Help me decide on an eMTB with full suspension ($2700 budget)

[newrider100]

Hi guys,
please help me decide on an eMTB with full suspension. I’m new to MTB and live in California. I want to start riding on local hills and possibly hit the trails in the future.

Right now, I have the opportunity to buy an eMTB with the following specifications (look below) for $2500.

There’s also an option to upgrade the fork and rear shock to top-end components for an additional $200:
Fork: SR Suntour Durolux 36.
Rear shock: SR Suntour TriAir2 210*55 mm.

What do you think? Is this a good eMTB? Should I go for the upgrade, or is it fine as it is? Can you recommend a better-equipped eMTB within this price range?

Thanks!

COCKPIT
Stem
Alloy Trail Stem, 35mm bar bore
Handlebars
6061 alloy, 6-degree upsweep, 8-degree backsweep, 30mm rise, 780mm width

FRAMESET
Seatpost
Size: M
Dropper Zoom SPF-803/ISO-M, Travel 150 mm
Frame
Aluminum alloy frame, thru axle, inner battery box, 29" wheels, internal cable routing, 148mm spacing, 150mm of travel
SUSPENSION
Fork
SR Suntour AION36X-Boost EQ 2CR-PCS DS 15AH2-110 29" Travel 150 mm
SR Suntour EDGE-PLUS 2CR, 210*55 mm

DRIVETRAIN
Crankset
Crank Bafang, 165mm
Shift Levers
Shimano SLX (SL-M7100-R) 12-speed
Rear Derailleur
Shimano SLX (RD-M7100-SGS), 12-speed
Free wheel
Shimano SLX CS-M7100-12

Brakes
Rear Brake
Tektro Orion HD-M750, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180mm
Front Brake
Tektro Orion HD-M750, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 203mm

E-Bike
Motor
Bafang M560, 500 Watt, 130 Nm torque
Battery
Integrated battery 48V, 14AH, 720 Wh

WHEELS
Front tire:
Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.60 EXO 60 wire 66-622
Rear Tire
Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.60 EXO 60 wire 66-622

Rims:
Aluminum alloy rim 30 mm, 36H, 29inch
Hub:
Rear hub: Aluminum alloy with 4 sealed bearing, 148 mm
Front hub: Aluminum alloy with 2 sealed bearing, 110 mm

 

[VWsurfbum]

Hard to tell from this side of the pond what else you can get for the money.
If you do decide to get it i would upgrade the fork and shock for the $200 as it would cost you a lot more to do after purchase.

 

[Brian VT USA]

Who makes the frame? What model is it? Is this bike brand new & being built for you?

 

[newrider100]

Who makes the frame? What model is it? Is this bike brand new & being built for you?

Our local shop is selling the last two new bicycles. The brand is completely unknown. As far as I understand, the frame was manufactured in China, and the assembly was done there as well. The frame geometry is very similar to that of the third generation Trek Rail, with the same reach, wheelbase, and angles.

 

[Brian VT USA]

Sounds like a great deal on a decent bike. I don't know of any other options near that price.
Warranty and other support will likely be weak but, other than the structural frame, most all parts are serviceable or replaceable. Sounds to me like it's worth taking a chance on.

If you wanted to just dip your toe into the eMTB thing to see if it's your thing, you can spend a lot less, like I did, on this one.

29in Hyper E-Ride Mountain Mid-Drive MTB-DS E-Bike

The 29in Matte Grey E-Ride Mid-Drive Electric Mountain Bike from Hyper excels at climbing steep hills! The E-Ride Electric Bike offers a maximum range of 20 miles per charge, with a charge time of 4 hours. Comes complete with 29-inch wheels, a 36v lithium-ion battery and a classic matte gray...

hyperbicycles.com

The suspension is more XC than enduro and you'll want to upgrade the tires, at least, if you're getting into any rocks.
I have one and am very pleased with it. I had been out of MTB for 10+ years and didn't know what I wanted from an eMTB and I didn't plan to get back into the gnarly stuff at my age (57). And I didn't know how much riding I would actually do at this point in my life so I couldn't justify spending more for a bicycle than on my gas-powered dirtbikes.
It handles my 800 vert. ft. climb to the cell tower and then down steep, rocky, downhill singletrack just fine.
It's not going to compete with a $5k+ bike, but I'm having a blast and I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere.
Now that I know that the bike is going to get used often, and I am getting back into the more gnarly terrain, I may step up to a name-brand enduro bike some day but this bike is totally fine for 80% of the trails out there.
I can give you much more info. if you're interested. If not, good luck with whatever you get.

