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Submitted by
Peter Thueenr
a Cross Country Rider
from NoR*CaL
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Fremont Older | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | r.e.i | | Strengths: | sure footed, good climbing, notebly fast, but not a speeding bullet. Very well equiped for the price. | | Weaknesses: | i hate the big bulky swing arm, sure it's useful but it's the ugliest thing i've ever seen in my life, it leaves no room for a waterbottle holister or a pump. Stock STX-RC crank could be better. | | Similar Products Used: | it's my first full-suspension | | Bike Setup: | Proflex 450, m-952 in back, 8 speed xt shifters and levers in front. XT v-brakes, panaracer fire xc pros. | | Bottom Line: | I am just straight up not a fan of twist shift, i swapped out the ESP 7.0's with 8 speed xt shifters, the generation before mega 9. When these shifters are coupled with an xtr you get creditable shifting, still not like it's fresh off the boat, but it's better than it was. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill S
a Racer
from Portland, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Streets/Powell Butte | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Great Comebacks | | Strengths: | This frame is exceptional if it's the same as my animal. I have ridden it so hard up over and falling off of. Light, strong, plush, no-bob, climbs anything. Confident. | | Weaknesses: | Wheel feels like it twists the swingarm but a good wheel helps this a lot. First one creaked. | | Similar Products Used: | NX 8.3, GT lobo&1000 (neither fits me well), K2 attack 3.0, Raleigh 8000 | | Bike Setup: | 9.0 der, shifters, discs (K2 makes frame adapters), Marzocchi fork, Rhyno lites, Dh steering | | Bottom Line: | If I had the spare coin I would buy two more frames and build up a lighter xc version and a heavier DH style version. Mine weighs 32 lbs and takes stair drops and hairy backwoods trails but also climbs better than any bike I have ever had (hardtails included).
Strength, I weigh 240 and ride BMX style and ride a lot of street anymore and have even twisted a un72 bb and a pair of Truvative cranks and the frame stands straight and fine.
I had a first frame that started to creak after about a month but it was a defective pivot and K2 sent me new frame within a week.
Check out any of the Kranked videos and you will see guys riding these frames still. They might be getting paid or helped by K2 but would they do what they are doing if they didn't trust these frames!? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DAVID
a Downhiller
from ORANGE CA USA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | BULLET PROOF FORK | | Weaknesses: | REAR SUSPENSION | | Similar Products Used: | PROFLEX 856 | | Bike Setup: | SETUP FOR FREE RIDING | | Bottom Line: | THE FRAME IS GREAT I AM 5 11 WEIGH 280 AND LIFT WEIGHTS. I HAVE HAD ONLY TWO PROBLEMS WITH THE BIKE ONE BREAKING FREEWHEELS AND TWO BREAKING THE REAR SUSPENSION CLIP. AFTER MAKING ONE OUT OF 3/8 INCH PLATE STEEL AND RESPRINGING IT I HAVENT HAD A PROBLEM. I HAVE OVER THREE THOUSAND MILES ON THE BIKE TO DATE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe S.
a Cross-Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Desert Classic | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Price ($800 on sale), LX and XT component group, | | Weaknesses: |
Needs some work out of the box to get it setup | | Similar Products Used: |
K2 4000, DBR series | | Bike Setup: |
Traded the Noleen Chubby fork for a Manitou SX R with the external compression and rebound adjustment, replaced stock140mm stem with a shorter stem with some up angle (stock setup stretches you out to far, too far over the front end, made for the
original fork) | | Bottom Line: | First of all the bike I am writing about is a K2 Proflex 450. It is basically a mid 98 year introduction. K2 had alot of 97 animal frames in stock and wanted to get rid of them so they introduced the 450. It comes stock with a the 97 animal frame which is a McPherson strut design. Mine is large frame and weighs in at 28 lbs. Stock fork is a Nollen Chubby with 5 of travel. All LX and XT components. It's painted black with red trim. It comes with grip shift stock. I bought this bike based on price for the value. Very
good component group. I paid $700 stock and traded the fork for a Manitou SX R fully adjustable for another $100. I traded out the grip shift for LX rapid fire shifters at no charge. I broke the stock head set bearing cover the first day. The shop replaced it free with a basic YST Geforce. I do very little downhill (not many ski slopes in Pheonix). All of my riding is in the rocks alot of up and down and a long travel fork is too bouncy. The Manitou fork is great. 80mm of travel is perfect. One major thing I had to do to get theframe setup was to get all of the slop out of the shock to frame bushing. To do this you have to remove the bolt that holds on the
NR 4 shock to the frame and file about .040 off the bushing length and that stiffened up the frame. Otherwise you get alot of side flexing when you work the suspension.Also you need to check all bolts and make sure they are tight. This includes tightening all spokes. They come too lose and you can feel the wheels flex in the corners. I am an ex-desert motorcyle rider (XR400R) so I tend to ride it like my motorcycle, hard in the
corners and hard on the rear brakes. Overall the bike is good. As with any new bike it takes some time to get it setup. After a month and a half I finally got the suspension dialed in and the bugs rung out. We will see how long the frame lasts. Previous reviews on 97 animals talk about frame
breakage alot but K2 claims they have a lifetime warranty. the aluminum is the Easton Program variety. Will keep you posted. I would be interested in seeing reviews from other owners of this bike. Thanks! | | Overall Rating: |
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