Well i am gonna let my girlfriend take over the payments on my 2000 Warrior.Ya know what that means?I am goin' to go and see bout gettin a 2001 Banshee.
I dont know that much bout 2 strokes so i was wonderin' if yall could give me some information on them.Like what kind of maintenance routine i would have to keep.How do you go about breakin' them in?Do you have to really take it easy on them?Are they a pain in the winter?What do you usually have to work on alot or maintain?
I heard they foul plugs alot but i was just wonderin' what all i would have to do.
Also what is the best pipe for a Banshee.I was thinkin' bout Toomey's or LRD.To rejet a Banshee can you get to the main jet without takin' the complete carb off or do ya just got to take the float bowl off?I would probably wanna add some bottom to mid power.How much HP would a pipe kit add?
Sorry for the long thread but i just wanna know some of the main things id have to take care of.
Well thanx alot in advance!

 

I have a 1999 Banshee, I got new, when I traded my Blaster down to my wife. Now I moved up to a 250R (for MX racing) and handed the Banshee to my wife.

As far as breaking it in, I was told by the dealer to run easily until it gets hot (for about 15 minutes) and then let it cool completely down. Repeat this 3 or 4 times. Each time use a little more throttle and go a little bit longer. Allowing a complete cool down between each cycle. Once you are done, you can let her rip. While in the running cycle do not hold the throttle in one place too long, and use different loads. Full throttle should not be use until the last cycle and only for a short time.

When I had to break in my new 250R motor the other day, my motor guy told me to run it for about a ½ hour, varying the throttle then let it rip. But he told me to make sure I completely warmed up the motor before beating on it. This will prevent cold seizure. That is when the piston expands fast than the bore can.

For maintaince, I always clean the air filter, changed the plugs before each race. I changed the gear oil after each race and make sure everything is greased and tight. The first thing you should replace is the air filter thing. I got a Pro Design filter attachment and love it. No more guess work on whether the filter is attached. I got a K&N with outerwears, but you may want a foam filter for you use. I have not had any problems yet with the K&N.
Tightening the chain is a pain, but do able. You need a few different size wrenches and it is easy to not align your axle straight. But just take your time and it will not be a problem.

I have ridden mine in the winter, and the Banshee can be a lot of fun. Just make sure you properly warm it up and check the jetting. The Banshee on a normal day takes a while to warm up, and in the winter it is even longer. My wife used to get me dizzy by blowing donuts with in the snow. In the deep snow, you will go nowhere, but once the snow is packed, look out. Also do not use caster oil type stuff in the winter. Under 50 degrees it starts to separate from the gas. I use Super M at 32:1.

If my wife or some one rides the Banshee and lugs it around for a while, it will foul the plugs. But if I am on it and keep the rpms up I do not have a problem with fouling the plugs.

I got rid of the stock pipes and got the Paul Turner Mid Range pipes with Fat Boy silencers. I love them. The power was night and day. It gave me a great bottom end, killer mid range and I didn’t feel any loss on the top. Even my riding buddies loved the power increase and the rideablilty it created. Woods riding is a lot easier as well. Another good thing about these pipes is the location. They follow the same route as stock and do not stick out too far. I do not have a problem burning my pants on the pipes when riding. Even when my son sits in front for the slow rides, his legs are safe.

Jetting is a royal pain in the butt. Not because there are two carbs (kind of, but not so much) but rather from the tors unit. This junk on top will not allow you to spin the carb around enough to get the float bowl off. I know if you remove the tors unit it is possible to spin the carbs around, but I have not done this mod yet.
Overall, I love the Banshee. It is a blast to ride. The only reason I switched to the 250R was for MX racing. I either spent a lot of money getting the Banshee to handle great or I built a 250R. The choice for me was easy, when I found an 89 race ready 250R. Have fun, but look out for your girlfriend. Once she gets on the Banshee, I am sure she will want one as well. Mine did.

 

I am thinking of handing my banshee down to my brother and buying a 250r. In you opinion which one has the most power and is faster? Would you recommend the switch? I ride mostly trails, and MX tracks.

