Thats a pretty open statement, and it all depends on what your doing. Its not the fastest thing on the market. It takes motor mods to make it the fastest thing on the market.
If you want the fastest drag quad, then yeah, modded it can be MADE to be the fastest! Put it on the track and the 450's are going to eat it for lunch, and for the most part the same will happen almost everywhere until you get the banshee properly modded out over the yfz.
..."done that, been there" -on both!

 

I have beat a yfz im not lieing. but I have to say the rider wasnt very good. the banshee is an amazing bike when you get a couple mods on that beast they really go. The yfz is also a great all around bike one of my favourite bikes out.

 

I am very sure your not lying, and anyone who says you are is an idiot. It can be done, but machine to machine the yfz has the upper hand, until you get into the motor on the shee. Then its all over for the 450. We have a 700 and a yfz right now, and I sometimes wish I still had the banshee to mess around with in the sand!

 

..........thats of course saying that they both have been modded properly!

 

In my opinion both the Banshee and the YFZ are nice quads, but if you want a trail quad I would look at something else.The power curve and the suspension on both the Banshee and the YFZ aren't really designed for trailriding or lugging around in some farmers field.

The YFZ also has (for a lack of better words) a "high strung" motor that depending on how much you ride it will eventually need a top end rebuild quicker and more often than a sport or trail quad would.Think of a YFZ as a 2 stroke with a much more expensive top end to rebuild.The plus side to the YFZ though is how well it responds to simple mods like a pipe, removed airbox lid and jetting, just like a 2 stroke does.The throttle response on the YFZ is amazing.You have to experience it to believe it.

From my own personal experience with my YFZ I can honestly say that if you're a racer it's the quad to have right now.The biggest downside to it is that it is a VERY physically demanding quad to race and if you aren't in good shape it will wear you out very fast.

 

That's why I will never own a high revving 450 4-stroke race bike. I would rather have a lower revving 4-stroke {ds 650, 700r}, or a high revving 2-stroke which is dirt cheap to rebuild, and is easy to do, every couple of years [wiesco pro lite pistons, rings, and gaskets for banshee is $175]. I would hate to price a yfz450 top end.

 

You have to take the good with the bad. Suspension on a banshee is just about worthless. But the motor is another story. Its like feeding money to high Maintence girlfriend. If you still want that good lay, you'll keep giving her money. Well the Shee, you have to keep tuning it, it takes patientence to get performance. Descent Analogy?

 

Don't get me wrong I like my YFZ and couldn't imagine owning a nicer race quad, but the key word is that it is a race quad.For local, entry level amatuer racers like myself the YFZ is a dream to own.Before the 450 race quads came out you would have to take out a small loan, send your motor off to a company like 4-Stroke Tech or Curtis Sparks Racing and then spend a similar amount of money on the suspension to have a quad that performed as well as the new 450 race quads do with just a slip-on, removed airbox lid and jetting.

The Banshee's are still the quad to own if you like to drag race though.In a straight line those things are just plain mean with a set of pipes, reed cages, airfilters, billet heads and jetting.At our local 1/8th mile dragstrips the modified Banshee's are always the fastest quads there in a straight line.

For trailriding though there are better choices that are just as fun, easier to ride and require less maintenance.

 

If you like the two stroke, I would get the Banshee. I like mine for any type of riding, yes it is not the best for some situations but it is not bad. If you are getting a four stroke, I would suggest the 700 Raptor. This way you have the benefits of a four stroke and you have reverse, and the 700 is not a bad trail machine.

 

I guess when it boils down to it, it ALL depends on what kind of riding your doing, or atleast the majority of the riding. I dont think anyone will disagree that if trails is your thing then the 700. If very fast paced trails and agressive riding/racing is your thing then the yfz. If drags and dunes are your thing, then the banshee.

THERE ALL GREAT and EACH SHINE IS THERE OWN WAY. IMO though, one outshines them all if your doing all the above!
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