 

[newrider100]

Sounds like a great deal on a decent bike. I don't know of any other options near that price.
Warranty and other support will likely be weak but, other than the structural frame, most all parts are serviceable or replaceable. Sounds to me like it's worth taking a chance on.

If you wanted to just dip your toe into the eMTB thing to see if it's your thing, you can spend a lot less, like I did, on this one.

29in Hyper E-Ride Mountain Mid-Drive MTB-DS E-Bike

The 29in Matte Grey E-Ride Mid-Drive Electric Mountain Bike from Hyper excels at climbing steep hills! The E-Ride Electric Bike offers a maximum range of 20 miles per charge, with a charge time of 4 hours. Comes complete with 29-inch wheels, a 36v lithium-ion battery and a classic matte gray...

hyperbicycles.com

The suspension is more XC than enduro and you'll want to upgrade the tires, at least, if you're getting into any rocks.
I have one and am very pleased with it. I had been out of MTB for 10+ years and didn't know what I wanted from an eMTB and I didn't plan to get back into the gnarly stuff at my age (57). And I didn't know how much riding I would actually do at this point in my life so I couldn't justify spending more for a bicycle than on my gas-powered dirtbikes.
It handles my 800 vert. ft. climb to the cell tower and then down steep, rocky, downhill singletrack just fine.
It's not going to compete with a $5k+ bike, but I'm having a blast and I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere.
Now that I know that the bike is going to get used often, and I am getting back into the more gnarly terrain, I may step up to a name-brand enduro bike some day but this bike is totally fine for 80% of the trails out there.
I can give you much more info. if you're interested. If not, good luck with whatever you get.

Brian, thank you very much for the detailed response and recommendation. I checked out the bike from the link above. I understand that it comes with a very basic setup. I believe that a mountain bike should at least have hydraulic brakes. However, the price is indeed very attractive right now.

 

[Brian VT USA]

It does have hydraulic disc brakes. No-name, but they're 10 times better than the side-pulls on my (high-end at the time) Specialized analog mtb. They have been more than adequate for the steep/rocky downhill I've been doing. Mind you, I'm not pushing for Red Bull speed. ;-)
Edit: Sorry. I thought they were cable-pull hydraulic calipers. They're Tektro Aries which I guess are strictly mechanical.
They still seem to be more than adequate, imho. I've done some upgrades to the bike but haven't felt a need to upgrade the brakes or even the pads.
It's an entry-level bike than can do what 75% of the population would ever need it to. I have been riding and racing motorcycles in the woods my whole life and I have spent 3 summers mountain biking in Moab (before bikes even had suspension or disk brakes) and this bike is great for what it is and what it costs. If I sell my dirtbikes some day I may buy a $5k enduro eMTB, but not until then.
If you're interested in a test ride, you could take a trip to Vegas Hyper Adventures. He uses these bikes for his tours. Looks like fun, too. Or come ride mine in Maine. ;-)

 

[Brian VT USA]

I'm sure that there's a lot of us out here that think $5k is just way too much to pay for a bicycle unless it's your main sport or you have lots of extra cash to spend. Your initial post seemed to suggest that you aren't ready to commit most of your weekends to MTBing. That is the boat I'm in. I ride/race gas-powered dirtbikes. I have a dock and a boat in the summer, another vacation home out of town, snowmobiles and ice fishing in the winter. Lots of options for what to do with my free time. So I didn't know how much use I'd actually get out of a new bicycle.
I am thoroughly enjoying my re-entry into the sport with the Chinese-made Hyper bike I bought. If I decide that it's going to be my main sport then I will invest more of my money and time into a higher-end eMTB (if I decide to sell my dirtbikes).
Until then, I'm very happy with this bike. It scratches the itch very well for the money. And, as I said earlier, if I decide to quit the gas bikes I may invest in a high-end eMTB. But I'm not there yet and this bike will keep me very happy until then.
The OP deal that your local shop has looks very good to me. But it's still a good chunk of money. My brain would be wondering if I'm in that deep should I spend a "bit" more to get a "reputable" brand that many others have experience with? That's why I went cheap until I know that this is what I want to do with most of my free time. And I'm very happy with the choice.
I hope I have helped in some way and I hope you get the bike that works for you.
Pics of the OP deal bike would be cool to see. Especially if you get one and love it.

