Jamis Dakar AMT - Interbike 2013

Sep 17, 2013
by Mike Levy  
Jamis Dakar AMT

Jamis's Dakar platform has undergone a number of evolutionary changes over the years, and 2014 sees revisions that should appease those riders who want to push a little harder and faster than they might otherwise would have been able to aboard last year's version. The big news is that the 650B platform has had its travel increased on both ends, with it going from the 130mm on last year's bike to 150mm on the 2014 model pictured here. Although you could be excused for thinking that Jamis is just now jumping aboard the 650B-wheeled wagon, as many brands are, they have actually been offering bikes with the mid-sized wheel for five years now. You might expect them to be a little sour about
all the buzz and 650B offerings that have popped up over the last season, but the folks at Jamis told us that it has not only validated their decision, it has also means that there are now much more 650B-specific components to choose from that allow their own bikes to perform even better.

The $4,900 USD Dakar AMT Pro model is shown here, with the Comp version retailing for $3,000 USD and assembled around the same aluminum frame. The AMT Pro comes from Jamis equipped with SRAM's new X01 eleven speed, single ring drivetrain, as well as a set of Avid's burly X0 Trail brakes. A RockShox Pike fork up front means that there are no excuses when it comes to suspension performance, and a Monarch Plus shock looks after duties at the rear of the bike. Jamis told us that the bike weighs in at a very competitive 27LB, which, if true, means that the AMT Pro is likely lighter than many of the carbon wunder-bikes currently on the market.

AMT Pro Details

• Intended use: all-mountain/enduro
• Travel: 150mm
• Wheelsize: 650B
• Tapered headtube
• ISCG-05 chain guide tabs
• 12 x 142mm Maxle
• RockShox Pike fork
• SRAM X01 drivetrain
• Weight: 27LB (claimed)
• MSRP: $4,900 USD


The two bike Dakar platform uses a fairly standard four-bar suspension design that offers 150mm of travel; a layout that, from afar, certainly doesn't get the heart racing. A closer look does reveal that there are some nice finishing details to be seen, though, including clevis pivots at the dropout and seat stay locations, nicely machined dropouts, and post mount bosses for the rear brake caliper.

Jamis Dakar AMT

Jamis Dakar AMT

www.jamisbikes.com

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks Jamis Interbike


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78 Comments
  • 81 7
 Does it still snap at the chainstay like every jamis all mountain bike ever?
  • 22 4
 and downhill bike
  • 13 3
 Snapped rear triangle on my parker
  • 17 4
 @gs4designs Correction - *every jamis full suspension bike* ever
  • 6 1
 yes haha
  • 8 2
 and the head tube cracks every damn time
  • 4 1
 will it crack anywhere like every jamis out there.. had 3 Parker frames and all snapped at the stays.. last jamis ill own
  • 2 1
 Yup, snapped a parker hopping off a curb.
  • 2 1
 Those "nicely machined" parts are actually all cast, tumblered, welded and painted. 5000 USD for a frame that Jamis would have paid 100 USD to make in Vietnam? Chuzpe? Gouging?
  • 1 0
 My bud just got a dakar frame, but as he didnt geel like putting all the money in to build it up on such a platform, he didnt have a chance to crack his
  • 1 0
 I have heard bad things about their linkages too, but hopefully the company will pull their rep out of the gutter with a few good bikes here soon.
  • 2 1
 frames still crack and horrible customer service. fun times
  • 1 0
 Apparently his was the one whete they" finaly fixed the linkage problems"
  • 19 2
 5k for a 5", Xo1, rock Shox equipped bike is a good deal.
  • 14 5
 I'd still rather buy a 2012/13 XO 2x10 equipped bike for 2500. Jus sayin.
  • 5 3
 Tell where you find one of those that isn't beat to s***. Don't get me wrong, i don't like 1x11 but you're being a little ridiculous.
  • 11 10
 check my buy/sell
  • 7 1
 nice sales pitch, I'll have to remember that move
  • 6 3
 Sorry couldn't help it
  • 2 1
 no pic of a used trek... not a good sign
  • 5 0
 Y is maxlombardy getting neg props? Haha, it made me chuckle and i thought it was kind of slick. Its jot like he said anything bad???
  • 2 0
 Maclombardy, nice pal....nice!!
  • 1 0
 Saidrick is trying to be sarcastic... right? Sadrick...
  • 1 0
 Add up the parts and the price is pretty good. It is the cheapest full bike I have seen with XO 1.
And they do offer a 3k version.

