Hey guys and gals, so I'm thinking about getting a Yamaha Banshee. My friend told me that people he knows that have banshees always blow the engine. What problems are typical with Banshees and should I get one ? It would mainly be for Trails but occasionaly Glamis, Ocitillo, etc.

 

Banshees are really fun bikes, a type of fun you cant get out of any other quad honestly. Those people who blow the engines dont know what they are doing, a banshee is the last bike i would suggest buying if you dont feel like taking care of it and dont have the know how when working on them. If taken care of they last a real long time surprisingly, example the 01 i have blew up last year from previous owner and it was all original internals...so from 2001-2012 thats pretty damn good imo.

On a banshee you need to have a carb sync tool to keep your carbs in sync and you need a good understanding of reading your plugs and keeping your jetting right thats the biggest thing people screw up.

 

banshees imo are the best quad for the dunes if they are modded correctly. for the trails not so much. if its just for the dunes then get the shee for sure. im sorta bias here but a great choice would b a ltz 400 if your doin both. if the trails are open then you could do something allong the lines of a 450 but if they are tight ull b playin with the clutch the entire ride on a she or 450. just my 2 cents

 

I would suggest riding a Banshee and knowing what all you want out of the quad as some others are hinting at.

I thought I wanted a Banshee as well. Everything I read showed the insane power that could be had with one, and the price on them was great compared to some others I was looking at like newer Raptors.

The Banshee has a few things with it that some can see as negative. They are a two stroke ATV, so you will have to mix oil with your gas, which can be a little cumbersome, and more expensive than just getting a 4 stroke you just put gas in and go, and they have a kick start and no reverse. But the Banshee's 2 stroke engine is also the root of where its fun factor and power is made. As far as I know, as long as you take care of the maintenance on it, it should hold up just as well as other 4 stroke quads. However, the maintenance on it would be a bit more than 4 stroke ATV's.

When I rode my buddies Shee, which was modded to give it about 65 HP at the wheels, it was NOT what I expected. The power of the 2 stroke comes on suddenly and violently. It is not an easy quad to ride, and it will take a long time to master, unlike say a Raptor you can just jump on and ride with ease.

If you ride one, and don't mind its riding tendancies, and you don't mind the regular maintenance (which if you enjoy wrenching, its not really that much), then the Banshee may be for you. It wasn't for me, but I won't dare knock it as being a bad quad. I think they are badass machines, that have TONS of power for a good price. But I personally didn't care for how it rode, and wanted something with less maintenance required.

Good luck!

 

I would not get a banshee for trail ridding. I saw some guy at lost trails in PA roll in with a freshly redone one and had to get towed back half hour in to his ride. Yea he blew his motor. It is better for the track if you like to mix your own gas.

 

Another typical example of somebody not knowing what they are doing with one, a properly rebuilt banshee engine lasts almost as long if not longer then some of the modern 4 strokes. They are also great in the trails and are way more fun then most bikes but takes alot of getting used too.I know mine personally will smoke alot of other bikes trail wise specially 450s, but ofcourse the rider makes a difference. Banshees got used a good bit in GNCC and did good, def not a track bike thats pretty rare. Banshees are most well known for drag racing, and ice racing. There has been talk of them trying to ban banshees in ice racing simply because they do so damn well against everything else.

 

banshee are made for sand in my opinion! best bike to ride in sand, its a very fun and fast bike to ride in! its not to hard to keep up with maintenance if you like mechanics and work on ur own stuff! all you need to learn is how to jet it correctly and know how ur plugs are burning and pay attention to your carbs working together and know ur compression and at what elevation you be riding and you be fine, but for trails if i was you id get a 4stroke like a raptor or something they good for trail,my2cents

 

If you Know how to ride you can go almost anywhere a 4x4 can go if you don't know what your doing you will either crash or like these people are talking about blow your engine these are 2 strokes with Power-band you should be light and agile to ride one of these or at least agile they are fun as hell and last a long time providing you know what you are doing Both with riding and maintenance it is not a beginners bike that's for sure! choose wisely

 

Banshees are most at home in wide-open spaces and on faster trails where you can stretch their legs. This is why they are a far more common sight out west in the deserts, mountains and dunes than out east in the woods. On fast trails the power and stability of the chassis really shines.


The power is a bit soft down low, the wheelbase is relatively long and the chassis is more suited to high-speed maneuvering and stability than motocross or low-speed technical stuff like woods trails or stream crossings.


Then there is the maintenance associated with it. As with any high-performance machine, it's going to need more frequent maintenance than something like a Honda Forman or even a 400EX. If you stay on top of maintenance a Banshee will serve you well for years, the motor is known for being quite durable. Overall there is a bit of a learning curve to it but they really don't require any more upkeep than most other ultra high-performance or race machines.