Banshee Spitfire V2 (2013) Frame
(discontinued)

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Vital Rating:
Discontinued
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Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Tested: 2013 Banshee Spitfire V2 - Get Aggressive
Rating:
Vital Review

Reviewed by Evan Turpen // Photos by Brandon Turman

For the longest time Banshee Bikes were well off my radar. In 2007 I was a professional downhill racer and at the time their products represented heavy, overbuilt, and technologically lacking machines built for the “huckers” amongst us.

That all changed in 2008, though, when they introduced the Legend MK1 downhill race bike and their unique approach to new product development. They released 50 frames to a select group of riders, racers, and engineers who all provided feedback that eventually went into the production frames. Banshee then went on to release many other beautiful and well crafted bikes such as the Rune and Spitfire. These bikes spoke to the high performance crowd. Fairly light frames, stiff back ends, good suspension performance, clean lines, and geometry numbers that aggressive riders could really appreciate. During that period, at least.

Fast forward to 2013 and Banshee has released a new version of their Spitfire, once again taking big steps in the right direction.

Everything about the Spitfire V2 is different while still maintaining the “downhiller’s XC bike” soul of the original Spitfire. The rear shock is larger, the travel has been increased from 5-inches to 5.5-inches (140mm), the reach has been lengthened, the geometry now has three adjustable positions at the dropouts instead of two at the shock, it now utilizes the ultra-supple KS-link suspension instead of the previous VF4B design (hello bearings, good riddance bushings!), and you now have the option of running 26-inch or 27.5-inch wheels with their interchangeable dropouts.

My Spitfire V2 test bike came with 26-inch wheels since that was what I was used to and requested. When selecting the frame size, at 5-foot 10-inches tall I was torn between the Medium and the Large. The Medium had a reach of 427mm and the large jumped up 25mm in length to 452mm. My current ride’s reach was near the middle of these two at 442mm. Since I didn’t want to go shorter, I went longer and choose the large black anodized frame combined with a short 35mm stem.

Spitfire V2 Frame Highlights


  • Hydroformed 7005 T6 aluminum frame
  • 26-inch or 27.5-inch (650b) wheels
  • 140mm (5.5-inches) travel
  • 7.875x2.25-inch rear shock
  • Tapered Headtube (44/56mm)
  • Adjustable 66 to 67-degree head angle
  • Adjustable 73.5 to 74.5-degree seat tube angle
  • Adjustable 13 to 13.5-inch bottom bracket height
  • Adjustable 17 to 16.8-inch chainstays
  • 73x118mm ISIS bottom bracket withISCG05 chainguide mounts
  • 142x12mm (26-inch and 27.5-inch), 135mm QR (26-inch), or 150x12mm (26-inch) dropouts
  • Full length seat tube
  • Plenty of tire clearance for a 26x2.5-inch rear tire
  • Adjustable seatpost cable guides along top tube and 30.9mm size allows for all known models
  • Low direct-mount front derailleur capable of running multiple setups from a chainguide to a dual ring with bash guard
  • Ina bearing pivots for strength and long service life
  • 2 year warranty and lifetime crash replacement
  • Weight: 7.5-pounds (Medium frame with Fox Float CTD)
  • MSRP $1,999 with Fox Float CTD shock

On The Trail

After setting up the suspension to my taste (roughly 25% rear sag versus the 28% recommended) and getting out onto the trails, the first thing I noticed is that the Spitfire is a very efficient pedaler that never required the use of the FOX Float CTD lever. I simply left it in the softest “Descend” setting and never had the urge to touch it again. My bike came equipped with a 2x10 crankset with a 26/38 gearing. In the big ring the bike pedaled with minimal suspension movement under power yet still absorbed bumps well. On super steep climbs when shifted into the 26 tooth granny ring the bike pedaled even more firmly and seemed to stand up in its travel slightly due to the increased anti-squat as a result of the suspension design. This helped the rear tire bite into the ground and find traction, as well as maintain a more forward weight bias up steep climbs. The harder the effort, the better the bike pedaled.

