Phantom and Spitfire are the latest recipients of Banshee's new suspension linkage design.
After debuting its revised Prime earlier this year, Banshee’s remaining product portfolio has now also been significantly updated. Both the Phantom and Spitfire models have gained all those innovative KS2 suspension improvements first seen on the Prime.
Anchoring the Canadian brand’s vision of an advanced 2020 model year trail bike, is a new dual-link rear suspension design, which differs greatly from Banshee’s previous high-mount shock placement.
Seeking to retain that fabled Banshee ride quality and technical terrain suspension performance, the new KS2 linkage designs sees a trunnion-mount shock, which is mounted in its own cage, above the bottom bracket.
With a trunnion-mount, Banshee can offer customers the use of most contemporary high-volume shocks. That repositioned shock placement, just above the bottom bracket, allow Banshee bikes with the KS2 linkages to also offer excellent weight distribution.
By expanding its KS2 suspension and new frame design beyond the 135mm Prime 29er, Banshee can offer all its latest advances to a broader riding audience.
Dedicated enduro riders and those given to never taking a line around any jump or drop-off, will be partial to the Spitfire. This Banshee offers 135mm of rear-wheel travel, in a chassis which rolls the more agile 27.5-inch wheel size.
For those Banshee fans who prefer the larger wheel size but don’t quite need the Prime’s 135mm of rear suspension, there is the Phantom. This bike manages to combine very aggressive geometry (it has a 66-degree head angle), with 115mm of efficient and active rear suspension.
Beyond the reengineered suspension these new Banshees also feature those industrial design details one would expect from a boutique bike brand. Adjustable rear dropouts allow for geometry modification and can accommodate a range of rear axle spacing options too, between 142 and 148mm.
Banshee’s new KS2 bikes all start at $2199, for a frameset and shock.
