BenBB

OEM is $136?! Holy crap! You could almost buy a PAIR of Douglas or ITP front rims and have them powdercoated black for that much! Well maybe not quite but close. If you don't find one here or on ebay, and you really want to have black rims, a Douglas rolled-edge rim will probably be the closest thing to stock, then you'd just have to get it powdercoated...

OK, I've been working on this here and there for a while but when the HQ went down I had nothing else to do, so I think I got it about 90% done. I need everyone who can help to check it out for me, and let me know what is wrong, missing, or needs to be changed. It is LONG, about 20 pages, but I think I got about everything covered. Here's the link: Banshee Electrical FAQ-early version I'll get the missing data out of my Clymer's manual, but I need: From Meat or anyone else: some good pics of the stator, coil, etc. From Blacksmith, Boonman or anyone else: a short explanation of how this shit actually works (like how the coil steps up voltage-thanks Boonman I'll get it in there). From anyone: errors, omissions, and any good links that I should add. Thanks everyone who has time to check it out, hopefully it will be useful to someone... *edit* I added some color-coded wiring diagrams and a few links...

No doubt, Yamahammer did an awesome job, just got mine and it is bad ass.

YES! Thanks Lee!! I was lost without the HQ, but I did get about 90% done with a Banshee Electrical FAQ...

That's great Meat! Hope that was the whole problem. As for the remaining connectors, if you've got spark with them unplugged then you should be safe cutting them off. Testing they way you are doing it now is a good idea tho. Good luck.

Evil, this next one will be my third desert race...ever. Will do J.J., when's your next one? And when are you gonna post some pics of that African race action? I'd love to see some and hear what it's like over there...alot longer and more difficult I'm sure. I remember seeing the official race link you posted a year or two ago but never saw many pics other than the trucks...

My last race here? Wasn't what I thought it would be but I had fun... The track we race TT on (once a month Sept-April, same day as the MX track right next to the TT track) is set up on a 3/8 mile dirt oval, we start on the front stretch, take the big semi-banked sweeper, hairpin into the infield for 3 rolling singles and 4 hairpins. This race was a night race during the Monster Truck show, so these guys wanted to put on a show for the crowd (not sure what the hell was wrong with the old track layout), so they levelled the old track and put in a "mini-MX" track...all it was was a hairpin BEFORE the sweeper, a small double (like 10' gap), two small singles, another double, a hairpin onto the front straight and a large single. So after I got there and saw the track I had to take it from TT setup back to MX/desert; take off the swaybar, raise the front & adjust the shocks, take off the rear lowering link & adjust the shock...in the parking lot. They advertised a little bit, they flyers said $300 purse. I showed up and my buddy Matt from Alamogordo was there on his Z400, he just finished doing a 13.5:1 piston, cam, Ohlins fronts, Lonestar +3 axle, and Lake gray plastics on it. His friend John was there with a KFX400, sporting a-arms and Custom Axis fronts, and a Lonestar +2 axle. Nobody else that usually races TT showed up. A couple other guys did, Chuck from Alamo Cycle Center on a stock YFZ450, his friend on a built 440ex, and a blue Banshee. The only other entry was a bone stock black LE Banshee that the guy bought a month before. At the riders meeting they asked if we wanted to get paid for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd or just split up the pot...the entry was only 5 bucks so everyone decided just to split it up. The stands were full tho, and after the monster trucks screwed around a little bit we were up for the first of two motos. I got the holeshot and after the first time around, lapped John and the 440ex, who collided on the first hairpin and both stalled, they got going after I passed but I could hear Matt's Yoshi pipe thundering right behind me. On about the 4th lap (out of 4) I got into lap traffic, the blue Banshee was rolling the doubles so I had to, sure enough Matt got around and took the lead. I chased him but couldn't pass, and when John got between us his lead got larger. Matt got first and I finished second. After the first moto we got to talking and Matt said his battery fell out...I saw something gray plastic on the track and tried to miss it but turns out the plastic bucket that holds the battery on his new plastic dropped out along with the battery. Oops. We retrieved the battery but the terminal was ripped out of the battery, so there was no fixin' it. It ran without the battery so we figured we could pull start it, as the clouds built up it looked like it would rain so the Monster Truck guys told us we were up right after the freestyle dirt bikes, I pulled Matt around the whole pit area and it wouldn't start, so he was out. We lined up again and the 440ex also didn't race, apparently it wouldn't run right. I grabbed another holeshot and led the whole race. Chuck on the YFZ was in second but a good 40' behind so it wasn't very close. John on the KFX said he couldn't ever get around Chuck so I guess he held him off for me, heh, I finished first, so since Matt didn't race I got the overall. After the race they started splitting up our entry fees and we were like "where's the three hundo?". Finally the Monster Truck guys kicked down with $100 on top of the $35 for all our entries, and the Sertoma boys shelled out another $100. Chuck said he'd donate his winnings (he owns Alamo Cycle), along with his buddy's share, so the other 5 of us left with $47 each. Better than nothing. On a side note, Matt & I talked to the Sertoma guys that run the track and asked when they would let us run quads on the oval on Friday nights with the cars (not at the same time of course). He said he'd check with his insurance and see so hopefully this summer I'll have some ST racin' too, we'll see. I didn't get any pics but at the next race I should get some, there were a few guys on the track taking pictures and I think Matt's girlfriend took some too. Oh yeah, I also found out I got first overall for last season on the TT track in Amateur (had to miss the awards banquet because of Roostfest), so that's cool. That's my story, break down with the Malden info!!!

