GHOST Path RIOT Full Party and GHOST RIOT AM Full Party 2023 first ride review – the ultimate dance-off between GHOST’s analogue bruiser and FAZUA-powered eMTB

David meets Goliath. Fox against rabbit. Ferrari vs Volkswagen. With the new GHOST RIOT AM Full Party and its electric counterpart, the Path RIOT Full Party with FAZUA Ride 60 motor, you have the choice of light weight and playful handling, or extra power and support. We took both bikes to a trail party.

With the RIOT AM Full Party and Path RIOT Full Party, GHOST have unveiled their first downhill-oriented carbon enduro full-susser. But there’s more: while at first glance the two bikes are almost identical, they come in two completely different flavours – with and without E. If it weren’t for the slightly beefier downtube and mini display on the top tube, it would be almost impossible to tell the 19.8 kg Path RIOT light eMTB apart from its analogue brother, the RIOT AM. Both bikes share exactly the same geometry and a near-identical spec. According to the German manufacturer, the two models were developed together, which should ensure consistent performance across the range.

The GHOST Path RIOT Full Party and RIOT AM Full Party 2023 in detail

At first glance, it’s almost impossible to tell GHOST’s party siblings apart. The electric model relies on a slightly beefier down tube while the analogue version is more slender throughout. Both models share the same identical rear suspension with triangular swingarm, which employs two links to drive a vertically mounted shock. GHOST call their proprietary suspension system “Traction Link”, which is closely based on the Twin Link kinematics. The unusual and intricate suspension linkage calls for a wide swingarm with elongated and slightly tapered seat stays. Nevertheless, the distinctive frame silhouette is harmonious and pleasantly organic, which is partly due to the material of choice: carbon. Speaking of which, from 2023 onwards, all RIOT models – both electric and analogue – will only be available in the precious black composite fibre. Both bikes roll on 29” wheels and combine 160/140 mm travel at the front and rear, respectively.

The frame of both bikes features a bottle cage mount as well as a tool mount on the top tube, which allows you to carry all your trail essentials directly on the bike. The bottle cage mount of the Path RIOT eMTB with FAZUA motor can be used to carry FAZUA’s optional range extender, which provides an additional 210 Wh capacity and should soon be available for purchase. On both models, the cables are neatly routed through the frame, ensuring an overall clean look. However, on the analogue model, the cables rattle loudly against the frame. At least the generously-sized chainstay protector keeps the noise down, as does the quiet FAZUA motor.

Nevertheless, the distinctive frame silhouette is harmonious and pleasantly organic, which is partly due to the material of choice: carbon. Speaking of which, from 2023 onwards, all RIOT models – both electric and analogue – will only be available in the precious black composite fibre. Both bikes roll on 29” wheels and combine 160/140 mm travel at the front and rear, respectively.

The spec of the 2023 GHOST Path RIOT and RIOT AM Full Party – more than glitzy party decor.

The Path RIOT and RIOT AM share almost identical specs, except for the wheelset and drivetrain. The suspension consists of a FOX 38 Factory Grip 2 fork and FOX Float X2 Factory shock, controlling 160/140 mm travel at the front and rear, respectively. Both are the flagship models in FOX’s portfolio and offer the most adjustment options in the entire range, allowing you to finely tune the suspension to suit your needs and riding style. For the Path RIOT ebike, GHOST combine a bling Shimano XTR rear derailleur with a cheaper XT cassette, but this is only marginally heavier than its high-end counterpart.

The analogue RIOT AM Full Party, on the other hand, pairs an XT rear derailleur with an SLX cassette and matching shifter. However, the cheaper SLX doesn’t support the practical Multishift function of the XT derailleur, which allows you to drop several gears at once, forcing you to mash the shifter 11 times before you can drop into the valley. On both bikes, Formula Cura 4 four-piston brakes with 200 mm rotors front and rear provide powerful, reliable deceleration and good modulation. The only downer: the tool free reach adjuster is hard to reach, making it difficult to change the settings and requiring you to use a 2 mm Allen key – not very tool free.