5k is a good price for a high end bike. Most of the top model range bikes cost about $7500-9k now.
This bike is 30% less and seems to have a good weight too.
  • 1 0
 Sorry I really thought you are being sarcastic, I guest tastes and perceived value varies... to me it doe not look like a bike I would spend more than 1,5-2K on...
  • 1 0
 I would not buy it either but the parts on this bike are not cheap:
The drive train will run $1250
The fork is about 1k
The rear shock is $400.

That's $2500 right there.
  • 10 1
 If I ever feel like severely injuring myself, I'll buy another Jamis and snap the frame like I did my last one.
  • 8 1
 these bikes are so delicate they should be put in a museum
  • 3 1
 I'm slightly confused reading all these posts. I've owned 2 jamis's in the last 4 years, one hardtail and currently a Dakar XCR 29. I've had zero issues with either of them. I also have an intense and I'm not going to say that the Dakar rides as nice as it, but it still holds its own. I've seen one parker with a broken triangle that slightly made me nervous but maybe I just dont ride that hard!
  • 6 4
 Looks great, the experience they have from all those years tinkering with 650B angles should pay off in the proformance of the bike, and I'd love to see the Comp, Jamis have always put out pretty great bikes at a good price. 2 cents
  • 1 3
 :money:
  • 3 1
 As far as I'm concerned it's not a 4-bar suspension. There's one pivot missing below the rear axle to be called 4-bar. For me it's single pivot with extra rocker to improve sunspension characteristics. This is true 4 bar endurorider.pl/testy/4_bar_horst_link
  • 3 0
 Its not just you, but often writers repeat what brands tell them. I prefer calling these designs as single-pivot linkages, which sounds a lot better than the faux-bar term.
  • 1 0
 Single pivot near BB. The rest of the linkage is a pushbar for the airdamper. In this design you need to overcome the forces of 10 plain- and roller-bearing surfaces. They dont dare making the rocker arm long enough because the looks would suffer so you are in for a crashy ride.
  • 1 0
 Faux-bar has a nice ring to it
  • 1 0
 Wow, snapped my XCR expert a few years ago doing nothing. Good to know now how poor these bikes are. How are they even still in business? It took 3 months to get a replacement under warranty thereby losing my whole race season.
  • 2 1
 Jamis Bikes SUCKS!!! I will never buy another Jamis again. Broke my carbon HT race bike after about 6 months. They could care less about their customers. No warranty, nothing! Got myself a Niner Air 9 RDO and it is a much better riding bike. Screw you Jamis!!!!
  • 6 2
 Jamis still makes mountain bikes?
  • 7 1
 they never did to begin with really
  • 4 0
 Looks like a bike from 2005....Gross
  • 2 0
 that's what I thought. The toothpaste welds, fugly as all hell, and just too generic looking. If I am paying $5k for a Jamis, it better look good and be made of carbon.
  • 3 0
 I've ridden multiple jamis bikes hard with no issues. Most of you probably haven't even ridden one.
  • 1 2
 Well, you can say what do you want for Jamis, but I ride their HT for 5 years now and frame is almost like new. They got me by really cheap and nice quality bikes, which I see by myself. Sure they snapped something (in this case chainstay), but every bike snaps after some time. My next bike won't be from Trek, Kona, Giant or anything else. I'll buy a Jamis.
  • 4 4
 Jamis = weakest bike frames ever..
The local bike park had 13 bams as rentals..every frame..front and rear triangles broke within 2 years..
If someone gave me a Jamis I would strip the parts and throw away the frame..
  • 3 3
 Most bike part rentals get abused though, and have to have frames replaced that often regardless of the brand.
  • 2 1
 The same bike park has had trek, kona, and khs bikes for rent. Not one of those frames have broken.
  • 2 0
