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Submitted by
kenny gunn
a Downhiller
from canada bcDate Reviewed: November 25, 2001
Strengths: back shox dosent move lots going up hill pivot system works well!!! light!!Weaknesses: frame too light. i weigh 100 pounds and the bike broke in less then i month, and im a beginer (13 year old boy)Bottom Line: dont take it dh!! xc only
Favorite Trail: north shore+whistler
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At: 700
Similar Products Used: mano mano
Bike Setup: noleen chubby 6" mrp 46 tooth chain gide xtr cranks fox chox magora blue hydro
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
SPUD LEE
a Weekend Warrior
from PROVO, UTARDDate Reviewed: July 25, 2001
Strengths: 99 MOKO COMPONENT GRUPPO WAS QUITE REASONABLE. WOULD RATHER HAR FT AND REAR XL HUBS. VERY FUN BIKEWeaknesses: SEAT TUBE PIVOT WELD ISSUESBottom Line: 99 MOKO FRAME, STRIPPED IT WEIGHS A RESPECTABLE 6LBS 6OZ PER US POSTAL SCALE BOTH TRIANGLES AND REAR SHOCK. PERSONALLY I DONT WISH TO RIDE A FRAME ANY LIGHTER, THIS IS ALREADY LIGHT ENOUGH. I WANT SEVERAL YEARS OF RELIABILITY! THIS HAS BEEN A FUN BIKE. IF YOU RIDE IT OFF ROAD, BE SURE YOUR FRAME HAS THE LUGGING AROUND THE SEAT TUBE PIVOTS OR IT CAN BE EXPECTED TO BREAK EVENTUALLY AND BE A WARRANTY ISSUE DUE TO MFR DEFECT.
THE PRIOR COMPLAINTS BOUT SQUEAKS ARE ALL IN THE COMPONENTS HUNG ON THE BIKE AND LESS THAN OPTIMAL PERSONAL BIKE MAINTENANCE. LEARN BASIC BIKE MAINTENANCE AND DONT TRUST IT TO THE LBS.
LOTS OF CLIMBING HERE AND THUS LOTS OF DOWNHILLS. THIS IS A GREAT GREAT ALL ROUND BIKE. I WOULD LIKE TO RIDE THIS FRAME WITH 70 DEGREE HEAD ANGLE AND SEE HOW DOWNHILL STABILITY CHANGES WHEN COMPARED TO 71 DEGREES (WITH Z2 A BOMB FORK) WHICH GETS SKETCHY IN MODERATE SPEED ROCKY DESCENTS. EVENTUALLY ILL DROP A 100MM MARZOCCHI AND LET U KNOW.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Similar Products Used: SPECIALIZED FSR - TOO STIFF STRICTLY XC ORIENTED, NO WHERE CLOSE TO FREERIDE. ROCK MOUNTAIN GREAT FRAMESETS BUT NOT PLUSH ENOUGH.
Bike Setup: 99 ATOM BOMB, TOTALLY XT DRIVELINE, AVID 5.0 BRAKES, MAVIX 221, PANARACER FIRE TYRES.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
sindre
a Downhiller
from oslo, norwayDate Reviewed: June 19, 2001
Strengths: the best dual suspension bike.
ready for disc brakes.
frame geometry fits me very good.
the fox racing shox.
maybee the coolest looks i`ve ever seen
(after the jr.t upgrade).
Weaknesses: noisefull bike.
my pedals broke after 1 year.
the original bomber z2 is too bad for this bike.
rims are not very stiff.Bottom Line: this is the funnyest bike i have ever ridden.
now i have got a new bomber jr.T and new bmx pedals.
maybee the kona stinky would fit me better,
i have turn into a downhiller
Favorite Trail: dirty little secrets
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Purchased At: bikes & boards
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Robbie
a Weekend Warrior
from Oslo,NorwayDate Reviewed: April 3, 2001
Strengths: Super ride, good handling,looks.Weaknesses: noisy,(why does it creak like my grandmother???) poor brakes
Heavy.Bottom Line: Great bike,cool looks,loved the plush handling. The atom`s are simply the works!!!! Fox rear shox are nice, but more rear travel would be great.
