New 2025 GHOST POACHA on test – A New Era Begins

Mainstream mountain bikers can stop reading right here – because with the POACHA, GHOST launched an MTB that was designed to appeal to a niche group of individualists: freeriders! With its radical look, 180 mm of travel (and room for more), and robust components, GHOST aim to reclaim freedom across wild terrain. We tested the 2025 GHOST POACHA for you.

At first glance, the new 2025 GHOST POACHA doesn’t have much in common with any of the mountain bikes we’ve seen before — and it certainly doesn’t look like a typical GHOST bike. And that’s entirely intentional. With the POACHA, GHOST are ushering in a new era in the gravity segment – and it’s about time.

Let’s take a look back, way back: it’s been over a decade since GHOST released a bike with such a strong focus on gravity – the GHOST DH 9000. We still fondly remember the DH 9000, one of the first MTBs with a high-pivot rear suspension design, which Tomáš Slavík rode in urban downhill races. Okay, we do try to block out the neon jerseys and baggy shorts from that era ;)

The new GHOST POACHA deliberately avoids using a high-pivot rear suspension — why follow a trend that GHOST itself was nearly a decade ahead of? Instead, GHOST’s developers built the bike around their in-house Traction Link 3.0 rear suspension with a virtual pivot point. This setup delivers 180 mm of rear travel straight out of the box. Paired with 180 mm of travel at the front and a mullet wheel setup, the POACHA is designed to tackle the wildest off-road missions, massive freeride stunts, and endless days of hammering through bike park tracks.

At the same time, it promises to be agile enough to thread its way through tight urban canyons, just like Tomáš Slavík loves doing. All GHOST POACHA variants feature a carbon frame to keep the weight down – according to the German manufacturer, the frame weighs 3.8 kg in size L. The GHOST POACHA Full Party flagship model we tested tips the scales at 17.6 kg (system weight, size L) and costs €8,000. But for that price, you don’t just get a well-equipped freerider – you also get a bike packed with hidden details that are well worth a closer look.

Big-Mountain Bike With Total Trail Freedom – The New 2025 GHOST POACHA at a Glance

With its sharply tapered, wedge-shaped main frame triangle, the GHOST POACHA looks more like a downhill bike than an enduro or trail bike – and that’s no coincidence. The frame meets the highest DIN EN 17406 Category 5 standard, meaning it has been tested and approved for the most extreme use (with a maximum allowable system weight of 120 kg). It’s also approved for use with dual-crown forks offering up to 200 mm of travel. At the rear, the travel can be increased from 180 mm to 190 mm by using a shock with 75 mm stroke instead of the standard 70 mm – something GHOST say is easily done.

One of the most striking frame features is the additional cross-brace that connects the seat and top tubes, which also doubles as the mounting point for the Traction Link rear suspension. This distinctive element makes the POACHA instantly recognizable from a distance. However, it shares little visual DNA with other GHOST bikes – as already mentioned, the POACHA marks the beginning of a new design era for GHOST.

Another new feature is the position of the shock, which sits deep inside the frame and is now placed horizontally, splitting the seat tube in half. According to GHOST, this design helps them achieve the lowest possible center of gravity. Despite the more enclosed shock placement, the frame is still said to be compatible with coil shocks.

Nothing is left to chance when it comes to cable routing. The cables disappear into the frame through plastic ports on the head tube, which are securely clamped on the inside to prevent rattling noises. To ensure an even quieter ride on rough trails, GHOST rely on a generously-sized chainstay protector that extends all the way up to the seat stay.

A bolted bash guard under the bottom bracket protects the downtube and bottom bracket from stray rocks. However, GHOST forgo an additional shuttle guard further up along the downtube.

Another nice touch: the frame features mounting points for a bottle cage on the downtube and a tool mount on the underside of the top tube. This allows you to secure all your trail essentials directly on the frame, allowing you to embark on epic backcountry adventures without having to carry a backpack or hip pack.

Speaking of tools: the Full Party spec we tested comes standard with an XLC multitool in the steerer tube. Although it’s a bit finicky to get out, it includes all the Allen keys and bits you’ll need for the POACHA.

