I have developed a strong liking for simple, no-nonsense dual-suspension frame designs. No curved tubes, a-la Giant AC. No seat towers, a-la Specialized FSR. No stupid shock or pivot placement loading frame tubes in bending, a-la...uh...can't think of any right now :-P
I'm keen on the theory of Horst-link 4-bar suspension systems - giving the designer good control over the axle path - but can't see the point of faux 4-bar systems such as on various Kona duallies, which are really just a swingarm with some extraneous shock actuation linkages. Why not just use a single pivot? But then, how important is it to have a non-circular axle path? Is there anything really wrong with swingarm designs? A good blat around Lane Cove National Park on Dave!@'s Kona Kikapu in November 2003 didn't leave me feeling that the bike really needed a Horst link.
Part of the reason I've remained a hardtail-loving luddite for so many years is that I haven't found a good suspension design at an affordable price. Sure, there are some nice 4-bar designs with intact front triangles and good load paths, but who can afford an Ellsworth or a Turner?
There are also some really nice, simple, well designed single pivot frames, which meet my design criteria. But again, all top-shelf. If I was to take the plunge, I could only justify a frame-swap; my beloved hardtail for something by, perhaps, Santa Cruz, Ellsworth, Ventana, Orange...
...and then I noticed that KHS did something almost identical/. The XC504. And, in early 2004, certain US mailhouses had incredible deals on '03 models. Prices that would allow me to keep the hardtail dream alive, and get a nice newfangled hinge-bike.
As I schemed and plotted to rort the Australian Customs Department, I became aware that KHS Australia were also trying hard to shift '03 stock. Kerry the Phantom said that you could just about name your price. So I did - I named the best price I could calculate to bring an XC504 in from the USA, give or take a few fiddles for part upgrades and changes.
Standard '03 spec is here. I wanted to swap the RS Pilot fork for something stiffer - a low-end OE Marzocchi Bomber would suffice. I hadn't heard much good about the Hayes cable discs, so wanted to swap them for Avids. Everything else was fine, even if a bit lower down the foodchain than what I've become acustomed to. But I've only become acustomed to high-end gear by upgrading when cheap stuff breaks or wears out, and that policy has served me well.
So, with begrudging approval from the Finance Department, I made the call. After waiting what seemed an eternity, the big box arrived.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was that the frame was red. Every picture I'd seen of 2003 XC504 (and the one bike I'd seen in the flesh) was black. But as I pulled bike from box, things started to explain themselves. A Fox Vanilla R rear shock. Truvativ FireX ISIS cranks instead of FiveD cheapies. Rather than the Hayes brake levers there were nice Avids, matching the brakes - and a monster 8" front rotor instead of the 6" that should have been at each end. Yup, this was _definitely_ a 2004 model, right down to the XT rear derailer tarting up the otherwise Deore-spec grouppo.
The upgrades I'd asked for had been done - but due to the OE upgrade between the '03 and '04 models, my fork "upgrade" had become a downgrade from the Black to my Bomber EXR. And the Avids were already there straight from the factory.
It turns out that KHS stuffed up. Phantom had ordered and paid for a 2003 XC504. KHS shipped the '04 model. I got a new bike - the first brand new bike I've ever had - for half price.