REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Super-Moto riders...

1099 Views 18 Replies 10 Participants Last post by [email protected], May 22, 2005

Leprechaun

Discussion Starter · Apr 20, 2005

I just read the Mountain Bike Action review of the Super-Moto and it sounds like they were really impressed. I was wondering if the owners of supermoto's on this site felt the same way about their bike. The magazine reviewed the 5.7" trail version, but I would probably be more interest in the 6-7" build option. What is everyone else running and what would you recommend? Of course this all depends on the type of riding I do, I know that, but I'm mostly just interested in the different ride characteristics each build type offers to see which would best suit me. I'm interested in a bike that I can ride long distances on but that I can also progress with into more technical, fast discents. This bike sounds like a very versatile and flexable ride and I'm interested to hear more about it.

Also, I was wondering if anyone owned multiple links and switched between them and different componants depending on the terrain they were going to ride?

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demo_slug

· #2 · Apr 20, 2005

fletcherbr said:
I just read the Mountain Bike Action review of the Super-Moto and it sounds like they were really impressed. I was wondering if the owners of supermoto's on this site felt the same way about their bike. The magazine reviewed the 5.7" trail version, but I would probably be more interest in the 6-7" build option. What is everyone else running and what would you recommend? Of course this all depends on the type of riding I do, I know that, but I'm mostly just interested in the different ride characteristics each build type offers to see which would best suit me. I'm interested in a bike that I can ride long distances on but that I can also progress with into more technical, fast discents. This bike sounds like a very versatile and flexable ride and I'm interested to hear more about it.

Also, I was wondering if anyone owned multiple links and switched between them and different componants depending on the terrain they were going to ride?

There was a post just like this last week.

But, I love my supermoto. It is the best handling bike I have ever ridden.
I can easily say that it is the best Clydesdale trail bike ever made.
I weight 250 pounds and the bike feels stiff and indestructible.
It's a wicked fast descender and gets unreal traction for technical climbs.
With my SPV front fork the bike is very composed while sprinting out of the saddle.

When I switched to the SM, I just swapped the parts over from my
old single pivot Marin (a 6 inch trail bike), kept the same front fork,
rims brakes everything. The guys I ride with noticed I was descending faster.
And I was more comfortable going faster. It stops better, it climbs better.
It's stronger and faster. It's also weighs more.

I run it in 7 inch mode and its just as composed or better then anything I've ridden.
It just doesn't feel like a big hit bike until you take a big hit.

But it is a big burly bike. Once I stated riding faster
I needed DH rims and stronger and wider bars. A fork with a front thru axle.
Thicker side wall DH tires. 8 inch disk brakes. I started bending ti saddles
so I needed chromo railed seats. Needed a chain guide. Now its pushing 42 pounds.
But I wouldn't change a thing; it's the only bike I ride.
The handling and performance is just too good.

The super moto frame is heavy. With the 7 inch kit and a coil its close to 11 pounds.
But it feels tough as nails. And I have to tell you from experience,
that it is a real downer when you dent your super thin tube lightweight cross-country bike.

If you are attracted to the 5.7inch linkage and are under 200 pounds,
and are not into jumps and general mayhem, I would recommend the switch blade.
It can be built much lighter and the geometry is very similar.

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TrailDude

· #3 · Apr 20, 2005

I run in the 7" mode exclusively. With the SPV technology you don't need to change anything. Here's my setup: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=41060

dbabuser

· #4 · Apr 20, 2005

another magazine review

Decline also tested the SM a couple months ago and gave it a pretty positive review. Theirs was built up w/ 7" rr and a Slider fork, I think it came in around 38 lbs?
If I hadn't gotten a good deal on a 7 Point frameset, it would've been my next bike - a natural progression from my overbuilt Switchblade.

Leprechaun

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 20, 2005

Thanks...

Sorry, I didn't realize that this subject had already been discussed. But thanks for taking the time to respond and not just shooting me down.

Right now I own a Trek Liquid 25. I really enjoy riding it but I feel like there is something not quite right about it. There's this trail near where I live that is at the bottom of a narrow revien. It is a tight single track that winds it's way downhill with berms and ungulations. I never really felt "good" riding it and was always worn out at the bottom from the effort it took to ride it. Then, my friend let me barrow his Kona Stinky Nine on the same trail and the difference was incredible. The whole time I thought I was just a lousy rider but aboard the Stinky it was just ridiculously easy and fun to ride. I road the bike the rest of day and loved it. I even didn't mind climbing with it because the downhills were just too much fun. I ended up buying a shorter stem for my bike and that helped a lot, but now I'm hooked on that feeling and I know I've got to get something like it.

