I did a couple of long test rides of a 2019 DS 14.4 and 2019 FX this past weekend.
A few things stuck out to me as differences:
- How much more comfortable the DS seat was
- How much faster the FX battery drained on the same route
- How much more nimble the FX was
- How much more plush the FX suspension was
- How much more pull the DS had at 40 mph
- How much more torque the FX had off the line
Not sure why the difference in torque was there, but it was. From a dead stop, the FX took off immediately. On the DS, it sort of eased into the power and then around 30-40 mph, it really kicked in and pulled harder than the FX did from the same speed.
Also, the Eco mode of both bikes was substantially different. The Eco versus Sport mode on the DS had a much bigger variance of power than the same modes on the FX. I could go wide open throttle on the DS in Eco mode from every stop sign where on the FX, I had to temper the throttle a bit even in Eco mode. So much so that I doubt I'll switch to Sport mode on the FX unless I'm drag racing someone.