BlackBeast

What does Michael Jackson have in common with caviar? They both cum on little white crackers.

Don't worry, they're all safe.... They have tire chocks in the front :biggrin: .

Where are you shipping from / to? I'm out in Colorado, might be heading to Virginia in September with a trailer. If it's along the way, I might be able to help out. -Tim

There are ways to make 2 strokes cleaner, but wether or not they can pass CA emissions is a tough call. We could do a combination of direct-injection for the fuel delivery, pair it with a lean burn setup on the ignition, then top it off with some sort of catalytic converter. The big issue here is keeping the cost down, but I have a few ideas on that. Worst case, we could offer a 4-stroke on the street edition only. There is also the possibility of building a 2-stroke that would run on diesel, or at least be categorized as a diesel. This gives you much more flexibility when it comes to emissions. Not sure what technical hurdles would be involved in this, though. Advertising can be expensive, but there are some extremely effective ways of getting the word out without breaking the bank. For instance, when my street Banshee is done, I'll be taking it to Daytona Bike Week, as well as Sturgis. Tell me that won't draw some attention. Not just from the participants, but those events always have magazine coverage. Again, don't short-change ourselves by thinking this is a "dirt-wheels only" crowd. If we're going to market to the "custom rides" market, Daytona and Sturgis are both gold mines. You can bet the same guys that drop $40k on a custom Harley would spend $20k or more easily for something even more wild. And I wouldn't be surprised if my quad ends up in SportBike, Iron Horse, or any other custom bike magazine... Even if it is just a photo in passing. Another avenue to get attention is to participate in the SEMA shows. It's not that hard to get into. Registration for the event will run about $2500, plus the cost of putting together a kick-ass display. Again, not only do you get attention at the show, but lots and lots of magazine coverage from just about every automotive market out there.

Ben, If you're serious about this, I'll start researching the paperwork. I have been seriously considering starting a business along these same lines anyways, this will give me the excuse to get off my ass and do something. What do you guys think of the name "Phoenix Customs". Phoenix - a mythical bird that dies in flames and is reborn from the ashes. Sounds kind of fitting.... Oh yeah... And I know a guy that does frames, and would probably cut us a real good deal. He builds the SandMaster frames for Banshees, but I'll bet he'd be willing to also do road, track, and whatever else you want. -Tim

Also something to consider... Why not start a small company and build just a few pilot models to see how they go over? I've been researching DOT regulations for over two years trying to figure out how to get mine street legal, and came across a ton of useful info. Starting up a business is actually easy, and would only cost a couple hundred bucks for the paperwork. From there, do a few quads with custom frames but use aftermarket parts for the complicated stuf... like motor and suspension. This way replacement parts are easy to come by. Just look at S&S, OCC, West Coast Choppers, etc... They're basically making copycat Harleys with custom frames / bodywork. If we have anyone that can build frames for us and issue an MSO (Manufacturer's Statement of Origin), you can issue a title for each one you build. I can help out with the legal issues for getting everything DOT approved. What you do is get all of the paperwork done first, before you even build the first frame. That way you find out right away if everything is allowed before you spend any money on hardware. Since mine is already street legal, I can use that for safety testing in the DOT paperwork. In terms of emissions testing, the big problem there isn't so much with the oil, it's with the unburnt gas. A catalytic converter of some sort might get it down within tolerances. The other option is to actually go for a "motorcycle" classification. As of now, the laws are against this since it has 4 wheels, however there is a loophole. The federal DOT regulations allow exemptions for safety standards if you can prove that your "new" design is a significant improvement over whatever the current standard is. So you do a head-to-head comparison of a motorcycle, a trike, and my legalized Banshee in acceleration, cornering, and braking. Obviously the 'Shee will smoke the others because of more contact patch between the tires and asphalt and a lower center of gravity. So you apply for the exemption, citing the fourth wheel as a "safety modification" to standard motorcycles, thus getting federal approval for a "moto-quad" design. At this point any manufacturer with an MSO can build street-legal frames. Best of all, with federal approval, the individual states can't ban them anymore. Motorcycles are exempt from emissions testing, and thier safety requirements are much less stringent. I've done my homework, trust me on this...