99 Yamaha Banshee, FMF Fatty pipes, Power core 2 silencers, K&N filter, yellow maier racing fenders, blue shockcovers

http://www.geocities.com/mgrigsby21/

 

thats a great idea the 250r is lighter it hands tons better face inless u have a place to open up a banshee its worthless the 250r is also much easier to work on and cheaper oh yea........only one carb to drive u crazy while u jet it for winter
86 4trx250R gold fmf fatty pipe k&n filter baysson reeds&cage bored 20 mm. over pro lite piston dg grab bar and front bumper doug red lable rims
86 atc 250r restoreing it will be the cleanest 3 wheeler in the U.S

 

2 strokes rule. They bust more frequently but nothing like a 2 stroke takin off. They are 10x easier to rebuild then a 4-stroke. I diddnt have a clue until I got my banshee and busted it.. now I feel that I know more than half of the atv mechanics around here. with a banshee you pick it up quick. call me crazy but give a blaster a try if you havent ridden one.. they go GOOD and plenty fast. They also cost hella lot less to rebuild then a banshee. I speak from experience. It costs me at least $500 to get my banshee running.. for that price I could put a new bottom end and top end in a blaster. But if you are ridin dunes and lots of sand the banshee is the way to go. anyways 2-stroke motors are very very very very very easy to rebuild, ANYBODY can do it. 4 strokes last alot longer but 2 strokes are 10x as fun.

 

Future 2 stroke addict, welcome.

I bought a 98 banshee used last july, and all the trouble I had, you won't probably have because you're gonna buy yours brand new (the guy that had my machine before was kind of junkie and hard on the mechanic...).
When I bought it, it had some "special" pipes that I can't figure the name. I changed them last week end because they were too noisy and I wanted to see the difference between stock, and these aftermarket. The difference is enormous. I probably lost 1000 rev, some top end power, but all this to get a super sweet machine, that I would say with some torque, and silent (almost silent). And there's enough power left to have fun. There are also less vibrations. All this to say that if you buy pipes, watch out what you get, mines really sucked and I don't think I will put them back on ever again. Maybe if I broke the whole engine, THEN I will put aftermarket parts everywhere. But now I love my stock banshee whereas i liked my piped banshee.
Air filter should go directly to the junk. It really isn't good...but 100$ for a piece of plastic and foam makes me like my stock filter. I just put TONS of grease where air isn't supposed to go through...and it works...until I make my own ProFlow like air filter, and instead of a plastic crap, I'll make it myself out of aluminium with a K&N with outerwear.
Tightening the chain isn't complicated, it just takes time. If you have all necessary tools (12, 15 and 17 mm keys, I think...not sure) it's no pain...just long a bit.
About breaking in, I personally use one tank of gas just riding easily, calmly, watching out for ovver revvs (that would be NO GOOD AT ALL), second tank, putting some serious gas (without drag races or long straights though), always being careful not to overrevv, and third tank...FULL GAS. But this is the I do it...probably someone does it another way and will say that I have no respect for my engine...blablabla. That's the way I broke in my 125MX, and I have had absolutely no trouble with it. But if someone more experienced has a better way...
That's the only maintenance I have done on my banshee. Nothing broke and it works real fine.
You'll love your machine. In stockform, it's not overly powerful, but enough to have fun, and lift a big cloud of dust in each curve (just like on the pictures).
I love my banshee.

 

Thanx for the info.
I am goin in the mornin to try and get it.I will probably get those same pipes cuz i want to add some bottom end and mid without losin that awesome top end.
What bout changin the c/s sprocket down 1 size.With mid to top end pipes will this work and still give plenty of bottom end.
I will get the Pro-Design system for sure.I got it for my Warrior.
So if i get it and wanna go ridin this weekend will it be alright to put around for a couple of hours or so.As long as i aint revvin the **** out of it.Looks like while your breakin it in you'll HAVE to foul plugs eh?Since you can get on it yet.
I will probably use Klotz to mix with my gas.Does a 2 stroke have a place for separate oil also to change.And how do you change the gear oil.Pardon my ignorance.
I didnt know that much when i got my Warrior but i like to learn so i ask questions and read alot.
Thanx again for all the great info!

