Best Dune Bike... ever [Archive]

atvmi

01-30-2004, 11:03 AM

i'm not here to start a fight, just my thoughts. been riding sand for a long time. have owned bikes, blasters with big bores, warrior,lt250r,trx250rs,and lt500r. still own two honda 250rs and zilla. the only quads that will out run the zilla are highly modified 250rs and shees. zilla is bone stock, except paddles. i have a 105lbs daughter, with her ridding the zilla its just about untouchable, except the alke runners on thier shees. man those things are fast.

AndrewRRR

01-30-2004, 12:48 PM

If you want to do a lot of trails and jumping at the dunes I'd say a 250r with the best motor kit you can afford. If you want to do mostly drags and hillshooting it's hard to beat a banshee. Stock they can hold their own against most bikes and when you start modding them the sky's the limit (and your wallet).
YFZ's are pretty impressive also, lately I've seen them beating piped shees on the hillshots (combo of good power and good suspension). I'm a 2 stroke guy but I'm thinking about getting a YFZ for a play bike at the dunes.

ledofthezep

01-30-2004, 03:03 PM

I'm happy....got my choice.:D

My preferred ride @ the dunes...
http://www.kcisp.net/~bking/MyBanshees/Oct22%2306.jpg
or
http://www.kcisp.net/~bking/MyBanshees/YELLOW01400ex.jpg
The EX looks a lot better now...that pic was from the dealer, they didn't even wash the durn thing.:mad:

Bad Habit

01-30-2004, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by ledofthezep
I'm happy....got my choice.:D

My preferred ride @ the dunes...
http://www.kcisp.net/~bking/MyBanshees/Oct22%2306.jpg
or
http://www.kcisp.net/~bking/MyBanshees/YELLOW01400ex.jpg
The EX looks a lot better now...that pic was from the dealer, they didn't even wash the durn thing.:mad:

Dayum banshee boys. :rolleyes: Feel the power of the R!!!!!!!!
j/p Dollar for dollar, the banshee twins are hard to beat in the sand. If you got enough money, then you have the banshee tripples,,,,,forget about it.

Brandon, when you gonna buy that pipe from me for the fo hunny?

K2Snow

01-31-2004, 05:15 PM

I rode a raced out 250R trike out at the dunes today. I couldn't believe how much power the thing had. I could lean back in almost any gear and lift the front tire for as long as I wanted. It accelerated up any hill with ease, absolutely incredible. Only downside, the guy didn't have his paddles on and the stock tires spun like crazy. How does a Banshee compare to a 250R motor? I love the 2 strokes but I really don't think I wanna buy one. For one, that will severely limit my riding time cause of the red sticker deal here in California. Second, I've heard too many stories about 2 strokes and maintenance/problems. 4 strokes are simple to maintain and seem unbreakable. Is it true that a modded out Banshee is gonna take a lot of work to keep running?

CHAUNCY

01-31-2004, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by K2Snow
I rode a raced out 250R trike out at the dunes today. I couldn't believe how much power the thing had. I could lean back in almost any gear and lift the front tire for as long as I wanted. It accelerated up any hill with ease, absolutely incredible. Only downside, the guy didn't have his paddles on and the stock tires spun like crazy. How does a Banshee compare to a 250R motor? I love the 2 strokes but I really don't think I wanna buy one. For one, that will severely limit my riding time cause of the red sticker deal here in California. Second, I've heard too many stories about 2 strokes and maintenance/problems. 4 strokes are simple to maintain and seem unbreakable. Is it true that a modded out Banshee is gonna take a lot of work to keep running?

Nope, never had a problem with a modded banshee. Always ran great! Also, most places dont enforce the red sticker law, just get a a 2002 or older and you still get a green sticker.