Stand proud guys, we appreciate it. And don't forget it's Memorial Day weekend, fly those flags and take a moment to remember those that gave their lives for our freedom.

Happy birthday a day late! Yer probably still buzzin'.

Otis, can you get access to her shipping records and/or the computer she used (if she used UPS online)? I use UPS online, and it gives you the option to print a receipt along with the label, the receipt (just a single printed page) has the tracking number on it. If she uses UPS online and you can get on her computer, you can log in to www.ups.com and find it from "recent shipments" or something like that IF she had Windows save the username and password; left click in the username field and hopefully Windows will have saved the password. Last, if you know the local UPS guys and can get the phone number for the terminal, they might be able to find it...

1. Banshee 2. YFZ450 3. '86-'87 TRX250R (I never liked the later ones with the frame-mounted headlight) And the top three UGLIEST!! 1.&2. Tie between Honda TRX450R and Arctic Cat Divx400, both are hideous!! 3. '03 and up Blasters, finally got hydraulic brakes and made the front end so damn ugly.

$18.95 Shipped for the first one, $16.00 more for each additional one...

Yes, a pair of 35W is about the limit for the stock stator output.

A three-fer! Happy birthday Meat_Head! Snow melted up there yet? Happy birthday XTShee! You even get snow in NZ? And happy birthday jsyi too, even tho I don't know who you are...

Have a good one stu! You are taking your Banshee, right? Take it easy mplecha, hope you're back safe.

Thanks led!! I dunno on the Canny ABM, on Banshees the hubs are splined to the axle and held on with a castle nut and cotter pin. I never looked that close at yours so I'm not sure, we can scope it out after practice Saturday if you don't get it on by then, I'll have tools...

