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September 21, 2018

Profile Racing’s Legacy: Week 36, 2004.

2004 was another heavy year in Freestyle Bmx for Profile. After going on our first major team trip with the whole Profile crew (Which ended up being a 12 page feature in a 2004 issue of Dig Magazine), Kevin Porter stepped up and asked if he could endorse a Profile Sprocket design.

We asked what he had in mind?

And he sent us this: A mock up cut out of cardboard.

KPcardboard

The original, cardboard cut out of the KP titanium sprocket.

We were instantly into the simple design, BUT, there was one catch: KP asked that we make it out of titanium.

KP Sprocket Final DIG 1004

First KP print advert featured in Ride UK.

At first, we were hesitant due to the costs of finding titanium blanks that were not outrageously priced. While hunting for materials, Jim not only found a source, but a local machine shop that could plasma cut the blanks for us (considering machining this sprocket completely in-house would have taken 4 times longer than an intricate, 6061 Aluminum sprocket such as the Imperial).

Sample blanks were complete, post machined here in the shop (Ie. Cutting the teeth), tested by KP, and soon after, production runs sizes in 25 and 28t, as well as our first ever “in between size” in 27t became available.

Although it was a short lived sprocket, it was on the forefront of a burgeoning popularity in our titanium line; 19mm Spindles, Cassette Drivers, 14mm Hub Axles, Hub and Crank bolts.

As well as this: An equally short lived production run of titanium Imperials.

IMG_0034

The last Titanium Imperial 27t in our archive.

As KP’s sprocket opened the door to odd sizes, soon after, the standard Profile Imperial would be available in 18, 20, and 23t through 46t in EVERY SINGLE tooth increment.

September 21, 2018

COVID-19 UPDATE

We are taking precautions to protect our employees and follow CDC and state guidelines. In the meantime, our machine shop is still running, we're here to assist you and we'll be shipping product to help support bike shops during this difficult time.