Submitted by
DonQuix78
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2012
Strengths: Simple, effective design, so a piece of p**s to work on. Solid frame. Still looks the part (after a few upgrades). LOVE the geometry.
Weaknesses: A little dated now, obviously, so the stock components feel primitive. Pedals are rubbish.
Bottom Line:
An absolute bargain.
I bought this as my first full sussie and after a good few years out of serious riding. I got an absolute minter, bog standard, not a mark on it for £250. It's the best money I ever spent! Although the technology's 6 years old now, it's still more than capable for most casual riders. The pedals need to go, they're useless, and the Marzocchi forks feel less than plush - though they're perfectly competent for weekend XC riding. I stuck a pair of Recon Silver on and it instantly felt better. The brakes, too, aren't bad (Hayes MX-2) but again an upgrade to hydraulics makes a world of difference to the feel. The Fox Vanilla coil, however, is solid and the only reason I switched to the air shock is because I was offered it at a price I couldn't refuse. The XM180, by the way, isn't recommended for single-pivot frames (which Kona's faux-bar linkage basically still is) but it works a dream.
Overall I've spent another good £200-300 on upping the spec of the Kikapu and the result is a bike that you simply would not be able to buy for the £550 it's cost me. It's an oldie, but a damned goodie!
Bike Setup: Jacksh*t Primo, Recon Silver (Coil), DT Swiss XM180 rear shock, Elixir 5's, Fulcrum Red Metal wheels
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Submitted by
samwise108
a Weekend Warrior
from Central Ohio
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2011
Strengths: Super durable bike and easy to work on. Not much of mine is stock except the bars, seatpost, rear shock, and brakes. Rear shock is bomb proof and is simple to adjust. Frame can take a hit and keep going!
Weaknesses: The front fork lacked adaptability and was getting on in its years. The brakes are decent but nothing like the hydros on more pricey bikes.
Bottom Line:
I have ridden hardtails for much of my life and when I went to Moab I rented some real high dollar full-squish bikes and knew I wanted one but didnt have $2k to shell out. I found this little number on C-List for 300$ and went for it. The bike was pretty trashed with no chain, a broken front axle(!), crap tires, worn out fork, bad rear cassette, bad bottom bracket, worn out cables, and a crummy seat. The frame and other components were in really good shape so I went for it. I spent the winter building it up using middle-of-the-road parts and my overall bill still came in under 600$. It goes to show with a little work and some minimal cash this bike can come back from the grave and still manage to leave my hardtail riding buddies in the dust. It may not be a high dollar whip but for a poor college student who rides on the weekends and some afternoons, its a sweet bike!
Similar Products Used: Kona Dawg Deluxe(rented), Santa Cruz Nomad, Trek Singletrac (1993!)
Bike Setup: LockOn grips, Shimano frankenstein setup on drivetrain, Marzocchi XC600ATA (140mm), Shimano SPD pedals, Weinmann ZACX rims, Specialized Tires
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Submitted by
mattwhi
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2008
Strengths: Solid frame easy to ride XC, handles ok for decents
Weaknesses: Rear Stock shock I find to be very hard, a front shock with a little more travel would be nice
Bottom Line:
when I first purchased the bike I was very happy but after given the bike some hammer on some tough XC trails I found the brakes to comepletly give up (scary decents with no brakes) hence up upgraded front to hydraulic, this year the bike seems to be slowly falling apart upgraded the components slowing. bottom bracket and headset creek allot which is anoying
Similar Products Used: nothing similar - Commencal Supreme mini DH
Bike Setup: Stock except from DMR V8 pedals and Juicy 5 front disc brake and Maxxis Swampthing tyres
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Submitted by
Mike Johnson
a Cross Country Rider
from Thousand Oaks, CA
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2008
Strengths: solid frame, easy to learn how to work on and fiddle with full suspension disc brake bike. I love the Sun rims
Weaknesses: It depends what kind of rider you are. If this is your first real new mountain bike and are riding XC, this bike is great especially at the price you can get a full stock setup on. If you know anything about bikes or have some steep climbs or bumpy descents, this bike has some issues. Trying to keep up with some good all mountain bikes on the DH will be a white knuckle ride thats not fun. Shock and fork need to go. Brakes need an upgrade. I have had to make lots of adjustments on the Deore rear derailleur and the 8 cog stock model is cruel and unusual punishment. Super heavy bike.
Bottom Line:
Like the other posters have said, if this is your first full suspension disc brake bike and you are on a budget get this bike.It is well worth $600 making the jump from a 10 year old hard tail.I have put in about 2000 miles on this bike since June and had some awesome rides around Ventura and SLO counties. The fork, shock and brakes are easy to adjust and learn on. Casual XC riders would love this setup. The minute you ride your buddies top of the line bike, you are in for a world of hurt. You notice the bumps and weight and you can't wait to upgrade.