OK I didn't answer a couple of yer questions. 1. To check continuity, we're just gonna use the tester to make sure the wire isn't broken somewhere. So unplug the 4-wire connector at the stator and the CDI, and on the INSIDE of the connectors, touch one test lead (black or red, doesn't matter) to the terminal attached to ONE color wire at the stator side (let's say red/white), and with your other hand touch the other test lead to the SAME color (red/white) wire at the CDI connector. If your meter beeps to indicate continuity, and beeps at you, you know that electricity can flow through THAT red/white wire, and you can eliminate that wire from being a problem. Then do the same thing for the other three wires in that connector, and if it beeps on every wire you know you got continuity between the stator and CDI, and a cut wire between those two is NOT the problem. Once you've checked those 4 wires check both ends of the orange wire at the CDI and at the coil and make sure there IS continuity. To test the key circuit, put one test lead on the black/red terminal at the CDI connector, and the other test lead on the ground wire eyelet terminal that bolts to the frame; it SHOULD have continuity. To test the kill switch circuit, put one test lead on the black/white terminal at the CDI connector, and the other test lead on the ground wire eyelet terminal that bolts to the frame; it SHOULD NOT have continuity. 2. If you missed it above, ALL these tests are done without the motor running or trying to kick it over, the parts don't even need to be installed to test for continuity or resistance. 3. When it ran fine and died, yes chances are one of the big things went out, BUT like everything else if something little happened it could do the same thing (like if the ground wire broke). When my CDI went out I was ridin' fine and it quit like someone hit the kill switch, it never fired again. When my stator went out it started to miss and within 20 seconds it died and never fired again (that one I could see when I tore it apart; one of the copper wires that makes the windings had broken at the solder joint). Another time was similar to the stator failure, and only turned out to be the orange wire terminal on the coil had fallen off the coil, a simple matter of crimping the female spade terminal some so it fit on the coil terminal tighter. Since you got a brand new stator and wiring harness, the most likely culprit would be the CDI. The coil is a maybe but they will sometimes give you a high-speed miss as a symptom before they fail; CDI's usually quit without any warning. But you don't wanna shell out another hundo for another CDI if the prob is just a broken wire... 4. To test the stator and eliminate it as a potential failure, you gotta unplug the 4-wire connector at the stator, set the meter to "Ohms", then touch one test lead (let's say red) to the terminal on the red/white wire, and touch the other black test lead to the terminal on the green/white wire. The meter should read like 120 Ohms, or somewhere between 94 and 140. Then move the red test lead to the terminal on the red wire, and the black test lead to the terminal on the green wire; the meter should say 15 Ohms, or somewhere between 13.7 and 20.5. Some meters have different ranges so you might have to switch it to 10Ohms or 100Ohms between tests. Clear as mud? Tell me what doesn't make sense...

Ahhh you're still with us Meat!! Thanks for elaborating Blacksmith, I still haven't had much time to do the FAQ but I have a note to get with you on it (I know you have a much better handle on things of an electrical nature than I do, so I WILL need your help). OK sorry Meat! I took some things for granted, wasn't tryin' to confuse you (or anyone else for that matter). Lemme back up a little. First off: you DO NOT need the motor running to do ANY of these tests. They will all be done with the motor off, and most can be done with the parts not even installed. Second: there's two primary tests here, continuity and resistance. Blacksmith did a good job describing continuity but the real basic meaning is to check to see if a wire isn't broken (if it has continuity that means electricity CAN flow through the wire, if it has no continuity that means electricity CANNOT flow through the wire, because it's broken somewhere). Resistance checks HOW MUCH electricity can flow through it (in this case there's two different wires with