Once you get the Spitfire pointed downhill you really begin to see what this bike was designed for. The Banshee loves to go fast! In the lowest geometry setting, with a bottom bracket height of just 13-inches, a slack 66 degree head angle, and a longer than normal wheelbase, this bike begs you to open it up. The KS-Link suspension really is one of the smoothest feeling back-ends of any bike. It's also very stiff laterally, especially when compared to the previous design. The suspension works incredibly well on small to medium sized hits, carrying speed with the best of the best 26-inch wheeled bikes.

Braking characteristics are very neutral in that the rider’s position does not need to be changed drastically while braking. This leads to a very nice predictable transition from braking to cornering since you can remain neutral or even more toward the front than normal on the bike.

Cornering on this bike requires an aggressive, more forwards riding style with the slack angles and low bottom bracket. Once you learn this, the Spitfire drifts predictably and seems to corner best once the trails get fast. Tight switchbacks are not its strong suit, but a welcome compromise once you experience its high-speed prowess.

The Spitfire also inspires the confidence of a bike with at least 10mm more travel. So much so that you might find yourself regularly pinning it into sections best ridden on a 160mm+ travel machine. The 140mm of rear wheel travel can get slightly overwhelmed when encountering super rough sections, but you’ll make it through unscathed most every time thanks to the aggressive geometry and excellent handling. The suspension's progressive leverage curve helps as well.

Finally, when the Banshee takes to the air, it does so predictably. Big jumps and landings are no problem on the Spitfire. Actually…the bigger the better! It’s the small hops and jumps that require a little more effort compared to some of the other bikes in this travel range. This is most likely caused by the Spitfire’s glued to the ground suspension feel.

Things That Could Be Improved

Throughout my test only a few negatives popped up. The lack of a water bottle cage mount was one. The under the downtube cable routing for the front derailleur was another. All the other cables were routed beautifully out of harms way except for this one.

Also, the 13-inch bottom bracket height was a bit low for my tastes in the lowest of settings. The longer I rode the bike the more I noticed how conscious I needed to be of my pedal timing to avoid pedal strikes. Before you scold me and say to just raise the bottom bracket via the geometry adjustment, I want to remind you that it also affects the head angle. I like the head angle of the low setting, but prefer the middle to high bottom bracket height. After reviewing the geometry charts, the 650b wheels would accomplish just this and could potentially satisfy my geometry craving, but with a change to wheel size. The addition of an adjustable headset cup could also allow for the change. Either way, I spent the last half of the review riding the Spitfire in the middle geometry setting to accomplish a slightly higher (13.2-inch) bottom bracket with still a fairly slack 66.5-degree head angle. The bike still rode great.

Lastly, the increased anti-squat when pedaling in the small 26-tooth ring created a noticeable amount of pedal feedback when the suspension encountered a sizable bump. I also noticed that if the climb began to mellow out and you remained in the small ring, there could (at times) be a very strange feeling at the pedals. This was most likely caused by the suspension extending and compressing with each pedal stroke instead of remaining loaded like it did on a steep climb. In my eyes, all of this can be avoided though by selecting a 32 to 36 tooth 1x10 or 1x11 setup. If you choose this route the Banshee comes with ISCG05 chain guide mounts making it easy to bolt up your favorite chain guide.

What's The Bottom Line?

Overall the Banshee Spitfire V2 is an excellent 140mm travel trail bike well suited to aggressive riders. It’s not that a casual rider couldn’t appreciate this bike, it’s just that to really appreciate this bike you have to be someone who loves to push the limits. The faster you ride this bike, the better it rides.

With all the adjustable geometry and wheel sizes available, the Spitfire is a perfect bike for those wanting to dial-in and find their setup without jumping from bike to bike. The flexibility is nice to see and the frame’s construction and design show no signs of premature wear. The V2 evolution is an improvement in every way to the original Spitfire design, and I can see this being an excellent trail bike for many years to come.

For more info on the Banshee lineup, visit www.bansheebikes.com.

