INTENSE TIMELINE

1994 Intense unveil the first version of the M1 bike, with 5” of rear travel. 1995 The M1 gets a fourbar linkage system instead of its previous McPherson strut design. 1996 Shaun Palmer powers his USA-flag painted M1 to second place in the World Championships in Cairns. 1997 John Tomac, riding for Giant, is one of many top racers using rebadged Intense M1s in World Cup competition. 2000 Intense Factory Racing team signs up Australian duo Michael Ronning and Chris Kovarik. 2002 Chris Kovarik wins World Cup event at Fort William by more than 14 seconds. Sam Hill rides M1 to glory in the Junior World Championships.

2003 Intense launch the M3, with 9.5” of rear travel, after partnering with Santa Cruz to licence the Virtual Pivot Point suspension system. 2006 Production of the M6 begins, with the M6 EVO featuring as a race team bike only. 2009 Intense unveil the longer, lower and slacker 951 FRO (named after the area code of their Temecula base in California) with up to 8.5” of rear travel. Intense owner Jeff Steber also starts work on a 29” wheeled prototype dubbed the 2951. 2010 The M6 EVO is refined and redeveloped with feedback from the World Cup riders such as Chris Kovarik and evolves into the M9.

2015 The latest version of the M-series is announced as the M16 hits the track. For the first time ever the company also produce a carbon version, the M16C. Aussie Jack Moir signs up with the Intense Factory Racing team after breaking into the top 10 at the 2014 World Championships in Norway. 2016 Australian Dean Lucas joins the Intense Factory Racing team after finishing 12th overall in the 2015 World Cup. 2017 Jeff Steber unveils a new Intense 29er downhill race bike to be used in certain World Cup events and possibly the World Championships in Cairns in September.