Set up withspox wheelset and xtr brakes, made it handle even better,made my friend on his vrx 300 look bad!!(this counts alone for 3 chillies!!!! )
Can someone PLEASE tell Kona to ship it with som decent tyres. semi-sliks are %¤"#&%% hopeless
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Similar Products Used: Trek y33 , Klein attitude
Bike Setup: XTR V brakes, spox wheelset,
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
jason
a Cross Country Rider
from englandDate Reviewed: October 27, 2000
Strengths: value,looks, super plush handlingWeaknesses: why in gods name does the seat stay keep cracking???????Bottom Line: this thing is the mutts nuts to ride, it climbs well, tramps on along the straight and narrow, and goes downhill aswell as anything else i`ve hammered down the local trails.
i was mortified to find a hairline crack in thee seat stay (close to the joint at the axle stay) this was quite worring as the bike was only 2 months old.to cut a long story short i was without my bikr for two weeks whilst waiting for kona to sort the warranty claim out. now i`ve got it back i`m constantly checking the whole bike for cracks and seem to have lost all confidence in the bike.
having spent £1200 on extras i guess i should have bought a dale!! that`s not to say the kona is a bad bike, cause it is up there with the best of em,i just don`t trust it anymore. if anyone else has had simmilar problems feel free to mail me at jandsarah@hotmail.com.
Favorite Trail: garburn pass at night
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Similar Products Used: demo`d specialised,jeckyl 3000sl
Bike Setup: 28" club roost bars,hope xc2 with pro levers,hope sport hubs on mavic 317 disc rims,dt spokes, z1 bams, xtr shifters and rear mech, selle saddle,time attack pedals, veceloraptors f+r.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jonathan Nobels
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterloo, CADate Reviewed: September 27, 2000
Strengths: I have to say the turner-like FS setup that Kona uses does the trick. (It is also a structurally poor design - read on)Weaknesses: The Avid 50's - after several months got very sloppy. Avid 2.5s are just as good if not better all around.
The frame broke after 11 months. More than a month later, I'm still waiting on a replacement (this alone should discrourage anybody who doesn't work for a welding shop from buying any kona). I'm told the replacement will be the same frame which means I'm just going to have to buy a new bike so I don't have to go through another 4-5 week bikeless stint next year when the new frame fails in the same spot.
The bike is heavy and isn't the best in tight handling situations or in super-steep climbs. When it wasn't breaking apart - it was a decent bike.Bottom Line: This is an addendum to my review from last year and a caution to ANYBODY thinking of buying a 99 Kona FS bike. **DON'T**. You'll notice at least one other reviewer has had this same frame break below the middle pivot and I've heard of this happening to others as well. This was a fatigue failure (as opposed to breaking from simple abuse and overloading) - indicating poor stress distibutions in the frame and a potentially serious design flaw. The 2000 design is supposedly improved though the addition of a gusset - I'll give Kona that much.
I expected better quality and MUCH BETTER SERVICE out of Kona. My warranty claim will end up taking over a month to process which is completely unacceptable and a good reason for anybody to reconsider the purchase of any Kona bike.
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At: Speed River Cycles (Guelph)
Bike Setup: Stock w. Bontranger Tires
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a
from Salt Lake, UT USADate Reviewed: May 31, 2000
Strengths: Good all arounder. Quality construction. Performed great on Moab's Slickrock.Weaknesses: Noisy when descending from chain slap compared to my old high swing arm ProFlex. Cheap OEM wheels. Not enough wheel travel. Requires smooth pedal stroke to keep from bouncing during steep, in the saddle climbes.Bottom Line: Speedplay pedals I put on are AWESOME!!! I will never ride anything else. Any negative stuff you here about these babies is BS. Value rating high because dealer knocked off $500 cause its a 99.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Bike Setup: Mavic CrossRide Wheels, Speedplay Pedals, XT Cassette
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from UKDate Reviewed: May 1, 2000
Strengths: Good rideWeaknesses: weldsBottom Line: I was getting used to the bike after riding it for 4 weeks, whenever I could and so far it seemed really good.
The back brake seems prone to causing skids unless you keep your weight over the back wheel, more so than my old bikes. The suspension is great going down but uphills were noit quite so good.
So far so good....
