Cannot believe this hasn't been posted yet.
A kinda funky moto-insprired suspension design. But looks really light.
A kinda funky moto-insprired suspension design. But looks really light.
K9 Industries DH001-S
- Thread starter zdubyadubya
- Start date
I can.
Dude steel is real.
That's a lot of bolts on the dropout!
That thing does look like a joke but I seem to remember Dirt Mag giving it a super good review, and Steve Jones seems to know how to dish out a proper thrashing and honest feedback.
What Pip says. Sounds like K9 like to design their stuff to work using similar "actual" engineering rather than marketeering. Although it could just be they are awesome at Marketeering and I am a sucker..
Read the Dirt review, then try and E-hate.
Coming soon.......
Updated pictures from our llangollen national:
http://www.southerndownhill.com/reports/racing/halo-british-downhill-series---llangollen---pits-and-bits.html
http://www.southerndownhill.com/reports/racing/halo-british-downhill-series---llangollen---pits-and-bits.html
Dirt Mag rated this frame as 1 of the top 100 products for 2010.
I dig it. Not because of whatever Dirt may have said(havn't read it).
Like to see a shot from the other side.
Like to see a shot from the other side.
This recently popped up on MTBR (http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=632467). The bike has been out there for at least a year now. Have pedalled it - accelerates amazingly well (only did a parking lot test). Would be a privateer's dream when you throw in all the shock setup Luis will do for you when you buy the bike...
Not to take anything from the K9 frame, but Dirt has had some terrible reviews in the past and they seem to have a habit of giving UK based manufacturers extra points. I remember the millyard frame, a BB concentric pivot with no floating brake getting rave reviews in pedaling, despite everything I've ever heard or experienced suggesting exactly the opposite. It's no surprise to me that a frame proudly made in England got great reviews, no matter whether it's any good or not.
That being said, modern incarnations of the frame do look good, and from what I understand, Luis is the DW of the opposite side of the world...
That being said, modern incarnations of the frame do look good, and from what I understand, Luis is the DW of the opposite side of the world...
Fair point - I suspect Dirt might have a little bias. I did a bike test with Steve Jones on my Legend Mk1, and he likes his bikes a certain way. I don't think it's a particularly intentional bias though.
But did you seriously just knock them for reporting a bike pedals well and you, having never ridden it, think it shouldn't?
fair enough, I can't attest to how that bike pedaled, but taking from the bike I owned, and the bikes other people have written about, bikes with a concentric BB pivot do not pedal well... You can slap a bandaid shock on their, like SPV or propedal, and make it better, but I think you'd have a hard time convincing anybody that a concentric bike will pedal better than say an in-line pivot bike. Their article suggested it was a breakthrough...unless that air/air shock can do wonders, it probably pedals like a concentric pivot bike with a band-aid shock.
Anyways...looks like you can adjust pedal feedback on the K9 via the idler...that's a great idea!
Anyways...looks like you can adjust pedal feedback on the K9 via the idler...that's a great idea!
Ugly? Yes. Old school in style? Yes.
But this is honestly a fantastic bike from all other angles. It pedals aswell, if not better than, anything else out there. It corners effortlessly and takes bumps easily. Until you've ridden one, I'd really not dissmiss it.
I'm not sure if the bike is for sale yet, but in May they were giving it 2 months until release...
They'll certainly be a force to be reckoned with in the UK scene atleast.
Ben
But this is honestly a fantastic bike from all other angles. It pedals aswell, if not better than, anything else out there. It corners effortlessly and takes bumps easily. Until you've ridden one, I'd really not dissmiss it.
I'm not sure if the bike is for sale yet, but in May they were giving it 2 months until release...
They'll certainly be a force to be reckoned with in the UK scene atleast.
Ben
WTF?
Jonesy:
"This bike just feels quick. It has all the right things to make it fast. Look at the parts spec!"
