The Verlicchi has a full Sachs Quarz groupset. I can tell the Quarz hubs go very smooth ! The Quarz groupset was Sachs top of the line groupset around mid 90s
That could very well be the case. It wun the worlds in '92 and for as far I know Batavus DH pro Bas de Bever still raced it in the 1995 and 1996 season. Besides the long period in use it was also raced by many teams.
I think it was on of the 1st or the 1st bike specifically designed for the DH purpose.
It was the 1st full suspension bike that wun a DH Worlds.
It wun 2 Worlds, 2 Norba cups and many Worldcup stages. Do not know whether it actually wun a Worldcup.
Didn't I see a 94 Kona EFS with the same suspension design? Did they lease it from Iron Horse?
Yes and no. The EFS was the same, but Kona didn't lease form Iron Horse. The Italian motorcycling frames and parts builder Verlicchi designed & build it in cooperation with Marzocchi. Many bike brands bought this design of the shelve, maybe because the weren't big enough to develop an own so quickly and/or because they were uncertain on the future of FS or downhill and/or because the Verlicchi proofed to be a succesfull chassis.
You can read more on the Verlicchi and the brands that raced and sold the frames here