Time Machine

Yup, ocean would be awesome! Hope you get a chance to get back here some day!

I got curious about plug chops so decided to give it a try. But finding someplace long and flat at the St. Anthony Dunes is not easy. Good friend and riding partner Shane Bird (Son of Sand) said he thought the bottom of Dead Horse Bowl might work. He was right, it's perfect. The bottom of the bowl runs east and west and is shaped like a long narrow box canyon. The box end is on the western end. The bottom is mostly flat and plenty long enough for a WOT run. It goes up from east to west. I'm sitting on a small ridge at the east end that makes a good starting point. Dead Horse is a popular bowl and sometimes the bottom is pretty tracked up. The picture below was taken on a weekday evening, we were the only ones there and the sand was perfect. The wind had blown hard the day before and I put the first tracks in the bottom. Dead Horse is just south of Choke Cherry Dune. In the picture below Choke is just out of the picture at the right edge. I've decided to name it "Plug Chop Alley". So, next time you're at the St. Anthony Dunes, check out Plug Chop Alley if you're looking for a good place to check your jetting or if you just want to make a WOT pass. And don't let the wide angle lens of the phone camera fool you, those walls are tall, steep and a blast to ride!

So true, but no problem, not planning on selling any. Besides, I'm spending our kids' inheritance, so there will be less for them to fight over.

You guys crack me up! Okay, here's two more: 4 1/2. Reading BHQ posts can be very entertaining. 26. The guys on BHQ are okay. Some are just a little warped. Probably got dropped on their heads a few times too many as infants.

25 Thoughts for New Banshee Owners I just finished my first year as a Banshee owner. It's been an incredible year. I've been fortunate to ride in or on some pretty exciting machinery over the course of my life. Riding Banshees is in my all-time top 3 list! Wahoo! I wish I hadn't waited so long to start riding Banshees. But that's another story. Here's a list of 25 things that might be helpful to other new Banshee owners. The thoughts aren't listed in any order of importance. I only numbered them to make it easier to refer to them. 1. Banshee ownership gets expensive in a hurry. It's possible you will spend 2, 3, even 4 times the price you originally paid to finally get the Banshee you really want. 2. Read BHQ posts, read some more BHQ posts, read some more BHQ posts, and then read a few more BHQ posts. 3. Reading BHQ posts can be very helpful. 4. Reading BHQ posts can be very frustrating. 5. Find out where the other Banshee owners in your area ride. Go there. Get to know them. Become friends with them. Learn from them. Ride with them. 6. Search before you post a question on BHQ. Yes, I know it will take some time, just do it. 7. As you search for the answer to one question, you'll find answers to other questions you had, or to questions you hadn't even thought of yet! 8. Buy a Clymers manual and use it. 9. Build your foundation first. Spend money on wheels, tires, suspension and steering before doing any major engine work. 10. Buy NEW wheels, tires, suspension and steering parts. Yes, I know there's some good used stuff out there. But when it comes to these parts I like new. My opinion. 11. Before you go blasting down the road/trail/dune on your Banshee, take the entire fuel system apart: tank, gas cap, petcock, fuel lines, filters, cables, and carbs. Give them all a thorough cleaning, service, replace wear items, jet, adjust and sync carbs properly and put it all back together per the manual. 12. If you don't do #11, there's a chance you'll be spending money on cylinders, pistons and crankshaft in the near future. 13. Learn the jargon. Don't know a serval from a swing arm? Read BHQ. Talk with Banshee friends. 14. Be humble when posting things on BHQ. Maybe you DO know lots of things. But, if you come on like Mr. Mach 3-with-your-hair-on-fire-know-it-all-macho-dude, you'll likely go down in flames. 15. Buy from BHQ vendors as often as possible. 16. Buy from the guy who gives you the info. Don't call a builder or vendor for their advice on a particular part, then hang up and buy it somewhere else just to save a few bucks. 17. Learn how to jet carbs properly. Do some reading and then experiment. Carefully! 2 stroke engines don't like improperly jetted carbs. 18. Learn how to properly build and use a leak down tester. 19. Compression gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Borrow 2-3 from friends to check yours. No guarantee any of them will be right, but at least you'll have an average. 20. Don't fire off emails to builders and/or vendors with a long list of questions and parts you want answers to or prices on. They get a pile of those emails every day and generally don't have the time to answer them. 21. Do try to be somewhat informed before calling a builder, but be prepared to have what you thought was your plan "revised" by him. 22. You probably don't need an 80-100 horsepower engine. A well built 4 mil stock cylinder on pump gas with good port work is all the engine most of us really need. 23. On the other hand, an 80-100 horsepower engine would be pretty damn sweet and I'd really like to have one some day! 24. Take your time deciding which way you want to go with your build. You'll change your mind many times along the way. 25. One Banshee isn't enough, you'll want at least two. Once you get the second one, you'll make yourself crazy trying to decide which mods to put on each one! So that's my list. I don't do them all perfectly. I know that there will be disagreement over its value and the items in it. I'm sure there are many more good thoughts that can be added to it. Fire away!

