![]() Jumps and drops were dispatched without trouble, and while we certainly used all the travel, we never felt any harsh bottoming out, even off of large drops into not-so-steep landings. While some downhill bikes have a more playful, carvey feel, the Legend is all business, a rock solid platform for smashing into berms and rocketing out the other side. Cornering on the Legend is like being on a pair of race stock GS skis – it responds best at high speeds, and can be pushed incredibly hard into corners without breaking loose. That being said, while it does take more effort to get it around tight corners, riders with an aggressive riding style shouldn't have much trouble getting the back end to go where they want it. A coil-sprung Fox 40 RC2 handled the suspension duties up front, while the previously mentioned Cane Creek Double Barrel Air took care of the rear.Ī take-charge riding style is definitely necessary in order to take full advantage of the Legend's capabilities - become complacent and the Legend can become a bit unwieldy. Whistler-based Chromag took care of the bars and direct mount stem, and the cranks, grips, seat and seatpost were all handled by products from Race Face's lineup. Banshee had our test sled built up with a heavy dose of Canadian pride, which makes sense given the company's "Born on the Shore" motto. The Legend MKII is only available as a frame, allowing riders to choose the build kit of their dreams. The most significant advantage of this is the lower center of gravity – the shock sits as low as possible in the frame, which should aid in the overall stability and cornering characteristics of the bike.ĭownhill riders, especially racers, can be a fickle bunch, a fact Banshee addresses by not offering complete build kits for the Legend. There are numerous twin link suspension designs that mount the rear shock to the upper linkage, but the Legend goes a slightly different route, with the rear shock mounted directly to the lower link. The Legend's suspension layout has an initially rearward axle path, the intent of which is to allow for better square edge bump absorption. Similar to other virtual pivot designs, the VF4B is designed to be minimally affected by pedaling forces while remaining supple and active even during heavy braking. The Legend uses a twin link four-bar suspension design that Banshee calls VF4B ( virtual floating four bar) a design that allows for a solid rear triangle to be used, further increasing frame stiffness. The rear shock rests inside a forged 'canoe,' and is mounted directly to the lower link of the twin link suspension design. Cable routing is clean and simple, running along the top of the down tube and then on top of each side of the seat stays. As would be expected, ISCG 05 tabs are in place around the 83mm threaded bottom bracket shell. The Legend uses sealed cartridge bearings at all pivot locations, and to save weight without sacrificing strength, titanium pivot hardware is used throughout the frame. At the rear of the bike, a bolt on 12x150 thru-axle keeps the rear wheel secure and adds additional stiffness. The Legend MKII is constructed from hydroformed 7005 aluminum, with the rear shock surrounded by an impressively stout-looking forged section, an area Banshee calls the 'canoe.' A 1.5” head tube allows for the use of an AngleSet, giving riders more options if they decide to deviate from the stock 63.8 degree head angle. The Legend MKII is designed to be stiff and strong, with a 1.5 inch head tube, 12x150mm thru-axle and internally braced seat and chain stays to help it achieve this goal.
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