$3499
27.5 pounds
5 inches of rear wheel travel
Rocky Mountain: (800) 663-2512
Full test: October 2007 (Click here to order this issue)

Highlights: Rocky Mountain has four unique suspension systems (five if you count hardtail frames and rear tires as suspension) that cater to just about any type of off-road rider. There is the Rocky Mountain 3DLink rear suspension found on the Element that tops out at four inches of travel for the cross-country racer types. You've got the LC2R suspension found on the Rocky Mountain six-inch travel Slayer models (a favorite choice of park riders). And you've got the tried-and-true four-bar linkage of the seven-inch-travel Switch downhiller.

Best quote: "You are not expecting a lot of rigidity out of a rear suspension with such long linkages. Surprise. Powering out of the corners and dropping the hammer is a delight, as the ETSX responds with a solid, laterally stiff performance."

Bottom line: The adjustable rear travel is starting to look dated and the high bottom bracket is never going to let the ETSX rail the tight corners without a little extra rider input. Rocky Mountain addressed some of the problems of the last ETSX we last tested (like replacing hardware-store fasteners with design-specific fasteners) and improved areas we didn't find fault with (the new Form carbon swingarm tightens up a rear end that was already rock steady). This is a capable trailbike that can be ridden all day but still likes to hammer when the pace calls for it, and it is designed to survive in adverse conditions. It's the Rocky Mountain way.