I've been lurking in this forum for a little while and would like to get a quad again. The last quad that I had was a 95 Banshee with Bill's pipes, bored .030 over, twist throttle and some other stuff.

I've narrowed the search down to the following: (Please add your thoughts)

Banshee
YFZ 450
LTR 450

My questions are:

Bang vs. Buck
Versatility- trails, fire roads, sand pit, MX
Availability of aftermarket parts
Cost of operation
Reliability


Thanks

 

Banshee

YFZ

Banshee

If you actually do the recommended valve adjustments and top end rebuilds at the recommended intervals the two four strokes are going to be much more expensive than the two stroke. Most people don't do the top end rebuilds if the ATV is still running though, so the four strokes are not that bad.

YFZ


DV

 

The yfz and ltz are light years ahead of the banshee in performance and refinement. Mainly the banshee's suspension system is stone aged. It's not that bad, but there's no comparison to the stock suspension of the 450's. The LTZ is an amazing machine right out of the box, it's marketed as being race-ready right out of the crate, and really it is. Plus that fuel injection would be nice to have. The downside though, is that it's just a hair short of 50 inches wide, and that's usually more than you want for trail riding, especially tight or technical trails.

I'd make your pick between one of the 450's if these 3 are the ones you're dead set on. There are more well-rounded machines out there though. Personally i'd rather have a z400 for a more well-rounded, reliable machine. The 450's are designed with racing in mind over everything else, so ease and cost of maintainance, comfort, and versatility were taken as 2nd priority.

Maybe a better description of what kind of riding you do and what your expectations are would help some.

 

Historically I have mostly ridden on trails with the occasional jaunt to the local sand and gravel pit. I am interested in racing but it seems like the options around RI, CT, and MA are somewhat limited.

As for my expectations I would like to ride something similar in performance to my 95 Banshee. Just a little better when it comes to refinement and adjustability to me and my riding ergonomics.

Right now, I think I'm leaning towards a used '05 or newer YFZ 450.

 

Between the choices you're giving, I would go for the yfz too. The ltz is probably a few inches too wide for trails. Personally I would choose the honda 450r over the yfz though, because they are a more comforable machine to ride on for extended periods of time. A yfz doesn't ride insanely rough, but it can still wear you out pretty quick because of how stiff the suspension is. Of course the suspension is fully adjustable though so you might be able to soften it up to ride a little smoother.

 

HUMM a banshee would be great but the rawness of a yfz is hard to beat you should try and ride one before you get anything elese they are fun fun..