Banshee legend 2016 anyone?
- Thread starter kotajack
- Start date
Isn't the new Legend just a bit longer 650b version of the older one? Or did Keith ease off the end stroke rising rate a bit?
Write to banshee about the changes between the 1st gen production legends and the new ones. Also write on MTBR Banshee forums. People are really helpful there. Personally I couldn't be more happy with my 2010 legend. I'd probably go for the new one if I had the money for a new bike
cant really find one around here to demo or check out in a shop. The reviews seem to be all good for the older version. Just reading on the website it sounds like they put a lot of new fine tuning into the new design. How well would you say your older frame does in the tight rocky rooty areas? Is it plush in slower technical rock gardens or does it need to be at high speed wide open trails to come alive?
Not sure exactly what was changed, besides being 27.5 I believe. I've been on my 2011 Legend for a few years. It's an excellent bike. It's like pretty much any other 8" bike, you are going to need a certain amount of speed to not get hung up, but I've never had any problems in technical areas with it. The bike definitely loves high speed though.
The susp handles the rough quite well but slow speed rock gardens suck for any bike since they kill your speed so I don't know what are you looking here exactly. It's not a super nimble bike but that won't kill it in the slow speed stuff, it's just requires a bit different technique in tight berms (at least for me) but it's a bike that really rewards you with riding a bit mad being good at carrying speed and stiff enough to have predictable drift. Though it is sometimes a bit hard to stay on the pedals vs a few other bikes.
It got longer before the 27.5 switch so the sizing is differentNot sure exactly what was changed, besides being 27.5 I believe. I've been on my 2011 Legend for a few years. It's an excellent bike. It's like pretty much any other 8" bike, you are going to need a certain amount of speed to not get hung up, but I've never had any problems in technical areas with it. The bike definitely loves high speed though.
I have been riding a lot of natural stuff vs park groomed trails just like the stuff kazlx posted in the pic. I don't have lots of time on many dh bikes but some seem to be more playfull and good in the technical stuff while others really come alive when they can run wide open at speed. Just wanted to get a feel for how the legend does in the tight tech natural areas. Thanks
What Kazlx posted doesn't really seem that slow speed to me. I thought you meant 10kph and lower speed things. Stuff like that you just try to plow through. I'd think a playful feeling susp would be worse here since it would have less traction if you wanted to go above certain speed and below it all bikes loose similar energy on rocks.
I'd say Legend is way more of a bike for natural stuff vs a park bike. I'd take it over something like a session or a demo on a trail like on that picture any day. I had a few years of only riding park trails and the legend still rewards me on rough trails even though it's stupid small and I feel like I need more stability. Tbh if I wasn't dirt poor I'd get a new legend. I'm tempted to try something new but I really like the nature of the bike.
Plus if it's anything as strong and stiff like the 2010-2014 one you will have a bike for years. I've heard of 2 broken ones from the new batch but those were from local huckers who basically do 12-17 jumps with very badly made landings. Old ones mk2's had no problems as far as I know. Though again. MTBR Banshee forum will be your friend if asking about reliability.
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Jesus Christ. I wish i had a friend in the US and I wasn't so poor.