Submitted by
EnglishGentleman
a Weekend Warrior
from Portsmouth,Hampshire,UK
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2011
Strengths: Read everything by the guys who offer 4 or 5 stars and I'm with them all the way. My Hoss is still in an amazing condition and is STILL stock! Some do not get on with the DJ3 forks but I weigh in at 240 pounds, jump nine feet at 40 mph and ride out grinning every time! I can only say one thing more about it, ALWAYS HOLD ON TO THIS BOMB-PROOF BIKE!!! I finally fell in love...
Weaknesses: None; in my opinion...
Bottom Line:
If you ain't got one, get one. If you have one, keep it. You'll never need a spare if you really know how to ride.
Similar Products Used: None really, I now also have a Cube Reaction GTC SL, also awsome.
Bike Setup: Stock as it gets and STILL all original.
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Submitted by
gomeroz
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney Australia
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2009
Strengths: 2008 model strong frame, great geometry, great blue colour,solid stiff ride,hardtail response and great value components
Weaknesses: Replaced Hayes stroker trail brakes , Could do with more travel in forks
Bottom Line:
Love this bike after replacing the brakes.Solid bike and "bulldozes" through obstacles and bounces back through technical rides.
The best value and spec bike in it's field.All reviews are positive and obviously Kona did not keep it in the 2010 range as previous owners never traded up as the Hoss lasts forever....stay with a great frame and just update the components.....highly recommend this bike.
Weaknesses: DJ3 fork no lock-out limited adjustability, Pedals , Tires great for hardpack but not so great for my area lots of sand
Bottom Line:
If you are a big guy (a clydesdale type) I highly recommend this bike because it is bombproof for the area I ride. I was around 290 lbs. when I started riding again, now at around 250 - 260 lbs. I have had 0 issues with this bike.
Strengths: Super strong frame. I'm 6'3 260lb with crank busting thighs and this bike is taking a beating and bouncing back for more. Brakes are great but I think I'll be upgrading to a bigger rotor on the front cos I can't get enough braking from the stock 160.
Weaknesses: Fork has a little too much flex (maybe it's my weight!) and the bb/cranks flex more than the front mech adjusts so I'll be swapping them out asap. Grips are a bit ropey.
Bottom Line:
If you're a bike busting lardcore hillster then you won't get a better bike for your money. Add a few upgrades as soon as you've killed the stock parts and this bike has potential to last longer than an Ever Ready battery.
Strengths: Nice bike with a smooth ride. THAT strength, took it DJing with some mates and it never flinched. Also it is sweet to handle, have taken on all sorts of single track and it always flowed through the bends.
Weaknesses: None particularly. Forks aren't up to much considering its meant to be the deluxe version. I'm buying some Rock Shox Lyrics for it.
Bottom Line:
Great bike which has served me well so far. I don't get what you'te all moaning about the strength for. I'only 110 punds and I can haul it up hills of any height, admittedly I do triathlon, but a super unfit mate of mine tried it and he could get it up most things. I would suggest that the only down side is the fork, I bust them a week ago on a 3 foot drop and wasn't impressed, but I was gonna replace them anyway. Overall great bike which isn't as heavy as everyone says!
Similar Products Used: Rockhopper; Kikapu(crap); Specialized P all mountain.
Bike Setup: As standard, with slime tubes and some Panaracer Mach SS tyres (amazing speed, and good on tarmac to get too and from the trail)
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Submitted by
David Callejas
a Weekend Warrior
from Sudbury, Ontario
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2007
Strengths: Awsome frame and fork, good crank, nice tires, really good rear derailer and shifters, good brakes, alright stem, bars, post, and rims. Its really not that heavy either. I dont know what all of these dudes are talking about.
Weaknesses: The front derailer skips down sometimes. The headset dosn't really impress me. I dont like the grips. Hubs are pretty hurtin. Clipless pedals are not for me.
Bottom Line:
(2007 model) Awsome bike either stock or custom. I wanted an XC style bike with durability, DH ability, and freeride ability. The frame is really stiff, strong, and lite. The fork in my opinion is mint. It honestly climbs like you would not believe. It gives er going DH. (I brought mine to Blue Mountain Collingwood for a few days and it was really nice. Took the doubbles with mad controll.) It can jump and rip the street really nicely. Its really fast and comfortable. The nice paint gets alot of complaments. Its very reasonably priced (1500 after tax). Its saposively built for really heavy dudes so you know it will hold you up, im 150 lbs. Its a bike that not too many people ride. I would recomend it to anyone thats looking for what i was looking for.
Similar Products Used: Kona caldera, specialized rock hopper pro.
Bike Setup: CUSTOM: Easton monkeylite xc bars, thomson stem and post, king headset, mental pedals, ryhno lite xl rims, hope pro 2 hubs, ODI lock grips.
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Submitted by
Mark Young
a Cross Country Rider
from Wyre Forest, UK
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2007
Strengths: Very strong bike. Fantastic brakes. 6'5 & 230lbs with tree trunk legs - my style is slower cadence, high torque, XC and not afraid of the odd jump. No flex in the frame, has taken some big hits / bad jumps. It's the first bike I haven't broken properly.
