Banshee vs. 450R?

Question

Hello,
I am looking into getting an atv and don't know which one I should choose.  I pretty much know the ins and outs of both the banshee and the 450r.  I've found prices to be very similar I can get many 04-05 450rs for around $3-5k and I can get a banshee for anywhere from 2-4k.   I just want to know which one others would go with.  I've ridden a few banshees (stock) and loved them.  They are absolutely awesome but I am a honda fan but I've never ridden a 450r before though.  If I'm worried about the cost to keep it running should I be worried about the 2 stroke (though cheap to fix) being a bike I can ride without having to fix all the time or 4 stroke which I believe to be a little more reliable (but way too expensive to fix when something does go wrong.)  Any other in's outs would be appreciated!  I'm really I guess more trying to get some personal opinions from guys that have ridden both or own both.  Perhaps get a few people who are stubborn like ford vs. chevy! ; )

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I'm a Banshee owner and ex-Honda owner to, and I've ridden both the 450R and the YFZ450. the 450R seems like it's missing something. The YFZ450 felt like it had more torque and better handling. It also depends on what kind of ridding you do. For ridding the dunes, the Banshee is hands down the bike for that. But if you ride the woods and trails, I think a 4-stroke handles better there.

Anonymous · Answer

They are so different I almost don't know where to start. The banshee is not good on the track or in the woods on tight trails. The 450r however is great in those environments. The banshee is the best machine you can have if you ride in wide open spaces and/or in the sand and are excellent for climbing hills and sand dunes. An upgraded banshee is THE most thrilling atv you will ever ride as long as your in the right environment and toast any other atv in a straight line and when done right will power wheelie in top gear which is something that no other atv can do. Unfortunately it can't handle too well. Basically it comes down to this... do you want to ride competitively(450r) or do you want to have insane ammonts of fun and occasionally scrare the crap out of yourself(Banshee). I can also tell you that a Banshee will give you many more memories that will carry through the rest of you life. All of my greatest moments on an ATV involved me being on banshee... it can just make you feel like a hero, no other atv has ever done that for me.

atvman_400 · Answer

I am a big fan of the 450r. I have the HRC cam and a Big Gun exhaust and I have yet to lose to a Banshee. It is a huge upgrade over my old 400ex. The suspension is great, it handles great, and it is made with pure quality. I have yet to break anything. Banshees are great, even legendary. But they were designed in the 1980's, have a peaky powerband, and really outdated suspension. It doesn't matter where you ride, the 450R is better than the Banshee. And as far as a YFZ450 vs a 450R, yeah their performance is pretty close. Except my buddy's YFZ is always having problems and my 450R has yet to break anything.

They both require their maintenance. A Banshee will need a new set of rings a couple of times a year, and the 450R will need oil changes and valve adjustments. The 450R is more reliable, but the Banshee won't be bad if you keep up on the maintenance.

Honestly though, go ride a 450R and a Banshee back to back. You'll know right away which is the machine for you.

? · Answer

First off to the guy above me.....I've never heard of a Raptor 650. Are you sure it wasn't a 660??? Thats neither here nor there. I own a 2002 Banshee with misc. goodies and it is dirty fast, although if I had too choose between the shee and a FI YFZ......it would defenitly be the YFZ. As far as drag and hill climbs I would pick the shee but the YFZ is an all around better quad. Better suspension, fuel injected, more reliable, quieter, etc. The YFZ is at home on the MX track, trails, dunes, and everything in between.

Banshee vs. 450R?

4 Answers