I own a 97 banshee and love it. I need help in going alot faster. I have installed...
1.420 long rod
2.stage IV head
3.stage IV port
4.2 into 1 carb (best move)
5.lightened flywheel
I'm interested in buting NOS on it but haven't seen to many people do it. If any other freaks like me have the same need for speed please help?

 

I am from Louisiana and we do allot of drag racing(organized). I have yet too se a banshee run well on NOS. I dont now what it is, but they just do not run well. Thats not to say that they wont. We all run alcohol and it flys. Personaly I would go with alky set up. You will ad about 10-14hp and about 4 bikes over a gass bike. The only down sides are that you have to perge(run gas oil mixture) the motor after each weekend and if you are trail riding, you burn twice as much fuel(thats where the power comes from). If you are hill racing, drag racing or just want the fastest quad at the sanbox, then try alcohol. It burns about 4 times as cool as gas also. On the banshee that I have seen, they would only take about a 8-10hp shot before they started blowing head gaskets and sputtering, so I feel that alcohol is the best set up. For alittle extra boost, try about 4-6oz of Nitro Methane per gallon! Just my two cents worth! OOH! I did see a polaris once that was on NOS. I, at the time, had a drag racing polaris on alcohol and I would wear him out all weekend. He even had the NOS guy come out to the track and they couldnt get it fast enough. People luagh when I say I had a drag racng polaris, but that sucker was fast! One night, I beat 13 banshees in a row to tkae first place. I have since graduated to the open Banshhe class where we run 4.5's at 70mph in300ft. Again on alcohol.
I have been interested in the single carb set up, how do you like it?

 

i have witnessed on my friends bike who has a bike similar to yours , he had it on alcohol first and it ran great and then he switched to a nos setup and it ran crappy compared to the alky setup...i too am from louisiana and havent seen too many bikes on nos either...

 

Yeah I was thinking of NOS too, it would be nice to turn it on once in a while for a hillclimb race, then I can run a much tamer engine for the 95% I'm not racing someone. Or do you need a different jetting setup or something to use it? How about this Alcohol/Nitro mix, would it be possible to have a smaller grab bar tank plumbed into the Reserve switch, or is there other things you need to change?

Thanks,
Rod - 86 250R

 

you must have alcohol carbs to run alcohol. A little compression and some timing advance also do wonders. The main thing is that you cannot get enough alcohol too flow through a gas carb. They use gas carbs but then hog them out, big time! When we perge our motors on the gas you should see how fat they are! They look like those diesal tractors at the tractor pulls! but sputtering. Contrary to what everybody will tell you, alcohol is NOT corrosive. The only problem isthat it absorbs moisture from the air, and will cause your bore to rust and the crank also. After a VERY long time it can be corrosive to alliuminum.

 

The only justifiable reason to run something like NOS or Aclohol is for people who drag race. Other than that it is just too much of a pain. Alcohol is actually fairly cheap, but you burn a lot more than gas, also you must be sure to purge the engine and carbs after every ride, plus alcohol is more touchy as far as jetting goes (changes in temp affect it more that regular gas). Personally thats way more than I want to mess with to just go riding for a few hours.

In some areas alcohol is allowed in races, and I know somebody who ran it in flattrack on a banshee. He did say it was alot faster, but he quit using it because of the exra maintenance AND HE ACTUALLY WENT SLOWER. But if it was faster how can you go slower? Well, he said the power came on way too strong out of the corners and he lost too much traction, thus slowing him down. This guy is not just any rider either, he used to be Nationally ranked #2 Open B, and top ten in the Open A two years in a row. Only mechanical troubles kept him from winning the Open A. So I personally like to learn from his experience. One rule to remember, SOMETIMES SLOWER IS FASTER!

Sickman

 

Actually, alcohol is NOT more touchy than gas in regards to jetting. Alcohol likes to be ran rich anyway, so there is lots of room for temp change. I personly use the ones with external power jets, which allow you to richen or fatten up with the turn of a ****. In the last month we have went from running in 90degrees to 40-50degrees and I have not changed my jetting at all.You are right though about only needing it for drag racing. I wouldnt put down on anybody if they trail rode with it, but I only use it for drag racing.

 

Thanks alot for the advise Brandon. In regards to the single carb. I love it I have ran with it for over a year now. I will never go back to a dual carb again. I got my single carb and manifold from Graydon Proline I don't have the number but its in all the Dirt Wheels. The guys there are great you should give them a call.

 

I am very supprised that no one has mentioned Propelyne Oxide..... I have been told its liquid cocain for your motor. Its not cheap at almost 60.00 a gallon but it may be what some of you are looking for. I know that VP sells it and its just an additive. You only add a certain percentage to your premixed fuel, BUT it will make jetting a little of a pain. Propelyne Oxide will lean out a motor....... then B00m!
have fun and play safe <g>

 

I am familiar with propolyne oxide. It does work really well as an aditive in gas, however it does produce allot of excess heat. That is what I feel limits its potential as an all around fuel. I know one guy in particular who runs a propolyne mix in our open class. He is very hard to beat. When mixed properly, it exhibits many of the same power characteristics as alcohol. As you stated it is an oxegenator, so it will run much leaner than straight gas. Another limiting factor is its ability to evaporate quickly. In a matter of seconds an entire can can evaporate. The best method for using it is to have your fuel mixed, and keep it in an ice chest. By keeping it cool, the molecules will be less active, and will not evaporate, not to mention this will make the fuel more dense and therfore more hydrocarbons can pass through the jets. This, in my opinion is not a trail fuel. Though it would be pretty cool to beat an alky bike up the hill on a "gas"bike!