LazeR

02-01-2004, 02:51 AM

Well i would have to say a banshee but i will stick to my 400ex! I did ride a shee once with 5k of mods including boring and stuff not sure how much though..... Well.....I was 15 at the time, weighed around 155lbs and this shee had a lenghened swing arm of about 2½ inches i was basically sitting on the gas tank and never went past ¼ throttle and i could hardly keep the wheels on the ground......It was fun, but i rather ride trails then just drag all the time and i wouldn't like having to keep the revs up constantly or foul a plug

Also this is a lil off topic but what is a red/green sticker ?

wilkin250r

02-01-2004, 02:51 AM

It's hard to beat the 2-stroke power in the dunes. When I first got my R, the motor was pretty much bone stock except for a pipe. My girlfriend had a stock 400EX and we would race on the street. It was pretty even. I could pop off the line a little faster, but then we were dead even up through 5th gear.

The sand was a different story. My 250r could run circles around her 400EX, and she even had lighter paddles on.

If you are serious about sand, 2-stroke is the best. If you are dead set on a 4-stroke, I'd look at the YFZ450, because it is most like a 2-stroke powerband.

Mr.Offroad

02-01-2004, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by twisted threads
I would half to say a big bore 250r or a banshee. 2 strokes are kings of the dunes. Correction:WERE king of the dunes. The new YFZ450 and Honda 450R have pulled the throne right out from under them. I had a guy at Florence last summer tell me in camp, with a disgusted look on his face, that he had over $12,000 invested in his Banshee, and a YFZ450 with a pipe and jet kit just spanked him, plus they handle a lot better. Now that the Honda is out, I'm sure I'll be hearing the same story from Banshee riders about them. 2-strokes gave us a great, powerful machine during the bad years of the C.P.S.C. ban, but thank goodness the bike companies can progress again!

Chef

02-01-2004, 10:49 AM

I think the 2 strokes will always be king of fun riding in the sand. I have no problem what so ever beating YFZ's with exhaust and airbox mods, and cam mod with my Banshee, its just basic stuff. (T-5's, Reeds, Timing, Pro Flow, Cool Head)

2004TRX450R

02-01-2004, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by Mr.Offroad
Correction:WERE king of the dunes. The new YFZ450 and Honda 450R have pulled the throne right out from under them. I had a guy at Florence last summer tell me in camp, with a disgusted look on his face, that he had over $12,000 invested in his Banshee, and a YFZ450 with a pipe and jet kit just spanked him, plus they handle a lot better. Now that the Honda is out, I'm sure I'll be hearing the same story from Banshee riders about them. 2-strokes gave us a great, powerful machine during the bad years of the C.P.S.C. ban, but thank goodness the bike companies can progress again!

I'd have to see that to belive it. Last Sept. we were at the dunes and one friend had a stock YFZ and my bro has a banshee with T-3s, cool head, minor porting, and K&Ns and the YFZ was about 4 bike lengths behind. I don't think just a pipe and jet kit is going to make up that much space. I rode the YFZ and was very impressed with the power but it still isn't a $12K banshee. I have seen some Raptors out there and even some 400EXs that were really putting the spank down on some pretty souped up banshees and 250Rs though. I'm sure they had a LOT of work done to them though.

AndrewRRR

02-01-2004, 01:41 PM

Originally posted by Mr.Offroad
Correction:WERE king of the dunes. The new YFZ450 and Honda 450R have pulled the throne right out from under them. I had a guy at Florence last summer tell me in camp, with a disgusted look on his face, that he had over $12,000 invested in his Banshee, and a YFZ450 with a pipe and jet kit just spanked him, plus they handle a lot better.

Sounds like he needs riding lessons or blew all $12K on chrome. YFZ's are cool and can hang with piped banshees, and I'm glad companies are making fast bikes again, but I have yet to see a 80+hp YFZ let alone one hovering around the 100hp mark (which is quite easy with that kind of money in a 'shee.)
The main advantage I've seen between the YFZ's and banshees is the YFZ has great suspension so you can just keep the throttle pinned up the hill while banshees have to let off because of their horrible suspension or to keep the front end down. Both those can be fixed with shocks and a swingarm though.

twisted threads

02-01-2004, 02:41 PM

Chef

02-01-2004, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by twisted threads
LOL! well you show me a piped YFZ in the sand and I will show you how to put the spanking down on it with a OLD trx250r.:blah: :macho

Can I play too?:o :blah:

twisted threads

02-01-2004, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by Chef
Can I play too?:o :blah:
I would let you go first.;) :D

DirtyGirl

02-01-2004, 07:59 PM

What makes the banshee great is that you can mod it for whatever kind of riding you want to do for not too much money. In the dunes, they'll probably always be king because of the shear amount of mods available. I've played on my husband's shee and that thing flat out rips! His is mostly stock still but the power is incredible! I still haven't had the guts to go past 3rd gear yet. Some banshees are set up for dragging but even for normal dune playing they're great. I'm debating between the shee or the yfz when I've outgrown my ex.

