New Owner Intro and a Little Discussion

[KarTek]

Hey guys,

 

I just bought my first quad and I settled on a 2003 Banshee that I got for a pretty good price from a guy on ebay. I've been looking for a few years at all types and all the 4 strokers are burping big singles which I just can't stand. The Banshee is the only twin available and as far as I'm concerned, a 2 stroke is kind of the "spirit" of the off-road sporting machine.

 

A little about me: I'm probably older than the average owner so I'm not as "gung-ho" as most. I bought the quad to have some fun with but not to be my major hobby. I'm an accomplished mechanic so I can handle most anything but I'm mainly interested in practical, economical mods.

 

So, on to the bike. So far it's a riot! It' seems to really scoot - way more power than the rear wheels can put down. I'd like to try to optimize it for trails since they won't let you ride on the sand out here. Here's a list of some other observations and I'm hoping to get some opinions on what to do:

 

When I start the engine, it revs way up for a few seconds then settles down. Then, it seems like it won't rev all the way up for a while. Cold?

 

The exhaust pipes run right up against the air box and are melting the plastic. Normal for aftermarket pipes?

 

The rear skid plate on the swing arm has been crushed up into the brake disc. It rubs a little. Is this a big problem? Should I replace the plate?

 

The engine has a Boost Bottle. I've read that they're snake oil but I didn't buy it (the bottle). Should I leave it or remove it?

 

One of the rear foot peg bolts is broken. Is this common?

 

That's about all I can think of right now. Thanks for any input!

[camatv]

hmm

 

welcome to the site. i'll try adn take it easy here.

 

get a manual. if your an acomplished mechainc you should know that already.

 

also if you have to ask if a plate rubbing on the rear brake rotor is an issue. i'd hate to have you mechanic my stuff.

 

pipes burning the stock box is very common due to the crappy fit. some cook the box more than others. the boost bottle is more prone to rip the intake boots than to really do much help. its up to you if you want to remove it or block it off..

[thomas h.]

The rev up and then it settles could be technique. So most banshee here are heavily modified. Try to use the plug chop / or fresh plug inspection. To check how your motor and jets are running. Also if your shee still uses tors caps you might get the kit to remover the tors to solve your rev up.

 

If your shee is cold don't rev it. Let it warm up. Some pistons are very pron to cold seize.

 

Boost bottle adds weight to boot and cracks it. Replace with stock.

 

 

 

Foot peg not a common brake.

Edited November 20, 2011 by thomas h.

[thomas h.]

The rev up and then it settles could be technique.

 

So most banshee here are heavily modified so we need to know what your bike has.

 

Try to use the plug chop / or fresh plug inspection. To check how your motor and jets are running. Also if your shee still uses tors caps you might get the kit to remover the tors to solve your rev up.

 

If your shee is cold don't rev it. Let it warm up. Some pistons are very pron to cold seize.

 

Boost bottle adds weight to boot and cracks it. Replace with stock.

 

 

 

Foot peg not a common brake.

Edited November 20, 2011 by thomas h.

[KarTek]

hmm

 

welcome to the site. i'll try adn take it easy here.

 

get a manual. if your an acomplished mechainc you should know that already.

 

also if you have to ask if a plate rubbing on the rear brake rotor is an issue. i'd hate to have you mechanic my stuff.

 

pipes burning the stock box is very common due to the crappy fit. some cook the box more than others. the boost bottle is more prone to rip the intake boots than to really do much help. its up to you if you want to remove it or block it off..

 

Thanks! I will be getting a manual for sure. It's always one of the first things I get with a vehicle.

 

Yeah, the plate rubbing question is a dumb one. I'm inclined to make everything work correctly but I was just thinking that I might get a answer like: "It happens all the time and it's not worth it to fix it"

[KarTek]

The rev up and then it settles could be technique. So most banshee here are heavily modified. Try to use the plug chop / or fresh plug inspection. To check how your motor and jets are running. Also if your shee still uses tors caps you might get the kit to remover the tors to solve your rev up.