 

[Brian VT USA]

It seems that you may have stumbled onto something close to the Vitus E-Mythique that's not available to us in the USA with this OP deal. If it works out for you then I'm sure more of us here would be very interested in what it is and how to get one. Although, it sounds like these have also hit a dead end and are being discontinued.
I think that there's a huge eMTB market that's being ignored . Those that aren't (or want to pretend to be) "hard core" riders and don't want to spend $5+ on a part-time hobby.

​

 

[newrider100]

I'm sure that there's a lot of us out here that think $5k is just way too much to pay for a bicycle unless it's your main sport or you have lots of extra cash to spend. Your initial post seemed to suggest that you aren't ready to commit most of your weekends to MTBing. That is the boat I'm in. I ride/race gas-powered dirtbikes. I have a dock and a boat in the summer, another vacation home out of town, snowmobiles and ice fishing in the winter. Lots of options for what to do with my free time. So I didn't know how much use I'd actually get out of a new bicycle.
I am thoroughly enjoying my re-entry into the sport with the Chinese-made Hyper bike I bought. If I decide that it's going to be my main sport then I will invest more of my money and time into a higher-end eMTB (if I decide to sell my dirtbikes).
Until then, I'm very happy with this bike. It scratches the itch very well for the money. And, as I said earlier, if I decide to quit the gas bikes I may invest in a high-end eMTB. But I'm not there yet and this bike will keep me very happy until then.
The OP deal that your local shop has looks very good to me. But it's still a good chunk of money. My brain would be wondering if I'm in that deep should I spend a "bit" more to get a "reputable" brand that many others have experience with? That's why I went cheap until I know that this is what I want to do with most of my free time. And I'm very happy with the choice.
I hope I have helped in some way and I hope you get the bike that works for you.
Pics of the OP deal bike would be cool to see. Especially if you get one and love it.

Brian, thank you for the detailed comments. Yes, indeed, I plan to go riding on my eMTB no more than once a week. And I intend to ride on the most basic trails, where I could probably ride on my current urban ebike. But at the same time, this is like an expensive toy, and I want to treat myself to good components. Maybe I'll get into trail riding if I have a quality eMTB? But I'm not willing to pay $5к for an eMTB. So, I have to find a middle ground.

 

[KnollyBro]

Hi guys,
please help me decide on an eMTB with full suspension. I’m new to MTB and live in California. I want to start riding on local hills and possibly hit the trails in the future.

Right now, I have the opportunity to buy an eMTB with the following specifications (look below) for $2500.

There’s also an option to upgrade the fork and rear shock to top-end components for an additional $200:
Fork: SR Suntour Durolux 36.
Rear shock: SR Suntour TriAir2 210*55 mm.

What do you think? Is this a good eMTB? Should I go for the upgrade, or is it fine as it is? Can you recommend a better-equipped eMTB within this price range?

Thanks!

COCKPIT
Stem
Alloy Trail Stem, 35mm bar bore
Handlebars
6061 alloy, 6-degree upsweep, 8-degree backsweep, 30mm rise, 780mm width

FRAMESET
Seatpost
Size: M
Dropper Zoom SPF-803/ISO-M, Travel 150 mm
Frame
Aluminum alloy frame, thru axle, inner battery box, 29" wheels, internal cable routing, 148mm spacing, 150mm of travel
SUSPENSION
Fork
SR Suntour AION36X-Boost EQ 2CR-PCS DS 15AH2-110 29" Travel 150 mm
SR Suntour EDGE-PLUS 2CR, 210*55 mm

DRIVETRAIN
Crankset
Crank Bafang, 165mm
Shift Levers
Shimano SLX (SL-M7100-R) 12-speed
Rear Derailleur
Shimano SLX (RD-M7100-SGS), 12-speed
Free wheel
Shimano SLX CS-M7100-12

Brakes
Rear Brake
Tektro Orion HD-M750, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180mm
Front Brake
Tektro Orion HD-M750, 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 203mm

E-Bike
Motor
Bafang M560, 500 Watt, 130 Nm torque
Battery
Integrated battery 48V, 14AH, 720 Wh

WHEELS
Front tire:
Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.60 EXO 60 wire 66-622
Rear Tire
Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.60 EXO 60 wire 66-622

Rims:
Aluminum alloy rim 30 mm, 36H, 29inch
Hub:
Rear hub: Aluminum alloy with 4 sealed bearing, 148 mm
Front hub: Aluminum alloy with 2 sealed bearing, 110 mm

What kind of warranty are the providing on the motor, battery and electronics? Those will be the first to give you issues other than routine maintenance.

