Chris Kovarik Goes Full Mad Max on the M16C - Video

Nov 17, 2015 at 23:40
by Intense Cycles  
Chris Kovarik M16C

by intensecyclesusa
Views: 53,301    Faves: 280    Comments: 26


Chris grew up a huge fan of the Mad Max movies, so we decided to shoot a feature in Utah. The cast and crew all met up in Vegas for the lengthy road trip to the middle of nowhere. After arriving, meeting the local sheriff, and some serious arts and crafts time (those flags didn't just make themselves you know), Chris got busy with a shovel and pickaxe to build a race course from top to bottom. An added bonus? We learned that Chris is very handy with a blowtorch - a great skill to have for the end times.


MENTIONS: @intensecyclesusa



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Member since Mar 8, 2010
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127 Comments
  • 231 11
 I've always enjoyed watching Chris's riding but this looked very unnatural.... I want to see him pinned in deep Forrest off camber and rock gardens, "foot out, flat out"..!!!!!
  • 84 4
 Needed more speed
  • 37 7
 t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTw3VPL1r73WYDMjayuVRCeotU4zsTM3QZZFt8ECsnGFVxdCWuh
  • 6 4
 for all of us who fell like wavetrance m.pinkbike.com/video/424263
  • 10 5
 Dude I just laughed almost to tears from this!
  • 19 3
 Seemed like he was going pretty fast to me, cameras can be decieving especially from a distance. Most of those deep forest shots are close up to the rider.
  • 10 4
 hoesntly, its a big smooth mountain, put all that travel to use and fucking nail some gnarly root and rutted and rocky sections.
  • 16 3
 I gotta disagree guys, gnarly loose dirt and he drifted errythang. Wish I could keep speed up in dirt like that!
  • 22 3
 Chris Kovarik is basically a professional skidder.
  • 2 4
 Someone should definitely get Kovarik on their build team for rampage next year. He is basically three men!
  • 4 3
 Kind of makes me think that "if" I were in Rampage… that would be the kind of line I would build/ride.
  • 22 2
 The bike didn't really seem to want to leave the ground...
  • 4 5
 He may not have looked all that great but he's still a hundred times better than me!
  • 4 2
 @toddonbike you mean the dirt didn't want to let the bike leave? The M16 wasn't the problem
  • 9 7
 Kovarik can kill it on any trail, anywhere... ...except this one.
  • 3 11
flag fecalmaster (Nov 18, 2015 at 19:35) (Below Threshold)
 Like the real M16, this frame lacks real dropping power and appears very civilian in nature. M16C Nato?
  • 3 4
 he doesn't seem to enjoy the bike.
  • 7 5
 M16 is a great gun. Idk what you're talking about. Maybe not at first, but now it's incredibly good, it isn't ak 47 dependable but if it's clean it'll work better than a clean AK. And the iterations that have been stemmed from the m16 (m4, m416 and the such) are also as great. M416 is the staple for the seals. The m416 sent the round through Osama bin Laden's skull.
  • 2 1
 Not a big fan of either but its just like choosing a bike. Which is right for you.
  • 2 5
 WITNESS ME!
  • 2 3
 kovarik was featured in an absolutely mental whistler edit maybe 2 seasons ago. i cant for a the life of me find it again. It showcased much of kovarik's crazy huge line choice and some classic foot out flat out. anyone got a link or even know what im talking about ? lol
  • 1 1
 I expected some big hip jumps or one big flip over a gap but there was nothing like that, sad Frown
  • 2 1
 That was an unfortunate video. Kovarik is such a shredder, that just didn't do him or the bike justice. Shame.
  • 3 1
 Like a real M16 it's lethal in the correct hands
  • 3 0
 @tdryan242 Would this be it? www.pinkbike.com/video/285187
  • 2 0
 nice work. thats the edit i was looking for. thanks Turbo.
  • 105 5
 That trail seemed to be lacking one key factor- flow.
  • 20 3
 agree.. but it's not what I would call a trail....
  • 20 6
 yeah good idea, poor execution.
  • 19 2
 I think it was ridiculously awesome because it was a hard as crap line that he just attacked fully pinned. That was crazy technical and he just angry-salted all over it!

It might look slow because the Coastal Crew didn't pipe in a bunch of miked up micro-sound and film ducked behind a tree root...but that was fast.

