]

IMO......Can't stand em. Baja Cali dunes, go for it, other than that.. useless here on the east coast. I think they sit too high and are prone to high siding. Front shocks are almost non existant which make landing any jumps even more cumbersome, throttle seems stiff and I felt it oversteered for such a large and bulky bike. Wheelbase is not suited for trail riding unless yer on a fireroad and got hung up alot. We all know what it was built for and it seems that remains it's best application.
All that not withstanding, although I wouldn't own it.....I'll continue to ride the som be-otch... LOL. Great in the mud pits!

[Bradracer18]

Ours has plenty of power, and I mean plenty for trail riding. Great in the dunes!

One big complaint I would add is the steering is SUPER fast. I haven't figured out how to fix this yet, but I'm going to. Its so fast to the point that its dangerous.

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by Bradracer18
One big complaint I would add is the steering is SUPER fast.

I didn't get the same impression from it, but then again I only rode one at the dunes.

Are you comparing this to a utility quad? Big utility quads, especially Polaris, tend to understeer to make them safe for novice riders. If you're used to utility quads, then ANY sport quad will feel like it oversteers.

[Duceswild]

Wilkin,
Nahhh.. rode sports all muh life. What I mean is, on a sandy area where you can obtain wheel spin is fine. On harder ground where it tends to grip and rip is where I find the problem to be. For a big powerful bike, I find it does not slide well and therefor lends itself to oversteering. This would not be a problem in soft sand where it would push anyways so one would probably never even notice it.

[Baracudaaa]

Why would anyone take a gamble on buying an obscure atv like this???? With this market, you can get a used atv that is proven to be fast, no matter what maker it is.
Just look at the type of riding you want to do, look at what the fastest and most successful guys are riding, and go that route. 99.9% of the time, the fast guys are riding that brand and make because it is the best fit for what ever type of ride it is (they did all the research for you!!!!) Find a deal on the net, and get that atv instead of taking a gamble on internet opinions about outdated overweight bikes.

[Bradracer18]

Wilkin-


I rode ours down in little sahara, ok for about 1/2 a day because my quad broke down (well both of them).

I am used to riding a 450r and a polaris predator, and consider myself an experienced rider that can handle almost any quad.

This one is so dangerous I felt like sitting all day instead of riding! Although I didn't, I took it super easy after that. My predator I can take both my hands off the bars and adjust my goggles.....well if you remove your hands for 1 sec on the ds, you will be in the sand! I almost flipped it so many times by the front end grabbing!

I'm not sure what the problem is....but I've came to the conclusion that I need to make sure the suspension is set to stock settings (sag), and then try it. If problem still persists, add A-arms and a dampener.

[tayyo789]

backwoodsracer, they can't wheely well at all. Personally, the only people that I think should ride one on anything smaller than a fire road, is a larger guy. Someone who doesn't fit well on a normal sport bike. Other than that, they should be out in the open only.

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by Bradracer18
I'm not sure what the problem is....but I've came to the conclusion that I need to make sure the suspension is set to stock settings (sag), and then try it. If problem still persists, add A-arms and a dampener.
I don't want you to get ridiculous with money just because of something I said, because I don't own a DS650 so I can't say for certian, but

If you do get A-arms, you could very possibly reduce or eliminate the problem with A-arms that have caster adjustment. Caster is the angle of the spindle as it steers. It's usually not straight up and down, it's generally angled back some degree. More caster angle (leaning back more) is better for high speed stability, but is less responsive in steering. Less caster angle (closer to straight up and down) results in more responsive steering, but less high-speed stability.

Just a thought.

On a side note, oversteering might not be the exact term. Oversteering has a specific definition that has to do with traction limits of the tires around a corner. But a more general definition might be "turning more sharply than expected or anticipated".

[Bradracer18]

Yep, thats exactly what I'm thinking will help! I haven't rode ours in dirt to see if its similar, but I have the front sand tires that have the dual rib (maybe ITP?)...so I was also wondering if that could have been some of the problem.


For those interested, check out this link. My problem is listed under "twitchy steering"

http://www.ds650.net/knownissues.htm