 

[newrider100]

What kind of warranty are the providing on the motor, battery and electronics? Those will be the first to give you issues other than routine maintenance.

On the emtb, a Bafang motor is installed. These motors come with a 2-year warranty. The same applies to the battery and controllers.

 

[KnollyBro]

On the emtb, a Bafang motor is installed. These motors come with a 2-year warranty. The same applies to the battery and controllers.

Well... if you like the way the bike rides and it fits your purpose, you are not going to get much more of a warranty than that on any of the high end bikes. To be clear tho...
There’s also an option to upgrade the fork and rear shock to top-end components for an additional $200:
Fork: SR Suntour Durolux 36.
Rear shock: SR Suntour TriAir2 210*55 mm.
These parts may be improvements for the bike you are interested in at that price point but are NOT top end components which may also lead to additional costs down the road. YMMV.

 

[Ride 2d@y]

fwiw - I have a friend who rides an Ansbern Boost - with Bafang and Rockshox components -

Boost - Ansbern Bikes

Full Suspension Emtb Climb the Impossible If you’re looking to get out on the trails and become one with nature, the Ansbern Boost e-Mtb will take you to explore new and extraordinary peaks. Climbing those impossible mountains is now a reality and the most difficult trails are now the most fun...

www.ansbernbikes.com

He ordered from Alibaba, under $2,500 USD I think

 

[Robert9]

Having the Hyper e-ride FS mid-drive for a month now, I will provide my honest input.

First and foremost, the mid drive unit climbs great, unlike the hub drive I had prior. I have yet to go through a full charge on any ride, but my rides have been under 20 miles and always power level 5 (max).

If you like to tinker with and do upgrades to improve your ride, this is a fun eMTB. If you don't, keep your expectations realistic, for the forks and rear suspension out of the box needs a lot of TLC. The Suntour forks are both heavy and harsh. Replace them. I found some used RS Reba's that are as plush as can be. The china forks are also a good alternative for under a c-note. The rear shock has such extreme compression, that it too is useless and harsh unless you are a heavy weight. The DNM AOY-36RC from AE , also under a c-note with dual chamber air pressure is the first step to a plush ride and more useful rear suspension. The second is to make sure all the linkages are operable. A change to bronze bearings with stainless steel shafts keeps them smooth running and rattle free. The suspension fixes are a minimum, regardless of use, and will be enough for most. The brakes are surprisingly good as-is and require a lot less fuss than hydraulics.

If you really want to step it up nice, tubeless wheels and tires, and the hot ticket transmission for an eMTB is less gears with a reasonably wide range. You don't need or want the small steps of a 12 speed, for the motor assist fills in any gaps. The best plan is an 8 speed cassette (11-46) and I read that the 8 speed 1:1 SRAM shifter works with the 10/11 speed clutch type Shimano RD (like a RD-M5100). Don't forget the 10/11s chain. This setup gives you better range than stock, both in climbing and cruising, and the clutch mech stops the chain slap and chain drops off road.

It will be nice when the industry gets a clue and makes an 8 speed wide ratio (like 11-51) cassette and mech that works with the stronger 8 speed chain and also has a clutch. The extra power from a mid-drive is not well thought out using the 1 human power system. Better yet is a belt drive with a mechanical gear hub, or even better having the gears in the motor. This all exists at crazy prices though. But the industry likes the added maintenance cost burden to the consumer for the sub-standard expensive systems we have today.

Other less necessary, but also inexpensive improvements include aluminum wider handlebars (stock is steel), grips, pedals, brake levers, narrow-wide steel chainring, 180mm rotors and shorter crank arms. The shorter crank arms help reduce knee issues and thigh cramps, plus is more efficient at doing higher RPMs that a mid-drive benefits from.