Similar Products Used: none in this class. Fisher Cake, Yeti 575, Trance X1
Bike Setup: Marzocchi MZ 3 fork, Deore all around (8 speed cassette). Fox vanilla shock. Hayes MX 2 disc brakes. I threw on some panaracer XC Pros and am happy with those.
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Submitted by
Gary Turner
a Weekend Warrior
from Huntingdon, Cambridge, U.K
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2007
Strengths: Amazing bike. Cheap to begin with, hi-spec components don't look out of place. Can handle anything i've done on it which includes weekends away on the North Yorkshire moors, the odd xc race and it excells in the duel and 4x freeride stuff at chicksands! fantastice bike!!!Highly recommended for someone looking for a do-anything bike. Looks nice too!
Weaknesses: A little heavy. bushes neeed regular mantainance. high bottom bracket means I find I run the seat a little lower to avoid being too far over the bars.
Bottom Line:
Very versatile bike. Great fun to ride. Can take anything most riders will throw at it.
Submitted by
Austin
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2007
Strengths: The frame is great -- feels sturdy for a XC bike. Gotta love the gold -- hopefully I can get a pair of Crank Bros. 5050's to match it. I only bought the frame, which is a great deal. The rear shock is great if you're a little more aggressive a rider, or if you like the feel of a coil.
Weaknesses: Not many -- only thing I can see is that the shape of the chainstays are conducive to eating up the chain -- you almost need a chain guide. I've bent a few links in just the little while I've been riding it. Other than that, however...
Bottom Line:
This is a great frame for a great price. It will take abuse to an extent, and is pretty solid. I'm not so sure about the stock build, but it's been great to me so far.
Similar Products Used: IH Warrior Expert, IH Warrior DS.
Bike Setup: Kikapu frame, SRAM and FSA drivetrain, Marzocchi/Fox suspension, Truvativ/WTB cockpit, Mavic wheelset.
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Submitted by
Dan D
a Cross Country Rider
from Fullerton, CA
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2007
Strengths: This review is for the 2006 Kikapu *frame* only. I bought the frame online and built it up with my own components.
For the price, you cannot beat this frame. It is my first full suspension frame and it has been able to handle any & all trails that I have thrown at it. For the most part, I ride almost exclusively XC, but it has handled some very gnarly (yet infrequent) single track & downhills without any problems. The ride position is very comfortable. It also is simply a GOOD LOOKING bike; guys on bikes that cost 3x as much as my entire build often compliment me on it and ask to ride it.
Weaknesses: Long time FS riders tell me that the Fox Vanilla shock is not optimal for XC riding. However, since this is my first FS frame, I do not have a single complaint about the ride or the amount of travel.
Bottom Line:
You cannot beat this frame. I am a firm believer that "it's the rider--not the bike--that makes the difference". With that in mind, this frame has never let me down; it has never been bested by any trail that I have thrown at it.
I love my Kikapu and would recommend it to anyone looking to do mostly XC riding.
Favorite Trail: Fullerton Loop, Chino Hills, Whiting Ranch & Aliso
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$325.00
Purchased At: wheelworld.com
Similar Products Used: First FS frame.
Bike Setup: I bought the frame alone and built up the ride with good components. My Kikapu looks nothing like what you would get if you bought the bike as a complete build.
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Submitted by
Ricky G-money
a Cross Country Rider
from Mission Viejo, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007
Strengths: Nice looking gold frame! Looks very sturdy, all components work great. Front shocks are starting to feel a little softer after a few weeks of riding which is nice. Price is great for full suspesion bike with disk brakes! This bike will get better with age (as suspension is upgraded). Loving this bike so far..
Weaknesses: Seems to have a creeking sound coming from headset, bottom bracket, or frame sometimes.. when riding which is a little anoying at times. Chain SOMETIMES hits frame when landing from a small jump (jumping off a curb, or small obsticle) maybe a better rear derailur will keep it from doing that, I'm a noob so maybe thats normal.. Rear fox vanilla shock feels little stiff.. it will definitely be my first upgrade. Feels a little heavy, higher quality components will solve that.
Bottom Line:
Sweet bike for the price! Perfect for a begginer who is broke and wants a descent bike. You wont find much close to this quality for the pirce. Gets you on the trails! As you get better you can upgrade componets, frame is worthy of keeping around for a long time and it has a 4 year warranty.
Similar Products Used: 1998 Marin Riftzone; 2003 Specialized rockhopper.
Bike Setup: All stock from the shop.
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Submitted by
Paul McElhone
a Cross Country Rider
from Lincoln, UK
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2007
Strengths: Really plush ride after a few hundred miles bedding in. Excellent spec for the price.
Weaknesses: A bit on the weighty side, but I onlt notice this when putting it on the car.
Bottom Line:
Fantastic bike for the price (I paid £600 for the 9spd deore version). Although it seems heavy compared to my old Hardtail this isn't at all noticeable on the trails. It climbs like a demon, and seems to find oodles of traction going up no matter where you point it. The forks and rear shock took a little while to bed in, and okay, they're not particualrly adjustable, but at the moment they seem fine. The Fox shock eats bigger bumps, and is starting to be more responsive over the smaller stuff, yet with barely any noticable bob on seated climbs. The bike is so sorted that it's rare I have to climb out of the saddle so I don't get bothered by it bobbing about then either. Point it downhill or on twisty singltrack and it's just got a HUGE grin factor. It handles fantastically and the riding position is perfect for me (5'10" on an 18" frame). In short, I love this bike.
