I would of if i had know that freeborn are the importers
The Banshee LEGEND is almost reborn . . .
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- box nerd alert!
got built mine, 41 pounds not bad at all, so I had all this parts laying around, couldn't buy any more new parts so there it is 02 fork, old saint cranks and old XT brakes, stole the front wheel of my DJ bike, had some pedals from my wife's bike, a old dangerboy stem...
I'll be getting newer parts during the season, I love it how it is right now, the shiver is very plush, nothing to envy any other fork... cranks are stiff and brakes are powerful. first thing I'll be getting is a 888RC3ti, then a CCDB with ti spring, then the cranks and a i9 wheelset, so this bad boy will be weighting around 37 pounds. my boss got his at 36 pounds, insane!
the frame was shipped on banshe's new box, attention to details on this frame is amazing, ready to put the parts on,no need to face brake tabs BB or headset, came with extra hardware, by the way all the hardware on the frame is ti. loving the bike accelerates and rails corners really easy, jumps and drops are nothing, speed is what this bike is made for...
I'll be getting newer parts during the season, I love it how it is right now, the shiver is very plush, nothing to envy any other fork... cranks are stiff and brakes are powerful. first thing I'll be getting is a 888RC3ti, then a CCDB with ti spring, then the cranks and a i9 wheelset, so this bad boy will be weighting around 37 pounds. my boss got his at 36 pounds, insane!
the frame was shipped on banshe's new box, attention to details on this frame is amazing, ready to put the parts on,no need to face brake tabs BB or headset, came with extra hardware, by the way all the hardware on the frame is ti. loving the bike accelerates and rails corners really easy, jumps and drops are nothing, speed is what this bike is made for...
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nice bikes guys! very envious.
Not only you have no snow but already the new legend grrrr. Though I changed my mind and chose the black one over the team - somehow the red seemed strange.mine:
no idea what it weighs, probably just under 40. no idea how it rides as i haven't ridden it yet. been built up for a few days now yet unable to ride it due to final year thesis. lovely.
Also - banshee sticker? No longer in uk?
He's sponsored by the Malaysian distributor if I recall correctly.
Where the hell is mine?! Going nuts without a bike!
Got mine last week. Weighs in at 39 lbs 12 ounces. This bike absolutely rips. Destroys corners and floats over rough stuff.
That's a bummer - I thought they were already in the uk. I feel your pain. I've been waiting for ages now and can't wait to test it.
Not sure myself but mountainbikes.net website says they have 4 frames in stock for 2399.
Clearly I am not a doctor but... is the Legend officially a licensed VPP bike, or is it being touted as something else?
I believe the VPP patents cover bikes with counter rotating links. The links on the Legend (and other similar bikes, like the Cove) have corresponding rotating links.
So whose patent are they operating with?
I have no idea if that suspension layout is even patented. I don't believe it is, but I could be wrong. Hopefully someone more in the know can answer this.
i think you will not be able to patent this kind of suspension even in the USA
similar designs have been used over and over for quite some time
starting with Karpiel to the Canfield Brothers and more...
That's kinda what I had figured.
They are calling it a VF4B system
Virtual Floating Four Bar
Specialized must love it!!!!!!
Their system is not covered by any patents. It's a pretty standard four-bar linkage from a conceptual standpoint, as always, the devil is in the details.
The term four-bar linkage has been around in the engineering world for over 100 years, it's not something Specialized have a monopoly on. I can't imagine them caring since it's not very similar to the typical Horst link design.
Emo Colour-Combo
I know just teasing.
specialed ain't got nothing on Banshee.
Technically it's EXACTLY like a Horst link design. They're both 4-bars with the axle located in the middle member where the end-links rotate the same direction. Same with whatever goofy patent term they use for the Giants, Karpiels, Canfields, Yeti DH9's, Sunday's, BigHits/Demos, Knolly's, Coves, etc. Same mechanism.
If Specialized can find a way to sue someone, I'm sure they will.
SSssshhhhhhhh don't say that too loud you might be next
We weren't going to name it at all but our customers demanded that we give it some kind of name which we've been using to describe this design since 2005 - you probably never heard it before cause we don't make a big deal about it. VF4B just describes that it IS a 4 bar design and has a floating pivot aka instant center. Its not patented because you can't patent something that they've used in making car suspension for decades.
A horst link as the patent reads [in its simplest terms] is a single pivot in front of and below the rear axle - we don't have a pivot infront of and below the axle so no infringement. Even Knolly bikes has a pivot infront of and below but because they're is an additional feature of novelty [patent language] they we're awarded a patent on the 4x4 suspension.
I will agree though that it is the same mechanism... they're all 4 bar suspension systems - there really is only 2... 4bars and single pivots and all bike designs will fit into these 2 categories. However I'm sure you'll admit that
say a V10 which is a VPP will feel different then say a 951 also a VPP ... its because there is more to a bike then just what kind of pivot system you use.
Although both Canfield and Banshee are millimeters away from infringing Trek's parallel link patent.
i guess its like racing... almost dont count. ;-) "I almost got 1st place.."
I was wondering about this. What are they doing differently that helps them avoid it? PDC had a very similar set up on the original 8two5 frames and ended up mounting the shock on the rear swing arm instead of the lower link to avoid infringing on that patent.
Lower link doesn't pivot forward of the centre of the BB - that's the edge of the envelope that Trek patented.
interesting. i wonder how Karpiel is getting around this? or maybe they are licensing it from Trek?
i really don't even consider Canfield in the same camp as these other designs since they have such a high pivot but their lower link is also in front of the BB. maybe that gets them around it.
maybe i should look up the patent and educate myself a little since i am so curious about it
I don't know how much information I can expose but let's say Karpiel is playing Trek's game legally.
Karpiel originally got around it by driving the shock from the upper link, but as for what they're doing now, I have no idea. Possible they're licencing the design or that their linkage constitutes "prior art" despite the differences, or that they do have some other feature that counts as "novelty" (as Jay said, patent language, don't mean that in a dismissive way).interesting. i wonder how Karpiel is getting around this? or maybe they are licensing it from Trek?
i really don't even consider Canfield in the same camp as these other designs since they have such a high pivot but their lower link is also in front of the BB. maybe that gets them around it.
maybe i should look up the patent and educate myself a little since i am so curious about it