NS BIKES SODA EVO User manual

SODA EVO & SODA SLOPE TECH MANUAL

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Warnings and important information
General riding information
Introduction
Overview of product line
Frame concept & information: SODA EVO
Frame concept & information: SODA SLOPE
Technical sheet: SODA EVO
Technical sheet: SODA SLOPE
Replacement parts: SODA EVO
Replacement parts: SODA SLOPE
Instructions: general info
Instructions: suspension settings
Instructions: SODA EVO rear wheel mounting
Instructions: SODA EVO cs lenght adjust
Instructions: SODA SLOPE rear wheel mounting
Instructions: SODA EVO travel adjust
Instructions: SODA SLOPE BB assembly
Instructions: SODA EVO / SODA SLOPE external cable routing
Instructions: SODA EVO internal cable routing
Tightening torque
Maintenance: pre-ride & periodical checks
Box contents: SODA EVO
Box contents: SODA SLOPE
Proof of purchase – warranty card
NS BIKES warranty

SAM PILGRIM
2013 FMB TOUR
WINNER

WARNINGS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION
ATTENTION: Please read this manual carefully. It contains important safety information!
WARNING: Extreme riding is a very dangerous sport; it requires an amazing amount of skill. By engaging in this type of
activity, you are accepting the risk of possible injury or even death. Even the best bike will not help you land a clean trick if you
lack the skills. Even the best protective gear will not guarantee complete safety. Remember that in this kind of riding, you can
only trust your own abilities and you must accept the inherent risk. While riding you can reach significant speeds and there-
fore face significant hazards and risks. Inspect your bicycle and equipment carefully and be sure that it is in perfect condition
before each ride. If possible consult with area site personnel, expert riders and race ocials on conditions and equipment
advisable. Always wear appropriate safety gear, including an approved full face helmet, full finger gloves, body armour, bright,
visible clothing that is not so loose that it can be tangled in the bicycle or objects at the side of the road or trail, shoes that will
stay on your feet and will grip the pedals (make sure that shoe laces cannot get into moving parts, and never ride barefoot or
in sandals). Always use protective eyewear, to protect against dirt, dust and bugs.
WARNING: Some of the service procedures require specialist tools and good mechanical skills. Therefore, to minimize the
risk of serious or even fatal accidents, maintenance and assembly work on your bike should be carried out by an authorized
bicycle workshop.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This manual is not intended as a comprehensive use, service, repair or maintenance manual. Please
consult your dealer for advice and your dealer may also be able to refer you to classes, clinics or books on bicycle use, ser-
vice, repair or maintenance.
WARNING: The frame box contains instructions for components made by third parties. You must study these carefully and
follow the directions before riding your bike. Make sure you read and follow the suspension set up and service instruction
manual provided by the manufacturer. If the instruction manual has not been provided, please contact your dealer or the
manufacturer.
WARNING: Failure to maintain, check and properly adjust the suspension system may cause suspension malfunction, in
result of which you may lose control and fall.
WARNING: Introducing changes in the suspension adjustment can alter the handling and braking characteristics of your
bicycle. It is forbidden to change the suspension adjustment unless you are thoroughly familiar with the suspension system
manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations; you should always check for changes in the handling and braking char-
acteristics of the bicycle after the suspension has been adjusted by taking a careful test ride in a safe area.
WARNING: As with all mechanical components, the frame is subjected to wear and high stresses. Dierent materials and
components may react to wear or stress fatigue in dierent ways. If the design life of a component has been exceeded, it
may suddenly fail possibly causing injuries to rider. Any form of crack, scratches or change of colour in highly stressed areas
indicate that the life of the component has been reached and it should be replaced.