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All GHOST Path RIOT ebike models employ a FAZUA Ride 60 motor and a fully-integrated 430 Wh battery. Moreover, FAZUA are planning to release an optional 210 Wh range extender in the near future. While this boosts the capacity of the Path RIOT to an impressive 640 Wh, it also takes up the place of the water bottle. GHOST’s Path RIOT light eMTB will also be available in a super-light LTD edition, which has only 150 mm travel at the front and is the lightest eMTB in GHOST’s eMTB portfolio at just 17.5 kg.

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GHOST also rely on different wheelsets for the two bike models, employing two different alloy models from German component manufacturer Syntace. However, the analogue RIOT rolls on narrower 30 mm rims while the electric version uses wider rims with 33 mm internal width. That being said, after just one day of testing, the rear wheels of both bikes had several loose spokes which resulted in a massive wobble! We recommend keeping an eye on the spoke tension, especially when the bike is new.

The Syntace wheelsets roll on grippy MAXXIS tires, with a 2.5” ASSEGAI at the front and 2.4” DISSECTOR at the rear. On our test bike, both tires come in MAXXIS’ softest MaxxGrip rubber compound, which is paired with the EXO+ casing at the front. However, the DISSECTOR rear tire of the production bike will come in the harder MaxxTerra compound and robust DoubleDown casing. Moreover, both the analogue and electric models come standard with a tire insert in both wheels, allowing you to run lower air pressures for more traction and support – moshpit here we come!

GHOST’s analogue party animal, the RIOT AM Full Party, retails at a very reasonable € 5,499, while its electric counterpart sets you back € 8,500.

The geometry of the 2023 GHOST Path RIOT and RIOT AM Full Party

The two bikes share identical geometry, with the only difference being the size of the downtube and bottom bracket, which has no influence whatsoever on the geometry of the bike. With 492 mm reach in size L, the bikes are on the long side.

At 441 mm in size M, the seat tube isn’t excessively long, which comes as a pleasant surprise considering that the electric motor sits just beneath it and the long-travel Eightpins dropper is fully integrated into the frame. The latter offers 175 mm travel and extends up to 344 mm.

The geometry of the 2023 GHOST Path RIOT and RIOT AM Full Party

Sze	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	417 mm	441 mm	465 mm	489 mm
Top tube	581 mm	615 mm	647 mm	681 mm
Head tube	90 mm	110 mm	140 mm	160 mm
Head angle	63.5°	63.5°	63.5°	63.5°
Seat angle	76.5°	76.5°	76.5°	76.5°
BB Drop	34 mm	34 mm	30 mm	30 mm
Chainstay	446mm	446 mm	455 mm	455 mm
Wheelbase	1,224 mm	1,263 mm	1,312 mm	1,350 mm
Reach	435 mm	465 mm	492 mm	522 mm
Stack	607 mm	626 mm	648 mm	666 mm

Black and yellow – the new GHOST PATHRIOT and RIOT AM Full Party first ride review

The latest Chillhop compilation is blasting through the PA and the fridge is stocked up with drinks: it’s Full Party time! Never have an analogue bike and an eMTB felt so similar on the trail as GHOST’s party siblings. As far as riding impressions go, the only perceivable difference is in the FAZUA Ride 60 motor system, while everything else feels the same: “Ceteris paribus”, as your beloved maths teacher would have said. But enough with the theory, let’s hit the trails! At least when unloading the bikes from the back of your car you will know which bike is which. However, the 4 kg weight difference is more noticeable in these situations than on the trail. The 19.8 kg Path RIOT isn’t as easy to lift onto a wall-mount or bike rack as its little sibling, which weighs just 15.1 kg.