Bonus Gallery: 19 photos of the 2013 Banshee Spitfire V2 in action and up close


About The Reviewer

Evan Turpen has been racing mountain bikes for over 12 years. He raced downhill as a pro for the last 8 years with his career highlight being selected to represent the U.S. in the 2006 World Championships. More recently he can be found competing in enduro races and having a blast with it. His first ever enduro event being the 2012 Trans-Provence 7-day adventure race through France. He is an aggressive yet smooth rider who loves to flick the bike around to put it on the fastest line or to smooth out the rough sections. Fast flowy trails and long technical descents (Garbanzo style) are his favorite. Whistler and Santa Cruz are his two most favorite places to ride, but he can have fun wherever he goes. With an extensive knowledge of the mountain bike industry and its technologies, Evan is able to take all things in to perspective during a review. He has helped design, develop, and test products for multiple major mountain bike companies and has an attention to detail well above most. When he's not out ripping around on a bike he helps run the recently introduced California Enduro Series and is also in charge of the bike park at China Peak Mountain Resort.

14 comments

Post a reply to: Tested: 2013 Banshee Spitfire V2 - Get Aggressive

In reply to by Mr. P

In reply to by No/Style

6 member reviews

STAY AWAY FROM BANSHEE
Rating:
The Good
An average bike on its best days. Does jump nicely I must say
The Bad
CUSTOMER SERVICE, not robust, climbs like shit
Overall Review:

I got myself a spitfire a couple years back. I liked the look of the bike and I got it for a good deal online.  Less than 6 months of riding and the rear triangle broke and was not covered under warranty.  To be fair I did crash, however the small ding in the rear triangle prevented the axle from threading through the frame.  I have had far worse replaced by Trek and Specialized without a second thought from them.  After an extensive email chain I was told that not only was it not covered under warranty but Banshee would not provide a new rear triangle, they were going to charge me full crash replacement price for a new frame.  This was insane to me, truly beyond words, how do you not have replacement rear triangles??  And if you can't (or wont) provide me a rear triangle, how can you justify charging me full crash replacement price?  Even though I was disappointed with this news I accepted it and continued the process of getting a crash replacement frame.  

THIS is where Banshee really shined.  3 goddamn months of correspondence with nothing from Banshee, not even an email back.  At this point I had pretty much had it with the company and had accepted that I'd likely never see the frame.  That's when I submitted a nasty email on their website explaining my experience.  And hey what do you know?  They got back to me, finally... again I started the process to get my crash replacement frame.  Finally after months of back and forth emails I finally got my frame.  The whole process ended up taking roughly 4 months I received the crash replacement just in time for the dead of winter.  I assembled the bike got it ready to ride, rode it once and hated it.  Not that there was anything wrong with the bike but after purchasing my Stumpjumper (when I realized this warranty claim process was going to take this long) there was no going back to this boat anchor.  

I sold my Banshee essentially losing money on it in the process but at least now I'll never have to deal with this shitty company again. Banshee, you're the worst, you will never see business from me or anyone I know in the future. 

0 comments

Post a reply to: STAY AWAY FROM BANSHEE

A shop rats bike? Don´t think so..
Rating:
The Good
Geometry is pretty spot on. KS-Link lets you use its travel very effectively.
The Bad
Material distribution, front triangle is way to weak in comparison to the rear. It kept on eating through its 608 bearings and not of the cheap kind, which i relate to the front triangle being deflected a little to easily and therefore introducing lateral forces into the upper linkage. Reliabilty. Customer Service
Overall Review:

As much as i hate to deliver this review i feel its only right to do so, would have loved to find any information of this kind before burning the amount of money on a bike as i did.

I am one of the much cited shop rats who rather ride a reliable, heavy aluminum bike over any weight concious flimsy alternative on the market. Working on bikes for a living the last 6 years, this was my mindset when i dumped an enormous amount of money (for a bike mechanics salary anyway) on a frame. I was happy to do so, because i believed to be looking at a few years of trouble free bike ownership, as i don´t need the latest and greatest for the type of riding i do. Me and a group of friends are regulars on any technical terrain our area and europe has to offer, always in search for a challenge. I have been carrying my bike for 1000 vertical meters bike packing through switzerland and been grinding up tour de france hors catégorie mountain passes to earn my trails. This bike saw pretty much any kind of terrain europe has to offer.