MACIEK KUCBORA
NS PRODUCT DEVELOPER
/
SAN REMO, ITALY
ATTENTION: When using the Soda EVO frame in the long travel setting (that is when shock bolts inside rocker arm are in
the upper hole) the adapter in the droput must be set to long chain stay position! The frame will not work with long travel and
short chainstay setup. Trying to use the frame anyway with this incorrect setting can damage the frame or result in serious
accidents!!!
GENERAL RIDING INFORMATION
Riding a bicycle can be dangerous. You must keep this in mind and be cautious at all times.
See and be seen. Use lights and reflective clothing in low light conditions.
Always wear a helmet when riding. It can save your life.
Always conduct a pre-ride check (detailed information can be found further in this manual).
Never ride the bicycle if you observe any technical problems or have any doubts about the proper functioning of any ele-
ments in the bicycle.
Keep the bike clean and well maintained.
Carry a pump, spare inner tube, patch kit, and a basic tool kit - you may need this in the case of a flat tire of other common
mechanical problem that is usually easy to fix if you have the right tools. Ask your dealer for advice on this issue.
If your bicycle is equipped with gears, you can choose a gear combination that is most comfortable for the riding conditions.
Gears will allow you to maintain a constant rate of pedaling. Use lower gears for going uphill and higher gears for going down-
hill. Ease up on your pedaling pressure when you shift gears. Ask your dealer to give you more advice on this issue.
Be careful with the brakes - they can be powerful and if activated too aggressively, may cause a crash. You should spend
some time to get a better feel of the brakes on a side road or empty parking lot before the first ride. Avoid riding too fast,
especially downhill. It is easy to loose control of the bicycle and crash at high speeds, and also you will find it very dicult to
slow down especially if the hill is steep.
If your bike has been equipped with suspension, the increased speed you may develop will also increase the risk of injury. For
example, front of the bike may dive on the suspension fork while hard braking. You can easily lose control and fall if you are
not prepared for this. Please, learn how to operate your suspension system safely.
Thanks to the suspension the wheels can follow the terrain better, which improves control and comfort. This improved capac-
ity may provide opportunity for riding faster, but you should be careful not to mistake the enhanced capabilities of the bicycle
for your own riding skills. Improving skills takes time and practice.
Protect your bike from theft. Purchase a lock and never leave your bike unlocked while unattended, even if you are planning to
be away from it for just a few minutes.

SODA EVO & SODA SLOPE
TECH MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
When we stepped into the full suspension scene a few years ago, we were promised ourselves that right from the start,
our products in this category would be just as solid, reliable and fun to ride as everything else that we had been making.
In fact, that is why it took so long to launch our first full suspension frame. But it payed o, and we are proud to say that
now, after a few years on the market, the Soda has proved itself in the real world. Both the Soda and Soda Slope have
been thrashed by world-class riders such as 2013 FMB World Champion Sam Pilgrim. But that’s only part of the success.
What really makes us happy is seeing normal riders using this frame on a day-to-day basis and enjoying years of heavy-
duty, trouble-free use. It seems like our aim has been accomplished and we hope that you will be just as happy with your
Soda as we are! Have fun!
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OVERVIEW OF PRODUCT LINE
frameset, available with coil or air shock
category: freeride / bike park
hype: the do-it-all frameset that can be built into any-
thing from a short travel jump bike to a mini dh machine
SLOPE frameset, available with air shock
category: slopestyle / dirt jumping / bike park
hype: radical bike for big moves, takes over where dirt
jumping hardtails are not enough
EVO

FRAME CONCEPT & INFORMATION: SODA EVO
After several years of serving as our basic workhorse, the popular Soda frameset has undergone a major revamp. Now it’s
compatible with 650B wheels, has a longer front end and slacker head angle for more stability. The main pivot has been
raised for better pedalling and square bump absorption and the frame now has more travel (adjustable from 160 or 180mm).
The frame has now evolved into a pure freeride / bike park bike which still keeps the traits that everyone loved in the older
Soda’s. That means it’s still super tough, manoeuvrable, adjustable, and loves to fly.
The frame comes with adjustable chain stay length and adjustable travel to allow riders to change of the bike’s character
significantly. This bike is exceptionally nimble and manoeuvrable in short travel and short chain stay mode (note: chain stays
are VERY short in this position, much shorter than most bikes on the market), and still stable at high speeds in long travel
with long chain stays. The frame is also very torsionally sti - not only can it handle all rotational tricks but it also feels great
in fast corners where you can often feel other frames flexing.
In the rear end you will find a 4-bar linkage that gives several advantages:
- lateral stiness of the rear end of the bike
- minimised side loads on the shock, eliminating excessive shock wear and friction
- an optimised shock rate curve.
For a DH / Big Mountain setup we suggest the following settings: 180mm single crown or 200mm double crown fork, coil
shock, long travel and long chain stay settings.
For trick orientated riding we suggest the following setup: 160-170mm fork, air shock, short chain stay and short travel setting.
For highest pedalling eciency we suggest the following setup: 160-170mm fork, air shock, long chain stay and short travel setting.
The frame has an option of external or internal cable routing.

