400ex trade for banshee???

[250rforlife]

i have a nice 400ex. nerfbars, handle bars, brand new topend, brand new tires, ect its a nice bike. everything is good.


now im trading for a banshee. its got a brand new crank, with 6 mounth old topend. supposedly good bearing all away around, has decent front tires, and almost brand new rears. plastics are a little rough but not too bad. fmf ful exhaust, and its a decent lookin quad. and has a ohlines rear shock, and good shape stock front shocks.

should i trade or not? i love 2 strokes and all but my 400ex is in perfect condition. nothins wrong with it. so what you guys think. ino this is a 400ex section but plz give me a real awnser with the 400ex love put aside. thanks all!!!!!!

[Tri-valleyracin]

its really what you like better. i had a banshee and now have a 400ex and like the 400 better but the shee was sick going strait but didn't turn great. take the banshee for a ride see how you like it.

[CJM]

Ridden both, personally unless your into dragging or alot of track like riding the EX handles the woods and trails better imho.

Course nothing like 350cc of 2 stroke power.

Thing you gotta remember, 2 stroke means rebuilding at least once a year. Thats what keeps me in the 4 stroke world.

[426kidz]

Yama and Polais I stay away from when it comes to quads I have had both and said enough to that and got a honda!

[400man]

what kind of riding do you do?? thats the main question....

ive owned 2 or 3 banshees, modded them quite a bit. the shee and 400ex are two completely different bikes. as stated before, the 400ex handles and rides alot better than the shee in the trails and woods, and I agree with this. although with some a-arms and aftermarket suspension the shee does handle pretty nice, but it just has a different "feel" to it compared to the honda.

in the motor department, the banshee has a one of a kind powerband that will make you grin from ear to ear when that baby hits. its almost like a light switch, just pingin along then BAM! and your hanging on trying not to slide off the back of the seat as it just keeps pulling. the shee's power is great for fast open riding, but if you get into tight, slow trails it can be more of a handfull with the lightswitch powerband. ive got a lot of vids on youtube, my name is "ky2stroker" on there.

[AtvKid4Eva]

Banshees are very fast in a straight away but thats about it. The 400ex is a way better all around machine. Id keep the 400 and buy a used banshee for cheap lol. 400ex's are relaiable as can be which cant be said for 2 strokes.

[ish416]

If you have never ridden a Banshee, I suggest you keep the EX.

If you have ridden a Banshee then you know what you are getting into, you should be able to make the decision for your riding style and terrain on whether to trade or not.

Have you ridden this Banshee?

[dan5]

Ask yourself this too, if the banshee is in good shape. Why does the guy want to trade. Because he wants a better handling , more reliable bike? So I agree with whats been said before. It all depends on what kind of riding you want to do.

My choice go HONDA.

[finsteratv]

i agree with pretty much all stated above. depends on where you ride and how good of shape this shee is in. if its built at all kiss reliability goodbye. i think you 400 will be a better handling and all around quad.

[DragonGunner]

My riding buddie has a had his Banshee since 99', rode the living crap out of it, raced it for a couple yrs too, never rebuilt it until about 3 yrs ago, an that was just the top end, stock crank still going. He almost always used Sunoco 93 octane an went a little heavier on the oil mix, changed oil in the tranny...he put FMF pipes on an difeerent shocks an burgard +2 a-arms on...he rides the trail as good as anyone I've seen, but hes a very strong guy, an he can ride a 2 stroke to its full potiential...he is the best hill climber I have ever seen...he scares me....the Banshee can be a handful, a challenge an if thats what your looking for, go for it. The down side is its a Yamaha, an over the years of racing an riding with him he is constantly doing some maintaince...jetting, boots coming loose, spark plugs fouling at the wrong time, tempature changes= air mixture adjustments, problems here an problems there...at the track one day he commented about a dozen things that had given him problems over the past couple yrs....I said.."I've got a 400EX...one day I had to put air in the tires...O...one day it wouldn't start,....forgot to turn the key on.....O...." then my buddy started getting mad an I had to cool it....lol. If you don't like upkeep an doing maintance an trouble shooting....well....just trying to help...good luck.

[JRN2786]

Banshees are great. But I would not own one unless i have another quad for the technical trail stuff. They are fun but i dont like them when trail riding with friends on 4 strokes.. just my opinion though

[mineralgrey01gt]

Originally posted by CJM
Ridden both, personally unless your into dragging or alot of track like riding the EX handles the woods and trails better imho.

Course nothing like 350cc of 2 stroke power.

Thing you gotta remember, 2 stroke means rebuilding at least once a year. Thats what keeps me in the 4 stroke world.

2 stroke does not mean rebuilding once a year. I dont know why people always say that. Maybe just maybe a set of rings and a head gasket which isnt anything to change. A monkey could change those out. If you owned a 2 stroke and rebuilt it once a year you flat out dont know what your doing. My 86 250r had an engine in it from 85' and it had the original piston still in 08, ran like a champ. I bored it out and ported it to get power out of it, only reason it got rebuilt.

[tri5ron]

Banshee's do ONE THING, better than any other quad out there.


400EX's,... DO ALMOST EVERYTHING, Very Well,...

(except for that "ONE THING"),.......

........ that Banshee's do so well.


Banshee's only run, in 2 throttle positions.
IDLE is one of them,....
....... WFO is the other.



Do whatever "floats your boat",

BUT,...

...If you DO swap for the Banshee,
Buy yourself a Towrope, a good pair of Walkie-Talkies, and pack yourself a lunch.

