First Look: 2017 Momsen VIPA TWO

[mudda]

The two tone color is not great ...

 

It would be a looker if the entire frame and chain stays  were "black" ..

 

with the other "bits" yellow as is ...

[jcza]

I had the Vipa Team Issue and it was a great bike, really enjoyed it. Sadly it was stolen and I bought the Scalpel 3 for R65k. So far I prefer the Scalpel.

[Shebeen]

I sat behind Admin on the N2 on my way back from 24hr oak valley. This rig was on his bike rack.

 

Admin drives like a granny.

So did I for at least 10kms.

That is one looker

[Sitting slip]

show me a brand that does not come from china land...

anyway way to much hate for local brand here. looks like the speznaz and cannondonkie guys like to spend a lot of money on a lot of BS marketing hype.

 

anyway awesome bikes awesome okes and for a young brand like they are i am sure a lot of great bikes will come from them. 

love to see price comparison on this bikes specs vs the rest.

[Gerhard Gous]

I like it

[Eugene Oppelt]

What I like about Momsen is their ability to improve and innovate

 

Looking forward to the reviews

[HOEKVLAG]

I have the 2014 VIPA and really enjoy it - great all-round bike IMHO.

 

I also like the fact that they seem to be supporting/sponsoring a number of local athletes/teams.

[Odinson]

Have there been any changes to the VIPA frame since 2013/2014, when it was introduced?

[Dieter!]

If you are paying R62k for a mtb.............they can at least have a remote lockout on the rear shock!

Yeah I wouldn't want that... but the rim decals on the other hand! Stans have a yellow option

[SeanvR]

Have there been any changes to the VIPA frame since 2013/2014, when it was introduced?

Big mods to the rear triangle. I think the brand is evolving each year.

 

The bike is a true stage racer with steeper head angle so might not be for everyone.

 

Very keen to hear the 'unbiased' review like the one done on the Epic. Big ups to Bikehub.

[Slowbee]

Can I use the boss'es old momsen vipa ? I mean it has done the Absa cape epic

[IH8MUD]

show me a brand that does not come from china land...

 

http://mercerbikes.co.za/

 

 

"Mister Miyagi voice"  You must practice Googling my son

 

Quick Google: "Bicycles  made in the USA"

 

http://www.usalovelist.com/american-made-bikes-trikes-high-performance-ultimate-source-list/

 

 

Not even going to do a UK Google.  

[Griffin]

I like it

So do I .

 

Maybe its a KZN thing. Rest of the country just jealous ..

[AJG]

Big mods to the rear triangle. I think the brand is evolving each year.

 

The bike is a true stage racer with steeper head angle so might not be for everyone.

 

Very keen to hear the 'unbiased' review like the one done on the Epic. Big ups to Bikehub.

 

Isn't this exactly the same frame with new colors? The 1 x rear triangle was on last years bike. There was rumor of a Vipa trail but that never materialized. I personally don't think Momsen is evolving. They are using the same mold and manufacturing the same frame with new colors. It's a good bike (I owned one) but they do need to innovate. 

[Odinson]

Guess Momsen shelved the 'Trail' VIPA when Victor Momsen & Co. got their grubby paws on the rotting corpse of Morewood Bikes. 

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/features/_/gear/gear-news/preview-2016-momsen-vipa-trail-featuring-275-compatability-r3303

 

 

At their recent dealer launch event, we spotted the latest iteration of the Momsen VIPA Trail. Scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2016, the Trail version will provide a longer travel option to the VIPA lineup with a "mild" and a "wild" build option.

Edited February 3, 2017 by ØÐINSȪƝ

[Iwan Kemp]

In reply to the comments about innovating and updating etc. The basis of the frame as we know it today was launched in 2014 which makes 2017 its 3rd model year. It has seen some running updates, but no major overall or "innovation" since then and that the 2nd bottle mount is quite clever. You could also argue that putting INTERNAL routing for a dropper on a dedicated XC bike back then was quite forward thinking and ahead of the curve. 

 

Look at any other brand and you will soon realize that a frame needs to run 3 - 5 years to make money - most update a bike in its 4th year. Innovating EVERY SINGLE YEAR will mean new molds, new costs, new marketing new everything which will make bikes even more expensive. Soon we will have okes posting images of SUV's in reply to a bicycle's RRP. 

 

Back to the VIPA. There's nothing strange about it only seeing some color and rolling updates. It makes economic sense and is the way EVERYONE does it. Yes, the Scalpel and Spark are ground up new designs, but how long were the previous models running around for?

 

As far as INNOVATION is concerned. What do you guys have in mind? A new axle standard? The way a crank mounts to a frame? Something so new that it drives up costs or forces a new standard on us? Who has been INNOVATING anyway? What counts as INNOVATION? I'd say the first suspension fork was INNOVATION. So too dual suspension bike, new suspension designs, etc. Yes, there are innovations but surely we can't expect every manufacturer to innovate every year in order for us to be happy. 

 

Do a search on YouTube for the Momsen VIPA and a Google search for the launch articles and you will soon learn that the frame wasn't bought from anywhere. The mold is owned by Momsen with the workings of the suspension courtesy of Patrick Morewood. 

 

While I have the mic... For a brand like Momsen it takes LONGER to pay off the design, R&D and mold costs as a) each frames costs more due to volume compared to the big guys b) so far there has only been one dual suspension bike in their range to recover costs against. [spez develop in-downtube SWAT. They roll that out to several models so the cost of that bit of R&D is very small per frame] 

 

This is not unique in the bike trade. BMW's F800GS has been running around largely unchanged since 2009. The VW Golf sees an update every 4-5 years and for those who haven't noticed since the Golf 5 the mid-life update has not been called that, but rather "Golf 6". Imagine Apple calling the 7s an 8 and the drama that will come from that. 

 

So, I'd say if in year 5 there is still no sign of a new and updated VIPA, then we will can all have a bit of a moan. ESPECIALLY if their marketing team tries to foil us.