K2Snow

02-02-2004, 12:25 AM

I love the Banshees but I am just really afraid I'm gonna get in over my head with a 2 stroke. I hear too many stories about banshees breaking down. Also, i'm not a dragger. I like jumping and playing in the dunes. wheelie up dunes, jump crests, ride bowls, roost over the tops of dunes, all that stuff. i never see banshees out getting any decent air. i pretty much see them out at the drag strip and that's it. i just want a lot of power for big climbs and a couple of speed runs. thanks for all the info so far, keep it coming

QuadJunkies

02-02-2004, 12:45 AM

Originally posted by RabidPitWeasle
I'd have to say a modified Quadzilla LT500, I have 2 Banshee's but I've ridden a modded Zilla before and if I could find one around here I'd buy it. I still like my Banshee's of course:D I think there is going to be some varying on this... Im guessing
Zilla
DS
Banshee
Raptor
250R
YFZ(too new to rate best EVER)
believe it or not,the Vforce is rated very well in sand also....

2004TRX450R

02-02-2004, 12:47 AM

Originally posted by DirtyGirl
What makes the banshee great is that you can mod it for whatever kind of riding you want to do for not too much money. In the dunes, they'll probably always be king because of the shear amount of mods available. I've played on my husband's shee and that thing flat out rips! His is mostly stock still but the power is incredible! I still haven't had the guts to go past 3rd gear yet. Some banshees are set up for dragging but even for normal dune playing they're great. I'm debating between the shee or the yfz when I've outgrown my ex.

Actually anything you can do to a banshee you can do to anything else. It actually costs more a lot of times for the banshees because you have to do everything twice. pipes are twice as much and porting it twice as much etc.

DirtyGirl

02-02-2004, 12:48 AM

My husband is the same type of rider as you. He doesn't drag, mostly just jumps the hell out of his and roosts all over the dunes, bowls, etc. I've got about 15 hours riding experience total on any type of motorized OHV and I'm more comfortable on the banshee then on my 300. It feels better at speed than mine does - just alot more stable. He's more experienced and probably better for citing the differences than I am. He did say that for doing wheelies they're not very good. The front end comes up but the balance point is WAY back, almost on the grab bar.

Actually anything you can do to a banshee you can do to anything else. It actually costs more a lot of times for the banshees because you have to do everything twice. pipes are twice as much and porting it twice as much etc.

But dollar for dollar you'll get more horsepower out of a 2 stroke.

2004TRX450R

02-02-2004, 12:56 AM

Originally posted by DirtyGirl

But dollar for dollar you'll get more horsepower out of a 2 stroke.

Yes for the most part. But that applies to the TRX250R as well as any other two stroke. The biggest thing the banshee has over the 250Rs is displacement. but dollar for dollar you can do more stuff to the R because you only have to buy one pipe and have one cylender ported and buy one new carb etc.

310Rduner

02-02-2004, 01:30 AM

I'd say the best all around play bike for the dunes, doing a combination of dragging/roosting/riding/jumping is still the 250R. It just can't be beat. Slap a big bore on it, and it will outrun shee's but still not be awkward jumping or handling. If you want a two stroke Cody I'd say get a newer banshee though because you don't sound like you want to do anything more than light mods, and not over-hauling an entire bike to make it fresh. If you have the motivation to go through an R then I would say go for it, but in your case you'll probably have less headaches with a banshee.