It sounds like the supermoto is the ideal bike in the 6-7" setup so I shouldn't bother with the shorter setups. Is it possible to setup the 6-7" supermoto in a low to mid 30 lbs range? I way 165 lbs if that makes a difference.

Thanks again for all your help.

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Leprechaun

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 20, 2005

Nice bike

TrailDude said:
I run in the 7" mode exclusively. With the SPV technology you don't need to change anything. Here's my setup: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=41060

You have an incredible bike. I was wondering if you got the entire setup through Mountain High Cyclery? I checked out their website and didn't find Titus as one of the manufacturers they carried. $1600 sounds very reasonable for a frame like this considering the 2005 Enduros are running $2200 and are certainly no better than the Super Moto. Are they still going for $1600? The only place I can find the frame is at Wrench Science and it's going for something like $2400!! OUCH!

Now that you've had your bike for a while, what do you think? Have you ever riden any other suspension design than the FSR style? I know that the suspension design topic has been down to death, but I've only owned the Liquid 25 (essentially a single pivot) and don't know what the other types are like. Thanks for the input.

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demo_slug

· #7 · Apr 20, 2005

fletcherbr said:
You have an incredible bike. I was wondering if you got the entire setup through Mountain High Cyclery? I checked out their website and didn't find Titus as one of the manufacturers they carried. $1600 sounds very reasonable for a frame like this considering the 2005 Enduros are running $2200 and are certainly no better than the Super Moto. Are they still going for $1600? The only place I can find the frame is at Wrench Science and it's going for something like $2400!! OUCH!

Now that you've had your bike for a while, what do you think? Have you ever riden any other suspension design than the FSR style? I know that the suspension design topic has been down to death, but I've only owned the Liquid 25 (essentially a single pivot) and don't know what the other types are like. Thanks for the input.

supermoto free ride is 1600. the super moto DH is 2400. the DH is like nine inches and doesn't have front derailer. I think it is ano. and the free ride front triangle is made in portland. the DH is made in house. FYI the rear suspension stuff is the standard in house titus stiff. and it is nice. puts the ellsworth stuff to shame.

I think you can buy them from titus. www.titusti.com

PS one of the guy on the board ordered the supermoto with the swinger air shock. its the same linkage but 1 pound lighter.

artnshel

· #8 · Apr 20, 2005

TrailDude said:
I run in the 7" mode exclusively. With the SPV technology you don't need to change anything. Here's my setup: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=41060

One more vote that that is an incredible bike. You seem to have it set up with a cross countryish seatpost height. I like seeing that, I can't stand riding uphill with a low seat. Also 30ish pounds is impressive for a bike with an 11lb frame. My 6" bike is almost 30lbs and the frame probably only weights 7lbs.

zorg

· #9 · Apr 20, 2005

demo_slug said:
supermoto free ride is 1600. the super moto DH is 2400. the DH is like nine inches and doesn't have front derailer. I think it is ano. and the free ride front triangle is made in portland. the DH is made in house. FYI the rear suspension stuff is the standard in house titus stiff. and it is nice. puts the ellsworth stuff to shame.

I think you can buy them from titus. www.titusti.com

PS one of the guy on the board ordered the supermoto with the swinger air shock. its the same linkage but 1 pound lighter.

At Sea Otter, I asked Titus if they were going to replace the Quasi Moto, and they said that the Supermoto was it. At 10-11lbs, it seems to me that they have a slight gap in their line up. Everybody else is coming out with 6-6.5" rear travel mid 7# frames. It'd be nice if Titus did the same. Maybe I'll wait and try to score a Quasi frame cheap on eBay one of these days.

demo_slug

· #10 · Apr 21, 2005

fletcherbr said:
It sounds like the supermoto is the ideal bike in the 6-7" setup so I shouldn't bother with the shorter setups. Is it possible to setup the 6-7" supermoto in a low to mid 30 lbs range? I way 165 lbs if that makes a difference.

Thanks again for all your help.

I could pull 3 pounds off my bike with just different tires (conti 2.3) and 819 rims. my Nokian 2.6inch tires are 1410 grams( 3.1lb) each. and mavic 823rims are 100 grams more a hoop then the 819s, and the 819 is not a light rim.

I had my super moto built up at about 35 pounds. with mavic 819 rims and conti 2.3 verticle pros. and 8 inch disk brakes. so it still was not a whimpy build.

I'd bet money that a stinky nine is more then an 11 pound frame.

TrailDude

· #11 · Apr 21, 2005

I bought the frame from Charles at Hammerhead Bikes in Austin. Charles was great to deal with and I highly recommend you give him a call if your going to buy a Titus frame.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=37608

I bought the rest of the parts from Larry at Mountain High Cyclery. Larry is local for me and I was able to bring my frame up to his shop where he installed the headset, bb/cranks and fork which I had no/limited experience installing myself.

