Tempted by a Banshee and wondering how owners have got on with them e.g. warranty, bearing wear in the back end etc etc?

Any experience?

Thanks in anticipation.

Chris

Banshee Spitfire

Had a Spitfire since feb this year. Ride it about 3 rides a week (5Hrs). Unfortunatly mine developed a crack on the frame. Pretty quick turnaround with the warranty replacement though. Didn’t even have to send the frame away for inspection, just sent pics. When I stripped the components from the old frame the bearings were still silky smooth. Now been riding the new 2016 one for a couple of weeks and loving it. Wouldn’t let it put me of buying Banshee again.

Had mine since Feb. No issues with bearings, either in the main frame or back end and not had to deal with Banshee/shop on the warranty.

Did need to send the CCDBinline to TFT for fettling as the bladder split.

Running 26″ with 650b dropouts and 150mm 650b Pikes, slackest setting. Awesome bike.

how owners have got on with them e.g. warranty, bearing wear in the back end etc etc?

Support from Banshee is great – haven’t needed the warranty but Keith has been incredibly helpful both before and after I bought the frame, in replying to my endless questions. I’ve been riding my Spitfire since Feb 2014 – my hardtail came out for the depths of winter last year but other than that it’s been my do everything bike.

I’ve averaged almost 4 hours a week on it over that period, in all conditions (I ride when family life/work means I’m scheduled to ride, whatever the weather). Bearings were changed for the first time a few months ago. There was a mysterious creak that took ages to find but it was the bloody seat post!

Wrote a really long review here: http://brightonmtb.org/2015/01/31/a-review-banshee-spitfire-v2/

Since then I’ve reduced the sag to 25% rear and about 15% front, dropped it to the low/slack setting, switched to DHR2 tyres and it’s riding even better – coming from a steeper/shorter/taller bike I think it’s just taken time for me to adapt to the very progressive geometry.

Only problem is that my hardtail feels rather mediocre now so its being rather ignored… I like the changes for the 2016 version too – usefully lower BB, slightly shorter chainstays, slightly longer reach.

I’ve had a rune for a year and the bearings are still good, it did eat through the shock bushes in 4 months but they’re consumables.
In the alps, bikebparks, antur and local trails it’s a great bike pointed down and goes back up well enough. I think it’s to much on local trails and perhaps overkill which is why a HT is on the cards but as an all rounder its been great fun to ride and will be keeping it for as long as possible.

I had one of the original Spitfires that ate it’s bushes and axles every few miles. Massively disappointing, because the bike was unbelievable, but Banshee were absolutely superb at shoving new axles my way and eventually giving me a refund.

If you’re trying to decide between the two, the only time my SPitfire felt like it was getting towards the limit of it’s short travel was smashing very fast rocks in the Lakes. The new one has 13mm more travel, so I’d expect that to give you that bit more.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t out of its depth at all, I just felt like I’d reached a point where the extra travel from the Rune would have made me a little bit quicker.

Anything less extreme and the Spitfire is going to be the better bike, short travel gives better climbing, but also more control. The geometry is largely where the speed comes from. If fast rocky technical isn’t a large proportion of your riding, I’d go Spitfire every time.

Thanks everyone. 🙂

A nice bargain: http://www.blazingbikes.co.uk/banshee-spitfire-frame-yellow-2016-blazing-bikes#.Vl1WFmThBaF

Or this deal 🙂 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141839544074?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Had mine for a year and loved riding it…time for a change for me so selling. It did go through shock bushes, but as some one else said, just consumable items. Otherwise, everything else was great.

I’ve had a new spitfire for a couple of months now, size large, 650b, CCDB inline cs. with 160 pikes, high rollers & 1×10. I came off a 26inch heckler so expected the spitfire to feel really long reach, but it doesn’t, reach is slightly longer but not that noticeable. Less good points-I like bars relatively low but still need spacers under stem due to short headtube and internal headset. I don’t like the cable guides under downtube for front mech as I’ll never use them. It has a howl from the rear brake at higher speeds that I’ve not solved yet. Dropouts bolted on not my favourite aesthetically. CCDB not too poppy and front end harder to lift on wheelies but soon got used to that.Good points- love the steep seat angle (affects reach & wheelies as above) means no front end lift on climbs and great on corners, loads of mud clearance and not to many shelves so easily cleaned off. Suspension very good, put an extra volume spacer in and more low speed compression, climb switch great for getting to trails and fireroad, not taken it anywhere rocky yet but suspect it will be very impressive. Head angle and wheelbase gives very stable ride at speeds but does take a bit more effort on tighter stuff than my old bike, ride a wider carving line and you can stay off the brakes when you shouldn’t be able to. Loads of standover. General frame finish seems excellent but BB width seems to be about 69mm once splined ISCG removed. It’s my second banshee, had a legend mk 2 which I sold to buy this and that was brilliant, still on original bearings after 2 winters in Wales and Shropshire so will look at getting a darkside when I can afford one. The spitfire is a keeper.