We sometimes have to dodge patches of lava rock at St. Anthony. I've run over a few with the haulers. No flats yet!

I have 22x11x8 8 paddle haulers on one and 22x11x8 10 paddle haulers on the other. I don't do much drag racing, just fast cruising across the dunes, they work great. Checked with my 2 local Banshee gurus on this. One uses haulers and the other uses extremes on their Banshees. I think you'd be okay with either. Probably 10 paddle for your HP.

Sand Stars are okay, I have a set of 20 inch on our Warrior. But I think most here would recommend Skat Trak for your Banshee. 21x7x10 Mohawks on front, 22x11x8 8 paddle haulers on back.

I think getting your wife involved in riding is a great idea and could lead to a lifetime of fun for you and the family. But it is definitely a two edged sword. Do it right and you'll not only have some good times with her, but you'll have her understanding and support when it's time for new pipes, tires, engine mods, another bike, etc. Do it wrong and she'll resent every penny you spend and every minute you're out riding. From what you've said it sounds like she has little or no riding experience. If you expect her to be right behind you as you blast down some trail you're likely to look back and see her stopped. When you get back to her she'll have her helmet off and tell you she wants to go home. By that point, you're screwed. Take it slow and make it fun!

I just spoke with him yesterday for the first time, seems like a nice guy. He told me he's moving his operation to Malad, Idaho. The new shop is built, he just has to get moved in. Said he's hoping to be up there by June 1.

Wait a minute, I just looked at the outside picture, doesn't look like our area. Phone number is wrong area code. Maybe someone selling long distance? Or a scam?

https://eastidaho.craigslist.org/snw/5543700399.html 1986 trx 250r He doesn't list a price, what's a reasonable value? No, I'm not interested in it, just curious.

No problem. My mistake anyhow, I should have said 34's to begin with. Besides, I got to do some good reading and learned more that I didn't know before. That's why we're all here, right?

Okay, so I've done some reading on round vs flat slide. Live and learn.

Well, as I said, I tend to be skeptical about these things. I agree its better to spend the money on the right stuff. But I owned a couple of those XLT's when they first came out years ago so I guess that made me curious about it. And as r gilles correctly says, the guy I talked to said 34, not 38. I'm sure I'll be talking to him again in the next few weeks. I'll get the specifics from him and if it's anything that might be helpful to someone here I'll post it.

I'm with you on the new components, I feel the same way. I'm normally pretty skeptical about these things. I posted it out of curiosity. Always looking for new knowledge. I saw the comments on carb bowls in your engine post. I made a note to self to talk with Cam about that.

I just retread that post and I realize I should have stated it differently. Didn't need to use "If that's true . . ." The fact is the guy I was talking to is a major player in the snowmobile and ATV engine world. I'm very confident he knows what he's talking about. I'm just curious to hear from anyone here who may have done it, and to offer it as a possible mod.

I was talking to a guy the other day who said the stock XLT carbs can be used on a Banshee. If that's true, there's a ton of those carbs out there and they're cheap. Anyone have experience with this?

You said the gas in it was nasty. One of the first things I do when working on any old engine is pull the carbs down and give them a 30 minute soak in this. About $20 at any parts store. You can't tune a dirty carb. Be sure to remove all rubber and gaskets parts, including orings. Then use your Clymers manual (you have one, right?) to put it back together correctly. This may not solve your problem, but at least you'll know you're not fighting a dirty carb. https://www.berrymanproducts.com/products/eco-friendly-products/berryman-chem-dip-carburetor-and-parts-cleaner/

These turned out great. Nice finish and good fit. I decided to paint them instead of chrome to save some money. Very pleased. Now I'm ready for some night riding.

Don't know much about that, except that Elka describes their Legacy shocks as based on their previous designs, whatever that means. I'm sure there are others here with more info. Also a good question to ask Alba and Elka when you talk to them. The Legacy shocks fit my budget so I never looked into the newer ones.

Call Alba if you'd like, but I suggest you call the Elka tech line too. Not their sales line, the tech line. You'll probably have to leave a message with your number. I did this several times and they always got back to me within a day. I have more confidence in the info I got from Elka than Alba.

Also, over the course of the buying experience with Alba, they made several significant mistakes in the order, including sending me a set of LT shocks set up for a different rider. I had ordered ST. Because the Legacy LT shocks are bigger and made of steel, they were much heavier, if weight matters to you.

I bought Alba +2+1 standard travel arms with Elka Legacy shocks last fall. Before I bought I called Elka's tech line and asked them about the difference. I was told that according to their testing the LT only gives an additional .6 of an inch over the ST. I understand that opinions vary on this, but for me it didn't seem like much of a difference. I decided to use the $$$ saved for other things.

Good advice. The truth is I'll probably stay with the stock carbs. Two reasons. First, it turns out the 80 hp is untrue, just one of my "good friends" yanking my chain! LOL! Second, by the time we leave the Egin Lakes parking lot, ride to Choke, make a few passes, head to Devils Dune and the west end and then back to the parking lot I'm on reserve. Don't feel like carrying extra gas.