It wouldnt let me post the link, apparently the site is a "forbidden word", but theres a pic of the cover of the may 1988 issue of Dirtwheels that mentions an "exclusive test" of a yamaha banshee 250. This is news to me, or dirtwheels was even less reliable then than it is now, or there was a brief period when the shee was a 250... or its a typo, lol. I'll post it in my pictures.

 

Lets see it!

 

I think I remember the issue. It was a desleeved banshee engine. The reason for the 250cc size was to allow it to race in the 250 class instead of open class.

Way back in the ATC days they did this to 250r so they could legally compete in the 200cc class.

 

I've seen it.

 

so what your saying is that they put smaller sleaves in it to make it a 250. that sounds kinda dumb, why not just destroke it, and make it a bullet proof hi-rever?

 

1. Because it would be a lot of work. These kits touted the fact that you could race 200c on Saturday and ride with a stock bore 250cc on Sunday. Changing a jug is a one hour job, changing a crank would require much more time and money.

2. Banshee and most two strokes in general are not known for their lowend torque. Destroking a two stroke would have make it almost unridable, where desleeving it would mostly sacrifice some topend horsepower.