...on every review. Sure, he'll say "fast" instead of "quick", for example... but that's about the extent of a Jonesy review. He's a PR guy, not a thorough reviewer. You couldn't tell how a V10 handles differently from a Mondraker by reading Steve Jones. But you could tell that they're DH race bikes, at least!
As to the K-9 -- sweet Rube Goldberg frame, dudes!
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The review of the Summum this month: Dejavu.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Jonesy is an idiot! Not to be negative towards this bike because it seems that Luis@K9 is on top of his game. It's just that every other review that Jones writes claims the next revolution in DH bike design when the next month at Dirt HQ the Orange is the king of mountain, and nothing else ever has or ever will come close according to that guy. And he can't even articulate why. Not to knock the Orange either, but give me a break, Jonesy lost his cred years ago!
Damn nice set up:
-Rearward arch with idler (adjustable at that)
-Steel front end
-7 series rear
-bearing tools and all the little geo adjusters...
OK so it may look a bit off but all the points aside of visual that make a bike rip appear to be there. Id like to ride one for a bit and see.
-Rearward arch with idler (adjustable at that)
-Steel front end
-7 series rear
-bearing tools and all the little geo adjusters...
OK so it may look a bit off but all the points aside of visual that make a bike rip appear to be there. Id like to ride one for a bit and see.
These bikes are definitely function over form but I think there's something about its form that makes it look the business as well.
I'm pretty sure you can buy these now. I've seen two at the last two races I've been at, both ridden by privateers.
Everything I've read about and seen of this bike is amazing, from how it's designed, the philosophy, its geometry, how it's been tested and researched right up to the materials it's made of.
K9 DH001-S = WIN.
LA > DW.
I'm pretty sure you can buy these now. I've seen two at the last two races I've been at, both ridden by privateers.
Everything I've read about and seen of this bike is amazing, from how it's designed, the philosophy, its geometry, how it's been tested and researched right up to the materials it's made of.
K9 DH001-S = WIN.
LA > DW.
Looking at the angle at wich the links intersect on the bike i think it will have some good amount of brake squat.
uhmmmm they need an Industrial Designer...
This is what happens when u just let engineers make things! Looks awful!
Bet it works great though! :-D
This is what happens when u just let engineers make things! Looks awful!
Bet it works great though! :-D
Having spent a little time with Steve Jones, I can tell you he's a top guy and credible reviewer.
Has it ever occurred to anyone that perhaps all these bikes that he reviews ARE great? Session 88 - yep. Makulu - yep. Summum - yep. If you're sending your bike to Dirt, you better make sure it's well sorted first. (In fact, this was the mistake I made with my Legend Mk1 that he reviewed...the CCDB was gen 1 and didn't gel with the bike 100%.)
Also, I'm pretty sure it's an unwritten rule at Dirt to not pump out negative press. That's not to say they won't highlight negative points about products. But they would rather not review a product if it's going to get a big negative result. They will feed back the negatives directly to the manufacturer and it will never get into the magazine. I think that's fair and respectable - this is a small sport and we don't need negative vibes.
And finally, don't forget that Dirt is nothing but a handful of mountain bikers. What they write it just their opinion, it's not the last word. They are certainly entitled to their opinion of what's good.
Has it ever occurred to anyone that perhaps all these bikes that he reviews ARE great? Session 88 - yep. Makulu - yep. Summum - yep. If you're sending your bike to Dirt, you better make sure it's well sorted first. (In fact, this was the mistake I made with my Legend Mk1 that he reviewed...the CCDB was gen 1 and didn't gel with the bike 100%.)
Also, I'm pretty sure it's an unwritten rule at Dirt to not pump out negative press. That's not to say they won't highlight negative points about products. But they would rather not review a product if it's going to get a big negative result. They will feed back the negatives directly to the manufacturer and it will never get into the magazine. I think that's fair and respectable - this is a small sport and we don't need negative vibes.
And finally, don't forget that Dirt is nothing but a handful of mountain bikers. What they write it just their opinion, it's not the last word. They are certainly entitled to their opinion of what's good.
