Review: Motobecane Fantom 6by6 27.5 all-mountain bike
The Motobecane 6by6 is a lot of bike for the money.
The Lowdown: Motobecane Fantom 6by6 27.5
With a street price of $1800, we were excited to try out the 6by6 to see if it was up to par with more expensive bikes with the same components. Like most Motobecane bikes, this one stands out as you add up the price of the components: Shimano XT drivetrain, RockShox Revelation fork, Ritchey cockpit, WTB wheels and tires. “What’s the catch?” is the common question. Buyer are wary of the frame that all these parts hang on.
Well we’re happy to report that the bike checked out just fine. The bottom bracket height is a bit high for us at 13.75 inches and the bike is a bit portly at 31 pounds. But otherwise testing went very well and this weight is on par at this price point. The suspension is active vertically and stiff laterally. The bike was responsive, and it held up in the big descents without complaint. The head and seat angles were just right at 67.5 and 73.5 respectively. For all-around trail riding, it definitely did the job. And at that price you’ll likely have money left over for upgrades.
| Frame: Advanced hydroformed Aluminum | Travel: 6-in. w/ 150mm RockShox Revelation RCT3 |
| Tire Clearance: Room for 2.3″+ tires | Suspension: Full CNC Alum. Knuckle Box Multi-link |
| Steerer Tube: Tapered | Tires: WTB folding bead |
| Routing: Dropper seatpost routing | Grips/Saddle: WTB |
| Hubs: Thru axle hubs front and rear | MSRP/Street Price: $3999; $1799 |
| Bar/Stem/Post: Ritchey |
Rating:  4 Chilies-out-of-5 |
Pluses |
Minuses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
spec now) |
Full Review: Motobecane Fantom 6by6 27.5
This indeed is a great value bike on the new 27.5 wheel size. While others charge a premium for new technology, Motobecane has sought out the best deals and components to deliver a solid package. Bottom bracket height is a bit high for our West Coast tastes and we swapped on wider bars and a shorter stem.
The 6by6 frame is stout and laterally stiff.
Our eyes instantly focused on the black-legged RockShox Revelation fork. This is a surprise at this price point. The rear shock is the RockShox Monarch. Talking to Motobecane, we learned that the models shipping now have an updated rear shock called the Monarch R rear shock with Fast Black 7075 shaft and Rapid Recovery rebound damping. This is a significant change since this rear shock has excellent, supple performance and has very good mid-stroke damping support. Info can be found here https://www.sram.com/rockshox/products/monarch-r
Bar and stem are made by Ritchey Components.
WTB wheels are the tubeless compatible TCS version and the tires are the Wolverine from WTB. Post, saddle, stem and bar are functional and reliable components from Ritchey.
Tire clearance is excellent as shown here with a 2.2 WTB Trail Boss. The actual tire on the final bike spec is the WTB Wolverine.
Crank and derailleur duties are handled by the trustworthy Shimano XT. Brakes and shifters are Shimano SLX, which saves money with no compromise in performance. Only a few grams of extra weight are added.
Brakes are dialed with the Shimano SLX. These brakes have high end performance and reliability and are on par or better than much more expensive brakes.
Frame and Geometry
The frame is a well sorted affair with a four-bar design with free-moving and laterally stiff pivot bearings. Head angle is a just right at 67.5 degrees and seat angle is steep enough at 73.5 degrees.
The frame has some attractive lines on it with a top tube bend for improved clearance. Tubes are oversized and welds are beefy.
Bottom bracket height is a little high for our tastes as we like it lower for Santa Cruz area riding. But this bike should work better for chunkier, rootier areas.
There is no dropper post to keep the price low but Motobecane fully expects the customer to equip this with their favorite dropper post. Bars are a bit narrow but the user can upgrade those as well. Bottom line it’s an attractive and affordable package that leaves plenty of budget for down-the-road upgrades.
Team Version with Rockshox Pike RCT3 150mm forks, XTR / XT 20 Speed, Guide Brakes. List $4599, Street price $2200.
A new model
And finally, there is a very exciting sibling model announced for 2015. It is Team Version with RockShox Pike RCT3 150mm forks, and XTR / XT 20 Speed, Guide Brakes. List price is $4599 and street price is $2200. With a Pike fork and Guide brakes, this is ridiculous value and it will be an awesome performer.
For more information visit www.bikesdirect.com.
The post Review: Motobecane Fantom 6by6 27.5 all-mountain bike appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.