FRAME CONCEPT & INFORMATION: SODA SLOPE
The Soda Slope is a radical bike for big moves that takes over where dirt jumping hardtails are not enough. It’s most impor-
tant feature is that it enables true single speed setups with no chain tensioners or standard derailleur / single front ring
setups. The Slope is exceptionally nimble and manoeuvrable with one of the shortest chain stays we have ever seen on
production full suspension bikes. It was designed to feel just like a Majesty dirt-jump frame but with a safety valve in the rear
end for big hits and high speed runs. We also tested the Slope in a more traditional DH environment, and found that with a
longer fork (around 160mm) it can actually ride downhill surprisingly well. Even though the travel is short, the quality of the
ride is great. The frame is really very sti torsionally - we have been throwing 180’s and 360’s for days on end and experi-
enced absolutely no problems. The suspension won’t hamper you- we bet you can pull o just about every street trick that
you can do on your hardtail.
In the rear end you will find a 4-bar linkage that gives several advantages:
- lateral stiness of the rear end of the bike
- minimised side loads on the shock, eliminating excessive shock wear and friction
- an optimised shock rate curve.
For 2016 the Soda Slope is fitted with a Rock Shox Monarch RL shock with custom tune. The lockout is a really nice feature,
making this frame feel like a hardtail when jumping but will open up and save your butt on the biggest hits. It also means that
you don’t have to put crazy high pressure in the shock to get this characteristic, and can open the lockout if you want to ride
some rough o-road sections.
Designed to run with air shocks and very little or even no sag for street / dirt, or with standard sag settings (around 25-30%)
for a more conventional feel.
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SAM
PILGRIM
/
SAALBACH
AUSTRIA

TECHNICAL SHEET: SODA EVO
160-180mm (6.3”-7”) adjustable rear wheel travel
AL6061+AL6066 T6 custom formed and butted tubes
smooth ‘double pass’ welding in all critical areas
rear shock: 216x63mm (8.5x2.5”),
mounting hardware: front 22.2 x 8 mm, rear 32 x 8mm
internal or external cable guide option
head tube: fully integrated taper (IS42/IS52), length: 115mm
fits forks with standard 1-1/8” or tapered 1.5 - 1-1/8” steerer tubes
rear hub: 135x10mm bolt type or 135x12mm with thru axle (NS custom 12MM thru axle included)
IS-2000 disc brake mount, max rotor size: up to 200mm
BB: threaded 73mm with ISCG-05 mounts
biggest chainring: up to ~38t
rear derailleur: removable hanger included
front derailleur: not compatible
seat post/clamp: 30.9mm / 34.9mm (clamp included)
max tire: 27.5 x 2.6”
weight (w/o shock): ~3.35kg / 7.4lbs
GEOMETRY (with 180mm travel / 565mm fork):
top tube eective: M: 592mm (23.3”) L: 610mm (24”)
reach: M: 433mm L:454mm
stack: M: 601mm L: 601mm
CS with 160mm short travel: short CS / long CS adjustable 422-438mm
CS with 180mm long travel: short CS / long CS adjustable 422-438mm
seat tube: M: 409mm (16”), L: 445mm (17.5”)
head tube angle: 64°
seat tube angle (adjusted): 75°
bottom bracket height: -6mm
wheelbase M: 1192mm (short CS) 1208mm (long CS), L: 1212mm (short CS) 1228mm (long CS)
note on sizing: for jump-focused riders we recommend the M size for riders up to 180cm, and the L size for riders up to 190cm.
However if you wish to adjust the the seat height for optimum pedalling, we recommended the M size for riders up to 177cm and
the L size for riders up to 185cm.
* the adjusted seat tube angle is around 2.5° slacker than the actual angle due to specific seat tube shape and it’s oset posi-
tion; the adjusted seat tube angle show the equivalent for a traditional frame
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TECHNICAL SHEET: SODA SLOPE
107mm (4.2”) rear wheel travel
pivot around BB allowing true single speed setups
AL6061+AL6066 T6 custom formed and butted tubes
smooth ‘double pass’ welding in critical areas
weight (w/o shock): ~3.05kg
rear shock: 190x50mm (7.5 x 2.0”): mounting hardware: front & rear 22.2 x 8 mm
head tube: fully integrated taper (IS42/IS52), length: 115mm
fits forks with standard 1-1/8” or tapered 1.5 - 1-1/8” steerer tubes
rear hub: 135x10mm, suggested bolt-on hubs
IS-2000 disc brake mount, max rotor size: up to 185mm
BB: threaded 73mm with ISCG-05 mounts
biggest chainring: up to ~34t
rear derailleur: optional hanger included
front derailleur: not compatible
seat post/clamp: 30.9mm / 34.9mm (clamp included)
max tire: 26 x 2.4”
Geometry with 505mm axle to crown forks (~120mm travel):
top tube actual: 540mm (21.25”), eective: 551mm (21.7”) reach: 418mm
stack: 560mm
chain stay min 390mm - 406mm
seat tube: 348mm (13.7”)
head tube angle: 69°
seat tube angle eective: 76.5°*
bottom bracket height: +7mm
wheelbase (min): 1070mm (42.1”)
* the actual seat tube angle is around 1.0° slacker than quoted due to specific seat tube shape and it’s oset position; the num-
bers quoted show the equivalent for a traditional frame
Sizing information:
Like our hardtails, the Soda Slope comes in one size. This size fits most riders from around 168cm to 188cm.
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SAALBACH
AUSTRIA