I’ve just bought a second-hand Spitfire V2 frame with CCDB air, should be turning up tomorrow. I should have all the components ready for the build by this time next week. So I have no real-world experience as the thread title requests, I just thought I’d tell everyone about it as I’m very excited 🙂

The previous rune (2014/15) has a poorly designed shock mount that makes the downtube prone to cracking near the top welds. I cracked two (a 2014 and a 2015) in the same place in a matter of months and know of a few others that have cracked there. The frame was replaced under warranty no questions asked but I had to wait a few weeks because they were out of stock. The 2016 model has a re-designed mount that should solve the problem. Bearings are not that well sealed but are cheap and easy to replace.

Or this deal http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141839544074?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Had mine for a year and loved riding it…time for a change for me so selling. It did go through shock bushes, but as some one else said, just consumable items. Otherwise, everything else was great.

I saw this but I’m 6’2″……:(

A nice bargain: http://www.blazingbikes.co.uk/banshee-spitfire-frame-yellow-2016-blazing-bikes#.Vl1WFmThBaF

That is a real deal and no mistake, interest free credit too……..#tempted! But how do I explain this to SWMBO?

I bought my Rune frame/FoxFloatX in Oct 2014. I share use it with a HT and ride a couple of times a week whatever the weather. Local stuff isnt rocky, its wet mud/chalk in winter, so not claggy. I have used it for numerous Enduro’s and mini DH races and also a trip to Slovenia and all its rocks 🙂

First thing you’ll notice is it isnt light! I think mine was 1.5lb heavier than my Heckler. I have since shed weight where I can and its now 31.5lb on a good day. Its slack. I was using it mainly on mid setting except for DH days, but have recently left it in slack and am liking that. Its a very good pedaller for its weight. I also added a Vorsprung Corset as soon as it came out, as the mid travel on the fox shock was naff. I couldnt get a balance between plush and not using all travel too easily. Its now great.
Bushing was replaced after about 11months. Bearings after 12, but TBH they could have gone on for a little more (bearings that is) – they are very very easy to do considering there is 8. Bearings are standard sizes and cheap to get hold of. For this reason I would change each year anyway, so you dont have issues getting them out.

The slack angles are great at getting you out of trouble on steep descents where you may find yourself with weight drifting forward as you have 1 foot off pedal! I’ve now had to change my HT to seek this benefit!

Great frame and I’d love to try the new one.

I had a Rune and I really loved it but it was a lot of bike. Looking back now, I probably should have bought a Spitfire.

I bought my Rune in 2013 and was doing quite a lot of DH type stuff and wanted one bike to cover all bases so it made sense. I demo’d one with a FOX CTD shock which was rubbish but I liked the bike so got the upgraded CCDBa which was great.

I did pretty much everything on it – Antur, BPW to long XC rides in Swaldedale and everything in between. It got a shed load of use and when I sold it last month, the bearings were still really smooth. There was a bit of surface rust but no nasty noises / feel. I left mine in the neutral setting and swapped to the slack setting for uplift days.

It climbed better than a heavy-ish slack 160mm bike should but was a bomber on the descents. It was a way more talented bike than I’ll ever be rider. The KS link seems like a really good system and Keith the designer was ace in answering my daft questions.

After having our first little one last year, my riding became more restricted and it felt like it was overkill for most of my riding so it’s been swapped for a slack hardtail.

The Rune is an amzing bike but having had one, make sure that you ride stuff regularly that needs that much bike.

If anyone has spares, I’m after set of neutral dropout chips, for a new spitfire. I assume older ones will fit, email in profile.