I'm in the market of buying a quad, i have a 93 warrior with a fmf titanium 4 exhuast, stage two jets, and a modified airbox w/K&N. But the quad just isn't enough anymore, my riding buddy has a 01 400EX with all the same mods as my warrior. We usually ride in desently wide open areas, gravel roads, fields, river bottoms; most of the times i find myself wide open to just barely hang with his 400. So which one is better, Banshee or Raptor. My friend used to have a banshee he loved it but he said he just got sick of going that fast. He also said it overheated sometimes and always had to have it wide open or it ran like sh*t. I know a banshee is a two stroke but are the side effects of a two stroke that bad? I can get either one, which one?

 

Among the guys I ride with, there are several of both.
The Banshees are by far the fastest, but while the Banshee
owners are working on theirs, the Raptors are out riding.
Do you want to ride or do you want to tinker?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

If you just want to beat your buddy on the 400ex get a rappy, but if your like me and demand uncontrollable power that you cant wait to fire up, shred, and at the end of the day have your heart beating like a drum get the shee. Both are good bikes and it just comes down to you, so test ride each one and see how you like. I like my raptor, but the shee suits my riding style far better.

 

Thats funny you mention that, I went to the local dirt drags sunday, and watched a 400EX beat 3 Raptors.
But, in the end, a new yamaha 450 took 1st with a Raptor taking 2nd [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I forgot a couple of questions. Banshee or raptor which one is the fastest stock? acceleration? top end? I just don't want to beat him i want to annihilate him, i've ate so much of his dust i've got a little catching up to do. bottom line i just want to go fast! Oh yeah, is that new 450 as bad as they say, where does that machine compare between the banshee and raptor. Sorry last question of the two quads banshee and raptor which one has the most potential?

 

The one thing I have to give the banshee, there is more aftermarket parts avaliable for it than any other quad.
Also 2 strokes and 4 strokes are two different animals, just a matter of taste
I was impressed with the 450, but I think I'll take him next year.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] lol

 

If you do lots of riding in wide open areas you ought to try the Banshee. That's where the Banshee really shines! It loves wide open spaces and high rev wide open throttle! The Banshee is such an addictive ride, anyone that has ridden one will tell you that there's nothing else like it! I wouldn't recommend the Banshee if you wanted a woods bike, but for wide open areas, hang on tight cause you'll easily smoke your buddy on the 400ex!

Bruce403
2004 V Force
2002 Prarie 650
2000 Banshee

Twin cylinder quads - Twice the fun!

 

Well if you want to annihilate him then get a Banshee... I know mine has alot of work to it but I just KILLED a raptor, ds, the new yzf 450, and anything else... I am really close w/ the zilla.... But like I said if you want to eat him alive go w/ the Banshee..... Its a rush like no other..I remember my first ride on a Banshee I got off shaking it was so FAST.. And that was stock. Then got mine and it was way faster than stock and i shake everytime I get off the thing...I have ridden a raptor but havent in a while...They are good but the Banshee is better or faster I should say. I will say mine blew up and 2 strokes are more likely to go wrong, but when they run good and well the are hard to beat.

 

Here is a little from my expirience.

I have ac 04 Raptor (3months) and, I ride w/ 4 guys that have Shee's, 2 have z400's and, 2 have 400ex's. My Raptor is still stock (can't decide on the exhaust I want) 3 of the banshees are worked up w/ Trinty Stage 3 engine mods and, Toomey Exhausts, one have just fmf pipes. The Z400's and, EX's have pipes jetts and, K&N's.

W/ my stock Raptor at the Silver Lakes Dunes I can smoke the Z400's and, the Ex's in the drags and, i weigh 245. I can beat the piped banshee about 50/50 taking into consideration the rider on it is 160lbs. The worked Banshees are another story, i can kinda stay with them for 50-100 ft but after 3rd they are gone.

I always had 2 strokes till the Raptor, I can't explain it real well but, I kind miss the 2 Stroke powerband. When I'm riding w/ the Banshee guys and, running at the same pace i can hear their bikes reving and, shifting while mine seems to not need to work hard (so you are going just as fast but, it doesn't seem like it or, feel like it), but, don't seem as fun to get going or, something. Also the Raptors Torque Curve is way different. I can rip Wheelies in 1st and, 2nd when ever I want while you seem to need to get the banshee reving to wheelie at low speed, on the other side after 2nd gear I'd have to have the Raptor Reving high in 3 rd and, feather the clutch to to even think of a wheelie at that speed where the Banshees seem to effortlessly just power wheelie at speed. Totally different animals!!!

In all other areas I like the Raptor hands down over the Banshee. We jump alot at the dunes and, a few local riding spot's and, the Raptors suspension is way better. Off big Jumps the raptor seems easier to handle and, adjust in the air and, lands way more plush. I've also gotten out of trouble by having this ease of manuvering. I've seen my banshee riding bud's wipe by being just a little sloppy off a jump and, not being able to get composure back in the air. The handling is much better on the Raptor, aside from the Banshee's willingness to slide. I'm sure a firmer sidewalled aftermarket tire would help this.

One last note is i have had zero problems with my Raptor. As far as maintenance - besides washing it I've changed the oil 2x, tightened a few loose bolts for the plastic and, just added gas. The banshee's are the opposite. my riding buddies are always wrenching = fouled plugs, have to mix gas, have to run 110 octane and, drive a bit to get it (price of motor mods), carb problems, running hot sparatically.

I think the Raptor looks and, performs awesome. Reverse is nice to get out of tight spots too. the only other downside is I've noticed everything costs more for the Raptor. Exhausts are more, Proflow filters are more ect, than all the other quads (w/ exception of dual exhaust quads) for no apparent reason. I guess it is like when I had my 96 Vette after my 95 Camaro - Any performance mod was 2-3x more for the Vette and, they had the same motor???

Hope this helped.

 

I must agree they are two totally different animals, both are fast but it's sort of riding an automatic sports car to a manual one the way a automatic shifts smoothly to the next gear compared the sunk in the seat felling from shifting a manual sports car. I know both the Raptor and Banshee are manual but the Banshee's requires much more rider input compared to the Rappy and your always busy shifting gears up and down, to me that's a hole lot of funand the reason why I ride, and as a bonus when you feel a 2stroke powerband kick in while at WOT comparable to the surprised scared feeling/adrenaline rush we all love to ride roller costers for and will always leave you waiting for the next ride.