Privateer has been incredibly generous with its mass of sneak peeks, prototype rider videos and even its new rider announcements – all of which included details and glimpses of its prototype bike. The wait though is now finally over with the unveiling of not one, but two brand-new bikes. Each model rocks a new suspension design as well as chainstay adjustment and a range of other neat tweaks. 

• How brands build bikes - From concept to the final product
• Privateer 141 GX Pike review
• Privateer 161 mountain bike review

Let's face it, Privateer hasn't exactly been quiet about its second-generation bikes and it's a development story we've been following very closely. Since the latter part of last year, we got a spy shot of the Gen 2 141 and 161 prototypes and the brand teased the bike during testing with Fergus Ryan. Then, in a bold move, Privateer gave us an even closer look at the prototype frame. 

2024 privateer gen 2 141 hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The new 161 enduro and 141 all-mountain platforms have had a ground-up redesign which not only brings in geometry tweaks but also a whole new suspension platform, loads of adjustability and oversized bearings.

If you're new to the Privateer range, the 141 is equipped with 141mm of rear suspension travel combined with 150mm at the front, whereas the 161 gets 161mm of rear squish and 170mm of front. The former is built for versatility and fun on home trails as well as the odd local enduro. The 161 is the brand's enduro ripper that's designed for enduro racing.

2024 privateer gen 2 161 hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer

So let's kick things off with the new Aligned Linear Progression (A-L-P for short) suspension design. When choosing this layout, the guys at Privateer left no stone unturned, testing a range of platforms before settling on the tried and tested Horst link platform. This was picked as it allowed the brand's designers to tune the anti-squat and anti-rise to a higher degree than others – and, for Privateer, predictability is the name of the game.

With that in mind, A-L-P is sculpted with a high leverage ratio at the start of the travel, which should provide plenty of grip at the beginning of the stroke, while remaining supple and comfortable. This ratio is also said to overcome stiction present in the shock easily, resulting in a coil-like feel even with an air spring.

2024 privateer gen 2 rocker.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The kinematic is designed with a linear progressive leverage rate in a bid to hit that predictability aim. As you would expect, that progression kicks in towards the end of the travel for bottom-out resistance.

The brand has made tweaks to the anti-rise to balance stability and traction under braking to provide riders with all of the confidence to brake late. It's also crafted to behave consistently wherever the suspension is in its travel, boosting predictability and confidence. All Gen 2 bikes and frames benefit from custom-tuned Fox suspension that's designed especially for A-L-P.

Another heavy focus for the Gen 2 161 and 141 was on creating a balanced geometry. Although pleased with the geo found on its first-generation bikes, Privateer has brought a few small changes such as a longer rear-centre and wheelbase along with longer head tubes on larger sizes.

2024 privateer gen 2 chainstay flip.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Both the 141 and 161 employ an adjustable rear-centre offering an extra 10mm of growth from their standard lengths, providing riders with the choice of stability for fast days out or agility in twisty terrain. The chainstays are size-specific, too, stretching in length as the reach grows throughout the size range. This is another effort to create a balanced ride regardless of the frame size a rider chooses.

To put the geo into numbers, the 161 enduro bike utilises a 64-degree head tube angle, and an 80-degree effective seat tube angle. A P3 (large equivalent) is sorted with a 490mm reach, a 445mm chainstay, and a 1,287mm wheelbase when kitted with a 29-inch wheel setup. The smaller travelled 141 gets a 64.5-degree head angle with a 78.5-degree effective seat tube. Other numbers include a reach value of 485mm reach, a 445mm-long chainstay and a 1,268mm wheelbase in its 29er configuration.

2024 privateer gen 2 mullet flip.jpg, by Liam Mercer

There's another flip chip on these bikes but this one accommodates a mixed wheel setup without altering the main geometry, apart from the chainstay length and wheelbase. Privateer says that it'll be offering a pretty good deal on additional rear-wheel options. though it must be noted that P1 (equiv-small) is only compatible with a mixed-wheel setup.

As we've come to expect from the brand, the 141 and 161 are built for privateer riders and racers who are after durability and easy maintenance. That said, all of the bearings have been upgraded with secondary seals and all pivot hardware is single-sided. Littered around the bike are Enduro Max 42mm bearings and as before, there's a forged one-piece rocker link that's been chosen for stiffness and strength.

privateer gen 2-905.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The ISCG tabs are replaceable, there's space for a large bottle and bolt-on multitool on all sizes and, of course, the frames use external cable routing for hassle-free brake maintenance. There's also neat frame protection that's been custom-designed for these bikes. A neat feature of the 161 is that it can be overshocked to run 174mm of rear suspension and the frame is compatible with dual-crown forks.

Privateer isn't offering the 161 and 141 in several builds, however. Instead, each bike is available as a frameset or a complete bike. The Gen 2 141 in its complete build gets a Fox 36 Performance Elite fork, a Fox Float X Performance Elite shock, and a SRAM GX Eagle mechanical drivetrain. The bike is slowed by a pair of Hayes Dominion A4 brakes and rolls on a set of Hunt enduro Wide V2 wheels complete with a Maxxis Assegai EXO+ front and a Maxxis Minion DHR II with a Double Down casing at the rear. 

privateer gen 2-814.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The 161 gets a similar but burlier spec with a Fox 38 Performance Elite fork, a Fox Float X2 Performance Elite shock and a mishmash of Shimano XT and SLX for its drivetrain. This bike benefits from the same finishing kit as the 141 but gets DoubleDown tyres at both ends.

As for prices, the Gen 2 141 frameset will set you back £1,889 while the Gen 2 161 costs £1,979. Complete builds are priced at £4,289 and £4,379, respectively. Due to difficulties in the bike industry, quantities of Gen 2 bikes will be limited for 2024 with pre-sales opening today and frames will be in stock from the first week of May while complete builds will follow in the last week of May.

• www.privateerbikes.com

You might also like:

• Should I turn my 29er into a mullet bike?
• Mountain biking on a budget - everything you need to know
• Mountain bike tyre inserts - everything you need to know