When I was in Pismo last week my bud came up with his yfz and he was pretty eager to put the hurt on me:blah: his yfz has the cam mod, gytr stainless/carbon pipe, KnN, and 8 paddle extremes. On my bike I have a 310 kit, lightened flywheel, trx 5 centermount, and mid-top end port w/ 8 paddle haulers .In the flats out in back of pismo we tied most of the times, because I couldn't do more than half throttle at launch or I would loop it.. and I still had to bring the front end down too many times:macho Depending on how much the wheelies screwed me up, he would either take me or we would be close. On the beach in the wet sand though, I pretty much had him almost every single time. I would edge him out by a bike or so, but our bikes were both pretty consistent through 4th gear (4th on my bike at least) and then I would keep pulling on him past 5th and into 6th.

If I had to go pick a 4 stroke right now it would deffinately be the yfz though, its fast as hell and has some sweet stock suspension; it basically felt like my bike but a little taller and not as hard of a pull. Him and I were both on the beach doing 5th gear wheelies as high as the balancing point on 1 or two, but I can't hold wheelies for crap and neither can he lol.:rolleyes:

I think his bike was as fast as mine except for on the packed sand where we both got tons of traction and no whoops to throw you off. We'll just have to see how much better I do the next time when I have no more slop on my shift shaft and I can shift worth a damn:grr:

K2Snow

02-02-2004, 10:47 AM

310R, give me a call next time you're out at Pismo. I'm 10 times better than I was last time we rode together.

310Rduner

02-02-2004, 04:15 PM

Yeah I'd bet considering you get to ride 3+times a week at least:grr: :blah:

You'll have to try my bike out again.. its an entirely different beast. It does 4th-5th gear wheelies just under acceleration.. without slipping the clutch or anything:devil: I just can't get it to hook up that well in the sand.. spins the tires like mad.

I posted a thread the last time I went but I lost your cell number and forgot to pm you in the rush to pack lol.

InsAyneROostin

02-02-2004, 07:56 PM

I like my 400ex for the sand, a nice even powerband, it's mildish power for riders like me (I have maybe 45 hours total riding time, still learning the machine) and its ease to wheelie! it jumps like a dream too. Though i've only jumped one other machine ever which was an...86 R i think. might have been an '88 but i dunno. The R had an esr pipe and a 289 or something bore on it. it may have been a stroker but hey. That bike jumped like a son of a b1tch! and it was a bit hard keepin the front end down out at winchester bay dunes when I was climbin banshee hill. had 9 paddle haulers on it. But I'm not a two-stroke guy and i don't know much about them so I'll keep it short (right.) I love my 400ex more than anything on the sand though. it handles great, rides great, nice power and TORQUE for climbing and racin hills. this is my opinion and thanks. Peace.

DirtyGirl

02-02-2004, 08:28 PM

Sorry I thought you were comparing 2 strokes to 4 strokes. Yes, 2 of everything on the intake/combustion/exaust for the banshee does get a lil pricey.

Hey 310, if you're racing on the wet sand at pismo, I hope you're at least going all the way to the south end for your drags. They keep making pismo smaller and smaller and people doing drags in an area with a 15mph speed limit doesn't help our cause any. At least if you're out at the south end, there's not as many people to watch you ignore the rules, but then it only takes a few bad apples to ruin it for everybody.

00Banshee

02-03-2004, 02:20 PM

Originally posted by AndrewRRR
Sounds like he needs riding lessons or blew all $12K on chrome. YFZ's are cool and can hang with piped banshees, and I'm glad companies are making fast bikes again, but I have yet to see a 80+hp YFZ let alone one hovering around the 100hp mark (which is quite easy with that kind of money in a 'shee.)
The main advantage I've seen between the YFZ's and banshees is the YFZ has great suspension so you can just keep the throttle pinned up the hill while banshees have to let off because of their horrible suspension or to keep the front end down. Both those can be fixed with shocks and a swingarm though.

I am thinking the same thing. I have a few bucks wrapped up in my shee and it will take a heck of a modded YFZ to hang on the strip or in the trails. It has aftermarket shocks, a-arms and swingarm. So keep it pinned and go. :)

I am just ready for the snow to melt so we can all get back out there and go riding.

416rider

02-03-2004, 03:32 PM

Ds 650s in the dunes in CA are slugs they are notas good as anyone says for the sand they are only good for baja races.:devil:

AndrewRRR

02-03-2004, 07:39 PM

Originally posted by 416rider
Ds 650s in the dunes in CA are slugs they are notas good as anyone says for the sand they are only good for baja races.:devil:

I always thought the same thing, aren't they huge and heavy with less power than a craptor?

