350 banshee or 300 ex

[xXxDaNxXx]

well ive been riding a 300 bayou:acr for the past year or so and ive decided i was going to up my anti's. i found a 2001 350 banshee for 2000, i also found a 300ex for 2000. just wondering what maintnance (spelling?) was like comepared to eachother. any and all suggestions help.

[seddon]

300ex r fun but not that great for hills never rode a 350

[Ryan.]

if you want hold on for your dear life buy the banshee, if you want to put around get the 300. but first what kind of riding do you do? that can settle the desscion

[Chillyboarder]

No kidding eh, the banshee is a race bike, 2 stroke and it'll need a fair bit more maintenance then the 300EX. 300EX is little small, so depends how old you are, and it's a basic four stroke for little bit of fun I suppose.

[Ryan.]

if your riding tight xc style trails go with the 300ex, or look for a nice 400. but if you ride wide trails or dunes go with the banshee. the banshee works better for that stuff being the bottom end is not the best and it likes to be revved

[OldSchoolin86]

or look for a nice 400Exactly what I was thinking! You should be a able to find a nice 400ex for about $2000 and it will have far better power, geometry and handling then a 300ex. It will have better geometry then the banshee too but the banshee does have more power.

[Ryan.]

Exactly what I was thinking! You should be a able to find a nice 400ex for about $2000 and it will have far better power, geometry and handling then a 300ex. It will have better geometry then the banshee too but the banshee does have more power.

i was thinking a z400 or dvx400 or a kfx400 lol alot more power than 400ex and a few more dollers but in the long run its worth it:beer

[Eric250R]

Well, if these are your 2 choices, I would definately spend 2 grand on a Shee before I would the X. My .02 cents.

[OldSchoolin86]

i was thinking a z400 or dvx400 or a kfx400 lol alot more power than 400ex and a few more dollers but in the long run its worth it:beerThey don't really have a lot more power when you compare basic mods but the liquid cooling allows you to go way wilder on a race build. Reliability wise though you can't beat that old Honda air cooled engine.

[lndy650]

i prefer my air cooled 452x it will keep up with 450's i prefer air cooled engines your not wasting power running a water pump then again if you like to go on long rides an air cooled engine might overheat...

[OldSchoolin86]

i prefer my air cooled 452x it will keep up with 450's i prefer air cooled engines your not wasting power running a water pump then again if you like to go on long rides an air cooled engine might overheat...I run with the 450s with my 416 and on E85 I can do it all day long!

[smokinwrench]

I have owned a banshee totally wild on mods. Also owned a 400ex that was pretty hot, stage 2 hotcam, 11:1 piston, exhaust, intake. My boy has a 250ex close to a 300ex. If I had to I would take the banshee over the 300ex, but I will take a 400ex over a banshee and day of the week. 250 is fun to ride but way low on power, I assume a 300 would be that way if you have any size to ya.

I assume you guys 400ex's are outrunning 450's in the trails and not on the drag strip. Mine would run with a stock 450 but not a yfz with a pipe.

[Trimotomike]

banshee is a 2 stroke hold on for dear life type quad , the 300ex is milder but definatly worthy . as fars the 300ex vs 400ex the 400 is a tiny bit bigger but it feels heavy and bulky the 300ex handles like a dream on the track and the trails and i ride with 3 other guys who have 400s and i have no problem staying right next to them anywhere we go . bottom line the 300ex is a great quad buy it and youll like it .

[ATC70DUDE]

Say a banshee is like a 250r (which it is)
The 300ex would be like a 250sx.
You would have all the power in the world on the banshee.
You would always be wishing for more with the 300ex.
A 400ex would be MUCH better!

[WLL]

there is a major gap between the two. i think the 300 is a kids/girls bike. the 400ex should satisfy all your needs. it is well ballenced good all around bike. the banshee is high maitence and expensive but indeed badass.the banshee is my favorite quad,but the 400ex is way more practical

[350Xhilaration]

I'll have to chime in here as a 2000 Banshee owner. As far as "no low end" power...that all depends on how it's setup. Mine is stock aside from FMF Gnarly pipes with Turbine Core II Spark Arrestors, and jetted appropriately. Mine can idle along all day long in first gear, never foul a plug, roll on the gas and it screams. I can chug up mild hills without getting "on the pipe". It is not the norm for a Banshee, but it is possible. Many don't believe it till they ride with me, but it's true.

A 300EX is a pooch as far as power goes. A 400 (EX,Z,KFX,DVX) will be a far better 4 stroke all around quad than the 300EX.

But the decision all depends on your ability and preference. There is nothing like the feel of a banshee as far as the way the power comes on. It's probably one of the worst handling and suspended 2 strokes out there, but it's a fun quad. In the wrong hands it can be very dangerous.

The maintenance can be expensive if you get one that needs rebuilt, needs carbs, etc. You need two of everything. However if you have one that is in great mechanical shape, there is no difference in maintenance than any other quad.

Coming off a 300 Bayou, a 300EX might feel like a Ferrari, so it may be the better choice for you.

The two are totally different style quads and it's tough to try and do a side by side comparison of them.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[RedRider_AK]

Coming off a 300 Bayou, a 300EX might feel like a Ferrari, so it may be the better choice for you.

That's what I was thinking as well. He's coming off a slow 3" suspension utility quad that would have trouble spinning the tires on loose gravel, and he wants to get on a Banshee!

Get the 300EX before you become a statistic, kid! :eek:

[OldSchoolin86]

I assume you guys 400ex's are outrunning 450's in the trails and not on the drag strip. Mine would run with a stock 450 but not a yfz with a pipe.Trails all day but I can beat stock 450's in a drag. If they have more then a pipe then it's "all for fun".

You can make a Banshee pull power from all over. My beef is that they have horrible geometry compared to many quads out there. It takes a lot of money to make them handle right.

[Preddy05]

I vote 300ex! haha only because of these pictures i took of one jumping Sunday the kids 450 is down so hes riding it! not the best pictures... taken with my phone..

[Razgriz-Fighter]

You can make a Banshee pull power from all over. My beef is that they have horrible geometry compared to many quads out there. It takes a lot of money to make them handle right.

Doesn't take too much money really. Whether you wanted to keep the stock A-Arms or get aftermarket ones, say +2 +1's and put some sort of aftermarket shocks on there. Then worry about the rear shock after.

Shocks alone will take away quite a bit of that crappy handling Banshee's have. Buy some used A-arms and shocks and it should be fairly cheap.

[xXxDaNxXx]

decided on a 400ex :D:D costs less than the 300ex i was looking at did and even has some mods done to it. :D

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/xxxdanxxx_01/b29b_20.jpg

[Ryan.]

decided on a 400ex :D:D costs less than the 300ex i was looking at did and even has some mods done to it. :D

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/xxxdanxxx_01/b29b_20.jpg

only pictures i got right now, ill try to get some more later.
you bought it or you are?