All this said, if you are a serious skilled rider, the entry level eMTB market prices have plummeted lately and less than $3K gets you a lot of bike, from many various companies. If you just want to have fun and tinker away, the Hyper is an outstanding value, especially with a 4 year extended warranty for less than $100 from WM on a $1K bike.

 

[Brian VT USA]

The wheels and gears seem fine to me except I switched the grip shift to a trigger. The tires were junk for sure. I went to MInions. The bars seem fine to me also. I have thought about shorter cranks to minimize pedal strikes.
The fork I changed to a Rockshox Recon SIlver RL.
I may try the shock you got. I assume you stayed with 165 vs trying something longer? Was it plug & play or did you need to mess with the bushings?

 

[Robert9]

The wheels and gears seem fine to me except I switched the grip shift to a trigger. The tires were junk for sure. I went to MInions. The bars seem fine to me also. I have thought about shorter cranks to minimize pedal strikes.
The fork I changed to a Rockshox Recon SIlver RL.
I may try the shock you got. I assume you stayed with 165 vs trying something longer? Was it plug & play or did you need to mess with the bushings?

Shock is plug and play with a 50mm upper bushing. 165, unfortunately is all that will fit. 170 sizes are non-existent. I really wanted to go to a 165-45 for longer travel, but no value shocks do this and the one trunion mount that does is a too wide at the top to work.

I reworked all the small pivots to bronze sleeves with stainless steel splint screws that are correctly sized, for the existing links just get sloppy without a real bearings. Combined with the fact they are chrome steel overtightened that makes the bike in effect a hard tail. While 3 inches is not a lot of travel, it is very helpful when tuned properly. That said, I don't go air bound, mostly green and blue trails. If you go black diamonds, this is clearly not the bike for you.

You will not regret the shorter crank arms for more than just less pedal strikes. For $25 on Amazon, prowheel makes an excellent set. I went with the 152 (I'm 5'-7"ish and shrinking), and absolutely love it. No risk with Amazon anyway if you don't like them. Read up, and you will find the short arms are the new best thing to MTB, especially an eMTB.

Were you able to get the factory wheels to work tubeless? I found used 10 year old tubeless wheels for $60 on craigslist. I put an old 10 speed 11-40t cassette and XT clutch RD, although I like the idea of less speeds better for e-bikes. It was a take off from an old bike 1x conversion. The wheels and tires shaved over 2lbs and the forks another 3.

When you're in level 0 (no assist), does it feel like you have a noticeable resistance from the motor that only goes away in level 1 assist? I road $$$ eMTBs and in level 0, they road more like normal (albeit heavy) bikes. My Hyper does not and I want to make sure it is normal.

 

[Brian VT USA]

Thanks for the reply.
The bushings mod. seems cheap and easy enough to do, but when I had my shock off the swingarm seemed to move freely so I'm not sure of the benefit to changing the bushings?

 

[Robert9]

Thanks for the reply.
The bushings mod. seems cheap and easy enough to do, but when I had my shock off the swingarm seemed to move freely so I'm not sure of the benefit to changing the bushings?

If it's not broken, don't fix it. Something to keep in the back of your mind if your links get sloppy. My suspension out of the box would not move.

Were you able to get the factory wheels to work tubeless?

When you're in level 0 (no assist), does it feel like you have a noticeable resistance from the motor that only goes away in level 1 assist?

 

[Brian VT USA]

If it's not broken, don't fix it. Something to keep in the back of your mind if your links get sloppy. My suspension out of the box would not move.

Were you able to get the factory wheels to work tubeless?

When you're in level 0 (no assist), does it feel like you have a noticeable resistance from the motor that only goes away in level 1 assist?

I didn't try tubeless. I'm old school and don't trust that in the woods.
Yes, there is noticeable resistance in 0.

 

[Robert9]

I didn't try tubeless. I'm old school and don't trust that in the woods.
Yes, there is noticeable resistance in 0.

Here is California, we have sheep head thorns everywhere you ride, so tubeless is a must.

 

[Brian VT USA]

I went online to order the DNM AOY-36RC shock and stumbled onto the DNM DV22AR spring shock. I wonder how it compares to the stock air shock and to the DNM AOY-36RC air shock.
Also, I saw a "Gold" version of the AOY-36RC but I couldn't find out what the difference is. I emailed the seller.

