I have just recently ridden both quads for the first time and even though they are both very fun, I can't understand why more people don't like the LT...It's got low, mid & top end power..Instead of just top end like the Banshee.
School me.

 

I agree. I have a 250 and a banshee wont smoke it. It will beat my quad but only buy about 2-3 mph and my quad has great low end.

 

Actually the banshee has good mid range also.

87 banshee
99 Banshee

 

I own a banshee and lt500 and the lt is NO match for my banshee. sure it has a broader power band, but is no way faster. I dont know what kind of banshee is only 2-3 mph faster than a 250?????? Lt's are ok, but not evn comparable to a banshee and I own both. There's a reason no one rides them on the national level.

 

stock vs stock the zilla is faster than a banshee at least on the big sand hills it is and no i dont own a lt 500

 

I own a stock banshee and kicked *** to an LT at my last meeting, The Lt had all the trick bits on it......The proof is in the pudding.....surely you guys realise that some times its the rider not just the bike.Wots the point of having the fastest bike in the world if you havent got the ***** to keep it flat out all the time!!!!!!!!!!

 

Just a side note. In addition to the banshee and lt that I ahave, i use to have a scrambler 400. I walked the dog all over a stock 500. Sure my polaris was tricked out adn one of the fastest in north america(The jug ws punched out and on alcohol) but it was a POLARIS! Of coarse I could beat semi built banshes as well. The lt is a fun ride though.

 

Here we go again,
Yes the 500 is faster than the stock banshee, and the banshee is way faster than the 250. but the most important point as made above is the rider, he/she makes all the difference. I wouldn't go without my Zilla, There is just something about owning a brute force that makes me happy. As for racing, back in the days of the Zilla she was raced in many open class races and dune races. the problem is that it wasn't around long enough for companies to make the aftermarket racing parts for her, and there was no rival to run it against. Honda and suzuki both made a 250 (which started atv racing). The Zilla disapeared with the LT250 and TRX250R because of the decent decree which the big four signed over ten years ago (when they agreeded to stop making three wheelers). As for the ***** bring on the banshee I have only found one in the last 12 years that beat me and it was totally trick and running alcohol and man could that guy ride that thing. I wish I could find him for a rematch to see how my new Zilla and imporved skills do against him now (he still might win but it would be a tougher fight today). Bottom line it comes down to the riders ability and his choice of rides, I like any quad that can scoot me around, but I love my Zilla. I would love to see them produced again, and everybody knows that the banshee could be much more if Yamaha would give her an update.

 

I dont want to start a war about this issue, but I I want it too be clear that I have both a 500 and a banshee. The 500 is LRD ported and piped, 41mm keihin carb(one for alcohol and one for gas). There isnt anyhting else that can be done to it. The bike WILL NOT outrun a ported banshee. Take this into consideration though; believe it or not, the fastest banshee's in the world are in LA and Ms! Call any engine builder adn ask him which area has the fastest bikes. The reason? We have sanctioned drag races EVRY weekend around here. Our stuff is soo tuned that you cannot get any more out of them. We have Dyno's and test ourstuff untill it can not make any more hp. My true 350 makes 71hp. My big gorilla zilla makes about 65. In the sand the zilla is a littel faster off the bat, it has the torque to get on the sand, but give it a littel distance and the banshee walks away like the zilla is sitting still. Remeber I own both, so iam not biased. Is the zilla fast? YEP Is it Fun? YEP no arguments from me. Is it faster than MY banshee? NOPE! Again I am not starting a war, just letting you know where Iam coiming from in my judgement.

 

Brandon,
I will agree that the banshee has more performance options available than the LT, but when you say "That is all that can be done to the LT" why is that? they are both 2=stroke motors, the only difference is the number of cylinders. What can be done to one can also be done to the other if the parts are available. Any worked over Banshee will more than likly take the 500, but that depends on the rider and machine setup. The Banshee has been around for 14 years with almost ten of those years being the only High-PO you could get, so there is more available for it than any quad, why would any one want to spend time and money designing products for A bike that is no longer made. As you may know you can now get a turbo charger and fuel injection for the banshee pushing her to about 130 horses, This is not available for the 500. My point is like you said, They are both a great performance quad, and stock for stock the LT is quicker, anything after that is purely up to one's wallet and available options (in my case it seems to be the available parts that are killing me wish I could ind a fuel injection and turbo kit), with more available for the banshee it is much easier to hop up and she was built to scream. As for the LT500 mine is like a sledge hammer and where we ride the holeshot and midrange are what is is all about, so the Zilla is pretty much King, In the drag racing world the quick reving twin banshee would more than likely destory me. Both quads with a little work can be made into heart pounding monsters. Ride em hard both machines like it that way.