DOWNLOAD PROJECT X RENT / STREAM PROJECT X

SETUPS: Dennis McCoy's 1986 DMC Haro Master Re-Issue

The Nuts and Bolts of DMC's Personal Ride

5 May 2016

By Andrew White

You can look, but unless you're one of the very lucky new owners, then you definitely can't touch, as these sold out quicker than any re-issued collectors bike of late. Maybe it's because these things are actually made to be ridden and with Dennis McCoy hitting 50 later this year and still killing it, there's no excuse to leave this thing hanging on anyone's wall. Here's a closer look at DMC's personal 86 Haro Master limited edition reissue. Check out lots more in our DIG interview with Dennis here too.

Layers of significance here. DMC in Vans, on a Haro, and posted in front of the office tower where his parents met all those years ago...

"The 2016 DMC Master geometry is identical to the 20.5" Haro Lineage I normally ride, so it's pretty easy to switch from one bike to the other. The bars on the Master are a 1/4" taller and slightly wider, the cranks are 5 mm longer, and it's spec'd with a smaller seat, but for the most part it felt like my personal bike right out of the box." - DMC

• 100% chromoly Master tribute frame with twin top tube, hour glass Mid BB shell, integrated head tube and Lineage cast dropouts with integrated chain tensioners - 20.5" top tube length

• 100% heat treated chromoly Lineage fork with CNC 1 piece internal threaded steer tube, integrated bearing race, tapered legs, investment cast dropouts and 990 brake mounts with internal brake cable routing

• 100% heat treated and butted chromoly Lineage Freestyler tribute bars 8.5" with Haro Lineage CNC alloy top load stem

• Lineage Group 1 heat treated 3-piece chromoly 48-spline 175mm cranks with Haro Lineage 28T CNC alloy bolt drive sprocket and sealed Mid BB

• 28/9 gearing

• Fully sealed wheels with Haro Sata double-wall alloy rims and female front axle hub

• Haro La Mesa tires 2.4" front and rear

• Haro "DMC" tribute padded Tri-pod seat with alloy Lineage Tri-pod fluted post

• Haro "1978" plastic pedals

• Haro "Compound" pegs with plastic core and chromoly sleeve

• CNC alloy gyro with Teflon bearing

• Haro Team grips

• KMC K710SL super light chain

• Dia-Compe FS996 brakes with Tech 77 levers front and rear

• Dia-Compe MX1500N alloy seat post clamp

of 14

Regarded by many as the ultimate BMX freestyle bike of the 1980s era, the Haro Master set the benchmark for technical innovation, quality and cutting edge design. Inspired by its predecessor; The Haro Freestyler, the Master represented Haro’s vision for the evolution of freestyle and the ambitions of a new generation of riders.

In 1986, Haro delivered its most ambitious version of the Master to date. The phenomenal success of the Neon Green ‘85 model became the creative platform for what would become the most popular freestyle bike of the mid 1980’s. Three stunning color options, with exposed chrome on the fork blades and rear triangles, pushed the Master into a quality league of its own, while progressive geometry, stylish graphics and a selection of market leading Haro “Group 1” components, combined to deliver a formidable freestyle weapon. In the spring of 1986, the Master touched down in the BMX Press alongside the ultimate statement from the first “rider owned” brand in Freestyle…. Declaring… “No Competition”.

Few riders can claim to have had an influence on every discipline and aspect of the modern freestyle scene, as Dennis “DMC” McCoy. Having honed his skills riding with his BMX Brigade on the streets of Kansas City, Haro’s first non-Californian recruit arrived in Carlsbad in early ’85, signing on for his first season as an amateur in the coveted AFA Masters series. And DMC wasted no time in demonstrating to the locals that there was a world outside of California, making an immediate impact in his debut season before stepping up to the pro ranks in early ’86. A series of AFA titles on ramps, in the fast evolving flatland class and in the “overall”, capped an era of domination for the innovative all rounder. There is no question that his countless appearances and victories at the 2hip King of Vert, Meet The Street, Hoffman Bicycle Stunt Series, Dew Tour and X Games, through the late 80’s and up to the present day, were born from a unique level of talent and true character. Dennis McCoy simply embodies everything positive about a sport that he has dedicated his life too.

In honor Of Dennis’s commitment and service to the Haro brand, we remind ourselves of that phenomenal first professional year in 1986, with the release of a Limited Edition, full chromoly tribute to his trusty Haro Master. In a blur of neon green and sparkling chrome, Dennis turned the freestyle world upside down with some of the most technically advanced ramp and flatland riding ever seen. And although we would never attempt to achieve his greatness on a bike, we can roll out on the 2016 DMC Master tribute bike and remind ourselves of how awesome those performances were. -Haro Bikes