 

Guys also make sure to change the stock chain slider wheel on the swing arm out for a Casecade chain slider. The stock wheel goes out after a few rides and they start to tear up the swing arm. Swain don't be afraid to get a used Banshee as well... if you know what to look for you can get a great deal and save lots of money. I helped my girlfriend find one. The one I found was a 97 for 4 grand. Well after talking to the guy I got him down to 3100. The thing was stock with only about 40 hours on it. It was really clean and only needed a couple of things touched up to make it brand new. The one thing it needed was the chain slider and a new set of lights. If you would like to see the lights I got go to www.extremeatv.com and click on the link to the picture page. Click on my screen name and you'll see the lights I'm talking about.

 

It is a tough choice for trading a Banshee for a 250R. I mainly race MX, and this past winter, I had to make a choice. Either drop the cash into the Banshee to improve the handling, or build a 250R. My mind was made up when a sweet race ready 89 landed on my lap. I have stripped it down to the bare frame and replace almost every bearing or seal and replaced everything that was not perfect. Now mind you my 250R is FAR from stock, whereas my Banshee only has a pipe.

As for the differences:

Corners: With the Banshee, I used to hang out on the outside. Not only were the lines smoother out there, but also I could have more speed coming out of the corners. If I had to go to the inside line, forget it. The push was terrible and I overshot many berms. On the 250r, I am able to stick to the inside like glue. Before I got the motor rebuilt, the outside line was pointless, not enough power, but that has changed. Overall winner 250r without a doubt.

Drag (getting holeshot): I used the Banshee for most of my early racing starts. I had the power to get out there, but I was still learning the proper techniques. The one time I did get the holeshot, I was so excited, I forgot to slow down for the first turn and overshot it. With the old motor on the 250r, forget it. Last every time. With the new motor, I am able to head into the first turn in the front of the pack. I still run the open class, so this is against other Banshees. I think if I timed myself right now on each machine, it would be close enough to throw out the motor as deciding the winner. It would rely on the rider.

Overall power: The Banshee simply flies. I hit the throttle and I am gone. On the track, it is hand full, but the pipes really help with the control part of the throttle. The 250r may be a little behind in the drag, but on the track the ‘feel’ of the power is what makes it the winner. The 250r with the motor and mods wins this category easily.

Jumping: I was able to jump the Banshee fairly well, after the pipes. Stock, it was too hard to get the power just ride to fly straight. Now, with the pipes, all I have to do is nail the throttle in the power band on the face of the jump. No problems flying. The Banshee still has stock suspension, but I never encountered a problem landing the jumps. The 250r has TCS all around. So it easily out jumps the Banshee. But since I have very little seat time, jumping is limited. But so far, it is MUCH easier to handle in the air. Once I was in the air on the Banshee, it was real hard to correct any mistakes but the 250r feels like I can move it the air. Winner 250r, from shocks but also better balanced.

Whoops: The Banshee was a handful. The stock fronts would fade fast in the race. But overall, it was nail the throttle and hang on. Hopefully the rear would not pack up, but usually the fronts would give out before that happened. On the bigger whoops the Banshee would hard to place the front correctly on the next face. The 250r has a lighter front end, which allows for an easier placement. But here the TCS shocks shine.

Overall, I just love the 250R. For MX and trails, I would not go back to the Banshee. But it is a personal choice. While riding the Banshee (pre-250R) I still had a ton of fun. I could hold my own on the track and trails. They are 2 different machines. The first time on the 250r I did not like it at all. The second time, a little better. Then I had the motor done, rode it for a little more and now I will not go back. I still take the Banshee out for a spin once in a while, and still enjoy it. But on the track, forget it. Maybe if my Banshee were all done (full suspension mods) I would think differently. But right now I have my dream machine and never look back (except to see my lead).

 

The best thing you can do to a Banshee is replace the stock front shocks.