Exceptionally Versatile Spark 40

The redesigned Spark 40 has more travel, bigger pivots, more stiffness, better performance, and all at an affordable price. It’s no wonder this fun machine caught the attention of Bike Magazine ride reviewer Seb Kemp.

The Spark turned out to be a lively, spritely bike that felt like it had the full 120-millimeters of rear suspension to play with. While comfort often comes at the expense of speed, and often comes at the expense of speed, and vice versa, the Spark balanced itself adroitly between the two. Spark pedals well, and we generally preferred to ride with the shock wide open, but it was handy to have the lockout ready on the longer stretches of fireroad.

Perhaps the biggest change in this new generation of Spark, however, is a very noticeable boost in frame stiffness. The rear through-axle gets some credit here as does Scott’s decision to move away from the small, spindly pivots of the past and toward much stouter frame hardware. It’s refreshing to see the company shift away from emphasizing ultra-light weight at the expense of stiffness; the Spark is a considerably more capable trail bike for that change. The fact that you can adjust the bike’s geometry via its flip chip also broadens the bike’s potential.