mavbike

Idle going up and down is usualy an air leak. Check cylinder base gaskets the same way you checked the carbs and boots.

The pros also use a flow bench. Through trial and error, they have learned how many cc of air flow through a port works best at what RPM. Larger ports perform better at higher rpm, but you loose low end. Think of it like drinking coke through a straw, or trying to drink coke through a garden hose. Yes the garden hose will flow more, but it takes a lot more effort to get it going. 4-stroke is much easier because the port size does not affect timing. For mild port work, or a clean-up, I would be confident doing it myself. All you are realy doing is gasket matching, removing sharp edges, smoothing the angles and removing any casting marks or obstructions, to allow more airflow. That type of stuff is taken care of with a "mild" port. This will show a definate improvement over stock. I have also seen some 2-strokes with huge casting marks in the ports. Changing the port size or major changes in port shape without knowing exactly what your are doing ,,,,you may actualy hurt performance. Having a template to work with (and a lot of patience to follow the template exactly) you should still be able to make a strong improvement over stock. But I most likely will not be as good a job as a proffesional. When you do it youself,,,,you are getting the benifit of a mild port job. When you pay the Pro,,,you are paying for years of trial, error, and experience. You should be getting the best gold plated port job for your application. If you look close at the tope of the ports on red's port job, and then look at the pics above,,,you can see where the top of the port has been raised on the pics above. (That means the timing has been changed slightly.) Not saying good or bad,,,,,Just pointing it out for some of the people that were asking about port picks.

Anyway....I want a Banshee. I've been doing a lot of research and feel that with the right combination of parts, I can still ride in the woods. I'm not a rock crawling, mud bogging rider, I just like trail riding. Our state park has LOTS of sand and dirt open areas and lots of semi-rocky/soft and hard packed dirt trails with moderate hills. Anyone else have experience in setting up a banshee for conditions like this? Thanks. I purchased a Banshee used. Live in Louisiana and only ride trails. Mud and sand. We also go to Wolf-Pen in Arkansas several times a year (taking the Shee for the first time this spring). Banshee already had cool head and PC pipes with stock carbs, and the K&N filter kit with no lid on the air box, when purchased. I don't think it has any port work (haven't had to open'er up yet, so no idea what is in the motor). I'm guessing around 20-21cc domes on the cool head, because it runs good on (Exxon Supreme) pump gas. I put new Kenda 21" tires up front and Kenda Bear Claw 22" on the rear. The larger tires gave much better ground clearance, especialy riding rutted 4x4 trails. I have no problem riding slow in first gear with the wife and kids. Geared 14/41 now. Next step will be new chain and sprockets with 13/41 gearing. (Need to be able to go just a little slower when following wife.) With this combo, I can run pump gas. The trails we ride, I rarely get to 4th gear unless just cruising. It has more power than traction. Off the corners now, I slide my weight back and don't gass it all at once, in order to get better traction/acceleration. In 1st-3rd if I stab the throttle all at once, it just spins. Anyway, based on my limited experience with this combination, for trail riding, I would keep the stock carbs, go with pipes and jetting. Then I would put some money in the suspension before I worried about more power. (I got lucky, mine already had +2/+1 A-arms, +4 axle, TCS shocks and a steering damper, when I got it.)

If you are a good rider, or very agressive and will learn fast, the Banshee is a hoot for trail riding. That is all I do. Don't race, no sand, just trails. Love the Shee :geek: . When I ride with the wife and kids, I have no problem riding slow enough for the three year old to ride with me (he wears helmet and goggles just like dad) :biggrin: . But neither is a good choice for a beginer or someone that is not verry aggresive. As far as maintenance, I have been riding two strokes for years. Maintenance is easy. People buying the new "race" four strokes, thinking they are going to be like the trail bikes (honda XR's or Quads, EX's) are in for some surprises. With the higher rpm the new 4-strokes are turning, they are not lasting much if any longer than a 2-stroke. The 4-strokes have routine valve checks/adjustments. When one needs a top-end, you are looking at piston and rings (just like a 2-stroke) AND valves, springs, locks, possibly machine work on the head...ect. The only real advantage to the four stroke for every day Joe, is a wider, easier to control, power band that does not take as much energy to ride. Giggles and grins per dollar, I'll take the Shee :beer:

Redline on a four stroke is just before the valves begin to float. In other words, it is not safe to go past redline because it can grenade. Two strokes don't have that problem. Due to port timing/positioning, reeds, engine design, a two stroke will only rev so far. If it quits making power at 9500rpm, then there is just no point in waiting later to shift. If you look at the dyno charts mentioned before, one motor does rev further than the other. It just shows how the design was changed so one motor will pull to a higher rpm. I'm sure a 2-stroke could be reved to the point where there is a crank or rod failure, but on an engine in good condition, that is just not likely to happen without outside enfluence (nos, water/alcahol injection...ect.). Based on Vito's chart showing a "stock" vs 4* advanced engine, I would say the shift point for a stock Banshee is around 9400-9500rpm. The motor will rev past that in neutral, but under a load, it is not going to rev very far past that because the power abruptly drops off, it will just quit pulling. Most of us don't have a tach to tell us when to shift, so we shift by feel/sound. Hope that answers your question. :biggrin: By the way,,,thanks to the person that posted the Vito's Dyno chart,,,that with the gear chart, says my Shee will run somewhere close to 80-85mph. Anyone got a dyno chart with stock motor, PC pipes, filter, and cool head???

