Hello All!
Below is a brief review of the pre-production Banshee Legend. I will be doing an extended review sometime in the following month which will appear on the front page of Pinkbike.com. So keep your eyes open! Just to clarify, the following review is for the pre-production Legend frame. Ive talked with Keith (manager, engineer, and overall good guy), and hes assured me the frame is undergoing several tweaks and adjustments before production models are released which should bring this frame to the status of legendary.
Lets start with the setup. Taking care of the shock absorbing is a 2008 (with 2009 internals) Marzocchi 888 ATA. While the fork has been much maligned on internet forums, when setup right Ive found it to be super progressive, bottom-less, and perfect for that split second when you realize youre about to smack head-on into a square-edge, tombstone sized rock which would most likely send others OTB. In the back a Fox DHX 5.0 equipped with an Obtanium titanium spring. Once tuned properly, Ive found the match to be quite smooth and equally difficult to bottom enabling one to run less compression and allowing the frame/suspension to do the work. Sunline bars and Magura Louise brakes complemented with Sram X9 shifting makes up the cockpit area while a set of Race Face Evolve DH cranks rounds out the drivetrain. Im currently running what Ill describe as a misc. set of wheels as economic hardship struck my wallet and prevented me from getting my desired hoops and hubs. Onto the ride itself .
After spending the last several seasons on a Turner DHR I was nervous to swing my leg over something so new and relatively untested (by the public). However, the boys at Banshee did not disappoint. Though the DHR of old cornered like it was on rails, tracked well, and was an overall easy bike to ride, the Legend simply blows it out of the water. With a low bottom bracket height complemented with a low shock placement the Legend possesses a low center of gravity ideal for pinning corners and maintaining speed for upcoming sections. What most impressed me was the snappy, responsive feel of the bike while pedaling. While the bike doesnt excel in the parking lot test, the design truly shines in flat trail sections strewn with smalls rocks and stutter bumps. Being able to just stand up and hammer wherever needed on a race course without getting bounced off ones line or losing all effort to a sagging suspension is a desirable trait in my opinion. The ability to pick up speed where others can only coast, and to easily be able to start cranking out of a corner establishes this frame as a pure-bred race machine.
All in all, Im more than pleased with the bike. The frame accelerates like a 6 trail bike but tracks through the rough stuff more accurately then my old Turner. Im unsure of the total bike weight but even with a relatively heavy build, the overall weight probably resides in the low 40s. For anyone looking to upgrade their DH race machine next fall spend some time considering the Legend. Banshee has created a frame that gives companies like Intense, Santa Cruz and Giant something to worry about. Like I said please look for a more detailed review on Pinkbike in the coming weeks, but if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or just want to talk about the bike please dont be shy to comment in the post or shoot me a PM! Also, Keith at Banshee (in addition to all the other workers there) are always eager to answer any of your technical queries and can be accessed via their website, bansheebikes.com
Below is a brief review of the pre-production Banshee Legend. I will be doing an extended review sometime in the following month which will appear on the front page of Pinkbike.com. So keep your eyes open! Just to clarify, the following review is for the pre-production Legend frame. Ive talked with Keith (manager, engineer, and overall good guy), and hes assured me the frame is undergoing several tweaks and adjustments before production models are released which should bring this frame to the status of legendary.
Lets start with the setup. Taking care of the shock absorbing is a 2008 (with 2009 internals) Marzocchi 888 ATA. While the fork has been much maligned on internet forums, when setup right Ive found it to be super progressive, bottom-less, and perfect for that split second when you realize youre about to smack head-on into a square-edge, tombstone sized rock which would most likely send others OTB. In the back a Fox DHX 5.0 equipped with an Obtanium titanium spring. Once tuned properly, Ive found the match to be quite smooth and equally difficult to bottom enabling one to run less compression and allowing the frame/suspension to do the work. Sunline bars and Magura Louise brakes complemented with Sram X9 shifting makes up the cockpit area while a set of Race Face Evolve DH cranks rounds out the drivetrain. Im currently running what Ill describe as a misc. set of wheels as economic hardship struck my wallet and prevented me from getting my desired hoops and hubs. Onto the ride itself .
After spending the last several seasons on a Turner DHR I was nervous to swing my leg over something so new and relatively untested (by the public). However, the boys at Banshee did not disappoint. Though the DHR of old cornered like it was on rails, tracked well, and was an overall easy bike to ride, the Legend simply blows it out of the water. With a low bottom bracket height complemented with a low shock placement the Legend possesses a low center of gravity ideal for pinning corners and maintaining speed for upcoming sections. What most impressed me was the snappy, responsive feel of the bike while pedaling. While the bike doesnt excel in the parking lot test, the design truly shines in flat trail sections strewn with smalls rocks and stutter bumps. Being able to just stand up and hammer wherever needed on a race course without getting bounced off ones line or losing all effort to a sagging suspension is a desirable trait in my opinion. The ability to pick up speed where others can only coast, and to easily be able to start cranking out of a corner establishes this frame as a pure-bred race machine.
All in all, Im more than pleased with the bike. The frame accelerates like a 6 trail bike but tracks through the rough stuff more accurately then my old Turner. Im unsure of the total bike weight but even with a relatively heavy build, the overall weight probably resides in the low 40s. For anyone looking to upgrade their DH race machine next fall spend some time considering the Legend. Banshee has created a frame that gives companies like Intense, Santa Cruz and Giant something to worry about. Like I said please look for a more detailed review on Pinkbike in the coming weeks, but if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or just want to talk about the bike please dont be shy to comment in the post or shoot me a PM! Also, Keith at Banshee (in addition to all the other workers there) are always eager to answer any of your technical queries and can be accessed via their website, bansheebikes.com
I'm more interested in ride characteristic as I have very specific needs (mostly because of my bikenerdness not sublime riding skills 
