I have watched several races and have noticed different things between the 250R and Banshee.

The 250R seemed to corner so much better, being able to take the inside more than the bashees. I did notice the 250R was able to spin around through these turns. Is this because of the smaller tires they had or was it just the rider?

Another thing that was so easily to see was that the 250R landed more smootly than the banshees. The banshee seemed to bounce more often than the 250R. I know that alot of the landing is indeed in the setup and delivery of the jump, but even ther best of riders still bounce more on the banshee.

The 250R also appeared to accelerate better and faster.

What I am asking here is what is so different between the 2 machines that make them perform so differently. What can one do to the banshee to stop the bounce and bottoming out? What would help in the turns?

Ive heard people saying that clutching is very important in races. How might one learn the art of clutching?

Thanks all

 

I can't say I know everything about the Banshee, but I do know quite a bit about the 250R, I own one. I have been racing for about 6 months now, but in this little time I have learned so much. It is hard to say that the 250R is a better mx bike than the banshee by just watching the ones at your track. The 250Rs could be extremely tricked out and the banshees could be stock. There are so many different things to factor in when comparing those two quads at your track. The rider, the suspension, engine mods, etc. Let me explain, I own an '87 TRX250R with wider a-arms, a wider axle, TCS shocks, Lone Star -1" swingarm, FMF pipe, Pro Design Cool Head, Boyesen Rad Valve, and many other little nic nacs. I have raced against a '99 Yamaha Banshee with stock suspension, stock axle, stock a-arms, and Toomey pipes. I easily beat the banshee, but that doesn't prove that a 250R is a better mx bike than the Banshee. My bike is wider, meaning I am more stable in the corners, my suspension is tons better than stock, so I can hit huge doubles and not bottom out, and I also know how to feather the clutch out of the corners. The closest way to know which quad is a better mx bike is to ride a stock banshee and ride a stock 250R on a mx track, and see which one is more comfortable. Also, next time you watch those banshees and 250Rs at your track, get up close, check out what quads have what mods. In my oppinion, the 250R is a much better race quad. I have come to this conclusion by reading, asking, testing, and riding. The 250R has a lower center of gravity, feels better in the corners, and more bottom to mid-range power than the banshee. The banshee seems to sit up high, and all the power seems to be in the top-end, which is not where you want power on an mx bike. I am not the only one who feels this way, even after Honda discontinued the 250R 11 years ago, you will still see every top pro racer with a 250R.

 

remeber that is (quote) "250r" it is not close to stock

 

i finaly found the link i wanted it should help you some. http://forums.atvconnection.com/thre...origpost=16054

 

Thanks guys for the input and it really makes alot of sense to me. Could you more about the technique of "clutch feathering". Thanks for the URL as well I will indeed check it out.

 

want to hear something really sad, my dad thinks that his totally stock rancher can beat a 250r, hahahaha, i think he was just jokeing around, but he sounded really serious!!

 

collegefunded250 is exactly right. The total speed of a quad depends more on the rider than the mods, but you can outride your machine. My Banshee has A-Arms, shocks(more suspension mods) but has stock header pipes.(I know I need to get some, but I figure, if you dont get into 6th gear, you dont need to go faster) I also have Boyesen Rad valves, and FMF PowerCore II Silencers, with more nic nacs.

Anywayz, I think mostly everyone will agree the 250R is the best MX bike ever made. I think mostly everyone will agree that the Banshee is about 3rd or 4th on the list. Just to prove a point: At our track, there are guys out there with totally modded(frame, motor etc etc) 250R's, and I beat them with the bike listed above. Then again, there are guys out there with piped and widened R's that throw dirt in my face all day. The 250R will corner better, due to its lower center of gravity, but you can fix that problem on a Banshee. I think they're about equal.. Put a 13tooth sprocket on the Banshee, pipes, a-arms, axle... And they are pretty close.. It's just whatever the riders faster on!

 

Feathering the clutch is when you barely engage the clutch by just pulling it in alittle, allowing RPMs to rise, and still have most of the power to the wheels. This proves helpful when coming out of a sharp corner, and your tires are spinning, or the bike has bogged down. It takes practice to master, but once you have, it is a good advantage.
Hope this helps,
Chris

 

i own a 89r and 93 shee, with a fairly similar level of mods, for racing mx, i dont think there is any good way to make a banshee perform as well as a 250R. between the 2 u were watching the R may have been much more modified than the banshee though. there are things u can do to a banshee to make it better for mx, but the same mods would make an R better as well.
given the same mods, 250Rs generally are lighter, handle better and have more useable power for mx.

 

I always wnet by a phrase I saw somewhere that said, "95% rider, 5% machine"

And it holds very true from what I have seen!

I have seen many people with tons of cash into their fourwheelers and loose. Just because you have a trick ride doesn't mena you are going to win!

Best example I could give ya:

The summer before last my friend, who has been racing since he was about 13[he is 26 now] and has been to many nationals and used ot be in the top 10 nationwide) ,decided to get back into TT. He was running his 88 250x with a Curtis Sparks 267 kit. It was an old motor and close to needing redone. He had an extended axle and 250R a-arms, so it handled well.. In field drag races it ran about neck and neck with a bone stock 400ex(actually the 400ex pulled ahead on top end on most of the runs).. We went to the local TT track and there was a guuy there with a 400ex that was built to a 480 and was running a widened suspension... My friend beat him on the 250x and won the race by a decent margin...

So what i am trying to say is, it is mostly rider ability when it comes to racing and the ride only plays a small role.