But riding along a path I heard this horrible clang and the bike sagged under me. I got off and the seat tube had snapped right through just below the weld for the rocker pivot. I notice that the 2000 models have a reinforcing gusset exactly where it happened. I have taken it in and am hoping to get it back soon as without it I am bikeless and depressed
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Similar Products Used: GT LTS3
Hardtails
Bike Setup: Stock but with XC risers and WTB velociraptors
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
ED PARRY
a Cross Country Rider
from WALESDate Reviewed: March 15, 2000
Strengths: SUPER HANDLING, CLIMBS SUPERBLY, AND I LOVE THE SUSPENSION FORKS.Weaknesses: SLIGHTLY HEAVY BUT MAKES LITLE DIFFERENCE AS THE HANDLING AND CLIMBING ABILITY IS SO GOOD..Bottom Line: OUTSTANDING ALL ROUND BIKE...THE KONA FOUR BAR LINKAGE WORKS WELL AND I FIND IT MUCH BETTER THAN A SINGLE PIVOT BIKE..VERY SMOOTH RIDE..YOU JUST WONT WANT TO GET OUT OF THE SADDLE..
Favorite Trail: CROSS COUNTRY
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Similar Products Used: TREK VRX2000
Bike Setup: XTR REAR DERAILER
XT FRONT DERAILER
AVID 1.9L BRAKE LEAVERS
FOX SPRING SHOCK
RITCEY CLIPLESS PEDALS
XT REAR HUB
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Flash
a
from Canterbury UKDate Reviewed: March 10, 2000
Strengths: The best handling bike I have ever ridden.
High standard components.
Very useable suspension setup.Weaknesses: Straight bars not my first choice on this kind of bike.
Semi slick tyres useless in UK mud (and not much good for going up steps either)Bottom Line: It doesn't seem that many bike manufacturers can match Kona for the sheer rideability of their bikes. (My opinion based on test rides). The Mokomoko is a well developed bike with all the right features for trail riding and XC racing. The rear suspension is very effective and doesn't suffer from the lateral flex of single pivot designs I tried. Although there are plenty of good bikes on the market, many of them fall down on one dodgy feature or another but the Mokomoko is totally sorted. Love it to bits.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Similar Products Used: Marin Rift Zone
Cannondale Super V
Specialized FSR
Orange Mr XC
Bike Setup: Mostly stock but with Kona riser bars swqapped for original Richie strait bars.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dom
a Cross Country Rider
from Surrey,EnglandDate Reviewed: February 21, 2000
Strengths: Good components
Well-known name
Climbs well
Descends wellWeaknesses: Tyres - semi slicks. In England? Puhleeeease!
UK prices but got mine in sale - last century's model,Bottom Line: First time out the rear shock collapsed which was total crap, halfway up Holmbury Hill. But now, all fixed, and this is an amazing bike! After 6yrs on a rigid hardtail I took some persuading to take the full bouncer plunge, but it was well worth it.
I mostly ride forest trails and bridleways - ie mud, hard earth crisscrossed with roots, and sand.
The stock components are very good - Atom Bomb shock works well, climbing over angled roots and rocks that would have spilled me on the rigid bike, and the rear shock, after the initial problem softens the ride nicely and allows everything to speed up. I have the rear set stiff with no rebound damping.
Weight is OK at about 27lbs. Add 6-7lbs of water in a full Camelbak and spending another £1500 to lose a max of 4lbs bike-weight makes little sense for a non-pro.
A good all-round bouncer that won't need upgrading for a long while.
Would have got 5 chilis if not for the blown shock.
Favorite Trail: North Downs
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Similar Products Used: Trek 950 (6yrs)
Specialized Stumpy FSR (test)
Bike Setup: (Stock '99 Mokomoko)
Marzochi Atom Bombs
Fox Air R
LX/XT combo DT
Avid 50's
Mavic 222s
Tioga Psychos (swapped from stock Factory Slicks)
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jonathan
a Cross-Country Rider
from Waterloo, OntarioDate Reviewed: September 30, 1999
Strengths:
Beautiful suspension setup
Climbs like a hardtail
Love the Atom Bombs
Nice Paint Job
The Avid 50's are super niceWeaknesses:
- Heavy. This just makes it even more satisfying when you blow by that hardtail fanatic with a $5000/20lb bike who tried to convince you not to go FS but only because he knew how jealous he'd be of your squishy new steed. - That air shock won't last but its nice.- Expensive. Get a deal if you can but it's tough with Konas...- Somewhat tail heavy.- The slicks are OK but not great.Bottom Line: I love this bike. With a few upgrades it'll be light enough to be 'raceable'. Super on the climbs and hugs the ground when things get crazy. Give one a try. 5 hot ones...
