Im 14 years old and i'v had 3 dirtbikes and 3 Quads. Im getting a banshee and was wandering what you guys thought the speeds of these 4 quads were i heard,
The Banshee goes 72
The 400ex goes 64
The 250r goes 70
The bombardier goes 74
you guys tell me what you think about the speeds and what you think about the Banshee i getting , like advise , or you point of view.
Thanks

 

My advise, just try test ridining each brand if you can, then decide which suits your riding style. As far as a DS, I'd personally wait at least A year to buy one, that way any bugs with them should be worked out, even the 400EX had some problems with the first year model, as most do at first.

As far as all-around riding, the 250R is still the best, even against the DS650, with the 400EX a close second.

Enjoy whatever you get,

Sickman

 

14 and getting a BAnshee.

Dont worry about it, for you,life is good.
Then again, Is it a new Banshee? Cause if it is, youd betetr get a DS-650 for a bit more $$$$ and have a better ALL-AROUND machine..

Roostking

 

I think these performance shootouts stink.4-Wheel magazine is a goood mag. but if it is a shootout then whoever wins the most events should be crowned king.Otherwise dont call it a shootout ,and then let the test riders pick who they would like to see win despite the wins.Three months ago 4-Wheeler had a shootout between Banshee and 400EX and Polaris sport 400 (performence shootout).They had three tests(drag,oval and mx track,and finally sand.The Banshee won it all it even posted the two fastest times on the mx track(400EX posting 3rd fastest).Even after winning the whole shootout,they still ask the riders what they,d rather have and they picked 400EX.So the magazine makes 4000EX the king and it didn't do (sickem)againts the Banshee.I like the 400EX and I like the frame and plastic.Someday when it gets a liquid cooled engine I'll buy it over a Banshee.I understand the 400EX is a better set-up quad and more reliable and better handling,but that doesn't make it faster againts the Banshee.This months shootout was the same thing(ds650,Banshee,400Ex,250r).They tested the three in 3 catogories(track,drag,top speed).Here again 400EX got smoked,yet in the end the riders pick the 400EX reguardless of its defeats.Even though i hate the new DS,i have to say it won the shootout.Even though the 250r smoked around the mx track the ds smoked on the strip and in top end.DS won two events and 250r won one while the Banshee beat 250r in top speed and take-off.The 400EX got smoked-out again,it didnt win (dirt).My pick would have went as follows(DS650 the winner)and 250r as runnner-upand Banshee third finally the 400EX last(400 just doesnt have the motor yet,when it gets it,Lookout.So if i were getting a quad i would get a 250r (who cares if its used,I know my 99 Banshee is in worse shape then most 250r.If you want a new one I guess go for the 400EX,even the the power is not there its still better than throwing thousands of dollars into a Banshee that will still barely handle like a stock Honda.Unless you are looking for a toy just to have fun on,then the banshee would be alright.That DS stinks.Someone needs to put it on a diet.

 

PEDRO-Most likely they pick the 400EX, despite the speed. Speed is not all of it, is it? most likley they picked it cuz it was fast, handled the best when against the banshee and DS. It must have had the most comfort, not just speed.

Ranger
87 250X

 

It is my opinion that 4 wheel Atv action and dirtwheels are both very bias towards ANY honda product. Honda wins every shootout. All honda quads recieve 5 stars when they are tested. I guess honda owns the magazines or the publishing company???

Jeremy 500 HO

 

you should get the banshee because it is the fastest

 

Mbagz, first of all the Banshee is not the fastest, Second of all, speed is only good for like 3 types of racing/riding! Dunes, drags, and somthing else

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Evan Johnson 99 400EX 88 LT250R

I apologize ahead of time for my bad spelling/typing

 

I agree that the 400ex handles better then the Banshee (in stock form). However, if your a Banshee lover, there are modifications that could be done to duplicate honda's frame geometry. The down-side of it is the extra cost (but not much if you know what your doing). This past week-end, I saw the baddest/ meanest looking Banshee at the local mx track. I also noticed the shorter swing-arm(-3"), wider a-arms(+2")/ forwarded by 2". After looking at it closer, it looked similar to that geometry found on the honda's. Any ways, I was told by the owner of the Banshee that this quad is ridden by another MX racer who whips just about every honda there is. He even clears the triples that only the pro-bikes do. My point is that there is allways some modification you can do to whip your freinds 400ex or trx250r. I don't want to make this a longer story, but I repeat again that it doesnt take much money to set-up your Banshee to be a competetive MXer. As a matter of fact, the Banshee is one of the top competitor on the gncc.

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I like repeating myself but here it goes.

1. The rider is what makes the quad fast, as far as the guy on the Banshee doing triples that only the bikes do, well I'm the same on my 250R (We have an 85ft triple that a few of us do). Guess what there are quads with way more money than mine but the rider doesn't have the skill or other needed to do what I do. If I was used to a Banshee, 400EX, or whatever, I could still do all the jumps.

2. As good as the rider is, a good machine does help, anybody who has ridden both 250R's (400EX included) and Banshee's will tell you that yes the Banshee may be faster in speed, but the 250R is usually faster on the track due to it's superior handling. Basically put it this way, take someone like Doug Gust, he'd be able to win on a Banshee, but he'd still win on a 250R, but most likely he'd have the fastest lap times on the R over the Banshee. The biggest misconception as someone stated is that get the fastest quad, then you will win. Not true if the powerband is hard to ride and the quad doesn't handle well as with Banshee as compared to an R or 400EX.

Don't get me wrong, a Banshee may be a better dune bike or something, and a really good rider can win MX races on one too if he is as good or better than the other riders, but every former Banshee rider I know who switched to a 250R (I know alot, almost all very fast riders) that ride a Banshee after getting used to the R can't beleive they could even ride the Banshee due to the worse handling. Every person I know had over $10,000.00 in their Banshee's also, and they still didn't handle near as well as their 250R according to them.

3. Yes I like Hondas for their handling, reliability, and quality, but if another manufacturer had or will have a quad that is the same or better handling than my 250R, and is faster everywhere, guess what quad I would rather have. Yes I understand why some people may be tired of hearing how a 250R is, but there are many reasons for that, and it will be the top quad ever built until somebody decides to build something better. Personally I hope somebody does it, because how many 88-89 year motorcycles, cars, or whatever are still considered to be the best made??? But until that time I will say the 250R is the best quad ever made, as do most people I know.

Sickman

[This message has been edited by Sickman (edited 01-12-2000).]