310Rduner

02-05-2004, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by DirtyGirl
Sorry I thought you were comparing 2 strokes to 4 strokes. Yes, 2 of everything on the intake/combustion/exaust for the banshee does get a lil pricey.

Hey 310, if you're racing on the wet sand at pismo, I hope you're at least going all the way to the south end for your drags. They keep making pismo smaller and smaller and people doing drags in an area with a 15mph speed limit doesn't help our cause any. At least if you're out at the south end, there's not as many people to watch you ignore the rules, but then it only takes a few bad apples to ruin it for everybody.

Yeah we were at the very south end, only going as far as like a 1 pole drag. It was a pretty dead weakend with few campers out. Normally I won't speed like that but there was no one around, including rangers. I'm pretty responsible out there, we just had a good 20 mins or so when no one was around where we could do it safely.

K2Snow

02-05-2004, 10:33 PM

Yea, and it pretty dead on the weekdays. I went out today with NORCAL400, we were like 2 our of the 20 people there. Saw more rangers than people probably. Rangers now have a dune buggy, guys on utility quads, and guys riding z400s. hardcore...

AndrewRRR

02-06-2004, 02:37 PM

Originally posted by DirtyGirl
Sorry I thought you were comparing 2 strokes to 4 strokes. Yes, 2 of everything on the intake/combustion/exaust for the banshee does get a lil pricey.

At first they cost more than other bikes. But when all is said and done it's usually the cheapest way to big power. If I had as much in my banshee as I have in my R there wouldn't be a bike around short of my engine builder's triple that could touch it.

02-14-2004, 08:00 PM

If I rode out in the dunes (I wish i could) I would like either a Nice Banshee with everything you could possible put on it,or a highly modded& chromed 250r:devil: :D

K2Snow

02-15-2004, 03:01 AM

i like to jump a lot and it's like i hardly ever see any 2 strokes jumping, they stick to the drags... seems to be that the bigger bore 4 strokes are the way to go nowadays for all around play

AndrewRRR

02-15-2004, 11:57 AM

Originally posted by K2Snow
i like to jump a lot and it's like i hardly ever see any 2 strokes jumping, they stick to the drags

Ever seen any of the first 5 Huevos videos? lol
Jumping ability pretty much depends on suspension and weight. The new 4 strokes are getting lighter, but still not down to the weight of a 250r.
The torque of 4 strokes is nice if you aren't gonna be on the pipe all the time and want to lug it once in a while. I'm looking into a YFZ for a "play bike".

hondaexryda

02-15-2004, 09:29 PM

4stroke would be ,ds650 it is sick, can make it up any hills STOCK, most comfortable ride, and yfz450 also is fast stock, banshee has quick power off the line

cr500r

02-15-2004, 10:04 PM

well, if your looking for two wheels, id have to go with a cr500.great suspention, plenty of power, easy to work on, and its a honda. id like to see a shee beat that!

K2Snow

02-16-2004, 02:15 PM

I am a very small guy, the DS650 is way too big. I sat on one the other day. I'd like to go two wheels, but I'm afraid I'll kill myself on one. I'm already jumping too high how it is on a stock 300. Seriously, as small as I am, if I jumped a bike I would flyyyyy. Dunno if I'm even tall enough to ride one!

AndrewRRR

02-16-2004, 06:32 PM

Originally posted by cr500r
well, if your looking for two wheels, id have to go with a cr500.great suspention, plenty of power, easy to work on, and its a honda. id like to see a shee beat that!

CR500's are pretty fun dune bikes. They aren't that hard to beat though, built shees can take them. Quads usually have a traction advantage in the sand, even with a paddle tire on the bike, though bikes have a weight advantage.
I'd rather have a quad in the dunes, the front tends to wash out a lot on bikes when trail riding or going down hills in the sand.

foleyit

02-18-2004, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by K2Snow
How does a Banshee compare to a 250R motor? I love the 2 strokes but I really don't think I wanna buy one. For one, that will severely limit my riding time cause of the red sticker deal here in California.