Other than hardtails I've only owned Titus FSR full-suspension bikes. My bike before the SM was a '99 Quazi-Moto. I beat my QM mercilessly and it never failed and never disappointed me regardless of the trail conditions. Titus rules!!!

smilycook

· #12 · Apr 21, 2005

I just got my second titus

and it is a supermoto with the swinger in the rear. Right now I have a racerx100 and a giant vt1 and ac1 and decided to sell the two giants to buy a titus since the racerx has been so good too me.

The bike will get built up at the end of next week and I look forward to riding it after all of the positive reviews! I am aiming for an all mountain bike, but hope to get a linkage to run a coil shock one day

Chris

Leprechaun

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 21, 2005

Nice

demo_slug said:
I could pull 3 pounds off my bike with just different tires (conti 2.3) and 819 rims. my Nokian 2.6inch tires are 1410 grams( 3.1lb) each. and mavic 823rims are 100 grams more a hoop then the 819s, and the 819 is not a light rim.

I had my super moto built up at about 35 pounds. with mavic 819 rims and conti 2.3 verticle pros. and 8 inch disk brakes. so it still was not a whimpy build.

I'd bet money that a stinky nine is more then an 11 pound frame.

Sounds impressive! I really like how versatile this bike is with the varying build options and the consequencial changes in geometery. Seven inches of travel is most likely all I'll ever need or want and yet I could always go the other way with the frame and be just as happy with a totally different handling bike. I really think Titus has a good thing going here.

Yeah, I was thinking the Stinky is a pretty heavy frame. It seems like Kona usually makes frames, but I guess that's what makes them so durable.

Leprechaun

Discussion Starter · #14 · Apr 21, 2005

Thanks

Hey, thanks so much for the info, it's been really helpful. Just one last question if I may? Is there anything about the bike that you would consider changing at this point or in the future? Thanks.

demo_slug

· #15 · Apr 21, 2005

fletcherbr said:
Hey, thanks so much for the info, it's been really helpful. Just one last question if I may? Is there anything about the bike that you would consider changing at this point or in the future? Thanks.

I wish my frame was a large.

Salami

· #16 · Apr 21, 2005

zorg said:
At Sea Otter, I asked Titus if they were going to replace the Quasi Moto, and they said that the Supermoto was it. At 10-11lbs, it seems to me that they have a slight gap in their line up. Everybody else is coming out with 6-6.5" rear travel mid 7# frames. It'd be nice if Titus did the same. Maybe I'll wait and try to score a Quasi frame cheap on eBay one of these days.

A Quasi with a coil shock was about 9.5-10 lbs. The puts a Super Moto with a coil about 0.5-1.0 lb heavier.

Anything with 6" or more of travel and weighs in the mid 7# range will have an air shock.

KRob

· #17 · Apr 26, 2005

demo_slug said:
I wish my frame was a large.

How tall are you? I'm 5'11" and have a 32" inseam. I'm wondering if I shoud go witha large or a medium. I ride a 23" HH with a 120 stem but with a shorter FR type stem on a SM I'd prolly want a bit longer tt, no?

Nice looking bike btw.

demo_slug

· #18 · Apr 26, 2005

KRob said:
How tall are you? I'm 5'11" and have a 32" inseam. I'm wondering if I shoud go witha large or a medium. I ride a 23" HH with a 120 stem but with a shorter FR type stem on a SM I'd prolly want a bit longer tt, no?

Nice looking bike btw.

I'm 6 foot even without shoes. I ware 32 inseam pants. also running a 50mm stem. the medium was OK. it fit ok with a lowered seat. but my knees hit the handle bar when I ware pads. it was just a little too small.

on steep tech climbing the bars felt a million miles away with the 50mm. it was good with a 110mm steam, but that is not the intent.

my bike shop sold me a medium but had told me it was a large. I would never buy a medium.

I get my large frame today. titus helped me out. just waiting on fedex.

also, allen at titus said that they had anticipated people would order a size up and run a short steem.

[email protected]

· #19 · May 22, 2005

Super Super-Moto

Just a quick note… I got a Super-Moto ( w/ Talus setup 3.5" -5.6") as a replacement for my Switchblade that developed stress cracks I haven't had a lot of time in the saddle yet (the snow is just melting here in AK) but so far it climbs better than anything I've ridden to date. Very stable on the descents. The Talus option is a good choice if your 210 lbs (including gear) or less and want to xc or lite freeride. Nice thing about the Talus is plenty of adjustability on the fly. Probably not a good setup for more serious freeriding. I considered more travel but I ride mostly technical xc and lite freeride so the added weight wasn't appealing especially coming off a Switchblade.

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