i just bought a 2000 banshee with fmf fatties and silencers,reed spacers, kn filter, 260 mains . the problem is with the low end. this is my first 2-stroke and i have always heard low end is not their place but, there is something wrong with mine. it will barely launch unless i have 1/2 throttle and then if i slow down i have to feather the gas/clutch to keep it going but it runs excellent in the mid to upper rpms. if i pull the choke out to the first notch i can get it to take off ok?? pulled the plugs and looks like a goood burn. i am thinking the needle needs to be moved up? any help would be appreciated

 

check your needle and it should be at 2 or 3 notches fromthe top. 3rd notch is middle(just as reference.) the other thing is check your idle screw adjustments. they should be at about 1.5-1.75 turns out. if that still doesnt cure it your pilot jets are more than likely plugged. oh and put in a new set of plugs.

 

For your low-end problem I would go to 30 or 35 pilots (stock is 25). Also, check that the tube is in place between the 2 carbs. Do you run with the airbox lid or snorkle off? If so I would raise the main jet to 300 especially in cold weather in OH.

 

i do have have the lid on, and the i tried playing with the air mixture between 1 1/4 to 2 turns with no luck. thanks for your help guys

 

To all people reading this... Banshees don't have low end. Period. They are a couple of 175cc two stroke cylinders (read - no low end power) stuck together. Even with two pistons, two times nothing still = nothing. The way this motor works is midrange and top end. Period. Add pipes of any type and the power peak will move up or down slightly, say from a bottom peak of 6,000 rpm for real low end pipes/porting, to over 9,000 rpm with some drag pipes/porting. This motor will never make good power at low rpm. It's like asking a 125cc mx motor to work like a trials bike. It ain't gonna happen. It's not a 4 stroke, and it's not a big bore two stroke. There are no magic mods that will make this motor a low end powerhouse either, unless you are very wealthy.

The drill when riding the Banshee is shift, shift, shift, and clutch, clutch, clutch. Get used to it, because you can't change it. It's like a lightswitch, either on or off. I would add that it is also the most difficult engine to get used to for beginning/novice riders. If riders want low end, go buy a thumper... If you want hard to control, explosive power, lots of wheelspin, and (when hooked up) a rocket ride, then the Banshee is for you.

 

sandman,
maybe i am not expressing correctly the lack of low end this machine has, there is cetainly a problem. i bought a banshee with the eyes open to the fact that i am going to sacarfice the bottom for mid/top but.... there is some thing amiss when you have to have a person push it to get moving or with any traction do an endo!! dont you agree?

 

I bought a brand new 2001 banshee, I to was wondering what was wrong with mine. It went fine when I was going mid range or top end but when I would slow down, it would die if I did not get on the trottle or pull the clutch. I tought mabe it was because it was new and it needed to be brakin in but it stayed the same after riding for a month. Since it was on the warranty I brought it to the dealer and they fixed the problem. They told me that the two floats in the carburators were not at the same height(level). You should check yours. I know the feeling it gets anoying when you must keep on the trottle all the time.

 

True that the shee has a very poor lowend...but it still has some power...although you have to get it revving to get it moving.
Check your idle (maybe it's too low), see if BOTH plugs work fine...I don't really kow...maybe you carb connector (a little hose that connects the 2 carbs) is disconnected...curious. I would take the carbs apart, to see if everything is working fine.
Under the powerband and 6th, even wide open, I barely gain speed.

 

Well im not going to get into the arguement about the so called non existent bottom end power of a banshee, As it is actually very easy to make them have instant throttle repsonse anywhere in the powerband. Did you install the k&n filter, or did you get the kit? K&N offers a dynojet jet kit that comes with new needles, I do not know the part# off the top of my head, but they make a drastic difference.

 

go to toomeyracing.com, there they explain the float height adjustment. also, you may want to check the view glass on each carb, to be sure that they are synchronized.

my bike has toomeys, and no low end to speak of. however, you should still be able to crawl around in lower gears without it dying. i left my pilot jet at 25, but put in 280 mains and toomey's needles. my intake is a pro design/k&n with an alba airbox lid.

good luck, and let us know what you find out.

-98 banshee w/toomeys