i am considering on purchasing the banshee. i am a proud owner of a 400 ex. i love the bike. im a little concerned of the idea of buying this bike so i wanted some opinions. ive rode many bikes,, from raptor, warriors all honda ex models,ETC. i have never rode a 2 stroke atv. ive seen many banshess where i ride and they look awesome. i love the way they scream. im a little aprehensive on getting the banshee because of the horrible stories ive heard on the non-existant low end power. i ride in mix conditions. trails,fire roads, hillclimbs ETC. can this bike perform in all areas or is it too much trouble in this type of mixed riding. i know this bike is made for flat out drags ,, but can it perform well if at all in these conditions. i dont want to waste $6000 on a bike that stalls on if im in a patch of dense,, tight turned wooded areas. thanks guys. your info is appreciated.

 

I have had a banshee since '99 and I ride in the same conditions you do. Yes the banshee does lack low end power in comparison to most of the other bikes you mentioned. But it is still VERY rideable in tight wooded sections. And when you get out on the fire road the 'pull you arms out of the socket' top end more than makes up for it! This bike gives me an adrenaline rush every time I ride it. If you like to climb, you will love the banshee. Dump the clutch at the bottom and hold on 'cause next thing you know you are over the top...
Addict

 

thak you ,, i think ill go with the banshee

 

I RIDE THE SAME CONDITIONS U DO. I HAVE A 99 BANSHEE AND A 01 RAPTOR. AS FOR THE TRAIL RIDING ON THE BANSHEE U WILL FIND OUT THATS ITS ALOT OF CLUTCH WORK TO PULL YOURSELF AROUND THE TRAILS..BUT IF THAT TRAIL LEADS TO A FIRE ROAD U R GONNA HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE..THE MID RANGE ON THE QUAD IS RIDICULOUS FEELS LIKE U RIDING A ROCKET,AND THE STOCK SUSPENSION HANDLES DECENTLEY IN WHOOPED OUT SECTIONS SO U REALLY DONT HAVE TO WORRY BOUT THE BACK END SWAPPING SO MUCH, MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE THUMB THROTTLE IS VERY STIFF AND AFTER RIDING FIRE ROADS FOR LENGTHY AMOUNTS OF TIME YOU CAN REALLY FEEL IT IN YOUR THUMB!!..U JUS HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT A 2 STROKE IS A LOT MORE MAINTENANCE THEN A 4 STROKE!..SHOULD CHANGE GEAR OIL AFTER EVERY 3-5 RIDES (AT LEAST I DO ANYWAY) AND THE BIGGEST TRICK TO THAT QUAD IS THE AIRBOX...KEEP THE FILTER CLEAN THE STOCK SETUP IS VERY STUPID..THE FILTER HAS TO BE SETUP JUS RIGHT IN THE BOX OR IT WILL NOT SEAT PROPERLYITS ACTUALLY HELD UP AGAINST THE INTAKES BY A GROOVE IN THE BOTTOM AND A GROOVED LIP ON TOP OF THE AIRBOX LID..TO HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IF MONEY IS AN ISSUE JUS PUT A LIGHT LAYER OF GREASE AROUND THE LIP OF THE FILTER THAT WILL HELP HOLD IT AGAINST THE INTAKE A LITTLE..THEN WHEN U READY TO SPEND A LITTLE CASH GO AND BUY A PRO DESIGN PRO FLOW INTAKE KIT..COMES WITH EVERYTHING U NEED TO CORRECT THE IDIOTIC AIRBOX SETUP!!..GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY

99 BANSHEE PRO FLOW KIT
01 RAPTOR<BLUE>
GYT HEADLIGHT GUARDS
GYT HEEL GUARDS
GYT BUMPER
PRO DESIGN INTAKE SYSTEM
PRM FULL ENGINE SKID
PRM SWING ARM SKID

HAMMER DOWN IN NJ

 

you should take a look at the "setting a banshee up for the woods"post,theres alot of tips in there.your best mods are for woods are in my opion is a coolhead,v-force reeds,fmf woods pipe and a 13 tooth sprocket.ive got this set up and i love it.

 

I ride in a wide veriety as well, tight trails, sand banks, tons of hills, occasional mud and wide open. In the tight trails its not hard to control the revs but you do need to keep them up and 660 was right about the thumb pain, mine kills me everytime but I get use to it.

Enjoy if you get it, their a BLAST!!!!

 

thanks guys!!! one more question. how much would the cost be for labor if i wanted to install a pipe kit for the banshee. thanks again

 

kokl you should put the pipes on yourself... it's a very simple process and because you did it yourself you'll know that you did a good job. If you need help that's what this site is for. Have fun on the Banshee, I know I do!

 

Not to steal from the original poster but someone mentioned a pro flow filter, what is this? What does it replace? I still ride trails and hit the mud and water, Is the pro flow still going to do as good a job keeping the water out as the stock airbox?