Interesting idea. Not sure how Yamaha would react, though. They might get upset and think you're stepping on thier pee-pee in terms of patents or copyrights on the design. Of course, if they're not building it anyways, maybe they won't care. -Tim

Or in this case, a Banshee.... hahaha... Okay, back to the topic... I guess asking what it's worth was a stupid question, since there's not really anything to compare it to. But how about parts. Anyone have some of the stuff I need that you're willing to get rid of?Thanks in advance. :shoothead: Guess I could start a buildup thread, if anyone is interested. -Tim

I can definitely tell you that it draws attention, both good and bad. Believe it or not, the cops thought it was cool, it was other drivers that were pissed. I was only pulled over once in 6 months, but the guy was cool with it. He just wanted to check and make sure the paperwork was legit. Keep in mind, I was also riding VERY cafefully.... Not being an ass and pulling wheelies and burnouts all over. And if you do get pulled over, be extremely polite (obviously...). Anyways, I can't tell you exactly how to do it for two reasons. 1) Someone might hurt themselves and try to sue me for it, and 2) It will depend a lot on where you live. That second part only matters when you first file the paperwork. Once you get a clean title that says it's roadworthy, you should be able to take it anywhere and register, as long as you can pass emissions and stuff. Unfortunately, since it is a "Dune Buggy" and not a "motorcycle", you are bound by whatever inspections a normal passenger vehicle requires. That being said, here's a general outline: **** NOTE: I claim NO responsibility of any kind for how you use this information! **** (^^^Me being paranoid, sorry guys....) To start with, you'll have to have a valid title. Even if it says "OHV-Not for Highway Use", that's fine. The best thing to do is find a copy of all the DOT regulations for your area online and print them off. Go through them one-by-one. Highlight the regulations that pertain to you, and cross out the ones that don't. Take notes on the ones that you don't think apply, writing down why you think they don't apply. Be extremely logical, because you'll have to convince the lady at the DMV to see it your way. There are several states that have specific laws that say something like, "any four wheeled vehicle in which the rider straddles the seat can not be registered". This obviously targets ATV's specifically. You may get lucky and have a DMV rep that doesn't know this, but most do. In that case you're at a dead-end. If you have your ducks in order and your paperwork is filled out correctly, they should be able to issue you a new title that gets rid of the "Not for Highway Use" designator, which means you should be able to register it anywhere (in theory....).

Correct... Sort of. 3 Wheels or less in order to be titled as a "Motorcycle". I think the single rear wheel looks a little strange, so I wanted to keep four wheels. I found some loopholes in the DOT regulations, so now it's titled as a "Dune Buggy" instead. I'm definitely fixing it. Just need to figure out where to focus the effort. -Tim

I've got a Street Legal 2000 Banshee that I'm rebuilding from the ground-up. The paperwork is already done for title / registration, and I was driving it on the road for a few months before the motor blew... (which is why it's now being rebuilt). Anyways, I'm wondering about how much it will be worth when it's done, so I know how much to sink into mods and appearance without loosing my a$$ if I have to sell it later on. So far, here are the parts/pieces I've already got: 670cc Rotax Hinson Clutch Basket Billet Lockout Clutch +10 Swingarm DOT Approved Tires Custom LED brake lights/turn signals Lowering Kit Still want / need: 39mm PWKs +2 A-Arms +? Rear axle Better Tires / Wheels Custom Seat / Plastics Rear Carrier Steering Stabilizer What should I spend my money on, and what should I not waste it on? Also, if you have any of the parts I still need, let me know. If you cut me a good deal, I'll let you take her for a spin when she's all finished. I'm hoping that when it's all finished, I'll be able to get about as much as a really nice custom bike. Possibly more since it's an extremely unique machine. Any thoughts? :shrug:

No problem, thanks anyways.

What kind of street tires are they, and could you please send pics to [email protected]? Thanks!

I may be interested in the two gear racks from the transmission, if they're in good shape and you're willing to part with them. Mine still works, but a couple of the gears in are getting loose. I'm hoping to replace them while it's apart. I can also send you my old gear sets so you have something to at least sell with the case. Thanks! [email protected] -Tim

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. Can I replace just the gears, or am I going to need new shafts as well? Also, any recommendations on where to get them?

Swapping my transmission over to a new motor in a new case, but noticed a couple of the gears have a little "wiggle" to them. How do I know for sure if they're worn bad enough to replace? What are the factory tolerances? Thanks!

Could you please send me a pic of the rear axle and A-Arms, just in case ceojab doesn't want them? ([email protected]) Thanks.

Wow.. Nice. That blemish doesn't look too bad. I wonder if you could buff that out?

Yup... It's a Rotax..

I know a guy out in Nebraska that builds drag 'Shees for a living. He's been hooking me up with sweet deals on all kinds of stuff for my build. Here are some pics of stuff he's working on. If you're still looking, let me know and I'll give him a call for you. -Tim www.ATVColorado.com

I may be interested. What year is it, what mods (if any), and how much do you want for it? I really only need the motor, as long as the case is good. So if you're willing to part it out, let me know what you want for just the motor. Thanks! -BB

I'm interested in the cases, if you still have them. Thanks! -Tim