Weaknesses: Stock WTB seat is not up to the job. One hard landing and I embedded the seat post/ rails into the underside. A friend did the same thing 1 week later with the same seat (stock on his GT). Also swapped out forks straight away for Reba's (bomb proof so far...) and replaced the BB/crank with an FSO exo. The Race Face one flexed more than the front mech would adjust to. Managed to bend the rear ditchwitch despite others saying they are bombproof. Personally I prefer SRAM gears. Nokian NBT tyres are great in wet (water on hard surfaces), but Panaracers better traction in muddy UK conditions, and Maxxis better in dry. Having said all that, I'm hard on bikes and this has been the best one I've owned.
Bottom Line:
The frame is second to none for the big boys. It's about the toughest hardtail you can get and great value, but toughness comes with a small weight penalty...buy the Hoss (not the Delux), but do a deal on some better forks and seat, and if you have some pennies left then upgrade the crank.
Similar Products Used: Tried Norco Sasquatch. Have a GT Outpost as an old lightweight hack. All other bikes I've owned I've broken.
Bike Setup: Stock Hoss Deluxe with Hayes 9s. Upgraded to Rockshox REBAs (great fork) with Chris King HS, FSA V drive Exo BB & crank, DMR Jump Seat.
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Submitted by
steven
a Weekend Warrior
from FT Lewis. Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2007
Strengths: The frame is super tough you can feel the durability when you ride. The brakes are excellent, they stop better than my 2 grand bike. I believe KONA has given more for the money upi pay
Weaknesses: Really the only weakness was the sproket kept coming loose and I ended up bending it. KONA replaced it, but I went ahead and bought the next step up. No problems since.
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is I am 190 pounds and rough as heck with bikes and this thing has held up. I ride 2-3 times a week and for the weeks I miss those rides I make up for the following week and no matter what the weather is Washington, I am still out there. I plan to race with this bike, so it seems to have any and everything of good quality for the price. This bike has been great!
Bike Setup: As I write this I am having a Fox Tals 32 RLC fork put on the front for more adustability. I have the next step Race Face sproket on and thats it.
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth WA Australia
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2007
Strengths: Unbreakable frame! Strong, strong bike. Quality components throughout. Some dont like the fork but its a step up over what I was used to. Forged bottom bracket a plus, this the first mtb that I havn't beaten the bb shell out of round on.
Weaknesses: One heavy mother! all that strength has to come from somewhere. Would have been nice to get eyelets on the spoke holes in the rims. Stock seat sucks.
Bottom Line:
Great tough bike, it was worth the money. I killed the ricon, I spent sh!tloads of money modifying the V3, I bought the kona and spent virtually nothing and it just wont quit. It's lasted longer than the others, in fact another six months and it will have lasted longer than both of them together. Its heavy, but so am I. It's not as sharp steering is the Haro but I may be quicker for it because its that little bit more stable. I like it! If I ever get skinny again I'll be looking at another Kona, a kikapu deluxe, and if I dont then a Dawg Deelux. But Iv'e got to kill this one first so it could be some time.
Favorite Trail: Along Jervis bay NSW where trees meet beach
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$1125.00
Purchased At: Guilford Cyles Perth WA
Similar Products Used: Similar products owned and beaten to death.Modded Haro V3, Stock Giant Rincon. Couldn't actually kill the Haro but the bb still failed.
Bike Setup: Stock except for hope titanium qr's a selle gel seat and some old school gold kkt pedals as well as home-built lightset
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Submitted by
Warren
a Weekend Warrior
from Belfast
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2006
Strengths: Strong frame, enlarged guides for hyraulic brake lines
Weaknesses: Little bit heavy, only takes a 6 inch disc on the rear
Bottom Line:
Excellent for bigger guys. or smaller guys like me who like to snap their chain stays off!
I only weigh 175lbs but this suits me down to the ground.
Similar Products Used: Klien, sintesi, both lighter, but no where near as strong
Bike Setup: Kona hoss deelux frame, Rock Shox Recon Duel air, Fsa heat set, race face bars and 90mm stem, xtr front and rear mechs. Hayes HFX9's Hyro brakes, 8 inch up front, 6 inch on the rear, Hope hubs, WSB disc only rims, mixture between Maxxis hookworms for the road, and panracer fire xc's or continental verticals for off road.
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Submitted by
Johnnie
a Cross Country Rider
from South Boston, Virginia
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2006
Strengths: Bullet proof frame and components. The geometry of this bike is right on. Good climbing and handling bike.
Weaknesses: The shock is O.K. but, I will upgrade it soon to a higher quality shock probally with a lockout. Stock tires are not for riding on wet and muddy trails. They do work good on dry hardpacked, gravel and pavement.
Bottom Line:
My Hoss Dee-Lux is the blue '05 model. I've been hammering this bike for almost a year now and it keeps asking for more. I would buy this or any other Kona again without any hesitation. Just for the record, I'm 6'3" and currently weigh 240#.
Bike Setup: I upgraded the BB and cranks to the Shimano external bearing BB and LX cranks. I really like the extra stiffness the external bearing BB gives when you are cranking hard. The rest of the bike is stock for now.
