TESTED: Specialized Demo 8 Alloy

Words: Lachlan McKillop

Photos: Robert Conroy

The Specialized Demo has been a downhill and freeride icon since its creation in 2004. The frame at each stage has been an evolution of the last which is something that I really admire, staying true to your own designs. The latest carbon fibre version of the Demo was no less than a pure piece of art, exemplifying the creativity and engineering skill that only Specializied would be able to pull off. Not only was this single side shock mounted frame an engineering marvel, it also saw numerous 1st places by team riders and an overall win in the downhill World Cup series. The frame that shocked the industry stood up to the test and proved it could be number one.

These carbon fibre wonders though came with a hefty price tag to us mere mortals, with bikes selling around the 5 figure marks, from here Specialized endeavoured to create a aluminium version of the very same bike using the very same design. Would this hold up to its big carbon brother? Or would something just not be right? After having some experience with the carbon fibre S-Works version of the bike I was really excited to see what this bike which is half the price of its bigger brother was going to stack up.

Initial impressions

I was first informed about this bike the day before it’s release, as I said above having experience with it’s bigger S-Works brother I took the bait, I was interested. As I scrolled through the press release I saw the price of $4499 (2016). This must be a typo I thought, I scrolled back up to the bike inspected the spec, looked at the price again, no must be a typo. It wasn’t, $4499 is the price of this bike and this is the first thing that stood out to me with this bike. The demo was now available for almost all riders to enjoy.

That paint job! I saw the bike from across 2 streets when it first arrived to me, the paint is loud and proud. The colour scheme of this bike is rad to say the least, usually I am a black bike kinda guy but this really stood out to and this was a common theme for the following weekends of testing, everyone just loved that colour scheme. Matching the frame with the mid to low level  SRAM offerings give the indication that it still looks like the team bikes too which is a really smart touch.

Specialized have really been smart with the spec that comes on this bike, at a price tag which is one of the lowest on the market for a downhill bike I was expecting to see some parts that maybe didn’t quite fit with the build i.e. mismatched cassettes or a long cage derailleur. Instead Specialized have specced the bike with a smart, burly and long lasting build kit. They keep true to their micro gearings and the Roval wheels (which are the same rims as all their downhill models) offer a 7 speed set up, suited for downhill with a smaller front chainring to keep the ring away from the ground on rough tracks.

The cockpit was a stand out as well, aluminium Specialized bars coming in at 800mm width, with their proprietary direct mount stem. The braking department was a lower down the line SRAM DB5 which even in the carpark had a huge amount of bite, a lot more then I was expecting. Shifting was controlled by an X7 shifter, a slightly cheaper version than the GX mech that was fitted but for the price of $4500 there has to be price cuts somewhere.

I’m not normally a numbers guy but this aluminum version of the demo has all the same numbers as its bigger brother, when you are seeing a 343mm BB height, 63.5 degree head angle and a 430mm chainstay you know you are in for a good day. Staying true to their S3 geometry was a great touch.

That's a neat addition to the alloy frame.

On the trail

I had a lot of downhill runs to do one this bike, although I had taken it out to some local tracks the weekend before, Thredbo was going to be where most of the testing was going to happen on this beautiful looking bike. Why Thredbo you may ask? The track at Thredbo is brutal, it is long and it is a track I am used to. Testing here for me really shows me what a bike is capable of.

Rolling into my runs the bike was silent and had a solid feel to it that only aluminium can do. The S-Works version is prided on just how quiet the bike is and the aluminium version is exactly the same. I love a quiet bike, it allows me to hear the tyres more. From my first ride until my last the bike stayed quiet too, this wasn’t just because it was a new bike but because of the frame design and it’s internal cables which kept the cables neat and away from hitting the frame.

The bike is super playful with a super short rear end, matched with a nice suspension curve the bike can be popped over anything with ease from small gaps to larger jumps the bike wants to be in the air when you lift up. This poppy nature is due to how much of your weight is over the back wheel as well. A short rear end on a downhill bike for me is a no brainer, it allows your weight to be over the back wheel more, which makes bringing the front end up easier for all riders. This feature on tracks like Thredbo is a stand out, when you are at the bottom of the track your arms are pretty sore, easily being able to bring the front up to dodge rocks or clear a gap is a precious design feature.

Now most bikes I ride are a medium size and this test was much the same. I did find that the medium with a short rear end on the long and fast sections of the track was not as stable as other bikes that I have ridden. If I was planning on racing on this bike I may look at getting the long size to keep the bike more planted on long fast sections but this is really only if you are looking at doing long and fast races or shuttles.

The suspension on offer from SRAM and Fox is great bang for your buck at the $4500 price tag. On the medium frame I was riding the fork was specced with a soft spring and a Fox 400 spring. The suspension although not high end does have feature that are inline with the higher end offerings like the black anodised legs of the Boxxer and the adjustments of the Fox. The rear shock for me on the trail was a highlight with low speed compression adjustments available on top of the rebound. The clicks on the low speed really came in handy for making the suspension do what I wanted it to it which was give me enough sag but not have harsh bottom outs. The shock itself is custom tuned to the bike which is pretty obvious with how it works so smoothly on the bike. Personally I run my forks a little on the stiffer side as my weight is generally over the back of the bike, I found the forks good on the stiffness side but I do feel for most riders on a medium that opting for an extra soft spring may be the way to go, on long runs it may just be a little too stiff.

The drivetrain was a really nice touch from the Big S, for the last 5 or so years all downhill bikes I’ve had a hand in working on have used a smaller block cassette. It lessens the likelihood that the rear mech will end up in the spokes, it cuts weight and well it just looks good doesn’t it? Specialized have adopted the 7 speed gearing they have used for years on this model and I think it is really smart. Specialized manufacture a small cable blocker which stops the mech from shifting past the 7th gear, although it can be a little fiddly to set up it works perfectly. The GX did not skip a beat the whole time of testing. The SRAM DB5 brakes at first I was apprehensive, I just had not heard of them before and being so used to my super powerful Guides I wanted to know they were going to stop me. On inspection then DB5s offer a cheaper brake lever but infact the same 4 piston caliper as the Guide brakes, these brakes will pull you up straight away and had more bite than other 4 caliper piston brakes I had been using around the same time. The brakes like other parts on the bike really are a boost to your confidence as you hurtle yourself down the hill.

Our impressions

Specialized have stayed true to the carbon S-Works that shocked us with design and surprised us with results. A smartly specced bike matched with playful geometry left me with a smile on my face after every run. The geometry is confidence inspiring and matches itself to what the World Cup guys are running. With all of this in mind, the price tag is just amazing on this bike, although being a seasoned rider I may look at changing some suspension parts down the line this bike to the young groms or older riders looking for some rough action is on point. For a $4500 retail bike you are getting a great deal for this package and will be rewarded by a bike that performs way above its price tag. 

Brand: Specialized

Model: Demo 8 Alloy

RRP: $4.900 (2017 model)

Weight: 18.2KG

From: specialized.com.au

Full specs are online