PRIVATEER 161 (SLX/XT)
If imitation really is the highest form of flattery, then the engineers at Raaw must have blushed when they saw the Privateer, because when we first set eyes on a naked prototype of the 161, we instantly mistook it for a genuine Madonna.
From the four-bar rocker-link suspension, to the one-piece main pivot and shock-mount assembly, the parallels between these two 29er enduro bikes are uncanny. Both have generous reach measurements, the Privateer 161 P3 tested here, which is equivalent to a size large, boasting a 490mm reach. And, just like the Madonna, it has proportional chainstay lengths across the size range to help balance handling. So there are four different rear triangles each offering different progression curves, travels and chainstay lengths, which we’ll dive
