Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Mojo HD weaknesses

8K views 55 replies 31 participants last post by  Huck Pitueee 
#1 ·
Hi,

I am a firm believer that everything is a compromise out there. As such, as great as the design on the Mojo HD is, the bike is built on compromises. I think that, part of being a happy owner is to understand the compromises of the bike, hence why I am asking the questions: What are the weaknesses of the Mojo HD?

As a potential buyer, I want to understand what I will potentially have to compromise on, if I get this bike. Just a bit of background, I currently ride a 140mm bike and I am really happy with the travel. I don't necessarily need more, but I am looking for a slacker head angle, around , as I am getting into more technical riding. I don't really do jumps or gaps and have a preference in having my 2 wheels on the ground. I ride Colorado Front Range type of terrain, i.e. lots of rocks, roots, rock gardens. etc... I ride trails with long fireroad climbs, short steep and technical climbs. On the down side, we have everything from tight switchbacks to long flowy downhills to technical steep trails... all of these can sometimes be found in a single ride.

Thanks a lot in advance.

The reason why I am looking at changing from my current bike
 
See less See more
#18 ·
The biggest issue I have seen are from people who do not have any clue how they like to ride and explain that to someone tuning the rear shock. As with other high end bike frames, you will see threads from time to time about how the HD is bad at this or that. These come from people who don't know much about bikes or tuning. The HD may be the most versatile 140/160mm bike in the world. You can make the bike do anything you want, you just have to tune it to do so. Want it plush, there is a shock and setting for that, want a downhill racer and climber, there is a shock and setting for that. You normally could never get an all mountain bike to ride like a trail racer, but you can with the HD. You can also set it up for a downhill jumping machine. My biggest complaint, is listening to people tell people on fourms after they ride one, tuned or not tuned to the new riders weight, or riding style, how it did not work for them. They don't understand tuning at all and like any other good bike, Ibis, Santa Cruz, specialized, you must take time and tune your bike to your style. Once you have done that, this bike will reward you in ways that will bring a big smile to your face.
 
#19 ·
I completely agree with this. It's taken me almost 4 years to get my SL to where I want it. No fault of the bike but it took that long for me to understand how I want to ride, experiment with different set-ups and afford the time and money to change things around. It's all part of the hobby.
 
#2 ·
I'm totally not answering your question, but if you're happy with your current bike and travel, you could try using something like Cane Creek's Angleset to slacken the head angle. I have the Mojo SL-R (so can't comment on HD weaknesses specifically) with the Angleset at -1.5 degrees, moving the HA from 69 degrees (spec'd with a 140 mm fork, which is what I have) to 67.5 degrees. I like it a lot and haven't had any issues with it. Just a thought given that $150 headset is much cheaper than a $5,000 bike.
 
#12 ·
Hi,

thanks a lot for your suggestion and I wish I could use it to slacken the head angle of my existing bike, unfortunately, it isn't an option as the frame doesn't support the Angleset, hence why I am potentially looking for a new bike.
 
#4 ·
Weakness is in the eye of the beholder as what I might think is a strength you might think its a weakness.

A better question is to ask what your looking for and then we can tell you if it's a strength of the HD or a weakness.

If you don't leave the ground then I would say any 6 inch travel bike is a weakness as it has more travel then you need. Also the added weight is not needed so it's a weakness.
 
#10 ·
I second this.
I don't like the rear brake going through the frame.
The bolt head on the lope link nearly cut through my rear brake line while doing shuttle runs at Mt Stromlo. Now I have a piece of plastic tube taped to the cable.
Cable runs down the side of the down tube would be a reasonable solution but would distract from the aesthetics. I prefer the top tube routing on my classic. Although I do like the way my 1x10 HD looks without any cables on the top tube, so much that I haven't bothered buying a remote kit for my Joplin seatpost.

I also don't like the front derailleur mounting it is too high if you want to run 2x10 with a 32 to 36 largest ring. This is due to the location of the lower pivots. The main problem with this is the gap between the outer cage of the derailleur and the chainring means the chain can fall off. That is on of the reasons I run 1x10. This problem could be solved if someone would make a front derailleur specifically for these smaller 2x10 chainring combination, which are becoming more popular with AM riding as it allows more clearance for technical riding. I don't like to run a bashgaurd as it cuts down on clearance and I rarely hit my chainring. If I'm going to go somewhere really technical I just carry a spare ring which is lighter than most bash gaurds.
 