You say you want a 2 stroke, but want to ride all year round. You can still get a green stickered 2 stroke if you buy one that is 1996 or older. 1996 or older are exempt from our Red Sticker law here in Cali.

Banshee vs. 250r motor? I've had the priviliege of riding both quads and hearing my friend's stories. Both are great motors the potential to build really comes down to what can you afford and how do you plan on using the quad. As long as you don't get too crazy you can still use them to ride in the dunes.

I myself will perdiodically ride a 2 stroke, but find it to be a lot of work to always keep the rpms up on them.

Quadaholic

02-18-2004, 09:13 PM

Actgually any 2-stroke 2002 or older is green sticker here in Cali. 96 was the pre-grandfather law that went into effect in July 2003.

AndrewRRR

02-18-2004, 09:18 PM

Originally posted by foleyit
You say you want a 2 stroke, but want to ride all year round. You can still get a green stickered 2 stroke if you buy one that is 1996 or older. 1996 or older are exempt from our Red Sticker law here in Cali.

Banshee vs. 250r motor? I've had the priviliege of riding both quads and hearing my friend's stories. Both are great motors the potential to build really comes down to what can you afford and how do you plan on using the quad. As long as you don't get too crazy you can still use them to ride in the dunes.

Whats the sticker deal? Need certain stickers to ride in certain seasons? That sucks! I hope they don't do it here in Oregon.
If you wanna go sick-fast (now or eventually), get a 2 stroke and the sky's the limit. If you want a 'hit the button and go' or 'ride it hard and put it away wet' machine get a 4 stroke. The newer 4 strokes are getting more race-inspired, it'll be interesting to see what the future holds.

310Rduner

02-18-2004, 09:34 PM

Originally posted by AndrewRRR
Whats the sticker deal? Need certain stickers to ride in certain seasons? That sucks! I hope they don't do it here in Oregon.
If you wanna go sick-fast (now or eventually), get a 2 stroke and the sky's the limit. If you want a 'hit the button and go' or 'ride it hard and put it away wet' machine get a 4 stroke. The newer 4 strokes are getting more race-inspired, it'll be interesting to see what the future holds.

More 4 strokes getting their asses kicked is my prediction.

:macho

K2Snow

02-19-2004, 12:06 AM

Originally posted by 310Rduner
More 4 strokes getting their asses kicked is my prediction.

:macho

I don't know about that, there are some YFZ450s out at Pismo putting a whooping on them 2 strokes. Except of course the the dragged out 2 strokes. YFZ seems to be the all around bike to beat.

310Rduner

02-19-2004, 03:57 AM

Originally posted by K2Snow
I don't know about that, there are some YFZ450s out at Pismo putting a whooping on them 2 strokes. Except of course the the dragged out 2 strokes. YFZ seems to be the all around bike to beat.

A Properly TUNED big bore 250R, or properly tuned banshee don't have much problems with them. I as a horrible drag racer can barely beat the esr piped yfz's:grr: Need to work on my shifting, and get an extended swinger to keep my front end down.

foleyit

02-19-2004, 08:57 AM

Originally posted by AndrewRRR
Whats the sticker deal? Need certain stickers to ride in certain seasons? That sucks!

California has some crazy emissions law in place for OHV. 2-stroke Dirt bikes or quads manufactured on or after January 1, 1997 receive a Red Sticker. Red sticker quads and dirt bikes can only be ridden during certain times thoughout the year. There is Red Sticker open riding schedule.

http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21928

All 2 strokes manufactured before 1997 and ALL 4 strokes get a green sticker and they get to ride all year round.

AndrewRRR

02-19-2004, 09:19 AM

Originally posted by foleyit
California has some crazy emissions law in place for OHV. 2-stroke Dirt bikes or quads manufactured on or after January 1, 1997 receive a Red Sticker. Red sticker quads and dirt bikes can only be ridden during certain times thoughout the year. There is Red Sticker open riding schedule.

That really bites. Of course it's us 2-stroke riders causing the emissions problems in Cali with our 200-500cc motors. Couldn't possibly be the hundreds of thousands of soccer moms in their road-going Excursions sitting in gridlock huh?