Cane Creek’s “gravity-first” Kitsuma mountain bike shocks get big tuning and performance upgrades in their 2nd generation, plus lower pricing for both air and coil shock variants.
Developed to give long-travel trail, all-mountain, enduro & DH bikes a tool-free 4-way tunable suspension platform, the Cane Creek Kitsuma prioritizes speed and control when flying downhill. And now, fine-tuning the Kitsuma is even more intuitive, so you spend less time fiddling, and more time riding.
Cane Creek Kitsuma Gen 2 air & coil shocks updated
Fine-tuning your suspension setup is undeniably one of the most important steps to getting the most out of a mountain bike, and to simply going faster downhill. But ultimately shock tuning is a fiddly process and can be time consuming to get it dialed. And many times, stock shocks get custom tunes just for a particular bike’s suspension that can even limit how much the end-user can adjust it to their individual rider preference.
That is essentially Cane Creek’s rationale for the wide range of adjustability in all of its twin-tube Double Barrel dampers. And comparing it to the rest of their shocks, the “Kitsuma’s twin tube damper moves the most oil through the external adjusters, giving the rider the most freedom to select the ride that they need to suit their environment, ride style, and personal preferences.“
That easy, wide-ranging adjustability is also why Cane Creek gave the Kitsuma shocks separate tool-free high- & low-speed damping and compression dials from their 1st generation debut.
But now they’ve made personalizing your tune even simpler, again.
No more counting clicks to worry about.
Just big dials with 360° of adjustment and clearly marked tuning ranges.
“Reading one’s shock settings is now as easy as reading the hands on a clock.”
What’s new in G2?
- single 360° turn dials for all 4 adjustments with laser-etched position marks for intuitive tuning at a glance
- new machined grooves improve your grip on the easy-turn tuning dials
- increased Max level of high-speed rebound damping (HSR) for “Greater control on big hits, hard compressions, take-offs & landings“
- decreased Min level of high-speed compression damping (HSC) for “More plush on abrupt impacts and chunky trails“
- updated valve seats and damper tube material for improved reliability
- new graphics to better align with other current Cane Creek shocks
- new anodized Silver color option, in addition to original Black & Gold
Tech details
- pick from Air or Coil variants & standard metric or Trunnion mount sizes
- standard & progressive Valt springs sold separately
- standard 210/230/250mm or 185/205/225mm Trunnion sizes in various stroke lengths from 50-75mm
- Twin-Tube damper with independent high- & low-speed compression and rebound circuits. Motorex 4wt damper oil. Largest oil volume of Cane Creek shock line.
- single turn 360° damping adjustment (with 11 marked positions)
- tool-free high-speed compression (HSC), low-speed compression (LSC), high-speed rebound (HSR) & low-speed rebound (LSR)
- Kitsuma Air uses adds tool-free volume reduction adjustment to increase progression
- 3-position Climb Switch compression damping control: Open, Climb, Locked
- 9.5mm, solid steel shaft
- available in black/gold or new black/silver in limited sizes & quantities
- 585g Kitsuma Air G2, or 417g Kitsuma Coil G2 without spring (weights vary by size, unchanged from gen 1)
- hand-built and individually dyno-tested in Fletcher, NC, USA
- 2-year warranty
- 100hr or annual service interval (whichever comes first)
- detailed service instructions and rebuild kits available online
Cane Creek Kitsuma G2 – Pricing, options & availability
Functional performance upgrades and lower pricing aren’t often in the same sentence. And yet, Cane Creek decided to lower the price point of their gravity-leaning, US-made Kitsuma G2 shocks by more than 10% across the board to improve their affordability.
Their first generation DB Kitsuma sold for $780/730 (Air/Coil).
Now, the newly updated Cane Creek Kitsuma Air G2 retails for $700. And the new Cane Creek Kitsuma Coil G2 is just $650. Standard Valt coil springs add $80, or $99 for progressive rate Valt coil springs.
Cane Creek offers factory-direct shock servicing, or you can send it every year to one of their 50+ certified service centers around the world to make sure you keep getting the best out of your mountain bike’s suspension
Get your new Kitsuma direct from Cane Creek or select dealers starting today. But be advised that the new Kitsuma Silver shocks are available in limited numbers and about half of the overall length/stroke combos at launch. So you may need to be patient to get some of that shiny silver bling to spruce up your bike this winter.