After taking a look at the big DH race and park style bikes it's time to have a gander at the freeride side of the new 2009 Norco bikes. The Shore was built and bred around the riding that is in Norco's back yard. The SIX series is like heavy duty all mountain or light duty freeride, while the redesigned 4XXXX is ready to race dual, 4X, hit up the Dirt Jumps or play in the bike park.
You won't find a dual crown on any of these bikes, just long travel single crowns to increase versatility and allow the bikes to be better matched up from a suspension stand point for their intended use. They are all meant to be ridden hard on demanding terrain.
Shore series:
-hardcore technical trails
-new school jump trails
-slope style and park riding
-low stand over and low center of gravity
-150x12mm MAXLE rear drop outs
-7" of travel front and rear (coil rear shocks)
Shore 1 - $5200
-new hydro-formed down tube on all models
-new forged chainstay clevis on all models
-RockShox Totem fork 1.5"
-Truvativ Hammerschmidt crank set
Shore 2 - $3600
-Marzocchi 66RCV 1.5"
-Sublimated graphics on all models
Shore 3 - $2950
-RockShox Domain 302 1.5"
All Mountain HD Series:
-intended use: technical trail bikes, flowy freeride lines and slope style
-135x12mm MAXLE drop outs
-low stand over and low center of gravity
-6" of travel on the SIXs
SIX 1 - $4450
-Air fork and shock
-freeride "light" component spec
-new hydro-formed down tube on all models
-RockShox Lyric Solo Air Fork
-Marzocchi TST Air rear shock
SIX 2 - $3600
-Marzocchi 55 ATA Fork
-Fox DHX Air 3.0 rear shock
SIX 3 - $2950
-Marzocchi 55R Fork
-Fox Van R rear shock
-Avid juicy 3 brakes
Stryk - $2100
-Marzocchi 55RS Fork
-Fox Van R rear shock
-Hayes Stroker Trail 7" brakes
B-Line - $1850
-24" wheels
-Marzocchi DJ-3 120mm fork
-Marzocchi Coil R rear shock
Slope Style and 4X series:
Intended Market: riders wanting a lighter duty, low stand over bike for trails, dirt jumps, or 4X racing. Teeing up the slopestyle course at the local bike park is also where these bikes excel.
4XXXX - $3225
-new tube set for the frame=lighter
-lower shock mount=lower center of gravity
-100 mm of travel via Marzocchi 4X fork and Fox Float R rear shock
-Pivotal seat and post
Empire 5 - $3650
Read all about it here.
Past 2009 Stories:
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/norco-empire-5-2008.html https://www.pinkbike.com/news/norco-team-dh-aline-2009.html Check back for more details on the Women's new Vixa freeride bike and the Dirt/Street line up of hard tails by the end of the week.
www.westinwhistler.com www.whistlerbike.com www.norco.com -Tyler "Brule" Maine
P.s. i don't like these very much at all. look like the specialized trails, plus the new norco 4xxxx looks like ballsacks.yellow ballsacks.
and my downhill bike
then borrow a coupleof g's
then maybe i could aforrd it
and i why isnt there a full shot of the empire? i wanna see what the whole thing looks like
Bendy downtube? no stand-over clearance is needed. Nor is tyre clearance... otherwise the forks would have a problem and the angles would be pretty awful. - thus the 2009 norco bikes seem to have been made by a child with 'Cheese-strings' or whatever that edible yellow plastic is called.