Completely CNC machined in the U.S.A. from a solid block of Alcoa® 6061 T-6 Aluminum, the Hammer stem mounts with no protruding bolts. CNC machined graphics and a 4 bolt removable face plate for easy and secure mounting help make this the ultimate of all "Moto" style stem systems. Available in Black or Polished.
Available in standard or 28.6mm bar mounting portion for oversize bars such as our CHUBBY bar.
Strengths: It's unbelievably strong, and the flex is nil. It looks awesome, and is something different. It does make it considerably easier to lift the front wheel off the ground. This stem will work nicely for downhill racing because there is absolutely no flex, and it does seem to increase the stability in rough sections, especially when you're far back on the bike. I used to have a minor problem with nose-diving over large airs, but now, I have no problem, and I attribute this largely to this stem.
Weaknesses: The stem uses Azonic's proprietary 28.6 bar size, and finding tbars in that size is a pain at best. You cannot put spacers on top of the stem, so the fork MUST be cut down to size. The corners of the stem are slightly rounded, but they are still brutally sharp. You do not want to hit any part of your body on that thing. The shape of the stem is not exactly the greatest either. The high rise stem makes your bike feel considerably taller, and that really is not a good thing for most types of riding. Because the bars are so close to the stem, they feel almost too reactive in some situations, especially dirt jumping. It's very heavy for a stem if you care about weight at all. Also, it's not cheap.
Bottom Line:
This stem is a good stem for those who find themselves stretched out on their bikes, craving a higher bar height, or nose-diving. If you're getting it as a replacement for a stem you were already happy with, consider that it will bring the bars in, and raise them considerably.
Bike Setup: KHS FR1500 with a Fox Vanilla RC, a Marzocchi 66RC2X, and a downhill/freeride component setup
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Shane
a Downhiller
from Portland OR, USA
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2003
Strengths: Beautiful CNC piece of art. Strong as hell!! Makes lifting front wheel a cinch.
Weaknesses: The only weakness of this stem, and it may be a big one, is you CAN'T put spacers on top of it. This means you usually have to cut your steerer tube down to the desired height, which could be a problem if you need to transplant the fork elsewhere. This stem puts your bars up high with only about 20mm of reach so 2.5 inch risers may not be necessary.
Bottom Line:
Great stem if you want your bars up and back. May not work for many racers because it makes it harder to weight the front wheel for cornering. This stem is a dream for dirtjumper! A work of art so get the polished version!
Weaknesses: No info given on how much reach or rise it has
Bottom Line:
This is a killer looking moto style stem that I had to have once I saw it on my friends bike. Unfortunately, my bike is a lot smaller than his, and this stem really made it feel short. Thats not the stems fault though. To help others who may end up in my situation, I measured this stem as best I could with a set of calipers, and here are the important specs. It has roughly 25mm of reach, and about 1 1/4" of rise. The extra height really helps for manuals, etc where you need to get the front end up.
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