something between them, like the pickup coil; if the coil is busted in half electricity can't flow through it from one wire color to the other). Here's a link on how to use a multimeter you might check out when you got time :Multitester how-to Third: it don't matter which lead you use. For continuity you're gonna put one lead on each end of the wire at the connectors and see if it's broke somewhere in the sphagetti mess in between (since even if you tore the wiring harness apart the wire could have a break INSIDE the insulation and might never be visible). Same goes for resistance, it don't matter which lead is on which end because you're just checking how much electricity can flow between two different wires. Without electricity going through it, in our case it can go either direction so lead color don't matter. OK that said, I like to use a meter that beeps at ya to check continuity. Yes you can just set it to read Ohms (resistance) and look at the numbers, but the beeping kind is alot easier even if you hafta turn the stereo down. When you touch the two leads together, it beeps, telling you that there IS continuity. Same goes for a brand new peice of wire (or a paperclip or whatever metal); hold one end to one lead and the other end to the other lead and it'll beep, telling you electricity can flow through it (touch one lead to each end of a 2x4 and you won't get a beep because electricity can't flow through it...well unless it's soaking wet or wrapped with aluminum foil but you get the idea). If you HAVE to use resistance to check for continuity, the meter should read "--" or NO continuity (infinite resistance=no electricity can flow) when the leads aren't touching, and a very small number when you touch them together (telling you that there is little or no resistance to electricity flowing between the leads). If you're still with me after all that shit let me try to add some confusion. 12V DC systems like the Banshee, and automotive or car audio systems, are pretty simple. The flywheel spins around the stator producing electricity (an alternator does the same thing, and yes I know both are AC but it's easier for me to compare it this way). The motor spinning flywheel around the stator converts motion or kinetic energy into electrical energy or "power", and the stator wires send power to the CDI. The pickup coil senses when the tits on the flywheel pass, and sends a signal to the CDI. The CDI then takes the power from the stator, and when it gets the signal from the pickup coil, the CDI sends a power signal to the coil. The coil steps up the small voltage signal from the CDI and fires the spark plugs. The spark is created when the high voltage jumps the spark plug gap to the ground strap. In this type of system, electricity flows from positive to negative, like a pipe full of water it only goes in one direction, and it WANTS to get to a ground. That's why a ground is critical because if the elecricity can't get to ground it won't do anything as it has nowhere to go (picture a waterwheel on a river; as long as the water flows the wheel will turn but if you dam up the water it can't keep going so makes a lake and the wheel don't turn; same for this type of system, if the electricity can't flow from the positive [charge from the stator] to a negative [ground], it won't spark along the way). Soooo, for the system to work you gotta have a spinning flywheel to 1) get the stator to produce power and 2) tell the pickup coil where the pistons are at. You gotta have an intact stator to convert the spinning flywheel energy into electricity. You gotta have a pickup coil to tell the CDI when to fire (the CDI can advance or retard the timing, or when the coil fires, depending on RPM). You gotta have the CDI to take the power from the stator and signal from the pickup coil, and tell the coil when to fire. You gotta have a coil to step up the small voltage to a higher voltage to make the spark jump the gap on the spark plug. Finally, you gotta have INTACT and not broken wires between all these things and ultimately you gotta have a ground to complete the path of the electricity. Sorry for if there's any confusion, I'm gonna post this now so you can start on it and re-read it to see if I fucked anything up, these assholes at work keep thinking I don't have better things to do than f*ck with their shit...obviously getting Meat's Banshee sparking is a priority here...

