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Banshee + Tree = ?


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Brand new to the forums, just picked up my first banshee. I've always wanted one, but the timing was never right. Anyway, went riding with some family over Memorial Day because my son wanted to take his Blaster and that led me to come home and find one of my own. Two days after buying my Banshee, I let my son take it out to some local property (he's been riding his Blaster for about four years now) much to my wife's shagrin. The end of this story is my son clipped a tree with the left front tire and the bike tossed him and shook him up (glad it wasn't worse). Once the dust settled and verfied my son was OK I checked the bike: broken steering linkage, top left a-arm jammed into the shock spring, tree bark stuck in the tire bead (still holding air).

 

What should I be looking for in addition to the obvious A-Arm and tie-rod? Just want to make sure I don't miss anything that could screw me up later.

 

Oh yeah, and this was a fairly low speed affair as he was climbing a rock pile in first, got scared, pulled too much throttle (twist vs. thumb) came over the pile and clipped the tree within ten feet.

 

Thanks, and glad to find such an awesome community on Banshees!

 

 

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You let your son(age not mentioned), that's been used to riding a Blaster, loose on a Banshee with a twist throttle? What the hell were you thinking was going to happen? You're lucky his head didn't slam the tree and bust open like a watermelon dropped from the roof.

 

Anyway, turn off the gas, tip the bike vertical onto the grab bar and look at the frame to see if it's bent. The frame is not supposed to be symmetrical on the bottom, but see if you can see if it's bent. Look for paint flaking off. If nothing looks bent, then look at the steering stop at the bottom of the steering stem. I'm sure it's definitely pushed forward and smooshed. That's fixable. If the plastics don't fit quite right, the upper steering stem mount hoop is bent. That's fixable. If the A arm hit the shock, the shocks probably bent. There's also a good chance the handlebars are bent.

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You let your son(age not mentioned), that's been used to riding a Blaster, loose on a Banshee with a twist throttle? What the hell were you thinking was going to happen? You're lucky his head didn't slam the tree and bust open like a watermelon dropped from the roof.

 

Anyway, turn off the gas, tip the bike vertical onto the grab bar and look at the frame to see if it's bent. The frame is not supposed to be symmetrical on the bottom, but see if you can see if it's bent. Look for paint flaking off. If nothing looks bent, then look at the steering stop at the bottom of the steering stem. I'm sure it's definitely pushed forward and smooshed. That's fixable. If the plastics don't fit quite right, the upper steering stem mount hoop is bent. That's fixable. If the A arm hit the shock, the shocks probably bent. There's also a good chance the handlebars are bent.

My son will be 16 in the fall. He said it was the twist throttle that got him.

 

I'll stand the bike up as you suggest and see what's what. This is an older Banshee btw (2001) and not a show bike. You are right on the handlebars being bent too...they are kinda "twisted." I'm hoping the shock isn't bent nor the frame. I'll post back after I check it out. Also might shoot some pics.

 

Thanks for the info...

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 He said it was the twist throttle that got him.

 

 

That was my point. Even well experienced riders can screw up with a twist throttle. So you take someone that's used to 20hp and put them on a shee with more than double that(depending on what's been done to it), with a twist throttle, and it's an accident waiting to happen. Get that twist off of there before he really busts himself up.

 

Good luck on the frame. Unless you can see something visibly bent, slight bends can be hard to see since the bottom of the frame isn't symmetrical. You may have to put good suspension on it and then take measurements.

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The debate on how old your kid needs to be before unleashing him on the ole shee is endless. It was your decision, now your paying for it. Check out the frame and make sure its not bent, shouldn't be sounds like a pretty low key incident. If the frame isn't bent finding parts shouldn't be bad at all.

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Welcome to BansheeHQ

I have to agree with the majority regarding that twist throttle. Probably needs to go.

Anyway it sounds like a good time to upgrade the suspension. Stock Banshee shocks are the worst.

Find a set of used aftermarket ones from the "for sale section" here. Hell you should be able to find anything you need and then some right here.

 

BTW. Keep that boy off your Banshee if you ever want to ride it. Either that or sell the Blaster and get him one.

 

Once again Welcome :)

 

Troy

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I've been riding for 15 years (banshee for 12) and the first time I hopped on a 400ex with a twist throttle last summer, I ended up on my ass in under 10 mins. Was sliding around a dirt corner, hit grass patch, bike caught traction, I jerked backwards a little and the throttle came with my hand. Wheelied back and  landed flat on my rear. Major laughing and harassment ensued from all watching. 

 

Twist throttles belong on motorcycles and drag quads only IMHO. 

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