Give some in-put on intended use. For me it was a combination of reasons. 1) I like 2-strokes. 2) Power,,,,I only ride for play, why not have the most power available. 3) Cost, both up-front, and long-term. I got a used Shee for a price I could afford, now. I plan to keep it for years. Sooner or later, they all have to be re-built. I think the Shee will last as long, or at least close to as long as the new race 4-strokes. Come time for a rebuild, I won't be buying valves, springs, locks, cams, machine work on the head. I only have to buy two pistons and rings. If a shee has to be bored, it's iron sleeve, $30 per cylinder, done here local. 4) Now that I got a Banshee,,,,Holy Krap,,,see #2. I normaly ride 2-stroke bikes, but here is a quad that will hang with the bikes as long as you can hang onto it. (I still ride bikes, wanted a quad to ride with wife and kids) My Shee only has pipes, filter kit (no lid), and cool head. Haven't been into the motor, but as far as I know, no port-work, no other mods to the engine. Stock carbs. As far as what the top racers are riding,,,,they will ride what they get paid to ride, which is what the factory most wants to sell. The best rideres are going to win on whatever they ride. They all (quads) have good and bad. You just have to pick what is most important to you. The money some of the people on this board have spent on their bikes, tells me they could probably afford to ride whatever they wanted. They chose the Shee for a reason. Some of them have both, and still say they won't give-up their Shee. I'm keeping mine. You just have to decide what you want. :beer:

Shreveport La,,,bike running, but working bugs out now. What type of track set-up? Most people around this area are set up for trails, mud, a few MX, very few flat track. Class divisions based on set-up may draw more people?

Title and registration laws are different in different states. It is my understanding that some states still don't title off road vehicles. Some states started titling more recently. For Louisiana, you can make a statement before a notary that you have been in possession and get a title, but only for vehicles older than like 1980 or 1982 (I don't remember cut-off date). Anyway, check your DMV's web-sight. It usualy has more information than the person behind the counter. They have regulations they are expected to follow. Sometimes, you can come in with a printout of the regs from the web-sight, and git neat stuff done (like street title for 1996 KDX200 2-smoke). :biggrin:

Post more pics!!! I need a larger tank also. First trail ride, I ran out of gas after only about 35 or 40 miles. Next Arkansas trip will be in spring. We ride 80 miles or more sometimes, before making it back by camp for fuel. I will have to have a bigger tank and/or carry a gas can!! Want something that looks (and fits) right though.

Trying to piece together (my first Banshee) on a budget. X-mas comming, kids to feed, Whaaaa,,,,Whaaa. Anyway, need thumb throttle housing (mine broken, previous owner crash damage). Anyone have an extra for cheap?????

Another vote for Garmin E-Trex. Dialitic (spelled wrong I'm sure) grease on ends of batteries. Can get it at any auto-zone. I use it on all electrical connections and on spark-plug cap too. Helps water-proof and on the batteries it helps keep from getting carbon tracking at the terminals, from the batteries bouncing. (Carbon tracking is that black stuff, like on you slot-car track, that you had to clean off with pencil eraser and rubbing alcahol.) :geek:

Anytime I work on rear axle (and on all of my own quads) I clean the nuts and axle with carb cleaner. Then take a Sharpie (permanent black marker) and draw a straight line across both nuts and on the axle. The mark will usualy last through quite a few washings. As long as the mark lasts, you can tell at a glance if anything has moved or started to loosen.

OUTSTANDING, I just got my first Banshee (been riding/working on bikes for years) and joined this forum mainly so I could learn about what other people had already tried, what worked, what didn't, and some of those tips and tricks that are not in the service manual. Walk throughs with pics, in addition to the service manual would really be helpfull for those that have no experience working on stuff!!

Blipping the throttle helps keep the plugs from loading at idle. Stock motor, and/or cast pistons, are usualy safe. Forged pistons, be carefull until the motor gets good and warm. Forged pistons expand more. Reving the motor will heat the piston, but the cylinder takes longer to heat and expand. If clearances are tight, the piston can expand until it is actualy the same size as the cylinder (cold seize). Often there will be accelerated wear and damage to the piston and cylinder that you may not even be aware of. Your top-end just won't last as long as it could. For a drag motor, I usualy build toward the loose side. For a long term (lot of hours/miles between top ends) I go toward the tight side. But if the motor is tight, always warm it up good before you run it. That doesn't mean you can't blip the throttle while it is warming, just stay in the lower RPM ranges and don't load the motor until it get's warm. Warming the motor first is why I get 2-3 years out of a top end while a friend of mine rarely gets a full year (even though we both clean air filters after almost every ride and we both get close to the same amount of riding time).

