OK here is the deal, i finally got my act together and snagged a summer job at a local golf course. now i know i am thinking way ahead here, but i cannot decide between a yfz 450 and banshee. if i get the chance at a cheap yfz i would take the yfz before the banshee. what i don't like about the yfz is the prices around here-$3k-$5000, i have nothing against the actual ATV. the banshees on the other hand are $1500-$4000, but they are 2 strokes, i can live with it but i like 4 strokes better. are the banshees really rpm particular? like i mean are they gutless on the bottom end until you hit the sweet spot in the pipe then it pulls like tractor? which has more power? best suspension im going to guess would be the yfz, right? i am a very experienced rider so i will have no problem handling either atv. thoughts?

 

ttt

 

I"ll tell you this. If you get a shee it will need pipes. The powerband is so narrow on stock pipes it's ridiculous. And yes you must hit the "spot" to get any go out of them. They are a blast in a straight line and make sure nobody is following you or they will get showered with rocks. They are also narrow and don't feel near as stable as the YFZ. They weigh a ton and don't jump well either.

I view the banshee's as more of a hobby/build bike. They are great in the dunes and drag races but, I don't care for them anywhere else. The YFZ or 450R (one's I have much experience with) are far superior IMO.

 

The yfz will smash a banshee on pretty much ever aspect due to the banshee being such an old design, even though its a good one, but banshees can be made twice as fast as a yfz for half as much money, there not as rider friendly or easy to ride on all types of terrain like a yfz but there can be alot of mods done to them for very cheap, a banshee with just pipes,jets,filters is a hard bike to beat.

 

Hard to beat in a drag race. Right?

Again, they are tons of fun but, to go along with the 91Warrior357 statement about them not being friendly on most terrains I know 2 owners around here (one being my brother) that traded their 'shee's for 450s because the 250EX's were having easier, more fun times on the trails.

That said both people wish they still had their 'shee in addition to the 450 because that neck snapping power of that wicked powerband is something unique that can't be matched.

 

yea in a drag, dont get me wrong the banshees actually handle decent and can made to handle well in all types of terrain but its just not ideal or easy really, takes a special kind of rider to know how to push a bike like a banshee in certain types of terrain and not have there muscles lock up in 5 mins and stuff, still nothing compared to a yfz, a banshee is an old bike i mean its been around since like 87 with very little changed since then.

 

GO WITH The BANSHEE i had a 1999 shee i loved that thing awssomein the woods and so fast and awsome on the road and at the drags. if ugear them right u can get some pretty good bottem end and it will be great in the woods. i love 2 strokes i will never get another 4 stroke agin. yfz are nice and has some mad tourq but the shee is in my opinion a better quad. and with some slight mods it will scream. and from experience the banshee for me was awsome in the woods. great handleing and suspension. but its ur quad get what would suit u best.

 

i like banshees just as much as the next guy but the amount of torque the put out is questionable when i raced the banshees with my setup in a straight line on level asphalt it was pretty close each time pretty much whoever nailed the start right. but with what i saw the banshee is weight sensitive if your a bigger guy its going to affect the speed more than the yfz and also when going up dune hills i noticed some of them having a hard time keeping it up in the power band in the higher gears. also with the stock suspension they can be hard to handle there was definetly one shee that was faster than me when we raced but i got him in the whoops at the bottom of the hill. so depending on what your doing sometimes its not always the fastest that has the upperhand

 

im not a big fan of the banshees thats why i sold mine. it had to much little things going wrong with it. there a nice bike but there not as great as every one says they are and im just talking about stock. u bul a 4mill in it alki carbs. and all that fun stuff ow thats when they rip haha. but yeah the yfz is going to be better for AlOT of woods riding. but if i had to pick it would be the banshee simply for the high rpms and insane powerbands. but agin i dont ride in the woods i drag race only..

 

I GUESS THAT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT U ARE TRYING TODO.. TRAIL RIDE A 4 STROKE OR RIDE A MACHINE THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SUM HORSE POWER.... THERE IS NOT! A RAPTOR OR A YFZ450 THAT WILL EVEN STAY CLOSE TO MY 10MM CRANK 74 MM BORE CHEETAH CUB BANSHEE WITH POWER VALVE CYLINDERS ON ALKY... THAT RUNS 4.5'S @ 86 MILES PER HOUR ON 300 FEET/100 YARDS... ILL TAKE THA 2 STROKE BUT THEN AGAIN I LIKE TO GO FAST....