Strengths: Solid great handling bike. 2006 model. Great for Big guys who can still rip it up riding xc.
Weaknesses: The stock dirt jam fork really sucks , dont even bother with it TRADE IT IN B4 YOU EVEN RIDE IT!!! The bike shop gave me a great deal on a fox RLC. I changed out the oversize bar and stem combo because I cant put my lights on with that monster bar. I dont get the oversize bar and stem , its supposed to be a cross country bike not a hucker! The Nokian 2.3 tires are crap as well. I'm sure that when all was said and done the bike was 2-3 pounds lighter after all these changes. I hate the shifters period.
Bottom Line:
Im 210 lbs (for now) and over the last few months Ive been pretty hard on this bike and nothing has failed yet. the Fox fork is a dream , it can take some big hits and I like the lockout for climbing.I changed the tires to a set of IRC fire XC Pro 2.1 and find them to be a good all around tire with better feedback than the nokians the bike came with. All in all Kona got it pretty close in my eyes with the exception of the dirt jam pro. They should just spec the bike with this fork because the price is worth it. My next upgrade would be a different set of shifters.
Submitted by
NATE
a Cross Country Rider
from SAN DIEGO ,CA
Date Reviewed: February 15, 2005
Strengths: Super strong. I weigh 300lbs. I feel very confident that this bike will not break. It does very well climbing,technical, and even moderate downhill. I like the Hayes Hydrolic disc brakes,and the rest of the components are holding up well so far. I also love the turd brown color.
Weaknesses: Well, being so heavy, I immediately swapped the fork and the rims. You would think if they build a clyde frame they would put clyde parts on it as well.
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks. I think I will have a hard time breaking this one. I ride 3 to 4 times a week. It's been 1 year and I think there will be many more. If your a fat boy like me, stop breaking bikes take it from a 300 pounder and buy the Kona hoss dee-lux.
Bike Setup: 2.1 panaracer fire xc tires on sun ryno lite rims(48 spoke phil wood hubs),Sherman flick fork with the beefiest springs you can find. For pedals I use Stomp clipless, and that is not because i dont like to be clipped in. It's because I wear size 16 shoes and have not found any that would fit.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2004
Strengths: It is a blast to ride. I was 6'3" 265lbs when I bought it (lost some weight since then). The Sun Ditch Witch rims are cool. Very strong stuff. Geometry is great for XC and stability. It inspires confidence - you don't feel like you have to baby it - you can just ride. The riding position is back this helps it climb and descend well. The components that matter to me most, the shifters and brakes, perform well. I think the 2004 color is really cool - I am the only one at the trail head with a brown bike. I also like the Kona graphics. The weight is good for what it is. I also like the Kona grips. Great bike for anyone over 200 lbs.
Weaknesses: Stock tires are too narrow for rims for heavy riders. I saw that other had said this here before I bought it and had my dealer swap the 2.1 tires for 2.3 tires at no charge (most dealers will do this - he also swapped out the stem and threw in some stiffer springs for the forks). I never even considered using the stock peddles - not a big deal to me (I had some egg beater peddles already). The seat looks cool, but sits just OK. The seatpost is some oddball diameter making it hard to upgrade to a suspension (or even longer) seatpost. Probably too heavy for smaller, lighter, people to ride up a hill.
Bottom Line:
A BLAST to ride - most fun to ride bike I have ridden. Works great right out of the shop - GREAT VALUE - you get a lot of bike for the money. Very strong (coming from someone who has broken three frames without even trying). Frame, brakes, shifters, and wheels work very well. Get 2.3 inch tires, a better seat and peddles. If you have the money, consider upgrading peddles and seat at the shop at the time of purchase as you may be able to get some credit for the old ones. A good dealer will swap the tires for the larger size for free. Forks work well even though they have little adjustment. If you are over 240 lbs, consider getting stiffer springs for the fork. I would buy this bike again. Mine is a 2004 model. 2005 model looks like an even better value and will be out soon (I got an end of model year discount on my '04). Mock Orange Bikes http://www.mockorangebikes.com/ is worth the drive from Charlotte, W-S, or Greensboro. I got both a great price and great service. Great bike for big guys.
Similar Products Used: 2001 GT I-drive 3.0 (it broke in less than six rides), 2003 GT i-drive 1.0 (it broke in less than six rides - just going up a hill), 1985 (yes, '85) and 1987 Schwinn Sierra (I broke the '85 frame - that was back when I was only 180 lbs - but I hit it really hard - and I still ride the '87 bike), Santa Cruz blur (rental - after breaking another frame)
Bike Setup: 2.3" Nokian NBX downhill tires (these rock - but you need to carry tire levers as they are tighter than any tires I have ever used), Crank Bros Egg Beater peddles, some random gel staddle that retailed for $49 and was on sale for $12 (it is an improvement). white lightning on the chain and gears (tip - you will get WAY better shifting performance if you remove all the stock goo that comes on the chain and gears - they put this on all new bikes so it does not rust in shipping - and replace it with a lightweight lubricant designed for bicycles).
