My neighbor and his buddy both have Banshee 350s, one is a 97 and one is an 04. I am looking into joining the fun but I have a few concerns:

1) The Banshee may be a bit more than my wife is able to handle.
2) I am told the Banshee is harder to maintain as it is a 2 stroke.
3) Can the TRX400 keep up with the Banshee 350?

I am a long time Honda fan and would imagine their bikes are as solid as their cars and other products, but from what my neighbor tells me the Banshee is a little more gutsy. I like the idea of having electric start and whatnot on the Honda since my wife can enjoy the sport, too.

Is the Honda 400 able to keep up with the Banshee out at Glamis? Thanks in advance! :-)

I forgot to mention, another one I was looking at is the Raptor 660. I see some used Raptors going for pretty reasonable prices. How does this model compare to TRX and the Banshee?

PS, yes I know the Banshee is out of production. I am looking at a used wife's bike.

 

The Shee frame is really old school. The suspension isn't very good, and the frame geometry isn't great either. Lots of folks are willing to forget these flaws, because of the motor's thrilling powerband. That made sense 10 years ago when there weren't many other choices...but today, the Shee is an absolute dinosaur that needs to die a natural death!

The EX on the other hand, has a great handling chassis and great balance. It is one of those machines that will make you a better rider when you are starting out! It is however down on power compared to most everything in the 400 and up class, so that has to be a consideration, especially in the dunes.

I find the 660 to be narrow and tippy, and a little top heavy. Again, Yamaha puts a thrilling toruqer engine on it, so folks will overlook the chassis flaws. I would have to spend $$$ widening it and that would also mean new shocks and more $$$...so no thanks.

Take a look at the Z400 as well. If she is petite, I would also look at the YFZ450.

 

Thanks for the advice! You reaffirmed my choice to go Honda! Please explain to the newbie.. what is the powerband, how does it work, and what is its purpose?

And my wife, while small, could likely handle the Honda. :-)

 

Thanks for the advice! You reaffirmed my choice to go Honda! Please explain to the newbie.. what is the powerband, how does it work, and what is its purpose?

And my wife, while small, could likely handle the Honda. :-)

 

"Powerband" use to be more meaningfull in the 2-stroke days, but has now become more of a slang term for the engines power curve. Imagine a dino curve and the area where the motor is making the most power, and that would be considered the meat of the powerband.

There is a gap between the entry level machines like the Honda and Suzuki shaft drive 250s, and the 400 and up full size machines. If she isn't to petite, then one of the 400's might be a good choice, but if she is smaller, then take a look at the new Raptor 250 or the new Suzuki 250R (based on the RM 4-stroke dirt bike engine). Currently, the Honda 300EX is the only "in between" machine, but it is a little on the heavy side.

The Raptor will weight a scant 313 pounds, where the 400's come in at closer to 400 pounds. Hopefully it will have a hot little engine, like the Blaster did! I think smaller women will appreciate a lighter machine! I know lots of small women who crave performance, but are to small for the bigger/heavier machines, yet the entry level machines don't have the performance they crave. The future is looking brighter for this class of machine......

The Suzuki is a complete unknown at this time. Hopefully they put it in a medium size, ultralight frame...and the engine will scream!