What’s missing compared to a modern enduro bike is an integrated storage compartment in the downtube. According to GHOST, adding an opening would have compromised the frame’s stability, which in turn would have affected its Category 5 certification. On top of that, the German manufacturer saw no real need for additional storage.

That said, even when riding bike park, we appreciate having a secure way to stow essentials in the frame – whether it’s a lightweight rain jacket or even our car keys. And during our test rides, the POACHA surprised us with its long-distance potential, where a bit of extra space for a granola bar would definitely come in handy – but more on that later.

One last aspect of the design that’s worth mentioning: the paint and decals. Instead of reviving the bold, colorful freeride spirit of past decades, GHOST took a nearly minimalist approach with the POACHA. Our test bike comes in a plain, glossy silver finish. The other build variants are even more understated, finished in dark matte gray and pebble gray. As for graphics, there’s a simple “GHOST” logo on the downtube and the name “POACHA” in Arial font on the seat tube – and that’s basically it!

Of course, freeriders are known for being free spirits and individualists, so custom frame protection decals are always an option – and on the POACHA, they wouldn’t hurt. Our test track included some sharp volcanic rock – admittedly brutal conditions for a carbon frame – and after just a few kilometers, we noticed several scratches and minor paint chips.

The Spec and Build Variants of the 2025 GHOST POACHA in Detail

From a performance standpoint, our Full Party test bike leaves virtually nothing to be desired, at least in terms of components. The suspension consists of a RockShox ZEB Ultimate Charger 3.1 fork paired with a Vivid Ultimate shock. Shifting is taken care of by a wireless SRAM GX Eagle Transmission drivetrain, while powerful SRAM Maven Silver brakes with 220/200 mm rotors do stopping duties – all components that held their own in our demanding real-world testing.

GHOST’s product managers didn’t make any major missteps when it came to tire choice either. The POACHA rolls out of the factory on reliable Continental Kryptotal tires with Enduro casing and SuperSoft rubber compound at the front, and the tougher Downhill casing and Soft compound at the rear – all mounted on equally robust DT Swiss FR 1500 aluminum wheels.

To round off the spec, GHOST throw in a Truvativ Descendant cockpit and a TranzX dropper post, which is adjustable in height. However, the high-quality, rugged components come at a price – not just the €8,000 you owe at checkout, but also on the scale. At 17.6 kg in size L, the GHOST POACHA is a heavyweight, carbon frame or not.

Just below the Full Party model we tested sits the 2025 GHOST POACHA Pro variant, which retails at €6,499. Here too, you’ll get a pretty serious spec, with a FOX Factory suspension consisting of a FOX 38 fork and matching X2 shock. Shifting is taken care of by a Shimano XT drivetrain, while powerful TRP DH-R Evo brakes do stopping duties.

The gateway into the POACHA dimension is the entry-level GHOST POACHA model– no name suffixes, no acronyms, just a €4,999 price tag. Here, too, the suspension and components are supplied by RockShox and SRAM, though at a more budget-friendly tier, with a ZEB Select fork and Vivid Select shock. Braking is handled by SRAM Maven Bronze brakes, while shifting is taken care of by SRAM’s new mechanical Transmission 70 drivetrain.

The Geometry of the New 2025 GHOST POACHA in Detail

The geometry of the 2025 GHOST POACHA is thoroughly modern and can be fine-tuned via headset cups and flip chips. The German freeride steed is available in four sizes, S to XL. In sizes S and M, the chainstays are slightly shorter at 439 mm, while in sizes L and XL, they measure 444 mm. With a reach of 490 mm in size L – or even 496 mm in the “High” flip chip setting – the POACHA clearly leans toward the longer side of the spectrum.

If that’s too long (or too short) for your taste, the adjustable Acros headset allows you to increase or decrease the reach and wheelbase by 5 mm without altering the rest of the geometry.

Flip chips in the shock yoke allow for further geometry adjustments. These let you raise or drop the bottom bracket by 7 mm, while at the same time changing the seat tube angle by 1 degree and the head angle by 0.5 degrees. Compared to other flip-chip systems, the adjustment process here is a bit more involved, because there are two chips on each side of the rear shock yoke – meaning you’ll need to rotate four chips in total.

