RONIN CAST KATANA
New to the market this year is the Ronin Cast Katana. A refined model of the original Ronin cast truck featuring the same geometry and characteristics as the (2017 - current) Ronin Percision Katana.
These trucks are ready to ride out of the box, and with a little fine tuning the Cast Katana is a perfect truck for anyone who is interested in a racing style of downhill skateboarding.
Featuring geometry and technology that is a product of years of innovation and experimentation from the experienced downhill professionals on the Ronin Trucks team. The performance of this truck makes them truly more of an instrument of downhill skateboarding rather than a tool.
Key Features
- 42.5 degree base plates
- 2.5mm of possitive hanger rake
- 160mm hanger width
- Utilizes tall bushings
- Ronin "Support Pin"
- Concaved Bushing Seat
Base Plate Angle - The angle of the pivot axis determines the relationship between the lean, and the turn of the truck. A basic rule of thumb for base plate angles is the lower the number, the less turn - the higher the number, the greater amount of turn.
The maximum angle for an effective turning truck is around 52 degrees. The Cast Katana features a 42.5 degree base plate which has been chosen by the designer as a great entry level angle for downhill riding. One suggestion that we at the shop highly recommend is to lower the angle of your back base plate by either wedging or by using a lower angled precision base plate. This will make the rear truck turn less, creating a very stable ride that steers from the front like a car.
Hanger Rake - Rake is the relationship between the axle of the hanger, and the pivot axis of the truck. Positive rake will increase the rate of which it takes for your truck to go from the center point, to the end of its turn. Which makes the trucks more sensitive and nimble. Negative rake will do the opposite, making the truck feel more stable and less responsive. The cast Katana comes with 2.5mm of positive rake making for a fairly agile feel. For reference, the precision Katana features rake options of 0mm, 2.5mm, and 5mm.
Hanger Width - In general for almost all types of riding, the width of the board should be about the same as the track width of your wheels. Meaning if you have a 9 inch wide board, you want the outside of your wheels to be about 9 inches away from each other. Setting your board up like this is ideal because you get the correct amount of effective leverage of your wheels and bushings. The Ronin Cast Katana is sold with a 160 millimeter wide hanger, which is a great start for anyone with more of a racing specific style of riding. Narrower track width makes for snappier initiations and hook-up's of drifts, which is ideal for riders who are taking a more aggressive approach to cornering.
Tall Bushings - Tall bushings are extra tall barrel bushings used in a number of different downhill trucks on the market. As well as having more urethane to support your weight and keep you stable while on edge, Ronin utilizes tall bushings in all of the trucks that they offer because it creates more opportunity for deeper, further articulation of the truck.
Ronin Support Pin - This is what set Ronin apart from the rest. The Ronin support pin is a small metal pin that helps supports the hanger of the truck with the board side bushing. The support pin acts almost as a small spring, suspending the hanger and releasing some of the weight off of the board side bushing.
A huge benefit of the support pin is that it creates even distribution of weight on the road side and board side bushings, making a smooth, consistent, and very stable turn that is second to none.
Another added benefit of the support pin is elimination of any side to side play in the hanger, commonly refereed to as "slop". Slop is a big problem in almost all cast trucks on the market and is why many people have begun riding precision trucks. If you are going down at high speed, you don't want any loose play in the steering system of your ride.
The Ronin Support Pin improves the overall stability of the Ronin Trucks and is what sets them apart from the competition.
Concaved Bushing Seat - One of the biggest differences between the Katana and previous models of Ronin trucks is the new beveled, concaved bushing seat. The surface where the bushings come into contact with the hanger of the truck is slightly beveled on both sides. This pre loads the edges of the urethane bushing just a tiny bit, giving the trucks a boost in how quickly they respond to rider input. The concaved bushing seat also helps keep the bushings touching the surface of the hanger for a longer amount of time through turns. Maintaining the contact between the bushing and the bushing seat creates a more fluid feeling turn that has a smoother transition between left, right, and center, as well as a less defined and more comfortable to ride, center point of the truck.
Ronin Trucks summed up by Garett Belanger,
- Ronin Trucks offer a dynamic center point, meaning no matter where in the range of turn you are, you feel like you are balanced in the center . This allows extreme control while cornering.
GARETT BELANGER