So Cal Suspension

I was gunna say built like a tuna can, but a tree stump will work too.

I'm sure any of the motor builders on here could do it, or at least lead you in the right direction. Wildcard, M&M, Passion, Herr Juggs, F.A.S.T., Redline, Wicked, RDZ, or Trinity.

Jeff is like superman... if superman wasn't gay, and wore tights. I don't think Jeff wears tights. Although... You never know.

Check out JLEngineering's bumpers... www.jlengineering.org He does matching grab bars as well. Can't beat the pricing, and he will do them in pretty much any finish you want.

On a completely stock Banshee run either 8 paddle haulers, or, my personal favorite: ITP Sand Stars. I had a great time on my sand stars, and they hooked up great. You will be fine with your stock front tires, but if you have no budget, get some dual rib sand tires. Again, I like the Sand Star front tires. I'm not sure what the DB level of a stock banshee is, but they are one of the quietest bikes, stock. As far as I know, there is nowhere in the US that will prevent you from riding a stock banshee due to noise levels.

Is this the jewish kid?

I actually LOL'd... Had you not just mentioned that my comment might or might not have been directed at a specific incident, no one would have ever known. But now they do. It was a joke and if you are, for whatever reason, uncomfortable with a joke on these forums, I cannot do anything about that. Sorry. Someone had a bad day... I'll move on. ITT: People who can't take jokes, and get their "panties" up in a bunch.

I'm kinda confused... So your reply you just made today, "huh where did that come from?", was a total lie? Did you not recognize that as your post? I'm not sure what is going on... I replied to your post as soon as you posted it... Once I posted, you had already edited your post...

From your first reply that you posted, then deleted, and then made a new post which still exists above.

Did you even read my post before saying this?

For you, I would probably run closer to 20% sag. The harder you ride, the less sag you want. If you're throwing yourself over 80ft gaps, maybe 10-15%.

Well, as many of you know I have been battling with pretty severe stomach issues. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis roughly two years ago, and it's gotten to the point where I need surgery to remove my colon and rectum. The UC has caused over 20 growths inside my colon, which the doctors are fairly confident has developed into colon cancer now. Anyone who is interested, Google "Restorative Proctocolectomy", or "J-Pouch" and you can see what I will be having done. It's not going to be fun but I will be glad when this whole ordeal is over. It's a two stage surgery 12 weeks apart, so a total of about 6 months of down time. Anyways, as of now I will not be taking on any more work until further notice. The goal right now is to be able to make it to the LS ride in October. I should have about 5 weeks to heal, but definitely won't be doing any riding while there. I might have about a month between the two operations that I could take in some work, but I don't want to make any promises as of yet. All orders I currently have will be completed and shipped out by next week. Thanks.

Ahem... Redtube.com????? Anyways, Welcome aboard.

Stalking you? I clicked on the link that appeared on the right side of the homepage under the "Recent Topics" section that said "Building XC Banshee. Need Input on this Mod" and it brought me here. If that's stalking, then I guess I'm a stalker. Anyways, I still stick by my previous statement. You are jetted completely wrong.

Lets put this thread to rest, shall we? This is going to be a long read, so put your big boy panties on. Okay... Here are some reasons FOR and AGAINST YFZ shocks... PROS: Compression/rebound adjustable Piggyback reservoir Threaded preload Look kinda cool Dual Rate spring kits are available for them CONS: Already valved to the MAX from the factory Don't work well on stock arms Expensive to repair Small shafts Small pistons Now, I am sure there are more pros and cons on these shocks, but that's all I could think of right now. I always have told people, DO NOT run these shocks on stock arms. It's not because of all the ball joint hoopla that people like to blab about, they are just too long, and don't work as well as an aftermarket shock would. Sure, they'll be better than stock, but if you're going to spend 200+ on take off YFZ shocks, why not spend $250 and get aftermarket shocks, that were designed for your machine. Onto a STOCK Banshee rear shock. These shocks are extraordinarily good shocks. The reason they work like shit for most people, is because they have to come from the factory set up for such a BROAD range of customers, that unless you fall into the exact make-up of what the Yamaha engineers set them up for, you're not going to like it. From my experience, they are sprung for a 155-165lb rider, and valved for a 200-220lb rider. This makes for a SHITTY ride off the shelf. They have compression/rebound adjustment, threaded preload, static valving, etc. They are IDENTICAL inside to an Ohlins shock that some people pay upwards of $500+ for. They use the EXACT same seal heads as a Ohlins shocks. The IFP (Internal Floating Piston) in the reservoir, is stamped with the same number as the Ohlins shock. The options for the stock rear shock are endless. Consider them an Elka Stage 3, without all the fancy red anodizing. Same options, and frankly an 1/8th of the price. I've read through all the bickering on here, and honestly, most of you have bits and pieces of truth, mixed in with a little skewed opinion. I'll do my best to give you the truth, and then my unbiased opinion. Fact: Best shocks money can buy >$900 = Custom Axis Racing Best "middle of the road" shock $500-$700 = Elka stage 3 Best Economical shock <$500 = Works Performance Remote Reservoir These are facts, based on oil flow/capacity, piston design, valving setups, spring sliders, etc. My opinion: Buy the best suspension you can fit into your budget. If your budget is less than $1,000 for an entire suspension setup. It's DEFINITELY possible. No you won't have the best of everything, but it will be hand-over-fist better than stock. This is what I would do for a setup under $1,000, regardless of what terrain you are riding. Used Fullflight, wicked, or similar a-arms, +2+1 = $300 Used Works Performance Remote Reservoir Shocks = $300 Stock Rear Shock, Revalved and Resprung = $238 Total, You'd be at $840ish. Leaves you $160 bucks for odds and ends. DDQ was correct in his comment regarding Works Performance non reservoir (Steeler) shocks not being a great choice for MX style riding. The reason is this. They are what we call an "emulsion" shock, meaning the nitrogen and oil co-mingle inside the shock body, and during prolonged periods of riding, the oil will foam, and lead to premature oil breakdown, as well as alter the viscosity of the oil deteriorating lubrication properties. Heat can also play a factor in hard MX style riding. While ATV shocks rarely displace enough oil to benefit greatly from the cooling characteristics of a reservoir, under certain circumstances they can; IE MX riding. The reservoirs serve more than one purpose. In addition to the added cooling, they (using different methods) keep the oil and nitrogen separate, helping to reduce "fade" that is commonly noticed with non reservoir shocks. The oil does not foam, therefore you maintain an constant oil viscosity, and constant dampening characteristics. Billybobby is DEFINITELY correct in the fact that no matter how much money you put into a Banshee suspension, it is still not going to be the best on the track. Can't say the same about TRX450's, or YFZ450's. $2,000 into a YFZ450, and you will run circles around a Banshee with $4,000 in it. Banshee's are heavy, lumbering machines. They are predominantly front heavy, which makes them difficult to jump. With everything I've said in mind, Banshee's are still one of the funnest machines to have out on an MX track. The light switch power requires incredible rider skill. I've always said that ANYONE can race a 4stroke, but it takes a skilled rider to be successful at racing a Banshee. /thread

