Other JUST DROPPED: All-new Slash+ e-MTB

[Bogdan_CH]

It is very beautiful, I would advise you to join even for few minutes the slash+ group on facebook. You will get plenty of them.

The major issue of the green paint, to me is that I can feel that it will end up with tons and tons of scratches. There is just no varnish so you need to wrap it and even that cannot protect everything.

For me until now, I still did not have the strength to put my DomA4 brake, but any break using dot fluid on such paint you would have to be very very careful. You will need to protect your bike against it to avoid damaging for good the paint.

I think at the moment I am very close to 22kg even maybe a bit more but, with current trail condition in north of France, using DD/DH casing and low psi (20/20 something like that), the bike grip is just awesome (assegai/dhr).

I rip the trail and honestly the geometry is just incredible for me coming from an enduro 160/150 (2022 Spectral). The feeling of stability and safety net on drop is incredible, I really feel the bike like a cushion on drop - due to pivot + vivid I guess.

I can't recommend it enough, but you need to know that:
- after each ride, I dismount wheel, motor guard, motor guard, battery and clean everything
- you might need to dismount from time to time the motor to add carbon grease to avoid creaks at that position (so far did it once after 10 ride)
- motor is still not going to give you that much power but, I am not that old, early forty so not a big deal yet
- price of the 9.7 was 6.3k making it a steal, now at 8k I would not buy it.

Thanks for the honest write up.

I've requested to join the group. Hope to see the magic once inside.

I'm in a similar situation with you, 37 yrs old, love my acustic bikes that I plan to keep ( Pivot Firebird for trips like Finale Ligure and my YT Tues 29 that I trash at bike parks) but my time on the bike due to family / age / work habbits etc. becomes less and less so I need to maximise my time outside , therefore a little assitance would really be welcomed. Still, I plan to enjoy ridding the bike. I slightly tried a full fat , but I just don't feel ridding a 25+ kg bike down the trails. Ideal would be low 20's so without being a weight wenny so I think the Slash+ can get near that figure. Just as a reference I ride everywhere with EXO+ inserts and in 3 years I only flat once (gash on the sidewall)

I clean my bikes regularly just that hope this would not become to crazy as the Slash+ is high on bearings and pulleys.

The bike I'm looking at is 6K flat, I can get in on my company so that would be a 5K without VAT . For the same money I found a Kenevo SL 2 Expert with much better parts ( 38 Perf Elite, GX T type, better wheels, etc. ) but I'm honest, for some longer trips, the 320wh won't make the cut.

Love the new Vala, ticks alot of boxes, but can't find it lower than a 7500 euros and at least for me, that kind of money and a 38 Rythm fork is a cookie just too HARD to swallow.

 

[roQer]

Lots of good info on S+ in the Facebook group. If you can get a 9.7 for 5K is a no brainer. The rear end is outstanding. I very much doubt you can get this kinematics from a Horst link like on the Vala. The power is good enough if you’re not too lazy.

 

[Darkyhs]

Anyone willing to share a pic of the Olive Darb color ? Can't find any in real life. I've been eyeing a 9.7 but at 6K not sure how much lower the prices will drop. Many parts need chaning but it is what it is.

Really plan to get an E-bike soon and on the shortlist are the Keneve SL 1.2 (but that 320wh battery is really weak) or the Vala (but just too expensive even in the lowest spec)

I've got a few on this thread, just look a bit back I like the color, but I didnt choose it for the color. I got the bike via a work scheme and replaced all the parts making it basically a high end specc

 

[Twisted Fork]

Thinking about upgrading the shock on a 9.7 Slash+ to a Vivid. Can anyone with the Vivid from a 9.9 confirm the correct tune for me please?

From what I’ve found so far, the 2023/24 meat-powered Slash uses a 230x65, standard shaft & body eyelets, R55,C37, 2 tokens, X4 lockout.

Is that accurate for the ‘24/25 Slash+? Thx for the help.

 

[whitymon]

Thinking about upgrading the shock on a 9.7 Slash+ to a Vivid. Can anyone with the Vivid from a 9.9 confirm the correct tune for me please?

From what I’ve found so far, the 2023/24 meat-powered Slash uses a 230x65, standard shaft & body eyelets, R55,C37, 2 tokens, X4 lockout.

Is that accurate for the ‘24/25 Slash+? Thx for the help.

230 x 65 mm | Standard yes, I took the RS-VIVD-ULT-C1 fwiw, 550€.

 

[Twisted Fork]

230 x 65 mm | Standard yes, I took the RS-VIVD-ULT-C1 fwiw, 550€.

The standard tune on the Vivid c1 is R25, C34, X2, 1 Token. I’m sure with all the available adjustments I could still find the sweet spot, but was thinking it would be preferable to start with the recommended tune as a baseline and adjust from there. Did you find you had to open up your rebound setting quite a bit more on the standard tune?

 

[Emailsucks98]

The standard tune on the Vivid c1 is R25, C34, X2, 1 Token. I’m sure with all the available adjustments I could still find the sweet spot, but was thinking it would be preferable to start with the recommended tune and adjust from there. Did you find you had to open up your rebound setting quite a bit more on the standard tune?

Shopping around I found that the R55/C37 was listed as the stock tune for the current Slash (not+). I only found these available in select+ version, and could get an ultimate in the generic tune for the same price so I went that route. retunes are inexpensive. First ride today and it felt great with the LSC/HSC mostly open. Too soon to have an opinion but it certainly didn't have obvious issues. If you're coming off a fox, I would replace the shock hardware- the fox hardware only works with their IGUS bushings with flanges.

 

[whitymon]

I used the full hardware of the fox, don’t like the RockShox.

There is no point comparing our tuning not the same weight not the same trail not the same rider.

For now I think that I put a lot of psi in it from recommendation chart only to get sag..

There are tons of settings so you need to test and try.

 

[Bogdan_CH]

I used the full hardware of the fox, don’t like the RockShox.

Can I ask why ? Planning to replace the same shock with a Vivid Coil on another bike and think the bearing kit is just superior to regular bushings.

 

[whitymon]

Can I ask why ? Planning to replace the same shock with a Vivid Coil on another bike and think the bearing kit is just superior to regular bushings.

Poly-style is easy to put/remove and replace (easier to service the shock too if it needs to be removed), yeah they might have to be replace faster but it depends on the beating you put on a bike, could last years and cost little to mothing. It also does not transfer as much vibration and noise as metal one, had in the past bad experience on some bikles. They also definitely can flex a bit.

The rockshox hardware, in metal when they starts to wears out they will slightly wear the shock hardware, so bolt can get scored. Not sure that the stocks ones would allow you to feel the benefit of having bearing.

With excellent bearing hardware suspension could be smoother but never felt that on rockshox, the force I applied on the bike when riding is far too strong to be impaired by friction (at least what I feel, I am no pro but I am not riding mellow nor flat trail).

I aslo did never find the quality of rockshox very great at that level, if I were to go metal/bearing I would go with offsetbushings brand which would allow you also some offset (which is the only reason I would buy them) and have excellent material and manufactured items.

There is no wrong choice, pros/cons I listed here might be completely wrong for other people.

 

[Bogdan_CH]

Thanks for your feedback. It makes sense if the bearings are shot but if they are kept in good condition it should work fine. I've used Fox bushings in the past on Rockshox as well but this time since there is a new kit for the Vivid with bearings slightly oversized and the suspension being quite active at the bottom (new Mondraker Crafty) I said I'll give them a try.