Pinkbike disclaimer: I love Coastal Crew and am in no way trying to disparage their fine and excellent media skills.
  • 8 2
 @bizutch , I'm not saying it wasn't fast, it just didn't flow. Lot's of harsh pedaling, a couple of jumps looked like he didn't have enough run-in speed, stuff like that.
  • 2 2
 hmmm........ not what I was expecting.... didn't hit the blind roll/drop at the top, or the two hips toward the bottom....... honestly kinda dissapointed
  • 1 2
 @bizutch so true tho
  • 3 0
 Yeah man not a trail, haha. That line off the castle looks new and so sick!
  • 1 1
 I was watching and I thought to myself "why am I not absolutely loving this video like I do other videos?" I even got scared and thought I was stopping to like mtn biking. Lol turns out everyone else thought that this video was sloppy and all over the place. Lol I'm relieved.
  • 76 9
 Had high expectations and was sadly disappointed... He looked awkward on the bike compared to his usual videos
  • 9 16
flag abzillah (Nov 18, 2015 at 2:47) (Below Threshold)
 240mm of travel on the rear probably made the ride like a Cadillac.
Can't maintain speed when the bike feels like a boat out on the ocean.
So, what is too much travel?
  • 12 0
 That dirt was pretty soft and deep, probably took lots of energy just to keep the wheels turning. I've seen the M16 in action, its a fucking shell shot from a tank, fast and precise. This video doesn't do it justice.
  • 1 0
 ^ common sense overload
  • 71 9
 Rampage ruined this video.
  • 7 6
 Best comment, so true.
  • 5 5
 This video ruined rampage more like in some respects , granted it didn't have the big hits but some of those off cambers were so raw , loose and untouched and he fully pinned them. Not like the rampage site now with it's enormous groomed slope style track. Rampage is still sick BTW but it's getting so groomed now it's like a bike park.
  • 40 4
 Struggling to see how they took one of the best riders in the world, on one of the most beautiful bikes in the world, to one of the best places in the world.... and they thought , 'We don't need to build a proper trail, we just need some little flags'.
  • 38 11
 This is not a lame video. He almost cut the mountain in half with that shred!
  • 11 0
 I think some of those off cambers he destroyed were fucking amazing
  • 30 11
 I read the comments first....

What are you guys on???? Beautifully shot, awesome turns and thoroughly destroying some crazy off camber! I can appreciate that kinda thing Smile
  • 15 4
 I agree! Riding was crazy and fast as hell for the loose off camber terrain he was on. Maybe the sense of speed was muted in the video due to how open and vast the terrain is? Much harder to translate speed in the wide open, vs dense forest.
It reminded me of what it would look like if you took a Super G or GS ski course and set it in the backcountry. Awesome! Speed and wide open burly natural terrain with gates.
  • 7 1
 I thought it was really good too, very surprised with all the negativity.
  • 5 0
 sadly, the internet experts have spoken
  • 17 1
 Any time we see someone pedal in Utah on a DH bike they are struggling. Chris is such a pedal masher he made it look like fun. Cutting back and forth definitely killed some of his speed but, it made for a much longer descent and a unique video.
  • 1 0
 every pedal stroke slows you down.
  • 18 1
 I really enjoyed it, makes a nice change to see him ride somewhere different!
  • 26 11
 Sick bike, incredible rider... sadly mediocre video.
  • 17 2
 Dat turn at 1:13..
  • 11 0
 Yeah that was sick. Full on moto style.
  • 7 2
 I literally was camping at this little freeride spot near the town of green river, Utah and the intense crew rolled up and we got to watch them build and film this. much more impressive looking in person. some seriously crazy lines this video didn't give it enough justice.
  • 2 4
 except....... none of the crazy lines were in the video....
  • 8 0
 at least the soundtrack stays true!! \m/
  • 4 1
 I actually liked it and though it was cool. Could have been better but still cool. Definitely came off as more of a commercial for the M-16c. Does anyone know if the carbon model is another sell out frame made in Taiwan like the rest of there frames now? I know the M-16 aluminum and Uzzi are the only frames they are making in Temecula now which really sucks too hear.
  • 1 2
 Sell out frames? I wouldn't call them that, but yes, sadly the only alloy frames still made in the USA are the M16 and the Uzzi.
  • 1 2
 Sell out is the perfect term for it. They have been building there frames here locally since they started. No real reason to not anymore other then to get them made cheaper due to greed...
  • 1 1
 Well, that was an intelligent statement......
  • 1 1
 Pride means something here so take it how you want. Doesn't matter to most people though obviously.
  • 2 0
 The Guy is an Unreal Rider but if I am being totally honest I reckon I could of done most if not all of what he did in that Vid it did not look good and like a few guys said before it lacked speed and Flow Harsh but True! Like I said before though he is one Supreme Rider and better than most out there!
  • 9 3
 Not the best I've seen from the karver.
  • 1 1
 Can't give your best for a commercial...I'm thinking a proper edit is soon to come. I hope.
  • 2 0
 Anybody who has never ridden in this type of dirt needs to know that it is like riding in snow with a little bit of a crust of top. Your tires immediately break through the crust and it slows you down so much. The front end feels like it wants to sink in and toss you at any moment. Much harder than the videos make it look.
  • 9 5
 Since they were going for a Mad Max vibe, I think this video turned out great.
  • 3 2
 I could watch Kovarik edits all day! I thought it was a great edit. As far as it looking like a "commercial," why not, printed media is slowly going away. We don't get the full page, high gloss stills of that one cool turn with the sun behind the exploded burm, now we get these fun edits that show the bikes of our dreams in action.
  • 6 2
 i have this feeling they're trying to sell us something.....
  • 6 2
 Thought the video was great, riding was great and filmography was great.
  • 4 1
 This video is a lame attempt by Intense that says, We made Palmer a signature bike, but you're a legend too
  • 3 1
 As always, this gave me no real information about the product. However, it is always fun to watch Mega Hands shred something to bits!
  • 1 1
 Malisimo! Lento, pedalea muchísimo, en todos los saltos llega al recibidor de forma forzada. La verdad me extraña de Chris, siempre hace buenos videos, pero este no es uno de ellos.
Saludos desde Argentina.
  • 5 1
 KARVER!!!!!
  • 5 4
 I really enjoyed it. More like a rampage run than a world cup DH track, so the speed and flow are there, but in a different way.
  • 3 1
 I understand if you buy the new m16c, you get a trip to Utah to take delivery and Karve that trail...
  • 5 2
 i'll take that over rampage any day
  • 4 2
 So, if Chris Kavorik says "Follow me.. I've got a new trail..." You might want to reconsider. .
  • 3 1
 Pretty cool, but Utah is to bike edits what Alaska is to ski edits. I just can't relate so I lose interest after a bit.
  • 5 2
 99% of the people saying this is lame have never been to green river
  • 1 4
 hahah interesting opinion bro. he went around all the decent jumps and drops on the official bunny hill of green river
  • 3 0
 haha yeah it looked like a creative line to me and was interesting
  • 1 2
 annd you've clearly never been there
  • 1 1
 Thing Is I have
  • 1 1
 lol
  • 3 1
 honestly a little disappointed. for an epic bike like this I was expecting an equally epic vid.
  • 3 0
 great vid, beautiful bike
  • 3 0
 I still like my M9
  • 1 0
 OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOSSSHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 7 5
 It was more Pepsi max than it was mad max.
  • 9 4
 or maxi pad....
  • 3 3
 all jumps looks shortened because of crazy amout of SAG in this bike. Like flying elephant or something. Definitly not the Kovarik style :-D
  • 3 1
 Machine and machine in perfect harmony
  • 4 2
 You guys are all so angry.
  • 1 0
 Too damn much pedaling....
  • 4 3
 A lot like rampage except for the lack of drops, gaps and cool tricks
  • 5 6
 "Handcrafted weapon"... I mean really? A piece of plastic with some fibers from a Taiwanese factory. Long live the American Dream.
  • 4 3
 Was the guy waving the flag in the opening shot credited ?? NO
  • 2 1
 not Kovarik strong suit, cool anyways
  • 3 3
 Shit, first time Kovarik looking… small. Sorry to say that, but leave Utah to Rampage.
  • 3 2
 Im waiting for the mad max aspect...
  • 4 7
 What the H Pinkbike? Is it Mountainbikers destroy the Environment week and I missed it on my calendar? Smile Were we all suppossed to take our GoPro's out and find an pristine area and leave tire tracks there??? They make and ask people to ride "on" trails for a reason... Even way out in the Utah Desert.

