If you’ve got a Yamaha Banshee in your garage you might be wondering exactly what year it was made, a common question in the Banshee world, especially since Yamaha made changes over time that affect performance parts, styling, and value.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to figure out what year your Banshee is, step by step. But first, here’s a quick look at the legendary machine’s history.
A Quick Review: Yamaha Banshee Timeline and Production
Yamaha produced the Banshee in the USA from 1987 until 2006, stopping production and sales in the U.S. after 2006 due to increasingly strict emissions regulations. However, production continued for a few more years in countries like Canada and Australia until 2012.
While the bike remained relatively unchanged, it was updated several times. To determine what year your Banshee is, you need to look at the frame’s VIN number.
It’s located right behind the foot shifter on the frame rail:
How to Tell What Year Your Banshee Is by VIN
Ready to find out what year your Banshee was made?
1. Locate the VIN
The most reliable way to identify the year of your Banshee is through the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
- The VIN is a 17-digit code stamped into the left side of the frame, near the front left wheel or on the steering stem (see circled areas in images above)
- Clean off any dirt or grime to make it fully visible.
- It will look something like: JY43GAA06WA001234
- Each figure in the VIN reveals a code for the manufacturer, country of origin, brand, body style, engine size and type, model, series, security checks, and serial number, as well as the year (see example below)
2. Decode the 10th Digit
The 10th character in the VIN tells you the model year. Using the chart below, the example tells us that this Banshee is a 1998 model.
Note: The letters “I”, “O”, “Q”, “U”, and “Z” are not used to avoid confusion.
Other Ways to Find Banshee’s Birthdate
Sometimes the frame VIN numbers are removed, painted, or coated over. This makes discovering the exact year of your Yamaha Banshee much harder, but not impossible.
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Start by determining what type of chassis you have. You will need to look at the upper suspension arms. From 1987 until 1990, Yamaha had “J-arms.” After 1990, and until 2006, Yamaha switched to upper “A-arms.”
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You can look at your CDI Box to help narrow down the year. There are several different part numbers located on a stick on the box itself:
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- 1987-1994: 2GU-50/2GU-51 (round plugs)
- 1995-1996: 3GG-00 (square plug with sharp corners)
- 1997-2006: 3GG-10 (square plug with rounded corners)
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You can look at your taillight, the 1987-2001 Banshee used a smaller taillight, without a brake light. From 2002 - 2006, they used a larger style with a brake light.
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Finally, you can look at this chart that Yamaha posted on its website to show different color schemes that they produced (not every color is shown here).
Why Knowing the Year Matters
Knowing the correct model year of your Banshee helps when:
- Ordering parts – especially for electrical, suspension, or plastics
- Resale value – older models or rare editions (like Special Editions or Canadian models) may carry a premium
- Restorations and rebuilds – using year-correct parts can increase authenticity
At Vito’s Performance, we offer OEM-style and aftermarket parts sorted by Banshee year, so once you know what you’ve got, you can find exactly what you need.
POWER UP | Since 1998, Vito’s Performance has been supplying the world with top-quality and hard-to-find ATV parts for builders and enthusiasts alike. We specialize in the Yamaha Banshee and the Yamaha Blaster, and carry parts for all Yamaha Raptors, the Yamaha Warrior, Honda 300ex and 400ex, and the Honda TRX450r. For assistance with all performance products, contact Vito’s Performance online or call (248) 969-9168.