View Full Version : How can I improve a Banshee?
A friend of mine just got a Banshee, and it's noticeably slower than my YFZ450. I'm not bashing, but even when we switch riders, the Banshee loses.
I've noticed it's a good 35 pounds heavier, why is that? What are some things I could do that could keep up with a YFZ that will soon be piped, jetted, and an Fuel Custom Intake, along with a cam mod?
Again, don't reply bashing the 450, I'm just wanting advice to help improve the Banshee without breaking the bank.
Well first off what's done to the banshee? Is it bone stock? Banshee's are pathetically slow with stock pipes.. Yamaha need to reduce power big time for the government regulations in the 80's so they put restrictors and everything in the head pipes. Throwing pipes on it is like adding a turbo, huge difference.
If it's any indication, my banshee with just pipes, reeds, and open intake is slightly faster then my buddies 2007 YFZ450 with a full HMF, rev box, cam mod, open intake, and jetted perfect.
Nothing against 450's so don't take it as an insult, but mod for mod a banshee will be ever so slightly quicker with equal riders:cool: Stock for stock a YFZ will dominate the banshee.
If he already has an exhaust, something is not tuned right. But also a good dune/play port on a banshee is a easy 65hp motor, or more. I know a guy that ports them for $275 and does nice work.
Yeah, it's stock vs. stock. But it's quite a bit slower, I didn't think an exhaust would make such a difference.
Also, hate to sound like a noob, but is there an electric start kit for these things? lol
Oh, and Also again. What makes them so much heavier?
Originally posted by Pack
Yeah, it's stock vs. stock. But it's quite a bit slower, I didn't think an exhaust would make such a difference.
Also, hate to sound like a noob, but is there an electric start kit for these things? lol
No electric start. lol.
And TRUST me.. ask ANY banshee owner.. pipes make the worlds difference. They make it a completely different animal.
Get a set of quality pipes (DMC, FMF, Toomey) , pull the lid off the airbox and get a filter adaptor plate, and throw some 290 mains and 27.5 pilots on that sucker.
You'll be amazed. Like I said, it's like throwing on a turbo.
Stock banshee's are gay, end of story haha. stock for stock a 450 is much faster then a banshee. Pipes make the whole beast on them:cool:
They're heavier because it's the same technology from the 80's. Everything's steel. I really don't find it all that heavy though. They're really light and flickable, and only weigh 386 pounds.
Oh and stock pipes weigh a TON. There's a 10-14lb weight difference between stock and aftermarket pipes. So the weight would be about 372.
What about the stock suspension? I heard it's not that great, by all means, and I don't want to spend a fortune on an aftermarket set. I was curious if a set off of a YFZ will fit?
Originally posted by Pack
What about the stock suspension? I heard it's not that great, by all means, and I don't want to spend a fortune on an aftermarket set. I was curious if a set off of a YFZ will fit?
Yeah. The banshee rear suspension is great and I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's highly adjustable. But the front leaves some to be desired.
YFZ a-arms will work. But to make it right, as far as ground clearance goes, you need YFZ a-arms and spindles with +2 banshee tie-rods.
The top a-arm bolts right on, and the bottom fits but needs a spacer. A guy on bansheehq makes this spacer and sells it. When you get a chance look up bansheehq and look in the suspension forum. Lots of info and pics on the YFZ swap.
You can get away with banshee spindles and YFZ shocks, but the ride height is super low. With YFZ arms AND spindles, it increases wheel travel and you can use a 16.5" shock like the 400ex and retain stock ground clearance.
So getting the YFZ shocks on the Banshee A-Arms is not recommended, but to use the a-arms and shocks both off of a YFZ, right?
Originally posted by Pack
So getting the YFZ shocks on the Banshee A-Arms is not recommended, but to use the a-arms and shocks both off of a YFZ, right?
Oh you can use the YFZ shocks on the stock a-arms. But it's a little stiff because the banshee's narrower and has less a-arm leverage.
Yeah, a-arms and shocks off a YFZ. But like I said it will sit really low.... unless you use YFZ spindles also with 400ex or similar shocks.
well he's getting aftermarket +2 a-arms, I was just curious about the shocks.
Originally posted by Pack
well he's getting aftermarket +2 a-arms, I was just curious about the shocks.
Oh well then yeah. YFZ shocks would work perfect with extended regular arms.
I've seen pictures of Banshees with YFZ plastic, how do they do that? Does it bolt right up, or are there modifications needed?
Originally posted by Pack
I've seen pictures of Banshees with YFZ plastic, how do they do that? Does it bolt right up, or are there modifications needed?
That I can't help you with.. Not many people do it, and I never did because a banshee ain't a banshee unless it looks like one.. lol.
They do make Raptor-style plastics that bolt right up to it. Maier makes them. I had them for a little bit just because I needed something other then my spray-bombed stockers. I'm trading them off for stock style tomorrow.
I have pics if you wanted to know what they look like..
I do want to know what that looks like, actually. Thanks.