It doesn't matter if you can make it or not! It's a damn nice shirt with a Banshee and "Bansheehq.com" on it, don't hold back.

I'm there man! Talked to Chris a little last night, not sure if I'm gonna stay overnight at the pits or try to go back to Alb. Saturday night...but if he runs the Banshee it's gonna be tough to keep up!! Jason better be there too after finishing second, hope Dustin gets that Raptor running soon. You all set?

Rod, unfortunately I can't make the inaugural event, but I hope Coalfest will be a yearly thing...next year I'll be there for sure (I had to miss several Roostfests before I made it, now it's no longer "optional")...

Nice job Yamahammer!!! Get your orders in now, email how many and what size you want to: [email protected] For more info check out this thread or the "Coalfest" threads in the riding & events forum. Note that Yamahammer was able to use Meat's Banshee for the graphic, and did an excellent job both with the font and the edging. This will be a very cool shirt so get 'em while you can...

Excellent pics and movies Nighty and tithead!!! Looks like it was a great trip, hope Dangerous Dave is feelin' better! Thanks for posting the whole thing, very cool.

X2 X2 with and evil muhahaha Don't give up

Meat, I agree with everyting JJ said except the key switch; it HAS to be grounded as you did for it to run (Red/black from CDI must go to a good ground). The handlebar kill switch is just the opposite; it HAS to NOT be grounded to run (black/white from CDI must not touch ground). I also agree with Blacksmith, if you've got a real hot spark (nice cherry coil & CDI), it will try to spark with the switches off. Mine does this. You really want this bitch to run? Of course you do. Time for a crash course. Here's what you're gonna need: 1. A continuity tester; most decent digital volt/ohm meters will have a setting to test continuity, the better ones will emit a tone or squeak when you touch the two test leads together, or when you put the leads on each end of an unbroken wire (you want one with good pointy leads too). You can find these at like Autozone for $20 or so. 2. An ohmmeter; again, hopefully the same one as above, capable of reading resistance through a wire (which is measured in Ohms, the symbol is Omega). 3. Feeler gauges, well you already got that covered. The matchbook cover method will get you close enough to run. 4. I'm sure you got the rest of the normal tools so I won't go there. 5. PATIENCE. Maybe 75% of electrical problems are a bitch because they are intermittant; don't give up. Drag the harness in the house, get a box fan for the garage, take a break when you get pissed, whatever. Just take your time and you'll figure it out. OK since you got the harness apart, start with checking continuity through all the wires. Take the 4-wire plug for the stator, find one wire color (like red/white), and then find the same color wire at the CDI connector. Carefully put the test leads on each of the terminals inside the connector and listen for the tester to "beep". If you're not getting any beep first make sure you got the meter set to check continuity and have the leads plugged into the right place on the meter, and you should get a "beep" when you touch the two test leads together. Now check for continuity through all the wires that matter; from the stator (red/white, green/white, red, and green) to the CDI (same colors), from the CDI (black, orange) to the coil, from the CDI (red/black, black) to the key switch, from the CDI (black/white, black) to the handlebar kill switch, and from the CDI (black) to the eyelet ground where the voltage regulator mounts. Don't shove the test leads into the connectors too hard as you can bend the terminals where they won't make contact. It's best if you can set the meter down and hold a test lead in each hand, just making contact against the terminal you're testing. Check that ground eyelet, it needs to have a clean contact to the frame (the voltage regulator itself doesn't matter as it's part of the lighting system). If you find a wire that doesn't have continuity, trace it for cuts or any indications it could be broken. Check the terminal at each end and make sure it's crimped on tight. If there's no physical indication of it being broken and you still get no continuity, trust the meter and replace the wire (more on that later). IF you have continuity in all the places that matter, tape up the harness and move on, that is probably not the problem (this is a good place to just cut off all the TORS connectors, tape the end of the wire so it's not exposed, and then tape 'em all inside the harness). Next, double check the stator & pickup coil resistance. At the stator 4-wire connector, set the meter to read Ohms, and you should have: Charging coil (red to green wire) 13.7-20.5 Ohms Pick up coil (white/red to white/green wire) 94-140 Ohms You should be well within those limits with a new stator, but what you really don't want to see here is "infinite ohms" which means there's a break in the wire somewhere. While you're there, just for grins test the ground; set the meter to continuity again and see if it "beeps" going from the single black wire from the stator to one of the bolts on the motor. It should. You got the pickup coil gap set so that is OK, make sure the little phillips screws are tight. Visually inspect the flywheel. You didn't drop it did you? The nut is tight right? If it's loose make sure the little woodruff key didn't fall out or shear off. Check the little magnets on the flywheel with somethin' metal and see if they are still magnetic. Use a wire brush and take off any surface rust. Take a look at the coil and the spark plug leads. Just make sure the leads are attached to the coil and it's not like broken in half. You can test the coil with the ohmmeter but I don't have the specs in front of me (check the Clymer). I had a local mom & pop bike shop bench test my coil fer free so you could do that to get out of the garage. Pretty much all that's left is hooking up all the connectors. Remember what I was sayin' earlier about the terminals, some of them are bent back on themselves to provide tension against the other terminal (this is almost impossible to describe so bear with me), if you shove the test lead in there too hard it can bend it too much and it won't make a good connection. Don't worry, you can remove the little terminals from the connectors and make 'em right. On the inside of the connector, there is a small plastic "tang" that keeps the terminal from coming out the back side of the connector. Use a small pick to push that plastic tang and you can pull the terminal right out. Speaking of connectors, get some dielectric grease and put a nice bead in each of the connectors. If water is your culprit the grease should help. OK so if you haven't found any problems yet, start hooking things back together. For now, just plug in the stator, the CDI, make sure the ground eyelet is tight at the voltage regulator, hook up the coil leads, and nothing else. If the key switch wires are still connected (black/red to black) leave them that way. Don't even hook up anything else (you won't have a kill switch so you'll hafta pull the orange lead off the coil to kill it). Throw fresh plugs in there. Test for spark and/or see if it runs. Does it? If so, plug in the rest of the connecters and check it again. If not, it could be the CDI, since that's all that's left. Do you have your old CDI or can you borrow a buddies (any year) CDI? If you can get ahold of one that works, even if the connectors aren't the same you can give it a try, by removing the terminals (make sure to write down what color wire went where!!) from one style connector and putting them in the other. GOOD LUCK and let us know what it's doing...