 

[Robert9]

I went online to order the DNM AOY-36RC shock and stumbled onto the DNM DV22AR spring shock. I wonder how it compares to the stock air shock and to the DNM AOY-36RC air shock.
Also, I saw a "Gold" version of the AOY-36RC but I couldn't find out what the difference is. I emailed the seller.

The spring size in that shock is very firm and will be very similar to the stock. I looked at the A5, but the difference in cost for the AOY-36RC (about $80 on AE) seemed a better choice. Not sure what a "gold" version is.

 

[Brian VT USA]

Not sure what a "gold" version is.

Me either. Hoping the seller responds (and in English).

DNM AOY-36RC 165 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for DNM AOY-36RC 165 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[Brian VT USA]

I'm 5'9" and 32" inseam so I guessed maybe I'd try 160mm cranks vs the 152mm you got.
I believe stock is 175mm.
Well, I couldn't pass up this auction deal on some 152mm that I got for under $10 shipped.

PROWHEEL Ebike Crank Arm Available in Square Hole 152MM | eBay

PROWHEEL Ebike Crank Arm Available in Square Hole 152MM. Condition is New. Shipped with USPS Ground Advantage.

www.ebay.com

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Robert9]

I'm 5'9" and 32" inseam so I guessed maybe I'd try 160mm cranks vs the 152mm you got.
I believe stock is 175mm.
Well, I couldn't pass up this auction deal on some 152mm that I got for under $10 shipped.

PROWHEEL Ebike Crank Arm Available in Square Hole 152MM | eBay

PROWHEEL Ebike Crank Arm Available in Square Hole 152MM. Condition is New. Shipped with USPS Ground Advantage.

www.ebay.com

Thanks for the tip.

Great deal! At first it feels like your riding a kids bike, so give the short arms a chance. You will notice higher cadence and smoother riding, especially up hills. After long rides, your knees won't ache and you thighs won't burn as much. It is also better on the motor for the leverage is less and the urge to mash transforms to spinning, which is less stress on you and the drive train. While 152 may seem too small, your riding style will change. There are many professional MTB riders going to real short cranks, but I think the real benefits are on mid-drive eMTBs. Enjoy.

 

[Robert9]

The Benefits of Reducing Your Crank Length

Shortening your crank length can have some major benefits in terms of speed, aerodynamics, power, and comfort. Here's a deep dive into the subject.

www.trainingpeaks.com

 

[Brian VT USA]

I got a response that the Gold shock is no different except for the color.

I'm waiting for my short crank arms and wondering if you also went to a smaller chainring?

 

[Robert9]

I got a response that the Gold shock is no different except for the color.

I'm waiting for my short crank arms and wondering if you also went to a smaller chainring?

I went with a 10 speed 11-40 cassette and XT clutch type mech (because I already had them) and just changed the chainring to a 38t narrow-wide, plus a ring guard to keep chain grease off my pants. I would have went 8 speed 11-46 with the SRAM 1:1 shifter and 10/11 speed Shimano RD-M5100 mech if I went all new. This makes even lower lows and higher highs.

If your riding style has yet to drop a chain, the need for a narrow wide chainring is minimal. If you had chain issues, I would highly recommend it though. As for a smaller ring, the clearance for the shift cable housing may be a problem below 38t. It looks like a 36t may work, but the net gain for climbing is very small. Besides, that is what the mid-drive motor is for... to make us super-human at hill climbs again!

The attached chart compares the stock with my setup. The numbers above the triangles are the speed at 65 cadence.

 

[Brian VT USA]

I'm fine with the current gears and chain. Around here we're mostly climbing or descending steep so I could probably get by with just 1st gear. lol
I'm not sure what I'll do if/when the chain or gears fail but this isn't a bike I want to be dumping too much $ into. I'm still well under $2k (I paid $1298.00 to start) and I'm very happy with what I've got for that money. The current price of $999.00 is incredible.
If I ever get to the point that I'm riding at every chance I get then I'll go ahead and spend the big $ on a different bike and keep this one as a "buddy bike" for guests.
The old saying when I was racing dirtbikes still holds water..."It's 90% rider, 10% bike." This bike is doing everything I need it to so far and the only thing holding me back is me. ;-)