A lot of banshee owners ***** about them, but I honestly didn't find them all that bad. They gave it a modern feel. I just prefer the banshee look, that's all.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj126/Hondamaster5505/new%20quads/Banshee034.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj126/Hondamaster5505/new%20quads/Banshee031.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj126/Hondamaster5505/new%20quads/Banshee041.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj126/Hondamaster5505/new%20quads/Banshee039.jpg
Lol. That's hideous, man. I seen some dudes put YFZ plastic on them, and my cousin is wanting to do that I believe. Keeping his Banshee headlights and having custom graphics that say "Banshee" on them.
Originally posted by Pack
Lol. That's hideous, man. I seen some dudes put YFZ plastic on them, and my cousin is wanting to do that I believe. Keeping his Banshee headlights and having custom graphics that say "Banshee" on them.
lol, dick:p
I did trade the plastics last night. Now I have a full set of UFO OEM style in black, looks so nice:D
Haha, sorry. Got any pictures of it now? I don't mind the stock look, but it had to grow on me. I definitely wasn't a big fan at first look.
Originally posted by Pack
Haha, sorry. Got any pictures of it now? I don't mind the stock look, but it had to grow on me. I definitely wasn't a big fan at first look.
lol im just playin lots of people think that about the craptor plastics.
But yeah, in the open forum, I just put the new pictures in the "2-stroke atv pictures" thread. It's on the last page.
My dad was like that. Hated the look until he owned it for a while and now he loves it. I always loved the stock plastics. Kinda reminds me of an old boxy musclecar.
How often do you have engine problems, or how often do you have to rebuild them? I know two-strokes aren't as reliable as a four-stroke, but I was just wondering how often do they go out, or even need rebuilt?
Be honest, too, don't get all biased on me.
Originally posted by Pack
How often do you have engine problems, or how often do you have to rebuild them? I know two-strokes aren't as reliable as a four-stroke, but I was just wondering how often do they go out, or even need rebuilt?
Be honest, too, don't get all biased on me.
Trust me, as much as people think otherwise, I am NOT biased. I base my opinion on how things perform and hold up, not based on what brand or what stroke it is.
Now I can't give you an exact estimate on engine life before they need rebuilt, but they usually last a good 2-3 seasons of riding before a rebuild. Sometimes more sometimes less. It really depends how much you ride it.
My fathers banshee was a little on the low side of compression when he bought it. It was a 99 though on the original bore, and the guy before him rode it every weekend on fire roads if that says anything. We rebuilt it about three years ago, and it still has the same exact compression today. He doesn't ride it too often though.
Mine I bought blown up, and rebuilt it. About last winter. Been riding it a lot locally and a few small trips to the mines and it's still reading the same compression.
Don't listen to people when it comes to reliability. When a banshee is tuned right, they give you NO problems. In all honesty, no bias implied, I would compare it's reliability to a 450 4-stroke. No offense, but it's true. Other then they fact I just finally got mine tuned right, I have not had ONE problem with it. Same with my father. The thing starts up one kick all the time and never gave us an ounce of problems. Hell we never even changed the gear oil, ha.
The key to a banshee's reliability is based on two things. Tuning and quality two stroke oil. If it's not tuned right your engine will blow a lot sooner.
2-stroke oil makes all the difference too. Using havoline, yamalube, etc. will not lube your engine that well. We used Mobile1 Synthetic and Maxima Super M when we got my fathers, and when we tore it apart everything was super clean and had a nice coating of oil on it.
I hope that helps at all. I can't stand when someone owns a crappy banshee that was never tuned right, blows it up, and goes on for the rest of their life spitting out how it's unreliable.
Oh, there's only ONE real issue I had with mine. We were riding at the mines in the soot pit, which is like really really thick sand, and it was about 89* out. My banshee started overheating a little.
One more thing (I think, so far). It's hard to ride a wheelie on a Banshee, due to the length of it I'm assuming. What's a cheap way to help with wheelies? Can I use a shorter swingarm off of a different Yamaha, that's just slightly shorter? Like, around 1 inch shorter, no more than 2.
Originally posted by Pack
One more thing (I think, so far). It's hard to ride a wheelie on a Banshee, due to the length of it I'm assuming. What's a cheap way to help with wheelies? Can I use a shorter swingarm off of a different Yamaha, that's just slightly shorter? Like, around 1 inch shorter, no more than 2.
Well, part of that is because banshee's have such peaky power. It makes it hard to maintain a wheelie, and get it up because it just wants to spin the tires at the snap of a finger.
A lot of MX'ers use -2 swingarms. It makes them hook up a lot better and improves the handling ergo's a little bit. Just not good for hillclimbing. I believe they also make -1.
I'm not sure of any other stock swingarms that will work on the banshee. But you can get stock ones shortened or go on ebay and buy already made aftermarket ones.
How can you get them shortened, and how much would that cost?
Originally posted by Pack
How can you get them shortened, and how much would that cost?
Honestly, I never had it done so I don't know. I thought about doing a spare one for my own bike before because we have a machine shop. It's really just a matter of cutting a 2in section out of it and re-welding it.
Just look it up on google, im sure you can find something.
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