#11 · (Edited)
the new down tube protector could scretch a little more over the bottom bracket

color/carbon cracks at the top of the seat tube

very very minimal chain clearance at the cassette in the small ring

you have to take off the brake hose to pull it between the seat tube and the rear triangle

head tube could be straight 1.5

look like the x12 "holders" could be moved a little outwards... had to take some material off when moving the hub from a specialized SX

more clearance for tyre in the back is nice but a few mm more would be better (could probably even fit some offset bushings at this moment with ex823 and butchers sx 2.35 but it would be tights ... not sure about the link though)

should be slacker per default giving a 64 HA with 180 and angleset

OH YEAH
its true, good thing i noticed from the start (empty air can test) that the brake hose gets clamped between the link and the rear triangle after the suspension is compressed enough ... had to tweaked cable lenght in that section or there would be a serious problem some day all of a sudden
_______
i hate every single moronic website/magazine review-er out there .
 
#20 ·
Beautiful frame but no water bottle holder of any use so practically it's a backpack or go thirsty. Probably makes the frame more rigid.
Oddly most of the boutique companies build AM frames with no bottle holders inside the triangle, but the biggies design their frames to fit water bottles.
 
#23 ·
The only actual weakness I can think of is that the suspension was really finicky to get dialed. It took me a dozen rides and a lot of experimentation to get it to where I'm totally happy with it. Could be a function of the stock rp23 (which I'm still not very impressed with). Ibis should really offer some other shocks as options. I'm interested in trying a monarch and seeing if that matches the bike better.

Lack of chainguide mounts is a bit of a glaring omission with a bike this capable. I'm running dual rings and haven't had any chain droppage at all though.

Other than that, the only real weaknesses are things that are just a given with this sort of bike. It pedals fantastic for a 160mm bike, but it will never be an XC rocket. The long wheelbase and slack front end definitely make it a handful in tight, twisty trail or on steep climbs. It does run a bit small (I've run small frames my entire cycling career, but I'm on a medium HD). If you're seriously looking at it, you probably understand what you're getting into. I consider it an XC bike for people who seriously love nasty terrain or have a lot of DH experience. :)
 
#25 ·
the only tradeoff i would point to is the bike does not feel plush - Ie my 160mm HD is not nearly as plush as a comparable horst link frame.. So in a way you are buying a jeep with BMW suspension. Now mind you I am focusing on the feel vs effectiveness. The DW suspension IS very effective, but I was thrown for a loop when my 160mm HD (push tuned for a plush setup) feels about the same as my 140mm turner.
 
#31 ·
The two most obvious weaknesses of the HD is lack of tire clearance in the rear (not so much width as height) and lack of ISCG tabs for a chain guide (you can still sandwich one between the BB and the frame but it is prone to rotating).

The annoyances with the frame are a few as well. First, the seat stays are really fat and they rub my calves; the front derailleur setup is very finicky as the main pivot down near the BB has no clearance for the front derailleur. You have to either shave the FD or run it higher than you'd like (this is for a 2x setup with a 2 ring specific FD). Lack of a proper bottle cage mount is the final one. You can mount a bottle underneath the downtube but that is just about the worst place to place a water bottle.

_MK
 
#32 ·
I agree on the seat stays, though I am use to the rub now it didn't bother me a bit when I first got it.

I had no issues with the front derailleur, i'm using the SLX version Ibis recommend.

Tire clearance hasn't been an issue but I could see it for some tires.

ISCG tabs bothered me as well but my stinger has not had an issue yet and on my Enduro with the tabs the guide still rotated when hit hard enough.
 
#33 ·
Hi all,

thanks a lot for all that have responded... it has been a very informative thread for me.

Regarding the stated weaknesses, here is the way I feel about them:
- lack of tire clearance at the back: my favourite rear tire is a 2.1, so as long as it can accommodate that, I am good.
- lack of water bottle mount: I never carry a water bottle on the trails as I always carry a hydration pack with a whole bunch of things that wouldn't fit in pockets.
- lack of ISCG tab: doesn't bug me.
- finicky front derailleur setup with 2x10: that bugs me a little more, as I am not sure if I'll be running a 2x10 or 3x10 up front. One of the reasons for me switching bikes right now is the bad shifting of the front derailleur. It bugs me to no end and neither I nor any other shop can get it to work any better than I have.

Other than that, thanks again for the great information.
 
#38 ·
One other thing I just remembered. An annoying part of the HD is the fat chainstay on the drive side which prevents the chainguide to provide good tension on the chain. My roller is forced to hang below the bottom of the bashguard (32T) so the chain can clear the major dip in the stay.

_MK
 
#39 ·
The Fox shocks supplied with the HD are a weakness in my eyes.

As you will see elsewhere in this forum, the RP23 is underwhelming for this bike's application.

This is fairly generic problem across a lot of bikes. The RP23 is 'industry standard' so helps sell bikes, particularly with its low weight and fairly low cost; it's also a good benchmark for trail bikes (but even then benefits from custom valving).

If you can order an HD with the X Fusion Vector HLR then all's well I hear.

Not that I ride an HD, but I used to own a Mojo SL and now own a Pivot Firebird (DW too); and come across same as what's in this forum.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top