Week Update – May 11th 2026 | New Demo Bike, HINE-R Progress & Enduro Pro Testing
It has been another seriously busy week here at Gorilla Brakes HQ, with new bikes arriving, HINE-R brake development moving forward fast, and plenty happening behind the scenes as we continue pushing our braking systems harder than ever.
Our New Demo & R&D Bike Has Arrived
One of the biggest updates this week is the arrival of our brand-new demo and R&D bike.
Customers visiting us will now be able to try our latest brake compounds and upcoming systems for themselves, while the bike will also become a full-time test platform for the upcoming HINE-R brake system.
After destroying our previous Privateer Gen 2 141 during testing, it was definitely time for something new.
The old bike has had a hard life: three rear mechs, two wheelsets, three full brake systems, and countless brake pads and rotors. When you spend most of your time testing braking performance in terrible conditions, bike parts do not survive long.
That is why we decided to move towards a gearbox platform and chose the new Priority Vanth. The gearbox setup should reduce drivetrain maintenance while giving us a stronger long-term platform for testing brakes in extreme conditions.
HINE-R Brake Lever Development Continues
A huge amount of time this week has gone into development work on the new HINE-R brake levers.
While we say “we”, most of the real genius has been coming from Adam Reid, who has been machining master cylinder pistons and internal floating pistons on the lathe, then assembling prototype components ready for further testing.
Watching these parts come together from raw material into functioning hydraulic brake components has been incredible to see.
The focus right now is refining lever feel, piston control, sealing performance, and consistency under repeated hard use.
This project is becoming something really special. To us, these are not just bike brakes anymore. They are mechanical artwork built for riders who genuinely care about performance and engineering.
Are We Actually Riding This Week?
Honestly, not enough.
Most of this week has been spent preparing for the upcoming 220 Triathlon competition launch, which Cal has been handling and organising behind the scenes.
That said, we are finally getting out properly this weekend to continue testing the upcoming Enduro Pro 2 compounds. Cal is also doing a technical riding training course, which should give us even more useful real-world feedback during testing.
Enduro Pro Compounds Fully Restocked
The good news is that we now have full stock levels of our Enduro Pro Ultimate brake pad range.
We have also finished the latest production batches this week and are now waiting for the arrival of the new aluminium finned brake pads for the Enduro Pro range.
The goal with the finned version is improved heat management during sustained descending while keeping the aggressive bite and consistency the Enduro Pro compound is known for.
Looking Ahead
The next few weeks are going to be huge.
Between ongoing HINE-R testing, the new demo bike setup, compound refinement, and upcoming product launches, things are moving very quickly behind the scenes.
As always, everything gets tested properly before release — and usually tested to destruction.
That is exactly how we like it.
Thanks to everyone supporting Gorilla Brakes and following the journey. More updates soon.
Every product at Gorilla Brakes is tested in real riding conditions before release, from brake pads through to full hydraulic systems.