However, since this isn’t something you usually tweak before every ride, the extra effort is manageable. Still, we recommend experimenting with different settings – our ride tests revealed pros and cons to both positions.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	415 mm	430 mm	445 mm	475 mm
Top tube	570 mm	603 mm	630 mm	652 mm
Head tube	100 mm	105 mm	115 mm	125 mm
Head angle low/high	63.5°/64°	63.5°/64°	63.5°/64°	63.5°/64°
Seat angle low/high	78°/79°	78°/79°	78°/79°	78°/79°
Chainstays	439 mm	439 mm	444 mm	444 mm
BB Drop low/high	14 mm/7 mm	14 mm/7 mm	14 mm/7 mm	14 mm/7 mm
Wheelbase	1,224 mm	1,256 mm	1,291 mm	1,315 mm
Reach low/high	435 mm/440 mm	466 mm/471 mm	490 mm/496 mm	510 mm/516 mm
Stack	636 mm	640 mm	649 mm	658 mm

The New 2025 GHOST POACHA on Test

We were in for a surprise the moment we swung a leg over the saddle of the POACHA: despite the long reach values, the riding position feels pleasantly central, balanced, and compact. Thanks to the steep seat tube angle, your weight doesn’t shift too far over the rear wheel, even with the dropper post fully extended. The rear suspension is also impressively efficient while pedalling – unexpectedly so for a big-hitting freeride bike. So, the POACHA isn’t limited to shuttle-assisted big-mountain lines or bike park laps; we could easily see ourselves pedalling longer enduro routes under our own steam.

That balanced feel carries over into the descent, too. You get comfortable quickly, and the handling is easy to adapt to. The front end isn’t razor-sharp in its response, and steering inputs are translated with a more muted touch – but this also means the front wheel stays composed and calm at all times, even in choppy terrain. As a result, you’ll still hold your line just fine. 😉

In the high flip-chip setting, the firm rear end delivers plenty of feedback from the ground. On freshly shaped flow trails, the 2025 GHOST POACHA feels lively – it eagerly pumps through rollers and racks up bonus airtime on jump lines. However, that same firm setup generates less traction out back on rough and loose terrain, where maintaining braking grip becomes more of a challenge. Switching to the low flip-chip setting definitely helps here, ensuring a more planted riding position while at the same time improving rear-wheel traction.

When you use up the full travel on big drops, the initially supportive rear end takes on a different character: while the suspension’s deep reserves do a great job of absorbing harsh bottom-outs, the support tapers off noticeably in the final quarter of the travel rather than ramping up. As a result, those last millimeters aren’t as firm or effective as the first three-quarters. To avoid spraining your ankles, we recommend dialing in the Hydraulic Bottom-Out feature on the Vivid shock. Still, thanks to the stiff rear, the POACHA carries momentum effortlessly and excels at launching big tricks without wasting energy.

Who Should Take a Closer Look at the new 2025 GHOST POACHA?

The GHOST POACHA feels most at home on jump lines and rough bike park tracks. If that sounds like your local terrain and you’re after a firm-handling mountain bike with a shred-ready spec right out of the box, this might be your perfect match. Freeride beginners will also appreciate it – not just because of the solid build and fair pricing, but because the POACHA is easy to handle and confidence-inspiring. That said, you should bring at least a bit of airtime experience – or enthusiasm for getting airborne. If you’re simply looking for a plush ground-hugger that absorbs every bump like a vacuum robot, this isn’t the bike for you.

That said, the POACHA can still hold its own on long enduro rides, and we wouldn’t hesitate to tackle climbs under our own power. After all, that dropper post and wide-range cassette are there for a reason. 😉

Conclusions About the new 2025 GHOST POACHA

The design is dialed, the spec is solid, and the ride is pure fun – this is how you kick off a new era. Sure, the 2025 GHOST POACHA isn’t for everyone: it’s relatively heavy, and there’s always room for improvement. But that’s nitpicking at a high level. Bottom line: the POACHA is a true fun machine for the bike park, jump lines, and rowdy trail shredding on your own terms. And at €8,000, it’s actually reasonably priced by today’s standards.

For more info, visit GHOST-Bikes.com

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Words: Rudolf Fischer, Peter Walker Photos: Tobias Köhler, GHOST Bikes