TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — From red to green, the cadre of former Marzocchi employees who formed DVO Suspension earlier this year seem to be finding it easy being a new color scheme.
The company, pronounced "devo," is being led by former longtime Marzocchi USA director Bryson Martin. Martin left the Italian brand — and its trademark red — this spring and is being joined at the new company by several other former Marzocchi employees including DVO general manager John "JP" Pelino.
The new brand's trademark color is a shiny green reminiscent of Kawasaki team motocross gear and Monster energy drink cans.
DVO's modest booth at Taichung Bike Week has no shortage of the tangy shade, from Martin's plaid flannel shirt and Oakley sunglass arms to, most notably, the anodized legs of a fork standing at the booth's center.
The Emerald fork is DVO's first and only product to date. It's a double-crown, 203-millimeter-travel monster that will retail in the neighborhood of $1,600 to $1,800 when it becomes available next May.
Pelino said DVO decided to launch at the high-end, long-travel end of the market "to make a statement." DVO's founders are best known for their connection to gravity racing, and — if you have the right product — it's easier to make a mark there, he said. There are perhaps three or four major players in the downhill racing suspension market, while there are a plethora of players in the market for 150-millimeter-travel forks.
The DVO crew is confident their first product has the performance features to make an impression.
The Emerald has a carbon fiber lower guard assembly that does more than just protect the fork's inverted lower legs. The patent-pending guard attaches to the dropouts and has a beefy two-part arch to limit independent leg movement.
The Emerald also features an easily adjusted compression damper. The damper screws into the bottom of the right leg and can be removed and adjusted or replaced in a few minutes. To do the same to competing designs would take nearly an hour, according to Pelino.
The fork also features what DVO says is the first tapered steerer on a downhill fork. The aluminum steerer tapers from 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 inches.
The fork is being assembled by SR Suntour in Taiwan. Martin has been doing business with SR Suntour for more than 20 years and said the relationship was critical in helping the new brand get off the ground.
DVO will introduce a downhill shock next and follow up with an all-mountain fork and shock. As for the Emerald, Martin said it will eventually be available in other color options, including a "murdered out" scheme that is mostly flat black, with green anodized accents.
DVO products will be offered dealer direct and through a handful of distributors next year.