Gunna have to SLIGHTLY disagree. If you can find a set of new stage 4 Elka's for $174 bucks, point me in that direction, I'll go into resale! Maybe only shock rebuilds cost a lot after you get your paws on them... ...Kidding... sorta...

WHAT?!?! No mention of your super-duper suspension setup when asking about motor advice? What gives? This is a first! :clap: Anyways, I'm sure when you get your motor back from Jeff, it will be jetted right, and you won't have to worry about overheating. If you are overheating, it has nothing to do with cooling capacity. Your jetting was WAYYY off if you're overheating at 70 degrees... Or you're 550lbs... one of the two. I ran my banshee in the middle of summer at Glamis 110+, and never had an issue overheating. My buddy is 380lbs, completely stock cooling system, never had an issue in 110 degree heat, WOT through the dunes. You are jetted wrong, and destroying that motor. Good thing Jeff is building you a new one, because your old one was on it's way to being toast.

James, I used to do it for a living... Perhaps you didn't know that. Also, I'm not going to argue with you... I am allowed to state my opinion, am I not? Edit: Just thought of something. These must be all of James' friends riding without helmets. No sane person would get this defensive over someone they don't even know, unless they were trying to be devils advocate.

Sorry James. I didn't know this was a touchy subject with you. We're not crying, just stating facts and the obvious. I guess there's really no major loss to society when/if these guys break their heads at 70mph. Darwin's theory. Must have just been the crowd that showed up to the drags this time. I went to the drags in June, and didn't see a single person without a helmet. Last year I don't recall seeing anyone racing without a helmet. The fact of the matter is, the SAME guys who ride without helmets, lights, and flags, are the same morons bitching about "there's too many cops at the dunes". "The cops always fuck with people for no reason". Follow the rules, and it won't give the cops a reason to dick with everyone for no flag. The same guys who enjoy this sport, are the ones ruining it. One of the main reasons I bought a buggy, and got rid of my bike. I hate being lumped in with the morons. This falls into the same category as those idiots "banshee biker boyz" or whatever the hell they call themselves. They ride their shit on the HIGHWAYS, video tape it, then put it on the internet and ruin it for the rest of the law abiding citizens who just want ride their bike on some private land. I guess I just don't see what the appeal is to NOT wearing a helmet? Weight savings? They make lightweight helmets that weigh less than the two beers that these idiots consumed right before climbing on their machine and doing 70+mph up a hill without a helmet. I suppose helmets aren't aerodynamic, but in a unsanctioned hill race, I doubt a little bit of wind resistance will make or break the night for anyone.

Yeah, the dumbasses. That kind of shit would never fly during the regular season. People were probably doing it because there were no cops out there, and it was 110 degrees out. Still no excuse. I stand by my previous statement that those people are dumbasses. I like the one dude with the boots and knee guards, and no fuckin' helmet. What an idiot. Better make sure those ankles don't get broken when you crash. Don't mind the head.

All threads merged, and moved to the proper forum.

Nice video. How-To VIDEOS are MUCH better than pictures. I like it! Keep up the good work!

Thanks. I would have suggested that, but I don't work on i-shocks for a reason. Kind of along the same lines as my reasoning for not working on Shaws. Too much liability. They have a tendency to fail... and when they fail, it's catastrophic.

Set your sag at 30% of your total travel. Meaning with you standing on your pegs, you want your fronts to sag 30% of their total travel, and the rear 30% of it's total travel. 20% might be optimal, depending on how hard you ride. Your compression/rebound adjustments are just there to FINE TUNE your final setup. Your shocks should have been revalved, and set up for YOU from the factory if you ordered them new. If they weren't, send them back and tell them to do it right. You will only get roughly 7% dampening change full click to click on the compression/rebound adjusters. Compression/rebound adjusters are NOT a substitute for properly valved shocks.

We don't use that word. mmmkay.