The additional effort required to lift the electric components already pays off on the first climb. With its 60 Nm FAZUA motor, the Path RIOT grinds its way up the mountain like there’s no tomorrow, quickly leaving behind its analogue sibling – not even the strongest legs can keep up! On technical uphills with steps and roots, both bikes generate plenty of traction and the rear wheel sticks to the ground like Velcro. However, the electric Path RIOT requires you to time your pedal strokes more carefully, not to prevent smashing the cranks into obstacles, but to compensate for the slight delay of the motor. If you stop pedalling and take advantage of the hysteresis, the FAZUA Ride 60 needs a fraction of a second to think before resuming assistance. While the rear suspension of the RIOT AM tends to wallow slightly, pedal bob is marginal and reaching to the lockout lever only makes sense on long, boring tarmac climbs. When the climb gets rough, the bike maintains a good level of traction and comfort . Not only do you have to work harder to get the analogue RIOT AM Full Party to the top of the mountain, but also have to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking, especially on very steep climbs. This isn’t the case with the electric Path RIOT, which is likely due to the extra weight and the position of the battery.

Once gravity takes over and you start shredding your way back down into the valley, GHOST’s Traction Link suspension generates tons of traction – just like it did uphill. On top of that, the tire inserts allow you to run low air pressures, which together with the super-tacky MaxxGrip rubber compound improves traction even further. If you want to maintain the high level of grip in open flat corners without the support of a berm, you’ll have to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking. That being said, the MaxxGrip compound really helps, preventing the front wheel from sliding out of control. Needless to say, by shifting your weight forward you’re also unweighting the rear wheel, which makes it easy for advanced riders to playfully throw around the rear end from one corner into the next. If the idea of a loose rear end makes you feel queasy, you might struggle to throw the long bike around tight corners and have to ride actively to prevent diving head first into the ferns.

The GHOST (Path) RIOT (AM) Full Party integrates you nicely between its 29” wheels and makes you feel at ease from the get-go. True to its Full Party nick-name, it loves to party hard on trails with high berms, endless jumplines and nasty root carpets. Here the rear suspension works super sensitively and efficiently right off the top of the stroke, ironing out even smaller bumps without the shock stiffening up excessively or blowing through its travel. If you want more support at the rear, you can increase the low-speed compression in the shock and get the party started.

If you hang out at bike parks regularly, you don’t have to hide behind your mates with the GHOST Path RIOT Full Party when waiting in the lift queue – most people won’t even notice you’re riding electric. If the queue is too long, you can shuttle to the top of the mountain under your own steam. On the trail, the characters of the bikes are nearly identical, because they share the same exact geometry and (almost) same spec. Needless to say, the Path RIOT is the undisputed party animal when negotiating your way to the trailhead. However, when you drop back down into the valley, the RIOT AM cranks it up to eleven, pulling off the most spectacular dance moves. But the GHOST Path RIOT Full Party has one party trick up its sleeve: the heavier weight makes it feel more composed and planted over rough, techy terrain. The lighter RIOT AM, on the other hand, comes to life on fun trails, the light weight making it much easier to spontaneously pop into the air. Overall, the compact Fazua Ride 60 motor system has very little influence on the handling, proving how far light eMTBs have come, increasingly blurring the line between the latest generation of light eMTBs and modern analogue MTBs. As a result, the question is no longer whether you prefer analogue or electric mountain bikes but what type of rider you are and which bike suits you best.

Our conclusions about the 2023 GHOST Path RIOT Full Party and GHOST RIOT AM Full Party

As the key data already suggest, the differences between the GHOST RIOT AM Full Party and the Path RIOT Full Party are marginal, and even the extra weight is more of an issue in everyday handling than it is on the trail. Here, both bikes are fast, composed and generate plenty of traction. The option of buying the same bike with or without a motor opens up new possibilities, making it easier for mismatched riding couples like ​​Nino Schurter and yourself, Hulk & Tinkerbell or bike commuters and public transport surfers to ride together.

For more info visit ghost-bikes.com