Just to save yourself some time,...go ahead and tie the rope, to the Shee's front bumper,...

.... And give one of the 2-way radio's, to your riding partners.

[Hondamaster5505]

Wow. Just wow. There is SO much ignorance in this thread. It's ridiculous.

I made the switch. I had a 2005 400ex with a couple bolt on's installed.

I picked up a 1989 banshee and sold the 400ex for a car.

I do NOT regret making the switch one bit. Not the slightest. The 400ex was an amazingly fun ATV, it served me well. But the banshee I find all-around a more fun thing to ride.

The power is just so addictingly fun. Feeling those twin cylinder's sync up with the pipes and start pulling is like nothing else.

Suspension, stock, is crap. Period. But there are plenty of nice replacements. I have +2 arms with works shocks, and stock rear end. My banshee handles excellent, and valved for my weight, just soaks up the woods. I love the ergo's of it, and the soft seat. I find it handles better then my 400 did for all-around mixed riding with the front end.

Of course, occasionally I miss the 400ex in the tight trails, but at the same time, once I get past that annoying trail, and find some trails to rip on, the grin on my face wipes out that memory.

And a tow rope on the bumper? Rebuilds once a year? Reliability down the drain? You guys have to be kidding me.
Only idiots who can't tune a 2-stroke have those problems.

My banshee starts more consistently then my 400ex did. A few kicks in the cold and she's up.
I have almost two years on my top end rebuild, with a LOT of riding within those two years. My cylinders still have a crosshatch on them and my compression is still in perfect spec. Hell, I even am using the original crank from 1989. No issues whatsoever.

It's never left me in the trail. No crazy technical stuff to break either. No battery, electric starter, valves, timing chains, none of that.

So before you go join the banshee bashing train, please know what you're talking about.

Is the 400ex a better trail quad? Yes. But as a banshee owner I give up that trailability for the fun thrill I get everywhere else.

[Hondamaster5505]

By the way, ALL of my friends, who originally hated banshee's, and praised 4-strokes, took ONE RIDE on my banshee, and completely changed their attitude. I guess you can say I made a few converts.

[JRN2786]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
By the way, ALL of my friends, who originally hated banshee's, and praised 4-strokes, took ONE RIDE on my banshee, and completely changed their attitude. I guess you can say I made a few converts.

I agree with what you said. I think with some good suspension and a familiar rider its a good all around quad. But if someone wanted to keep there quad close to stock then the 400 is the way to go.

[CJM]

Originally posted by mineralgrey01gt
2 stroke does not mean rebuilding once a year. I dont know why people always say that. Maybe just maybe a set of rings and a head gasket which isnt anything to change. A monkey could change those out. If you owned a 2 stroke and rebuilt it once a year you flat out dont know what your doing. My 86 250r had an engine in it from 85' and it had the original piston still in 08, ran like a champ. I bored it out and ported it to get power out of it, only reason it got rebuilt.

I meant topend, usually rings. Most ones I ever seen or worked on needed a topend yearly b/c people beat them.

You 2 stroke guys can like them all ya want, not my cup of tea tbh.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by CJM
I meant topend, usually rings. Most ones I ever seen or worked on needed a topend yearly b/c people beat them.

You 2 stroke guys can like them all ya want, not my cup of tea tbh.

It's all good. It's like the whole Ford vs Chevy thing, there will always be different opinions haha.

But the whole needing a rebuild every year thing isn't true. Like I mentioned, almost two years of beating on my banshee, and riding a LOT (was hitting up my local trails every week all day, a couple coal mine trips, couple trips to marshalls creek, couple of other trips, riding at friends houses, etc)
With a lot of hillclimbing and drag racing.

Still a great crosshatch and compression is in perfect spec:cool:

[CJM]

Wonder if its lack of maintenance or a bad job previously done to begin with that makes the 2 strokes more prone to needing work?

I do admit that powerband is always a nice feeling when you hit it.

[Hondamaster5505]

Originally posted by CJM
Wonder if its lack of maintenance or a bad job previously done to begin with that makes the 2 strokes more prone to needing work?

I do admit that powerband is always a nice feeling when you hit it.

Little bit of both.

I had Passion Racing Engines bore my cylinders. They looked great. I also only run quality two-stroke oil, not that advanced auto havoline crap.

[DragonGunner]

Originally posted by Hondamaster5505
Little bit of both.

I had Passion Racing Engines bore my cylinders. They looked great. I also only run quality two-stroke oil, not that advanced auto havoline crap.

Like I said earlier my friends Banshee went about 7 yrs on the same pistons, rings....he ran good gas, used good oil an kept up on the carbs to make sure it was never running lean, little rich. He would start that thing an right off the bat he would rev it on off on off like crazy....I told him stop doing that when its cold...wouldn't listen..I said that guy is going to destroy the motor.....still waiting!!!! The guys I see having the most engine troubles are guys not jetting right an running way lean....only bad is coming from that....do the upkeep an understand a 2 stroke, how to properly tune, mix the oil....an these engines are great, same with the 250R's. I like the fourstrokes better, easier for me to ride an less clutching an shifting, but I still love the sound of the 2 strokes RINGGGGINNGGG!!!!! An they are FAST....until they meet my MR. Hybrid ktm520exc...but even then thats alot of cc's to match up to 350cc.

[ish416]

I have had more issues with my EX than any of my friends that have or have had Banshees.

Banshees are great quads, the EX is too.

Each has their place, the Banshee will forever be known for its engine, the EX, well, for starting the four-stroke revolution, being a well balanced quad and being eclipsed by nearly every 400cc+ sport quad since 2001.