I guess filming a pro mountain biker is like Porn producers paying women to have $#X. If I go down the street and pay a women to do that I'll go to jail!

But if a Porn Producer does it, and they "film it" suddenly it's OK...? WTH
  • 4 2
 dude, you're dumb.
  • 2 1
 airtight logic youve got there @stiingya... by the way, thanks for censoring the words "hell" and "sex". i dont know how the f*ck my fragile mind couldve handled such obscene language.
  • 1 3
 @ Bad Tempered Mammaries. Thanks for the tip, I'm used to having posts not go through when you don't take the time to self censor. But now that I know it's OK.

f*ck you you f*ckity f*ck f*cktard... Smile have a nice day (Oh Look at that they do censor...)

@Jbikes84, opinions vary
  • 1 0
 I meant guru, damned spell check.
  • 1 1
 This is a better Intense/Kovarik video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HKB-9GAXQs
  • 1 0
 I love my Intense! It'd be really nice to see them sponsor a WC racer!
  • 1 1
 AHHHH, Boys and Girls I think we may have all missed the most important fact about this video. Hes wearing full sleeves !!
  • 1 0
 the new m16 is so enduro!!
  • 3 4
 Come on Chris, I know you're a better rider than this video shows. Why put out such a mediocre video?
  • 1 1
 Best way of showing a bikes capability.
  • 2 5
 That moment you blow all your money on a GT Fury and immediately want something else instead... However, I'm still pumped on my new ride. #GTgivesyouwingsbutitsstilladisappointmentthattheAthertonslefttoTrek
  • 1 0
 Rampage '16?
  • 2 3
 that would have been so much cooler on a fat bike! with the soft sand!
  • 2 4
 Looks good at wheelies. Could be good to go down the precinct when I need some fags or a can of panda pop.
  • 6 8
 Video Sucked ...
And the bike does not promise.

365 mm BB Height ?
  • 1 4
 Almost made me want to buy a chinese Intense.
  • 1 4
 Now that was some silly ridin' on a shitty line..
  • 1 3
 hi im new v10
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