-Marzocchi MX Pro ETA/TAS -SRAM drivetrain (X7 RD/triggers, X9 FD) -Avid BB7 mech disc brakes -Race Face Evolve XC cockpit/crank -Crank Bros Candy C pedals -Serfas Furano saddle -Sun Rhyno Lite rims/Deore hubs -WTB Timberwolf front/Panaracer Smoke rear tires
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Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Canberra ACT
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007
Strengths: The frame is really nice - reason I bought the bike. Mine came with 9 speed Deore throughout, which is nice. The crank and BB also seem fine. It's a nice ride and handles all XC conditions well. The Hayes MX2 discs work very well indeed. The Sun Black Eye rims are nice and sturdy.
Weaknesses: I bought the entry level gold 2006 model - so obviously the equipement is not the best.
Bottom Line:
It's a great entry level XC bike - and the frame is so good it's worth spending money upgrading equipment as things wear out. The stock suspension with the base model is entry level only and will need to be upgraded to cope with proper XC riding.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Stumpjumper, 2004 Kikapu Deluxe.
Bike Setup: I have changed many parts - new seat and post, new flat bars and longer stem. Fox Float on the rear and upgrading to Reba or F100 on the front. Candy C pedals. WTB grips. Maxxis Crossmark tyres with Flyweight tubes.
Strengths: Unbelievable value for money, reasonable components for the price, nice feel when riding.
Weaknesses: Slightly heavy for true XC bike, but at this price and being a full susser its par for the course. Pedals that come with bike are useless, throw them out and if you like flatties buy V8's!
Bottom Line:
I really do love this bike. Its just a great bike to ride and very much an all rounder for trail riding. You could ride long XC loops on the Saturday and tackle steep, technical trails the next day no problem. When I want to ride for a long time I put the seat up and when I want to tackle tricky descents I just drop the saddle down. The bike has never let me down. Im going to try 130mm forks on her, might not be the best idea, but I fancy seeing how much it can handle. The only criticisms I have are that I find I have to adjust the Deore rear mech frequently to keep it running sweet. Also I got rid of the mechanical discs, they were okay but nothing matches the feel of a decent hydraulic.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rockhopper Comp - similar in that it is a similar price and an XC rig, but of the hardtail variety. Also tried Kona Dawg.
Bike Setup: Standard, apart from DMR V8 pedals and Shimano XT hydraulic brakes (180mm front & rear).
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Submitted by
Tommy Fuchs
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006
Strengths: Popular suspension design that is good all around.
Weaknesses: After riding for about 6 months I noticed a crack in the seat stay. Kona only offered to replace the bolt-on seat stay. After about a year I noticed a crack where the top tube meets the seat tube. Kona should now replace the entire frame but I will have to see. I am a 6' 170 pound rider on a 20" frame. I am not a heavy rider for my height and I would have thought a Kona would have held up better. I do not ride crazy stuff, just XC and single track. I have never dented a frame (can someone tell me how in the hell you dent a frame).
Bottom Line:
I'm not sure if I just got a lemon or if there are more frames with bad welds on them out there. I have a friend with a Kona Stuff he beat the crap out of for years with no issues, this is one reason I bought a Kona. I thought it was what I wanted at the time. The rear suspension was not as plush as my i-drive was but it did seem more solid. I was discouraged when the first crack appeared and have had my eye on a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR ever since. My FSR should be here tomorrow and the kikapu is going back to kona. The kikapu will be put back to stock once I get the new frame and put on ebay soon there after. So look for an all new Kona Kikapu soon on ebay.
Similar Products Used: GT Outpost, GT i-drive, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR
Bike Setup: The stock setup never hit the ground. As soon as I got the bike all the stock components came off and I built it up nice. Fox vanilla RLC. Raceface headset, bars, stem, seat post, and cranks. Hayes carbon nine brakes. All XTR shifters, front and rear deraillers with avid flak jacket shift cable set. Sram cassett and chain. And a set of Mavic Crossmax XL wheels to finish it off.
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Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Gladstone, OR
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006
Strengths: Great smooth ride... Good for a beginner who wants to get a start. Great value for the price. May not be good for someone over 240 lbs. The gold color looks great and turns heads. Great bike out of the box and can be even better with some upgrades, like the drive train.
Weaknesses: Narrow tires, with ok traction. The weight is heavier than I prefer, espcially when carrying. The chain makes some nose when jumping, probably caused by the rear derailer. For the price I would have expected better rear and front derailer. I don't understand putting $50 accessories on a thousand dollar bike.
Bottom Line:
I would recommend this bike to anyone. huge step up from a department store bike. No regrets.....
