Canyon release the K.I.S. Spectral in the US for the first time
The limited edition Canyon Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV KIS Mullet brings the Keep It Stable (K.I.S.) steering stabilizer tech to the States
Canyon has released its second K.I.S. equipped Spectral, this time it comes in a limited edition Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV KIS Mullet format. More excitingly for US customers, this will be the first time the K.I.S. system will be available to buy from Canyon USA.
Canyon originally launched the Keep It Stable (K.I.S.) steering system back in October fitted to its Spectral enduro bike. The system centers the front wheel using polymer fiber bands that are integrated inside the top tube. The system is designed to help riders hold their line through loose, choppy sections of the trail and reduce wheel flop in slow-speed turns and on steep climbs too.
While this is only the second model in Canyon's range to feature the tech, we have seen it featured on other bikes. World Cup downhiller Troy Brosnan ran a DIY version of K.I.S. that was jerry-rigged to his Sender downhill bike at round one of the UCI Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide where he finished in the top ten. It's obviously tech that he feels is good enough to race on, although interestingly he didn't run the system on the rough Val Di Sole track where you would expect a steering stabilizer to be an advantage.
All the K.I.S. components are completely internal meaning the system should be maintenance free and Canyon says it only adds 110g of additional weight. K.I.S. is adjustable and by changing the spring tension can be changed to accommodate the rider's size, weight, riding preferences, and local terrain.
Other than the K.I.S. system, the frame is the same 150mm Category 4 carbon chassis of the standard Spectral CF. Canyon has equipped the Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV KIS with a 160mm RockShox Lyrik Select+ RC fork and a Super Deluxe Coil Select+ RT. Drivetrain is handled by SRAM's new GX Eagle AXS T-Type transmission and SRAM Code R brakes. The wheels are DT Swiss EX511 370LN and they are fitted with a Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5in front tire and Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 2.4x27.5in rear tire.
Canyon quotes the weight of the bike as 14.46 kg, although they don't specify what size bike they weighed.
The Spectral Mullet K.I.S. is available now exclusively on Canyon.com, priced at $4,699 / £4,799 / €4,999.
Graham Cottingham joined the BikePerfect team as our senior tech writer in 2020. With over 20 years of riding experience, he has dabbled in downhill, enduro, and gravel racing. Not afraid of a challenge, Graham has embraced bikepacking over the last few years and likes nothing more than strapping some bags to his bike and covering big miles to explore Scotland's wildernesses. When he isn’t shredding the gnar in the Tweed Valley, sleeping in bushes, or tinkering with bikes, he is writing tech reviews for BikePerfect.
Rides: Cotic SolarisMax, Stooge MK4, 24 Bicycles Le Toy 3, Surly Steamroller
Height: 177cm
Weight: 71kg