 Give the frame to Boo bikes, he'll chop it up, add some bamboo, ask him to spare the decals, you have a frame with Jamis decals that might not break. If it does, then we know its the decals that cause their frame problems.
  • 2 3
 Not sure who would neg prop all our comments. I am not trolling by any means, but I think Jamis investors are trolling this post neg propping all our comments. I speak from personal experience and anyone around me who's ever owned a Jamis all mountain bike. I have seen 4 friends including me own jamis frames all have broken. Almost as is they put zero effort in research and development.
  • 4 3
 I've owned many jamis bikes before, around 23 to be exact. 2 cracked in 4 years. Everything breaks people. More than often it's who's riding the bike that is the problem. Haha
  • 3 1
 This isn't really helping your argument. You had 23 bikes in 4 years! So you have ridden each one a for what a couple weeks? and they still broke?
  • 3 0
 the question on everyone's lips - when will it snap?
  • 2 0
 Cheap bike company needs to up its game
  • 5 3
 Why don't they switch to FSR now? Patent should have expired.
  • 12 4
 Why do you assume FSR is better ?
  • 4 3
 Because it is not an assumption. That is why so many European brands use it (no patent there). Nicer braking.
  • 4 3
 Well I had the same opinion, but kona had a video out, explaining there development of the new Kona dh bike, and they had the choice of FSR and other designs, but the looked into it and found that a single pivot was what they wanted. It's not all about what spesh advertise it to be (and other company's) there's more to it, kinematics, momentum, etc.
the way I see it is you can't make a fair statement unless you have had good time on a design ....
  • 3 2
 The bike is about 27 pounds with 6x6 travel. Looks like a sweet ride!
  • 2 0
 So you took a marketing video over your personal experience? (I was riding low single pivot and non-S Horst link simultaneously - difference in suspension is not huge, not critical, but certainly noticeable)
  • 2 0
 thats what I was going to say!
  • 4 0
 Under brakes in the rough is where I noticed the difference between the two, so I prefer FSR.
  • 2 0
 different designs aren't exactly better... for example I prefer contact system over FSR because for a lil bit more suspension feedback while braking you have a much better ride while off the brakes and I generally use short bursts of brake power instead of brake dragging so that system works for me, it's all about preference and riding style
  • 1 0
 No, not necessarily better. But with Horst link over low single pivot (not comparing to DW/VPP or high single pivot) - I see only subtle benefits and no drawbacks.
  • 4 2
 One of the few Jamis I actually like the look of
  • 3 2
 Does everyone remember how cool it was when DVO chimed in? Wish jamis would do the same, and stand behind their products.
  • 3 1
 I think they know better.
  • 2 0
 The only frame I have seen snap was Jamis. No thanks
  • 1 1
 Jamis will need to redefine their business, that new frame still looks like it will snap anytime.
  • 1 0
 So if I could get one of these brand new for $4,100 should I get it?
  • 2 2
 Nice bike but for some reason it doesn't make me want one like most AM rigs
  • 4 5
 Everyone knows Dakars, XAMs, and BAMs all break at the chainstays, then Jamis will supply you with unlimited chainstays for 5 years until your warranty is up.
  • 4 3
 what about the head tube
  • 4 1
 yea i snapped my head tube on my my bam 2, and my chainstay on both diablos i had
  • 1 1
 jamis is still in business?!?
  • 3 4
 The pike looks sweet with the white lowers, IMO best looking fork out there ...
  • 1 1
 Christ......Is that a 19" long chainstay?
  • 1 1
 11 speed isnt really an AM setup.
  • 1 0
 nihil novi
  • 1 1
 Oh snap, pun intended







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