Thanks for the in-put! Riding by myself I would want a higher gear just so I didn't have to shift as often. Wife broke her ankle riding in Arkansas (Wofpen Gap) last fall and now she is gun-shy. First needs to be low enough that I can trail-ride with her and the kids. Right now with 14/41 and small tires it is almost perfect. New tires are in,,,don't have them mounted yet. I got the Kenda Bear Claws (22"). I hope I can still set the bike up to carry enough weight on the front, so it can still break these loose to slide around corners. Thought these would be good for mud and sand in Louisiana and still be OK for our Arkansas trips (clay and rocks).

Factory recomendation is usualy conservative to allow for bad gas, lower quality oil...ect. I'm new to the Banshee,,just got my first one a few weeks ago. Been riding 2-smoke dirt bikes for years. Maxima 927 mixed 40:1 has been good luck for me. It doesn't carbon up the power valve like some oils and I can usualy get two years or more out of a top-end. Banshee (unless moded) doesn't have power valves to worry about,,,but I plan to keep using the same oil at the same ratio and see how it works.

Sounds funny, but WD-40 is mostly solvent. I buy it by the gallon. Spray filter with WD and it penetrates the filter oil and starts breaking it up. Then wash with dawn in the kitchen sink. Let sit over-night to dry. If you want to test for proof, put a gob of greese somewhere and spray the greese with WD, watch how it starts to disolve.

New to Banshee, but been building 2-smokes for years. I'm lazy. Save Just a few bucks for new rubbers,,or,, spend a few bucks more for cheap insurance that I don't have to tear it apart again any-time soon. I vote for the cheap insurance. If you go with Wiseco,,, make sure it is bored for a forged piston. (Forged expand more than cast and so need more clearance or a slightly larger bore.) Most of the better machine shops will want the piston in advance so they can make sure the cylinder is bored for the correct clearance. (You may check their prices if they order the piston also. The local guy I deal with will order the piston/s for me and then charges me about what I would have to pay for the piston/s but without the shipping. Shipping isn't much, but every penny counts. O.K. so I'm a tight-wad and I'm lazy.) As far as Wiseco being the best,,,, not everyone agrees on that,,,, but from 2-strokes, 4-strokes, Dirt-track (automotive) and drag-strip (automotive), I have never had a piston failure with Wiseco (that did not envolve a dropped valve or high RPM lean-out). One time I even had a drag-strip motor drop a valve and the piston was still intact, but the cylinder wall split. If I'm spending my money, I'll buy Wiseco. Good Luck with the re-build!!

Have not tested with guage. Right now, even with shorter kick arm, it does not have as much compression as my buddy's RZ350 with stock pistons/head/cylinder. Due to bigger domes or wore out pistons/rings??? I don't know. I run Exxon Supreme mixed 40:1 with Maxima Castor 927 in all of my 2-smokes. The guy that had the bike before me was using lawn-mower/weed-eater oil. He basicaly knew nothing about bikes and just let it go,,,including letting it set out in the weather, so I have a lot of work to do. I would like to do a tear-down inspection, but it starts and runs clean with no strange noises right now. Very limited funds and it needs chain/sprockets, thumb throttle housing, and some other stuff first. When I do a tear-down, are the domes stamped for chamber size,,,or is there a way to tell. On all the other two strokes I have dealt with,,,if the octane was too low, it would clatter under a load,,,especialy below the power band. Thanks for the advice!!!

Thanks for the response. Ordered the 22"s because I was getting hung up in ruts going DOWN hill. If an uphill was rutted and you couldn't straddled them, zig-zag across, or get a good running start,,,,forget it. I love the power on this thing though.

Another newbie here. (New to Banshee anyway). Recently purchased 2002 Banshee. It has cool head (dome size unknown), PC platinum pipes, TCS shocks all around, wider axle, lengthended A-arms, stock front rims with smaller tires, real small turf tamers on rear (on bead lock wheels) on rear. It appears to have been set up for MX. Sprockets now are 14T front and 41T rear. The previous owner backed all the way off of pre-load on front and rear to get the quad as low as possible. First changes will be spark arrestor silencers and larger tires. I ordered 20 (height) for the fronts and 22 for the rear. It will be use for trail riding with very rare (maybe 3 or 4 times a year) trips to the mx track for play. Here is my question. What size spockets do I need to order (am thinking 13/42)? I want first to be low enough to put-put with the guys on 4x4's. (The way it is geared right now, with the little tires, is almost perfect, maybe 1-tooth to small on rear.) Is anyone out there running 22" on the rear,,,,that may be able to offer advice. Not concerned about top-end speed. I want to set up like my bike. I can almost walk beside it in 1st. With 5 gears left, it is still plenty fast for tight woods and mountains. Thanks for any suggestions!