Im looking at '98 stock banshee that has very little hours, never been rebuilt but seems to run good, what do i need to look for on this bike? this will be my first shee so i dont want to get a junk bike. thanks in advance

 

i was heading for the back button until I remember when I bought my first dirtbike. Check to see if when taking off the clutch feels okay, and the motor doesnt need new piston/rings. Check the frame for cracks, if you test ride it, make sure it doesnt over heat. Check the chain to see if its loose, does it have commpression when you start it? does it start easy? Try the brakes, make sure the steering colume isnt wrecked. When I bought my first dirtbike, I didnt relize it needed-sigh-:
-chain adjustment
-fork seals
-fork oil
-new brakes
-suspention tuning
-new front tire
-new clutch
-new piston
-new rings
-new rod
-new back tire
-new battery
-new thorottle line
-new cdi
-new crank
-new transmission
-new speedo
-new foot brake lever
-gas tank line that feeds into the engine
-carb cleaning
-air filter

Please look closely at those things! I sure didnt know anything about bikes [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

I'm in the same boat as thunderpower on this one. I bought my Banshee without a good inspection, and have paid for it. Check the swingarm and axle bearings, front wheel bearings, and like he said, look to see if the chain is tight. If it's not, you can usually get a good idea how it has been taken care of. Check the filter? Dirty? Not good maintnece.

 

Ya.. don't miss checking all the bearings..

Is it completely stock? Including pipes? If the quad has never had aftermarket pipes on it that's a good sign it wasn't overly beat, unless the owner took off the aftermarkets to sell it.

If it looks like it's in good shape, starts easy, doesn't overly smoke (all banshees do some), the filter is clean, nothings bent, the frame isn't cracked, the bearings are all in good shape, then you prolly have a quad that was bought and not ridden, these are GREAT used buys! Some people just buy a new quad a never ride it, I bought my 98 shee in 99 like this, got it for $3800 and never had a problem with it. What a deal.

What I would stay away from is ANY quad that has lots of aftermarket parts on it, not clean, beat on, etc. These seem to be the lemons that have so many problems and need so many parts to keep running..

Just my $.02
Brad

 

A few things that I have noticed on the few banshee's I've owned, (currently have a pair of '99s both bought used) are:

1. FRAME: Banshee frames seem to bend easily (combination of high speeds/lightweight frames, you get the idea.) Some places I would check are the A-arms and front of the frame. If you see rust, chipped, or cracked paint beware the frame may or may have been tweaked. These stressed places are usually on the welds of the A-arms, around the A-arm and shock mounts, and other welded joints. Every banshee that I have ever seen that has been upside down has a problem with the removal of the gas tank. You will have to pry the tank out and hammer it back in. Now I realize that you can't just ask the owner to take the plastic off and remove the tank, but I am just telling what I have seen. If you look down the lower tube of the frame, It should be straight. If the bike has been hit from the side, the frame will be shifted to one side. Also, with stock front shocks, the front tires should be perfectly straight up and down. If not then the frame might be tweaked. (Longer travel aftermarket shocks will cause tires to lean in until weight is applied.
2. PLASTIC: If the plastic doesn't seem to line up right, has burned spots from the pipes, or has scuff marks (not scratches but scuffs from sliding on its top side) Then there is a good chance the frame is bent. You may also notice the deep scuffs on the throttle cover or resivor cover.
3. SWINGARM: The weld on the shock mount on the rear swingarm is cracked on every banshee I have owned. This comes from jumping them. Although I has yet to cause me or my friends any problems, I is a sign as to how hard it has been ridden. If it is not cracked, It is probably a solid bike.
4. AXLE: Banshee axles are soft, I've bent three. If you have the chance to take it down an asphalt road, DO IT!!! I purchased one after riding it on dirt only and couldn't tell the axle was bent. However, a trip down the road revealed the signs: major vibrations and a loud sound from the tires.
5. ENGINE: I would be leary of going on a long ride atop any two-strike that hasn't seen a new piston in 4 years. I would consider freshening up the engine right after purchasing so you don't drop a piston skirt (that gets very expensive). Ask what type of oil he was using. If you are shown a bottle of outboard marine oil or some cheap wal-mart special, WALK AWAY. Same thing goes for tranny oil. If it has 10w-30 engine oil the gears and clutches could be shot.
6. MISC: Check all the other things that the guys above have mentioned. Bearings, clutch, chain/sprockets, etc

Hope this helps. These are just a few things I have ran into. If you have any questions you can e-mail me at Sandric@go.com