how is a banshee in the trails...i mean like pretty oped trails...nothing tight...and also are they reliable and i know u have to change the top-ends on 2 strokes pretty often...but how often though? any info wud be greatly appreciated

 

I'm no expert on Banshee's but here goes:

1. open trails - presuming moderately fast riding, the shee will be fine. If you want to put put around, it's not (supposedly) the greatest. Though you can get a trail kit which I do believe changes the pipe from a true twin to a two into one header, and also drops the two carbs for one bigger one. Supposed to tame down the powerband a bit.

2. rebuilds - as long as you're not racing competitively and riding flat out all the time, a top end should do you a good long time providing you keep up on your regular maintenance. Make sure you use fresh gas and oil. If the bike has been sitting a while, at least give the tank a good shake to stir up the gas or even better, drain the gas and put in a new mix. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations, or the fabulous advise from the banshee gurus on this site and you'll be fine.

 

The banshee was probably one of the worst trail quads ever built. They have no low end power to speak of, and the powerband can get you into trouble if you're not careful, and it kicks in when you're not ready for it. Reliable? Usually not, they can be like a grenade on wheels sometimes. The rebuilds don't need to be that often, maybe once a year or every other year depending on how much you ride. The good side is that 2 strokes are fairly simple to rebuild, and you can often get away with just a cylinder hone and new rings. The downside with the banshee is that you have 2 of everything when it needs rebuilt.

A decent rider wouldn't have a problem riding a banshee in trails, but you work a lot harder to do so than when riding a 4 stroke, and it can wear out out quick and take some of the fun out if it.

 

I ride my Banshee in open trails and I do fine with all of the four strokes. Im faster than some and some are faster than me but it pretty much boils down to rider skill in those enviorments. Anything tight is 4 stroke territory unless you spend alot of $$$$ and get a new frame and alot better suspention. I am one of those people to spend the extra money because I love the powerband on the Banshee. You will never feel anything like it on a 4 stroke. ever.

Top end rebuilds all depend on how well you mantain your engine. Fresh premix, and correct jetting are a must. You also have to keep them cool. That includes checking all of the fluids on a regular basis. Like stated above there are many ways to power your Banshee for your desired preformance to a given riding area. The DMC 2:1 pipe PT Mids FMF Fattys and the Trinity 2:1 carb help out alot with the lowend the Banshee doesnt have in stock form. You can also gear it diffrently for more low/top end. you have to get that power from somewhere. Bumping up your compression with an after market head and smaller domes or a milled stock head helps also. Timing advances with a plate or a DYNA FS or MDS ignition also help out alot. There are so many ways for the Banshee to preform well. Its endless and can cost alot of money but it sure is alot of fun to ride.

 

Can't say as I've ever heard of a Banshee being a "grenade on wheels" If you're constantly ripping on it, yah .. but anything will break under those conditions.

 

I dont know where recon99 is getting all this info about banshees....

anyways

i own a 99 shee....and love it to death..

the powerband is insane....to ride on trails i might have to pump clutch more then, say, my bud on his yfz, but its all worth it once the trail stratens out for a bit... my shee has no rebuilds..and is still running strong...u just hva eto make sure u do basic mantenence that you would have to do on any quad...

oh and if u ask anyone who has EVER ridden a banshee....they are ALWAYS fun....i dont care how much i have to pump that clutch when things get tight....the payoff is HUGE...and the rush is worth it..

 

oh and btw...id rather be on a shee than a warrior any day....

 

I bet a zilla has a bigger powerband than any shee, unless you bore out the shee to 400cc, but then again, you can bore out the zilla to 580 or 550cc i think

A shee would not be happy in trails that dont let you go fast, if you ride a long time in under 15mph conditions, you're gonna overheat.

I have another question, a lot of people say the shee doesnt make a good mx quad cuz of the crappy shox and how its just built (frame/chassis) I was thinking that a banshee should produce more power than a yfz450, seeing how its a 2 stroke and only 100cc smaller,

Can you put a shee in a yfz450 frame with good shox and get a wicked mx quad (i know you need some more mods too but still)

 

Can you put a shee in a yfz450 frame with good shox and get a wicked mx quad (i know you need some more mods too but still)[/quote]




well i heard u cud put yfz450 shocks on a banshee to make it more trail friendly...is this true?

 

Well the Zilla is faster in stock form no doubt. They have bottom end that makes us Banshee riders drool over. The SHEES hit harder on top and They have alot better after market. I like the way the Banshees hit better and there is so much you can do to improve low end and Handeling.

Suprisingly the 450s are as fast if not faster than a Banshee in stock form. Yes I was suprised myself. Mod for mod obviously the Banshee wins. But the YFZ is the total package for a Tight woods/MX/GNCC rider hands down Rite out of the box. You can make a Banshee handel alot better Tahn it does stock and have more power than the YFZ.

I guess you could fabricate a Banshee engine into a YFZ frame. But Lonestar makes a frame for the Banshee called the Owtlaw and it is 250R geometry Frame. I think it goes for around 3500. The shocks on the YFZ are interchangable with the Banshee. I would go that route but I am getting Elka Elites for mine.