K9 are a brand synonymous with an uncompromising approach to developing products using motor sports technology and pushing the performance envelope in bicycle design past what other manufacturers decree as state of the art. K9 are taking their vision to a new line of component and suspension hop ups that are bound to do more than get peoples attention. 2011 marks a new year for the company in more ways than one – Factory Jackson popped over to Oxford to catch up with the guys behind the brand and see what they’ve to offer to the discerning rider looking to squeeze every bit of performance out of their bike.

K9’s first DH frame – it’s always a good to remember where you came from when your looking ahead to the future and K9 have some great things for 2011 and beyond.

Unfortunately there was only so much of the workshop I could show you as a lot of what they do here is top secret, but I felt extremely privileged to have been given more than a sneak peak into their operations and all I can say is watch this space.

2011 Product Preview.

Luis and the team behind K9 have been extremely busy over the last 12 months developing a component line that will offer the customer performance increasing hop ups straight off the shelf and ready to fit to your ride.

The new ‘Race Steel’ springs caught my eye – available in 25lb increments and at only 50 grams heavier than a ti spring and over 100 grams lighter than a regular steel spring and with a price of £95 GBP (half the price of a Ti), they are going to be a great addition to anyone looking to save weight and maximise performance. The Race Steel’s also come in this rather sexy gloss ‘champagne’ coloured coating which definitely stands out on your bike.

K9 will also be offering regular steel springs too at £45 GBP in this tasty gloss grey coating – definitely better than the usual black were used to on steel springs! K9 are also offering Ti springs too, but at  a very competitive £190 GBP, there for the serious racer out there looking to save every last gram on their bike – you’ll also be seeing these on some factory bikes this year, but more on that at a later date.

Fork Bearings? Thats right, K9 ‘Fork Thrust Bearings’ – these sit on top of your spring stack increasing sensitivity and grip, especially over off-camber trails. At a great £20 GBP for Boxxers and 40’s and £35 for Bos, these are a cost effective upgrade that you can quickly install yourself and get trail side. K9 are also offering these for rear shocks too at £35 with adapters – full review of these coming soon!

Slack enough? Getting your head tube slacker and BB lower are the ‘in-topic’ in aggressive MTB riding right now and rightly so – who doesn’t want to increase their bikes performance? At only £55 GBP these K9 ‘Angles Reducer Cups’ are also the cheapest on the market and with a cup for pretty much every bike available, what’s not to like?

Direct mount stems are nothing new, but definitely an area that can always be improved upon. Luis at K9 decided he could design one of the lightest stems on the market and for £100 GBP, threw in a full Ti bolt kit to boot. Check the scales – this thing is seriously light and not to mention one of the best looking stems on the market too.

This is only a small selection of K9’s product range for 2011 that also includes adjustable width DH bars, some new and pretty special pedals and some clever brake pad toos, not to mention the DH001-S DH beast. Factory Jackson will have plenty more K9 content over the coming months so stay tuned for in depth product reviews and news shortly.

For more info head over to K9 Industries and if you want to know more. Happy trails.

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