I was very impressed what the combination of an effective rear suspension and a long a slack geometry can achieve when asking for trouble, but in comparison to one of my riding buddies orange 5 i felt an apparent lack of stiffness in the front triangle, the connection between my wide handlebar and the cranks seemed to be very distant. Both bikes were equiped with renthal bars, very stiff syntace megaforce2 stems and Fox´s 36. I went through my first set of 608 bearings within 6 months, which was rather shocking to me, but overall performance left little to be desired for, so i kept on riding the bike and recommending it to friends and actually selling a few of them through our shop. In the end we were 5 friends riding 4 spitfires which says a lot about how much faith we put into durability of this frame.

In the end this was to all our demise. My frame has been developing its typical 608-bearings-are-gone-sound again but i was lazy and a little reluctant to change these again, when just 2 months beyond our 2 year warranty one of us discovered a crack where the gusset connecting seat and downtube meets the downtube, directly coming from the weld. Alarmed all of us checked our frames only to discover that every single one was broken in exactly the same area. The crack is almost invisible, so i´m sure i missed it numerous times when inspecting my bike. Some of you might be thinking we shredded our bikes to death, 2 years time is enough to do so, but to put it in perspective i weigh a mere 70kg and have a very clean riding style. Even my ztr ArchEX wheelset is still going strong after i went trough this frame...

Considering its banshee we were dealing with and it clearly being a design/manufacturing failure we were sure to be taken care of. But to our disappointment all we got was a very bad crash replacement deal, which took us almost 3 months trying to communicate with our local distributor. All things considering i will never buy, recommend or sell any banshee again and will keep on buying used frames and selling bikes with proper customer service. This bike is clearly not the shop rats bike it´s been called numerous times all over the internet.

3 comments

Post a reply to: A shop rats bike? Don´t think so..

In reply to by Banshee

In reply to by Krafkloot

Brilliant trail bike for aggressive riders who prioritize descending
Rating:
The Good
Absolute rocket on downhills, strong and high quality frame, confidence inspiring, good pedaling performance, beautiful utilitarian design, long lasting pivot bearings, modular geometry that doesn't take things over the top
The Bad
Heavy for a trail bike, not the best climber in its travel bracket, bottom bracket could be a touch lower and chainstays could be shorter with 650b wheels
Overall Review:

Quite simply the best trail or all mountain bike I have ever ridden. I ride very technical trails here in the Pacific Northwest, and this bike has outshined my old Nomad Carbon in just about every way. I have the bike set up with 650b wheels, a 150mm Marzocchi 350 CR, and an Avalanche-tuned Fox CTD shock.

Descending

No question about it - this bike was built to go downhill fast. The top tube is roomy and, at 6'0 tall, the large feels perfect with a 50mm stem and 785mm bars. A 160mm fork gave the bike a high bottom bracket, so I changed to a 150mm fork and dropped the flip chips in the rear dropout to the lowest BB setting. This gives the bike a fairly slack head angle, but most importantly lowers the BB to handle better with the larger 650b wheels. I still feel that the chainstays could be a touch shorter and the BB a hair lower, but the 150mm fork went a long way to alleviating my initial complaints with the BB height using the 650b wheels.

For a bike with so little travel, the Spitfire absolutely crushes technical trails. The Avalanche-tuned rear shock is key - though it heats up a bit on longer descents, it outperforms the Cane Creek Double Barrel Air that I originally had on the bike by helping the rear suspension work as efficiently as possible across a wide variety of terrain. The stiff Marzocchi 350 chassis and excellent damping from the rear shock compliment the fantastic geometry and suspension design, keeping the bike very composed and helping the suspension ride high in its travel. Feedback from the rear wheel is direct, helping maintain more of an awareness of what the bike is doing versus the rather "wallowy" and disconnected suspension of my old 2011 Nomad Carbon.

