The Slash was updated for 2021 with 10mm more travel, along with the expected longer, slacker geometry changes, and a few bonus frame features. It’s still rolling on 29” wheels, with 160mm of rear travel and a 170mm fork. Its intended purpose hasn’t changed at all – it’s still meant to be an enduro race bike.
That 160mm of travel comes from Trek’s ABP suspension layout, which uses a concentric pivot at the rear axle. The overall layout hasn’t deviated much from the previous version, but what’s new is the RockShox Super Deluxe ThruShaft shock. The shock uses Trek’s ThruShaft design, where the damper shaft exits out the bottom of the shock, which means the damper valve assembly is moving through one column of oil.