Replace: The unique model of this publish speculated that the Norco body in query runs a 6-bar linkage which, strictly talking, is inaccurate. This was our misunderstanding, and we thank DHDave for forcing us to rethink this one. It’s truly a four-bar linkage that defines the rear axle path on this prototype body, with a further two hyperlinks and really brief yoke working to drive the rear shock. That stated, we received’t have a full understanding of the prototype Norco DH bike till we have now seen how all of the bars rotate because the rear finish is pushed by way of its journey, and have extra detailed data from Norco.
Gracey Hemstreet, Lucas Cruz and Mark Wallace have been testing an all-new prototype aluminum downhill bike from Norco. And, Lucas Cruz simply received the Canadian Downhill Nationwide Champs aboard his. Right here’s what we’ve gleaned thus far.
Norco’s Prototype Excessive-Pivot DH Bike
Till now, Gracey Hemstreet, Lucas Cruz and Mark Wallace have been piloting the Norco Vary DH at UCI Downhill World Sequence occasions, which is actually a long-travel model of the Vary Enduro Bike, tailored for the demanding tracks with a dual-crown fork, and a modified hyperlink within the rear to permit the body to simply accept an extended stroke shock. Now, it appears, the staff is to profit from a devoted downhill bike that runs an all-new suspension design.
Bidding farewell to the linkage-driven single-pivot of the Aurum HSP, the brand new Norco sees a four-bar linkage which seems to be a modification of that we see carried out on the Norco Vary. The latter sees the decrease hyperlink articulate a few pivot concentric to the underside bracket, and related to a secondary hyperlink that serves solely to drive the shock.
In distinction to that, the decrease hyperlink on this aluminum prototype (gentle blue) is pivotally related to the entrance triangle at a place above, and barely aft of, the underside bracket. Between it and the rear shock, there are two hyperlinks working collectively (pink and orange) to drive a really brief yoke (darkish blue), which is the ultimate member concerned in driving the rear shock.
We reached out to Norco for touch upon the brand new linkage design. Richard Belson of the Norco Communications Group stated, “The brand new DH prototype makes use of an entire re-imagining of the Excessive Digital Pivot suspension design we launched on the Vary a pair years again – however optimized for DH racing. Customized linkages and suspension elements permit fine-tuning of leverage curves and permit us practically infinite management over each side of the suspension efficiency. The principal design aim was to present the Norco Manufacturing unit Group the perfect gear obtainable to win races on and supply engineers with and unprecedented degree of management over kinematics and fine-tuning each side of the suspension”.
Certainly, Norco is sticking with a high-pivot, seemingly very pleased with the bulk rearward axle path it delivers. An loafer pulley seems to be to be positioned concentric to the higher pivot as a way to route the chain in such a manner as to scale back the unfavorable results of chain progress that might in any other case impinge upon the efficiency of this format.
The staff are working a 22T loafer pulley, which could be very giant by present trade requirements. Solely the Nicolai Nucleon 16 with the Lal Bikes Supre Drive runs an loafer pulley this massive; the bigger circumference of the pulley reduces the articulation required at every hyperlink, and thus the friction within the system.
I shan’t be commenting on what sort of kinematic is prone to come up from such a format, nevertheless it appears to work properly with each air and coil shocks. Lucas Cruz simply received the Canadian Nationwide Champs aboard this prototype Norco DH bike, sprung by a RockShox air shock working a really, very giant air can – as in comparison with the modestly-sized air can we see on the Tremendous Deluxe Final Air Shocks, that’s. In the meantime, 2nd place Mark Wallace‘s bike was coil-sprung.
Additionally noteworthy is {that a} Norco Improvement Engineer concerned within the creation of this bike, Kirk McDowall, crammed third place on that very same podium. Chapeau.
Richard tells us Norco have a stable plan to proceed improvement of this aluminum prototype to fulfill the wants of the staff. He goes on to say, “The whole lot we study with these frames and this improvement course of will inform future variations of our hottest platforms, however our major aim is to create the quickest DH bike on the planet, with no expense spared. There’s nonetheless quite a lot of work to do earlier than figuring out what model of this platform ever makes it to market, and when”.
The snippets of knowledge we’ve collated from the Norco Manufacturing unit Group’s social media point out that the staff shall be switching to this new bike for the remainder of the UCI Downhill World Sequence, kicking off in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, on the twenty fourth August.
Till then!