Favorite Trail:
Big Elbow Loop, Kananaskis, AB
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Similar Products Used:
Specialized FSR Comp & Stumpjumper
Rocky Mountain Element
GT I-Drives
Bike Setup:
(Stock '99 Mokomoko)
Marzochi Atom Bombs
Fox Air R
LX/XT combo DT
Avid 50's
Mavic 222s
Tioga Slicks
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jeff deam
a Cross-Country Rider
from glendale,azDate Reviewed: June 26, 1999
Strengths:
solid bike. great looking. fox shock and marzocchi atom bombWeaknesses:
frame cracked at seatpost linkage. kona
replaced with beefed up frame.Bottom Line: great bike, a little heavy, climbs like a goat.
one of the best color schemes on any bike i've seen.
Favorite Trail:
bell rock loop - sedona, az
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Similar Products Used:
gt xcr 3000 i drive
Bike Setup:
fox shock marzocchi z2 atom bomb avid brakes,
titec berzerker dh seat,
raceface stem and handlebar. ritchey ocr rock rims and continental navigator 1.9 tires.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eirik Folkedal
a Weekend Warrior
from Kopervik, NorwayDate Reviewed: June 9, 1999
Strengths:
('98 frameset):
-The Fox shock is great!
-light
-can take some punishment
-ready for disc'sWeaknesses:
-can't buy the frameset (had to take in the whole bike, then take it apart and put it back together at the shop)
-not too stiff
-not too much mud clearance with 3 wide tires
-I would've like to have 2 more travelBottom Line: I love my bike! I'm going to buy those plates that Goldtec makes, that makes yer travel go larger :) ...just hav e 2 get the money...
If yer going 2 get a bike... get the Stinky Dee Lux... It comes as a frame set, and got the travel... would have waited 4 it if i knew it came... I give my ride 4 burning bike haters.
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Similar Products Used:
-GT STS 1000
-Santa Cruz Heckler
-GT XCR something
-Santa Cruz Super 8
-GT Lobo
-Trek Team Issue DH
-DBS Cyber Track FS (that one really is really bad!!)
Bike Setup:
Fork: RST Mozo Pro 4,5 w/speedsprings
Rear Shock: Fox Vanilla R
R.derailleur: '95 xt
Front: none -> single chainring
Hubs: Formula
Rims: Mavic D121
Brakes: XT vee's
Tires: Tioga Factory DH 3
Cranks: FSA Sidewinder
Chainring: Syncros Hardcore
Saddle: SDG Ventura Comp
Seat Pin: Kona thingy
Stem: Roox Danny stem
+++ ...This is e-nuff I think
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Old Timer
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria, British ColumbiaDate Reviewed: May 29, 1999
Strengths:
Plush, Bombproof, Tuneable. Great parts selection particularly the Marzocchi Z2 Atom Bomb.Weaknesses:
No real weaknesses uncovered. Slightly heavier than some other FS models in the same price range (although not noticeable when riding). If weight's an issue buy the King Kikapu (same frameset with an upgraded, lighter parts selection)Bottom Line: This bike (the '99) is built solid and handles like a dream. It feels solid and smooth. The conservative Turner 4 bar linkage design seems to make sense. I waited 3 months to post to make sure I got past the honeymoon period. I like this bike more every time I ride it. It has given me the confidence and ability to ride things I couldn't in the past. I'm also very impressed with Kona's customer service. They stand behind their products and care about their customers.
Favorite Trail:
Hartland & Millstream Highlands
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Similar Products Used:
Specialized FSR Comp, Rocky Mountain Element Race
Bike Setup:
Stock except Easton riser bar, Shimano 545's, Race Face headset and Tioga XC's
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