If you're looking to stop your quad from feeling so tippy in the turns, swapping to banshee extended a arms is easily one of the best moves you can make. Anyone who has spent significant time on a Yamaha Banshee knows that while the motor is an absolute legend, the stock narrow front end can feel a bit sketch when you're really pushing it. It's a narrow machine by modern standards, and that high center of gravity combined with a narrow track width makes for some "white knuckle" moments in the dunes or on the track.
Getting Rid of That Tippy Feeling
The first thing you'll notice after installing banshee extended a arms is how much more "planted" the bike feels. When you widen the stance of the front end, you're essentially changing the leverage the ground has on your suspension and how the weight transfers during a turn. On a stock Banshee, if you dive into a corner too hard, the inside wheel wants to lift, and you're suddenly doing a balancing act on two wheels.
By pushing those front wheels out—usually about two inches on each side—you create a much wider footprint. This makes the bike want to slide flat rather than tip over. If you do a lot of flat-track riding or spend your weekends carving up bowls in the sand, this stability isn't just a luxury; it's a massive safety upgrade. You'll find yourself carrying way more speed through the corners because the bike actually stays where you point it instead of trying to high-side you into the dirt.
Decoding the Numbers: What is +2+1 Anyway?
When you start shopping for banshee extended a arms, you're going to see a lot of numbers like "+2+1" or "+3+1." If you aren't a suspension nerd, this can be a bit confusing at first. It's actually pretty simple once you break it down.
The first number refers to how much wider the arms are per side. So, a +2 arm adds two inches to each side, making your front end four inches wider in total. The second number refers to how far forward the wheel is moved. A +1 means the front wheels are moved forward one inch from the stock position.
Why would you want your wheels moved forward? Well, it helps with the wheelbase and weight distribution. By kicking the front wheels out a bit, you're less likely to flip over backward on a steep climb, and it helps the front end track straighter through the rough stuff. Most people find that the +2+1 setup is the "sweet spot" for general trail riding and duning because it fits on most trailers but still gives you that massive stability boost.
Adjustability and Dialing It In
One of the coolest parts about moving to aftermarket banshee extended a arms is that most of them come with adjustable heim joints or ball joints. Stock A-arms are usually fixed, meaning you're stuck with whatever geometry Yamaha gave you back in the 80s and 90s.
With extended arms, you can usually adjust your camber and caster. * Camber is the tilt of the tires when viewed from the front. Setting a little negative camber (where the tops of the tires tilt inward) helps the tire bite better when the bike leans in a turn. * Caster is the angle of the steering pivot. Adjusting this can make the steering feel "quicker" or more stable at high speeds.
It takes a little bit of trial and error to get it perfect, but being able to tune the front end to your specific riding style is a huge advantage. If you like drag racing, you'll want a different setup than someone who's hitting jumps or tight wooded trails.
Don't Forget the Shocks
Here is a bit of a "pro tip" that some people miss: when you widen your A-arms, you're changing the leverage ratio on your front shocks. Because the wheel is now further away from the frame, the "arm" of the suspension is longer. This makes your stock shocks feel much softer than they did before.
If you're on a budget, you can sometimes get away with stock shocks for a while, but they're going to bottom out much easier. Most guys eventually upgrade to a set of shocks specifically valved for the extra width. If you really want to go big, you can look into "long travel" banshee extended a arms. These require much longer shocks and offer way more wheel travel for soaking up big landings, but they definitely cost a bit more. For most casual riders, "standard travel" extended arms are plenty and will work with your existing shock length (though a re-valve is always a good idea).
Materials and Durability
You'll notice that most high-quality banshee extended a arms are made from Chromoly tubing. There's a reason for that. Chromoly is much stronger and lighter than the mild steel used in some cheap knock-off parts. The Banshee is a heavy bike with a lot of power, and the front end takes a beating. Whether you're casing a jump or hitting a hidden rock in the trail, you want arms that can take the impact without snapping or bending like a pretzel.
It's also worth looking at the finish. Powder coating is the standard because it holds up to the sand and rocks way better than spray paint. Plus, it gives you a chance to add some color to your build. Nothing looks sharper than a set of candy blue or bright red arms sticking out from under the plastics.
The "Hidden" Costs of Going Wider
Before you hit the "buy" button on those new banshee extended a arms, just remember that you'll need a few other things to make the swap work. 1. Brake Lines: Your stock rubber brake lines aren't going to be long enough to reach the calipers once the wheels are moved out two inches. You'll need a set of extended stainless steel braided lines. These actually improve your braking feel anyway, so it's a win-win. 2. Tie Rods: Usually, a good kit will include extended tie rods, but double-check. You can't use your stock tie rods with wider arms. 3. Ball Joints: Some kits come with them pre-installed, while others don't. High-quality, greaseable ball joints are worth every penny because they last longer and make the steering feel much smoother.
Is It Worth the Effort?
If you ask anyone who has made the switch, the answer is almost always a resounding "yes." The Banshee is a beast of a machine, but its 1980s suspension geometry is its biggest weakness. Adding banshee extended a arms modernizes the handling and makes the bike feel like it's on rails.
Instead of fighting the bike through every turn and worrying about it tipping, you can focus on staying in the powerband and enjoying the ride. It changes the entire personality of the quad. It goes from feeling like an old-school, twitchy dragster to a confident, wide-track desert shredder.
Whether you're a weekend warrior or a serious racer, widening that front end is probably the single best chassis mod you can do. It's one of those things where, once you ride a Banshee with a wider stance, you'll wonder how you ever rode it with the stock setup. It just makes the whole experience faster, safer, and a hell of a lot more fun.