FOX Racing Shox to Utilize Kashima Coating

[nathrix]

FOX Racing Shox to Utilize Kashima Coating in Select 2011 Forks

http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/fox-racing-shox-to-utilize-kashima-coating-in-select-2011-forks/

 

February 16th, 2010 by Gregg

 

 

Exclusive to FOX Racing Shox?s mountain bike products, the

gold-colored Kashima Coat developed by the Miyaki Company of Japan

offers superior durability, hardness, and less friction.

Watsonville, California (PRWEB) February 16, 2010 ? FOX Racing Shox, the industry leader in the design and development of high-performance suspension,

announced today its exclusive arrangement with the Miyaki Company of

Japan to use its Kashima Coat for suspension components in the bicycle

industry. Kashima Coat will make its consumer debut in FOX Racing

Shox?s 2011 model year aftermarket mountain bike suspension fork product line.

Proven Coating Technology

 

The Kashima Coat technology has been used for years across the

motorcycle and automotive industries in suspension components and

clutch and valve train assemblies because of its low-friction and

ultra-wear resistance properties.

In the revolutionary Kashima Coat process, lubricating molybdenum

disulfide is deposited, via electrical induction, into the billions of

micropores on the surface of hard-anodized aluminum. With its debut on

the international mountain bike racing circuit, the distinctive gold

colored, Kashima coated stanchions maintain better lubrication

characteristics, and the lightweight aluminum components treated with

Kashima Coat attain a level of hardness and abrasion resistance four

times tougher than standard hard-anodized aluminum.

 

Race Tested ? Numerous Wins Tell the Tale

 

Throughout the 2009 mountain bike racing season, FOX Racing Shox

utilized select sponsored athletes to test and race on suspension

treated with Kashima Coating. ?Before we started using Kashima Coat,

we?d been testing and racing on electroless nickel coated upper tubes

during the past two seasons,? explained FOX Racing Shox Mountain Bike

Race Manager, Mark Fitzsimmons. ?Although the friction properties were

decent, the nickel?s durability was not. The Kashima parts we raced on

maintained the low friction requirements we were after and exhibited

excellent durability ? a very rare combination to find at the World Cup

level with its wet and muddy conditions.?

Beyond the obvious benefit of added durability, the significant

decrease in friction proved to provide a tangible increase in

suspension performance. Athletes who tested and raced with Kashima

coated FOX Racing Shox suspension reported an improved overall

consistency and feel with Kashima Coat.

?When you are racing on the World Cup level, a huge percentage of

races can be won or lost in the preparation of the bike ? the seemingly

small details that take the bike from good to excellent,? said 2008

Downhill World Champion, Gee Atherton. ?The Kashima coating made the

forks so much more reactive to the small hits that I would normally

feel on rough terrain. When the forks were skittering over tiny bumps

they could soak up the impact much more quickly, without giving me so

much feedback through the bars. That?s a huge advantage on long

courses.?

FOX Racing Shox sponsored athletes collected quite a few victories

aboard Kashima Coat treated suspension, including both men?s and

women?s British National Downhill Championships, four World Cup wins,

and a World Championship victory with Yeti/Fox rider Jared Graves in

4X. The combination of incredibly favorable tangible data and the

desire by its world-class riders to be equipped with Kashima coated

suspension has led FOX Racing Shox to an exclusive partnership with

Miyaki for Kashima Coat.

?We?re a race-driven company,? said FOX Racing Shox Executive VP, Mario

Galasso. ?We are constantly looking for performance advantages that may

lead to race victories. Kashima Coat is, without a doubt, one of those

advantages. Since we also pride ourselves on racing exactly what we

sell, we?re proud to offer this new performance advantage to our

customers, through Kashima Coat.?