Climbing

Climbing is solid, but not excellent. The frame is hefty, especially compared to the modern crop of carbon bikes being released that have even more travel. The burly frame responds well to sudden jabs at the pedals, staying high in its travel and rewarding hard pedaling with uncompromising stiffness in the rear triangle. The slack head angle doesn't put you in the best pedaling position either, but I am used to slacker trail bikes and don't mind it at all. The Avalanche-tuned shock bobs more than the stock Fox CTD, and it does make me miss the excellent Climb Switch feature from the original CCDB. I don't doubt that the shock could be set up to pedal better, but I prefer the downhill-oriented setup that I have currently.

0 comments

Post a reply to: Brilliant trail bike for aggressive riders who prioritize descen

Fantastic trail bike
Rating:
The Good
Descends like a bigger bike than it is, durable, excellent frame stiffness
The Bad
A bit heavier than some similar carbon options
Overall Review:

I've had my 2013 Spitfire for about 16 months now during which time it has been my primary bike for all sorts of riding. It is still going strong and remains my favorite bike ever. I had a V1 spitfire and experienced the known bushing issues (although that was also a really fun bike).  Banshee took care of me with a heavily discounted V2 frame which has more than addressed shortcomings with the prior frame.  It had been ridden in a wide variety of conditions from my mellow non-mountainous local trails in NC to our jump trails to the roughest stuff in the mountains of western NC. Essentially, I agree with the other reviews with a few exceptions you'll see below.  The bottom line is that if you want a bike that will get you up the hill efficiently and with enough energy to really get after it on the way down, the spitfire is a great choice.  If you're in the market for a "play bike", think about the spitfire.  I think the spitfire is somewhat unique in that it sports a little less travel than most of its direct competition (SC Nomad, Spec Enduro, Giant Reign, etc).  I personally feel like this allows the bike to ride less demanding terrain without feeling like way too much bike while its outstanding geometry and suspension design allow it to retain the ability to push hard on more demanding trails.

The longer review below mentions the rear end being overwhelmed in more "DH" type situations with the stock Fox CTD shock and I'd tend to agree here.  I will, however, add that when I upgraded to a Cane Creek Double Barrel air, there was a night and day difference and with a Pike up front, the bike really is extremely capable in essentially any terrain.  Obviously there are limits to what a 140mm travel bike will do, and it's not going to ride like a real DH bike.  But the spitfire really does punch above its weight in terms of handling terrain and speed that would cause many 140mm bikes to flounder.

I have no intentions of "upgrading" my frame until the next major Spitfire revision.  Can't wait to see what happens next.

0 comments

Post a reply to: Fantastic trail bike

Amazing Trailbike
Rating:
The Good
Climbs well & lets you pin downhills. Feels like more travel than it has. Never too much travel. Stays amazingly agile. Just Super-Fun to ride.
The Bad
Weight slightly on the heavy side. Nothing for weight-weenies.
Overall Review:

If you go down to the cellar and pick a bike - it's the spitty.... You just love it.

1 comments

Post a reply to: Amazing Trailbike

Specifications

Product
Banshee Spitfire V2 (2013) Frame
Riding Type
Trail
Rider
Unisex
Sizes and Geometry
S (26
M (26
L (26
XL (26
Wheel Size
26"
27.5" (650b)
Frame Material
Aluminum
Frame Material Details
Hydroformed 7005 AL Tubes
Rear Travel
140mm
Rear Shock
Fox Float CTD
Head Tube Diameter
Top 44mm | Bottom 56mm | Top 1.125" Zero Stack, Bottom 1.5" Zero Stack
Bottom Bracket
73mm - ISIS 118mm
Rear Dropout / Hub Dimensions
135x10mm or 142x12mm or 150x12mm or 27.5" (650B) 142x12mm
Front Derailleur Size
Low Direct Mount S3
Seatpost Diameter
30.9mm
Max Tire Size
26"x 2.5" and 27.5"x2.5" (27.5" Requires Specific Dropout)
ISCG Tabs
ISCG '05
Bottle Cage Mounts
No
Colors
Black, Red, or Chrome
Warranty
2 Years
Weight
7 lb 8 oz (3,402 g)
Miscellaneous
 
Price
$1,999.00
More Info
What do you think?
Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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