I am in the market for a new 4 wheeler. Can someone school me on these 2 ? I want a really really fast quad.. also whats good and bad about 2 strokes and 4 strokes.. How would you compare the banshee and raptor?

 

I went for the raptor because its a 4 stroke (less maintenance), has reverse, electric start, it was something new (banshee has been around forever) and it just looked cool. Stock vs Stock, they are about equal, but once you start putting money into both machines, you can get more out of a Banshee than a Raptor. Both are fast machines!

 

The banshee and the raptor both have their good points and their bad points. The banshee will give you speed right from the twist of the throttle and will continue to rip your arms off. whereas the raptor will take a little while to get up to speed, but it has some monster torque.

 

Hands down Banshee!

 

yea.. i really like the banshee but the raptor looks hella sweet

 

Banshee-Fast as heck, can be made even faster with ease and will usually if not always be faster than a Raptor mod for mod...Powerband is a little unpredicatble, you can go from barely moving to not being able to stop in seconds...tons of aftermarket parts available...Engine has less moving parts so will cost you less and be easier to maintain if anything should go wrong...Downside of a banshee, according to legend it will require rebuild sooner than raptor, although a friend of mine has not rebuilt his banshee since he bought it 2 years ago and it is still running strong. You have to mix fuel with oil which is a big deal for some. Suspension isn't the best. I'd say the banshee is best suited for the sand/desert.

Raptor-Lots of torque and lots of speed, not as quick as a banshee but it will catch it and pass it stock for stock. A lot plusher ride. Electric-start and reverse. Powerband is smooth from bottom all the way up, not nearly as jerky as the Shee's. Uses regular pump gas. Lots of after market parts available. Cons-it's narrow stance and high center of gravity make it a little tipsy, nothing that can't be overcome with practice. After your basic mods, pipes, filter, jetting, there isn't much more you can do without spending some moolah. I'd say the raptor is a great all around machine.

If I left anything out, feel free to help out fellas..

 

I really wouldnt go so far as to say the two are "equal" stock vs. stock, they both have things that they do better than the other. Being a 4-stroke, the rappy is a much better trail bike, whereas the shee begs to be out in the open wailing like it was made to. The shee does have slightly more maintenance but i really wouldnt let that sway me, as long as youre up to taking care of it, just routine maintenance, then you shouldnt have any problems. To me, the shee is a much better bike, at least it suits my needs, or should i say, will suit my needs, (im getting one in a couple months). Really, theyre both great bikes, just make sure to pick the one that will be the best for you and the type of riding you plan to do. Banshees are extremely fast, they accelerate much faster than a rappy (stock vs. stock) and the two have almost identical top speeds. If speed is a real concern to you, go with the banshee. Although they have the same top speed, acceleration is what you really crave when you talk about speed. IMO, the rappy is too tall, too wide and too long, it feels as big as my dads polaris magnum, but somehow, its tallness overcomes its wide stance and gives it a tippy feel. The banshee is much more of a low, sleek feeling bike, its dimensions are very.... good, lol, it feels planted and doesnt have a tendancy to tip and therefore can turn faster (not that it will, shees are notorious for bad steering, mostly because its hard to keep the front end on the ground) or i suppose i should say, at higher speed. Rappys are known for having pretty good steering and are good in the woods, as long as you dont get in a place thats too skinny for it. The raptor has a much less tempermental engine and therefore it doesnt take as much work to ride, (less clutching, shifting, revving etc.) but to me thats half the fun. I always try not to judge a book by its cover, and I hate to see people end up with a bike that they dont like because it looked cooler than the other. Not to say necessarily that a raptor would do that, im just saying think about the bike itself first.

Anyway, hope that helps, and forgive my bias, lol.

 

I keep hearing about the Raptor being "tippy" but I have never felt uncomfortable on mine. You just need to use your body. I love the four stroke torque of the rappy. It basically comes down to the 2 or 4 stroke preference. You can see by my signature that I have done a little motor work to mine (about $1500) give or take. If you are thinking about a bike Im not sure why you would leave out the YFZ450. The suspension is one of best I have ridden and with just a few mods, such as pipe, jet kit, and airbox mod, my friend is beating me up comp hill on a YFZ. I do believe my raptor is going on the market very soon and I will be picking up the YFZ.

All this being said, I feel you should broaden your choices a little.

 

Go with the Raptor. In the long run, you will appreciate the fact you have a bike that is great for trail ridding, but can also be fun and competitive in the dunes. I sold my Banshee a year ago and I just bought a Raptor because I favor a 4-stroke over the 2-stroke engine. Both bikes stock, I would say they are pretty close speed wise. Just my 2 cents.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Instead, why don't you look at an 04' ds 650baja/X it will beat both of those machines. The Rappy and Banshee are both good machines, it's just that the DS is better.