How much better is the Demo 8 to the Big Hit?

:dizzy: :dizzy: :dizzy: Whats the vibe on the Demo 8 vs. the Big Hit? Am I falling victum to jelousy and a great AD campaign? Is it really worth it for me to fork out another 3 g?
Someone kit some sense into me please! :stupid: :stupid:

Pros:
26" rear tire
More strength/stiffness
Lower standover
Longer seat tube
Better cables routing
Lower bb (I think, and that's a matter of opinion)

Cons:
$$$
More pivots/maintenance
Heavier?

i notised a huge difference between tracking, peddaling, and cornering. my demo 8 sticks to terrain that my big hit would have chattered on. it peddals like a hardtail (i know that a lot of people say that about every bike, but it actually does). the demo also RAILS around corners like you wouldent believe.
it also has a lower standover and more comfortable riding position.

Sheldon

I'm blown away at home many people think there are more pivots.

Pros:
26" rear tire
More strength/stiffness
Lower standover
Longer seat tube
Better cables routing
Lower bb (I think, and that's a matter of opinion)

Cons:
$$$
More pivots/maintenance
Heavier?

another thing i just realized:
i notised that on drops/large objects that my big hit tended to blow threw more travel than nescesary(or i liked), im not quite sure how to explain it(it wasent a soft spring problem). with the demo, it feels like it adapts more to the conditions. the demo just has a much more progressive feel IMO.

Sounds like some comments are based on shock tech. 01-03 Bighits weren't exactly efficient pedalers due to the lack of Propedal/SPV.

When both bikes are SPV equiped things should be pretty similar being that they are both Horst link.

Des

Yeah shock tech would justify some of the differences mentioned above.
From a suspension tech point of view the BigHit is probably better. It has
quite a bit less un-sprung mass and the shock link can be used to control
and adjust leverage ratios more effectively than bolting the shock to a
sub-seatstay. That said, the overall design of the Demo's is so good that
it kind of negates those advantages.

I'm blown away at home many people think there are more pivots.

Are there not? I thought that the shock stays on the Demo accounted for the extra pivots/bearings.

Are there not? I thought that the shock stays on the Demo accounted for the extra pivots/bearings.

Same number of pivots. You could argue it has more bearings I guess, as the shock eye is a bearing rather than DU. It certainly isn't more maintenance, and if you don't agree go change a DU then change 2 bearings.

I never understood the argument of maintenance against a linkage bike. I ride a 4-bar, and I just swapped out my bearings in 2 hours. That's a once a season fix. Low maintenance really.

my 03 bighit pedaled horribly with the stock shock. i spent some money on a 5th element and its the exact opposite. this thing is glued to the ground and pedals way easier up hill.

During the Middle Ages, probably one of the biggest mistakes was not putting on your armor because you were 'just going down to the corner'.
- Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey Ha ha ha ha!:scream:

the fsr patent is 10 years old and only good for 15'ish years, so…

Sounds like some comments are based on shock tech. 01-03 Bighits weren't exactly efficient pedalers due to the lack of Propedal/SPV.

When both bikes are SPV equiped things should be pretty similar being that they are both Horst link.

Des

i changed my foxRC to a swinger 4-way a week after i got my big hit. i do agree it helped peddaling a little, but it wasent that significant IMO. the 4-way helped bottoming and progression more than peddaling.