Ghost SLAMR X8 review
The SLAMR X8 has a carbon front triangle, alloy rear, 145mm of rear travel and a price of $4599 (click to enlarge).
The Lowdown: Ghost SLAMR X8
Ghost is a German bike brand that is still fairly new to the U.S. market. Outdoor sporting goods store REI is the sole distributor of Ghost here in America. Having reviewed the Ghost Riot7 LC trail bike early last year, I’m pretty familiar with their bikes and how they ride. It doesn’t hurt that one of my riding buddies is a long time REI employee so I get a bit of “intel” from the inside.
The new AMR platform is the basis for three different model lines. In the A.ll M.ountain R.ide series are the FRAMR, SLAMR X and the SLAMR. All three use the same carbon front triangle with an alloy rear triangle but have varying amounts of rear suspension. The FRAMR line has 160mm of rear travel, the SLAMR X has 145mm of rear travel and the SLAMR has 130mm of travel. Ghost is able to streamline production and reduce costs by using one frame across 3 lines. Key to the AMR series is a new, simplified rear suspension design that we will delve into deeper down below. Overall, the SLAMR X8 is an improvement over the old design with a plush and active suspension that will appeal to the all-mountain/trail rider looking for something different.
| Intended Use: all mountain trail | Wheel Size: 27.5-inches |
| Travel: 145mm rear, 150mm front | Wheelset: Shimano XT hubs/Alex rims |
| Suspension: Fox 34 Talas fork, Fox Float X rear shock | Frame Material: high-modulus carbon frame, hydroformed aluminum swingarm |
| Drivetrain: Shimano XT 2×11 | MSRP: $4,599 |
| Weight: 29.47 pounds (size MD, no pedals) |
Rating:  4 Flamin’ Chilis-out-of-5 |
In the same league: Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Elite 650b, Santa Cruz Bronson C, Trek Remedy 9.8, Giant Reign Advanced 27.5
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Full Review: Ghost SLAMR X8
During our long term test, we had the chance to ride the SLAMR X8 on a variety of trails and conditions and we really like the improvements and simplifications Ghost has made to the AMR series. The design is a four-bar linkage and the ride quality is improved over the more sophisticated system on the Riot tested last year. We ran the sag on the high side, between 25-30% in the front and about 30% in the rear. This provided just the right amount of cush and the SLAMR also popped off of jumps nicely (somewhat like a single pivot) and floated back down with a subtle smoothness that we attribute to the carbon main frame.
The SLAMR X8 is a solid handling descender that instills confidence and likes to rally (click to enlarge).
With such an active rear end, you will definitely find yourself using the rear shock lockout which is not easy to engage. The absence of a bar-mounted lockout for the shock is an oversight, one we hope Ghost will fix for future versions. For tricky, rocky climbs the medium setting (previously called “Trail” mode) allowed seated climbing and plenty of traction. But for those stand and hammer hard efforts, you will want to be sure you have the shock set to firm (previously called “Climb” mode). The only other thing holding it back on the climbs was its not too light weight, although 29.5 lbs. is not completely unheard of for this price point.
The SLAMR is one of those bikes that works with either the point-and-shoot straight ahead style of descending or the pick-your-line finesse type of riding. Although some might appreciate the adjustable travel Fox TALAS fork, we found that we very rarely reduced the travel since the fork is a capable climber even in the longer travel setting. Ghost has produced a bike that is fun on the downhills and is easy to climb back to the top for your second run. The 2×11 Shimano drivetrain with 42 tooth big cog allowed us to climb everything our motor would allow us.
The 67 degree head angle and the 73.5 degree seat angle combined with the 430mm chainstays make for a slack and nimble handler and should feel immediately comfortable to most trail riders. The quality of the ride is much improved providing more comfort and confidence in a variety of trail conditions.
The rear brake caliper mounts directly to the X12 thru-axle in order to maintain better alignment and to distribute braking forces into the axle instead of the frame (click to enlarge).
Another unique feature that we first noticed on the Riot LC that we tested previously, Ghost likes to mount the rear brake caliper on the axle and not the frame. They claim that this makes the frame stronger and lighter by removing the stress of the brake caliper mount from the frame. On the SLAMR X8 is a new and second generation version of this that is lighter and stiffer than its predecessor. As on the previous version, we were unable to notice any discernible benefit or detriment to this mounting position.
Continue to page 2 for more on the Ghost SLAMR X8 and full photo gallery »
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