REPLACEMENT PARTS: SODA EVO
Make yourself familiar with the names of all the main parts of the frame by studying the diagrams below:
Fig. 1 Soda EVO frame main parts
Fig. 2 Soda EVO frame rocker arm links details
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Fig. 3 Soda EVO frame dropouts / dropout link details
Fig. 4 Soda EVO frame main pivot link details
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Fig. 5 Soda Slope frame main parts
Fig. 6 Soda Slope frame rocker arm links details
REPLACEMENT PARTS: SODA SLOPE
Make yourself familiar with the names of all the main parts of the frame by studying the diagram below:
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Fig. 7 Soda Slope frame dropout link details
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Fig. 8 Soda Slope frame BB / main pivot link details

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INSTRUCTIONS: GENERAL INFO
Fork: The frames are designed to work with the following forks: Soda EVO : suspension forks 150-200 mm travel, Soda Slope:
suspension forks with 80 – 160 mm travel.
Headset: Soda EVO & Soda Slope frames come with a fully integrated taper (IS42/IS52), length: 115mm. It fits forks with
standard 1-1/8” steer tubes or tapered 1.5 - 1-1/8” steer tubes. Don’t cut your steertube too low! The process of mounting
headsets in the frame should be done by a qualified mechanic.
BB: The frames are designed to work with the following bottom bracket sizes: 73mm/113mm, or other 73mm wide BB with
a chainline of approximately 51mm. The Soda Slope will accept bmx cranks with Euro BB. Most Euro BB’s are designed with
68mm wide BB However they can be used but a 5mm spacer must be added to the central spacer between the BB bearings
(same diameters as original central spacer). Before installation make sure that the BB is clean, lightly greased, free of dirt
and paint. The installation process should be carried out according to the BB manufacturers instructions.
Chainring sizes: The frames are designed to work with the following chainrings: Soda EVO: up to 38t, Soda Slope: up to 34t.
Max chainring size is only an approx reference. It can vary depending on the manufacturer, model, cranks & BB used.
Biggest tire: The frames will fit the following tires: Soda EVO: 27.5” x 2.6”, Soda Slope: 26”x 2.3”. Note that these numbers are
for reference only as the size and shape of the tire can vary depending on the manufacturer and rim width.
Brake compatibility: Soda EVO / Soda Slope frames are disk brake compatible. Both frames come with International Stand-
ard IS-2000 disc brake mount. Both frames will fit discs up to 200mm.
Seatpost & seatpost clamp: All Soda frames work with 30.9mm seatposts and 34.9mm seatclamp (included with the frame)
Do not extend the seat post above the minimum insertion mark. Maximum seat insertion is about 280mm for Soda EVO and
230mm for Soda Slope.
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SODA EVO & SODA SLOPE
TECH MANUAL

SUSPENSION SETTINGS
Suspension settings are a matter of personal preference. Some riders like it plush, some like it firm. However here are some
suggestions of shock settings that you can use as basic guidelines.
Coil shocks:
For rider weight of 70kg a 450 lbs spring will give a medium-soft ride in the long travel position (approximate sag35%), and a
firm setting in the short travel position (approximate sag: 28%).
For rider weight of 80kg a 450 lbs spring will give a very soft ride in the long travel position (approximately 38% sag) and a
medium soft ride in the short travel position (aprox. 30% sag)
Air shocks:
For rider weight of 80kg you will get
a sag of 33% (medium-soft) at 160psi in short travel mode
a sag of 28% (medium-firm) at 170psi in short travel mode
a sag of 33% (medium-soft) at 190psi in long travel mode
a sag of 28% (medium-firm) at 200psi in long travel mode
Play around with the air pressure and spring weights until you find a setting that suits you best. Remember that the shock in
the long travel setting will always require a firmer spring (or more air pressure) to achieve the same percentage of sag as the
shock had in the short travel setting.