 

If your shee is cold don't rev it. Let it warm up. Some pistons are very pron to cold seize.

 

Boost bottle adds weight to boot and cracks it. Replace with stock.

 

 

 

Foot peg not a common brake.

 

Thanks for the reply. I definitely don't rev it cold. What's weird is that it does it all on it's own. I just choke it and kick it a few times and it starts, revs up to a moderate RPM then slowly settles down to idle.

 

I was looking at it yesterday and it appears to have the tors still attached. There are squarish metal assemblies on top of the carbs as described in posts here.

 

On the foot peg, it looks like the the threaded part has broken out of the tube in the frame. I've also noticed that a previous owner has used a whole variety of hardware on the frame so I'll be returning it all to normal.

 

Thanks again!

[Jereme6655]

Welcome to the site! you say your older than the average bear......but how old is that.....i bet you'd be surprized at the age of some of the guys on the site here.

 

Correct the TORS units are those big squarish boxes on your carb tops. alot of us will take those out and replace them using the TORS eliminator kits as they tend to break and leave you possibly stuck on the trail if you don't know what to try and diagnose. Basically it is a micro switch that senses whether you have the throttle opened and the carb slide is up and when you let off the throttle and the slide stays up (malfuntion) it was meant to clip your ignition acting as a rev limiter of sorts. $60 to remove. you can also disable it by disconnecting the "brain" box (little black box) under the left side of the fuel tank.

 

you may want to build a leak down tester also.....its a great tool. it will let you pressurize the top-end and crank case to ensure all of your seals are correct. Which on a 2stroke is death if you dont have good seals as 2strokes will "free-rev" on their own when they are leaned out....... almost sounds like you have a small air leak, however you said it comes back down....which isn't a normal trait of an air leak.

 

also.....take that rear skid off and throw it in the garbage. Then look up jdscustoms (87sheerips is his screen-name) He will be able to make you one that is stronger than ANY skid plate and will not bend.....good guy too.

 

If you have any questions about your bikes or anythign else....just ask. But please.....if your going to ask the traditional "what oil/fuel fix to run" please use the search function.......hahaha....surefire way to get 46 different answers...

[KarTek]

Hey, thanks. I'm an experienced forum user and I'm pretty savvy with searching out info. Sometimes though, I ask questions to generate discussion...

 

Thanks for the suggestions about the plate and the leak down tester. I'll search out more info on those. My only experience with 2 strokes besides my lawn care equipment has been dirt bikes in my teens (Hodaka Super Combat, Honda CR125R - we just ran 'em, didn't know much more than how to mix fuel and ride!) and years of outboard motor boats.

 

I need to read up on how to take care of these beasts.

 

Just thought of a couple other issues:

 

The drive chain runs through a complex series of rails and tensioners, many plastic. Several of the rollers are loose and flopping around. Now, my Spidey Sense tells me they are shot and should be replaced but I'll ask, are these a regular maintenance item? How bad should they be before they need to go in the trash?

 

Oh and by the way, I'm 48...

[06specialedition]

Welcome to BHQ.

 

I would recommend getting a aftermarket chain slider. I run the cascade one like this http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/productDetail.do?navType=type&webTypeId=68&navTitle=Drive&webCatId=9&keyword=cascade+chain+slider&prodFamilyId=474

[KarTek]

Welcome to BHQ.

 

I would recommend getting a aftermarket chain slider. I run the cascade one like this http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/productDetail.do?navType=type&webTypeId=68&navTitle=Drive&webCatId=9&keyword=cascade+chain+slider&prodFamilyId=474

 

Hey, thanks. I've been reading up on them. My rollers are absolutely shot. The little plastic wheels are wobbling all over the shaft...

[KarTek]

I just realized that I may have come off like a jerk in the original post saying this was not a "major hobby" for me. What I'm trying to say is that I can't AFFORD for this to be a major hobby!

 

I fully respect the time, talent and money that goes into these bikes.

 

Sorry for the faux pas...