So what does an industrial designer do, make fuctional things look pretty?
I got a full pricelist from them and worked out that I couldn't afford one but all the hate on here makes me wonder if I can stretch my funds and buy one.
There seems to be a lot of hate for Dirt Mag on here, have you guys read any US mags? Decline is allright but it's still no Dirt, Dirt are definatey biased when it comes to UK based products, I got sucked into buying Middleburn bits instead I should have gone to the strippers it would have been a much better investment.
Industrial designers make products and services relate to consumers on a human and emotional level. One component of that just happens to be aesthetics, and in this case K-9's lack of consideration for that may be hurting their brand.
True though, there is not 'that' much necessary room for ID in the actual design of a performance oriented bicycles.
It's a bicycle, is nothing sacred, safe from marketing/lies.
A bike should look fast because it is. A rider will look best by being fast or whatever other performance aspect his bike is designed for. Take dirt jumping, not many fashion bikes there, just practical simple steel hardtails. Why is DH different? I'm sick of the pajarma wearing mentality, I wish this sport would die, so the big marketing companies would piss off, and leave the industry with the dedicated riders and geeks that take up the challenge of designing and building cool logical performance bikes.
I'd by one nearly just because it's not got stupid fat obese tubes, I don't choose fat women, why would I choose a fat bike?
Hey don't shoot the messenger. As I said, I dont think there is all 'that' much room on a performance oriented bike in concerns to performance. Engineering and functional requirements certainly need to come first and foremost. Philippe Starck once said "A tank is the most beautiful product ever made, it is pure function"
Perhaps the k9 is a tank... beauty in the eyes of the beholder I suppose.
The opposite end of the spectrum would be something like the new Lappierre. That thing has what I think to be some pretty unnecessary complication (who knows maybe it rides dope though), but they have done an amazing job taking what could have been a hideous contraption and using design to push the finishing details to a very desirable level.
This sure is a retarded industry if people buy bikes based on looks over performance. But then I guess most consumers in this industry are only in it for the image and buy bikes so that they and other people can just sit and gawp at them without actually riding the things...
It's simple and effective(I imagine) why does it need to be anything more? I don't want to get services from a bike or get emotional with it, It's an ugly frame that should perform well and if it's ugly now it won't get any worse as it ages.
This is my selection criteria- Design/geo, country of origin, price, weight then looks, hell I was going to buy a Uriedog HT frame but the geo wasn't quite right and they are surely the ugliest frame in history.
easy there, killer. just about every industry has at least a large chunk of demand for good looking things. cars, guitars, spouses, etc. while there may be a few folks out there on bike paths in TLD pajamas and brand new bikes, I bet few people buy a wildly expensive DH bike to look at it. That being said, if I'm buying a wildly expensive object, I want to be satisfied with it, looks and performance.This sure is a retarded industry if people buy bikes based on looks over performance. But then I guess most consumers in this industry are only in it for the image and buy bikes so that they and other people can just sit and gawp at them without actually riding the things...
yes, they make things look pretty will still maintaining functionality.
and you also got sucked into using the word "bits"
it's a combination of both, of course. aesthetics is an important factor when it comes to saleability of a bike. it's why we get emotional about our hardware & lust after new bits. most of us here are gearheads & respond to a pretty bike. nothing wrong with that; i love the synergy of engineering & design.
what does irritate me is fashion driven design cues. case in point - the compound curve downtube. i generally think they look like crap, yet everyone seems to think they need them - whether or not its required by the suspension configuration. you know how i know the beginning of the end for this aesthetic atrocity of a meme is near? they're now appearing on dept store bikes - i just saw these at canadian tire - yours for $200 complete:
looks like a lot going on. still ugly IMO
http://www.southerndownhill.com/reports/racing/halo-british-downhill-series---llangollen---pits-and-bits.html
http://www.southerndownhill.com/reports/racing/halo-british-downhill-series---llangollen---pits-and-bits.html