With the "Six One", Canadian manufacturer Norco is sending an enduro bike into the race that can hardly hide its freeride genes. The bike is based on last year's freerider "VPS Six". Although the "Six One" is two kilos lighter than its predecessor, it is still a heavyweight in the enduro class with a total weight of just under 16 kilos. The frame and damper weigh over four kilos and the sturdy Syncros wheels also weigh an impressive five kilos.
But the Norco doesn't want to hide the fact that it's not an uphill specialist, otherwise the Canadians would at least have given it a height-adjustable fork. With 150 millimetres in the front and a Fox "DHX" shock that can barely suppress rhythmic bobbing even with a platform, longer climbs are no fun. The fun starts with the "Six One" when you've worked up a sweat to reach the summit and can finally drill your way downhill. Then the very agile Fox "DHX" and the Marzocchi "Z1" come into their own. On fast, rough slopes, the bike remains easy to control and tracks true at all times, small and large drops are easily swallowed up by the 165 millimetres of travel (145 or 165 millimetres depending on the linkage) of the four-link rear suspension. On tight technical trails, the bike is manoeuvrable and compact, the bike follows steering commands very precisely and the Hayes "HFX 9" brakes are good. Only the tyres could be a little more aggressive - the 2.35 Kenda "Nevegal" tyres seem undersized on this bike.
The slimmed-down freerider has a rustic character: steel spring shock and fork, only two chainrings, massive wheels, wide saddle. Downhill, the bike from the Canadian Northshore shows great qualities. If you want to take it on a longer tour, you either need to be fit or have the ability to suffer. Practical: the clever "I-Beam" saddle adjustment.
PLUS
- Plenty of suspension travel for rough terrain
- Sensitive chassis
- Robust equipment
MINUS
- Fork not height-adjustable
- Total weight too high for touring
- Undersized tyres
