What's wrong with the Demo 8?

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What's wrong with the Demo 8?
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flag tom-harrison
Posted: Dec 23, 2011 at 12:30 Quote
i've been considering a 2012 Demo 8 as my first proper DH bike in a few years since i can get a good price on one. people keep suggesting to me that it is a very flawed bike with a lot of problems and is only popular due to hype and marketing. when i ask questions it turns out none of these people has owned one but they all know someone who has a friend, whose brothers, uncles, sisters had one and it was slow and crap type of thing.

so my question for the people that actually know. what are these flaws and problems with the Demo 8 that make them so bad? are these people just hating on a wildly popular bike for no reason?

i've never ridden one. they look amazing. i want one....but not if there's some problem i don't know about yet!
flag PG308
Posted: Dec 23, 2011 at 15:22 Quote
Hi, sorry this isn't an answer to your question but would you mind pming me what price you can get a demo for as I'm looking to get one as well and live in the uk but cheapest I can find complete is 5k or 2.5k for frame. Thanks.
flag Knife-in-the-dark
Posted: Dec 23, 2011 at 15:30 Quote
Neither my wife and I have had any major issues with ours. I know they had limited options with what shocks could be run without modification, and some hub cones needed to have 1mm or so ground down to fit in the rear end. As far as the ride goes, I thought they were great.
flag MrDuck
O+
Posted: Dec 23, 2011 at 16:53 Quote
I've only ridden a demo briefly a few times,but there's a lot of them around there and I don't know about any issues related to the frame at all. There've been some troubles with the boxxers (not really different from any other boxxers) and some cranks having their chainring bolts snapped,but then again,it's not really an issue specific to Demo at all..

Anyway,no other bike suited me as good as demo,as much as i used to hate the look,it just works.
flag ivcrider
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 9:44 Quote
I have a 2012 Demo 8 frame and overall it is my favorite DH bike yet. The fit and finish on the frame is excellent, especially compared to my DHR that I had last year, and I really enjoy the way the bike rides.These are the only negatives/pet peeves I could come up with.

1)Running a 40 makes your turn radius turn to shit on the demo. You can literally turn the handlebars half the distance as compared to a boxxer because the crown will hit the frame. I notice it when I make a quick correction when riding and the fork bumper hits the frame which is often unexpected.
2)I can't put the demo on a northshore rack with the 40. I've heard without the 40 it will work.
3)I wasn't too stoked on the bolted cable routing on the frame. It's very hard to fit a tool on there and just seems like it wasn't thought out very well.
4)The paint is very thin. The bike gets scratched up easily.
5) The BB30 thing is retarded. If you just buy a demo frame make sure you thread in a brand new BB or you will strip the plastic BB30 adapter and hate yourself. You also can't run e13 cranks on the demo as far as I know.
flag derekt
O+
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 9:50 Quote
ivcrider wrote:
You also can't run e13 cranks on the demo as far as I know.


New Cranks and Guide

I rode one up mt washington for a day and i dont have any complaints.
flag ivcrider
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 10:02 Quote
derekt wrote:
ivcrider wrote:
You also can't run e13 cranks on the demo as far as I know.


New Cranks and Guide
I stand corrected. One of the guys at my shop told me that when I was building the bike up. Guess you can now. My bad.
flag BobbyHannant
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 10:11 Quote
I just got my 2012 demo 8. My main problem is trying to not quit my job so I can ride it more. Also the amount of females that suddenly give me attention is quite cumbersome. Other than that; no issues. Perfect bike.
flag derekt
O+
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 10:51 Quote
ivcrider wrote:
derekt wrote:
ivcrider wrote:
You also can't run e13 cranks on the demo as far as I know.


New Cranks and Guide
I stand corrected. One of the guys at my shop told me that when I was building the bike up. Guess you can now. My bad.
The bike in the pics is a 2011, Im guessing they didnt change it for 2012 unless im mistaken
flag BobbyHannant
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 11:06 Quote
derekt wrote:
ivcrider wrote:
derekt wrote:


New Cranks and Guide
I stand corrected. One of the guys at my shop told me that when I was building the bike up. Guess you can now. My bad.
The bike in the pics is a 2011, Im guessing they didnt change it for 2012 unless im mistaken

http://factoryjackson.com/2011/07/18/review-ethirteen-dh-cranks-and-pf30-bottom-bracket/

Hope that helps.
flag tom-harrison
Posted: Dec 24, 2011 at 11:34 Quote
if i got a 2012 Demo i'd be getting the full bike and i like the cranks that come with it. the carbon cranks on my stumpy evo are great
flag l3v501
Posted: Dec 26, 2011 at 19:47 Quote
I own a 011, love it and would not ride anything else. Good bike, designed well, can't go wrong. Forget the haters and just make sure the bike fits your style. Some people tell me the bike feels to long to them. I have bottomed out with level cranks, so have others. Beyound that, great bike. Never had anything fail, getting a fox 40 and cane creek db to put on it in 012.
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