Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Gardner MA USA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2006
Strengths: Nice plush ride, light enough for a FS, and really beefy
Weaknesses: I don't have on in every color
Bottom Line:
Amazing bike. I didn't believe the stories about a FS giving you more confidence but it really does. I'd say buying a used FS frame like I did and transfering the parts onto it is the best way to discover the Joy of riding an FS. 5 chlli's just isn't high enough.
Bike Setup: RS Reba, Fox Float R, XT/LX gears, Avid Mechs, lots of Race face, and most importanly the Bear Frame
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Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from bellingham, wa
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2004
Strengths: Good climber and all around bike. Fast enough for XC built well enough for light freeriding
Weaknesses: Only 4" of rear travel
Bottom Line:
For the $1900 I have invested in this bike its an absolute unbeatable value. Bought the frame used off this site and have Allen at dropnzone.com build it. This bike rocks! It allows me to still take drops that I would on my stinky as long as the drops are 6 foot or less and I wheely drop and land on the rear. the bike is quick, nimble and a crap load of fun to ride. The goemetry is a perfect balance of HC XC and light freeride. I plan on having this bike around for a long time. My advice to anyone thinking about buying a Bear or Dawg: By the frame used and build it up with your choice of components. You'll get te best bike for your buck and the best part is its a totally unique bike that no one else has!
Similar Products Used: 96 kona sex one, 02 kona stinky primo
Bike Setup: 02 Bear frame, romic rear shock, 04 Z1 FR front, SRAM 9.0 drivetrain, FSA cranks bar and stem, Thompson post, Mavic 521 rims, Hayes carbon 9 brakes, Chris King headset.
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Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Scotts Valley, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2004
Strengths: Solid bike! Incredibly versitle. You can take this bike anywhere. Up steep hills and down nasty hills this bike holds its own and maintain perfect control.
Weaknesses: None that I can think of
Bottom Line:
This bike is solid. Upgraded from a hard tail and my bombs down hills have improved dramatically. You pick up so much speed and don't realize how fast you are going. I recently beefed up my front end with the Marzocchi Z1 Drop Off fork with Truvativ riser bar and stem. THis bike is really good bomb material, but it also climbs up the hills like a hard tail.
Bike Setup: All XT components with XT disc brakes. 2.3 inch Maxxis High rollers, 2004 Marzocchi Z1 Drop Off II's
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Submitted by
zsh
a Cross Country Rider
from louEVIL, KY
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2004
Strengths: I bought a frame a built it up with collected parts. I really can't complain about anything. This is the perfect all mountain bike. Maybe the 5 inch upgrade would make it a little more comfy through the aggressive sections, but suits my needs fine as is.
Weaknesses: Nothing. It's perfect for what it was designed to do. All mountain.
Bottom Line:
Kona'a are the bomb. Well made, perfect balance. I love the bear. Its great for what I do, ride epic xc, and throw in a stunt every now and then. I weigh 170 and have Dropped 5' to tranny/ 8 foot dirt gaps, no problem. Just yesterday rolled along with all the sub 25lb hardtailin' xcers up the hills, then followed the vp free/intensers down the knarly new downhill sec. What more can I say? If your looking for the jack of all trades. Get the bear, (or dawg, the new bear)
Similar Products Used: Jamis dakar, norco rage, numerous hardtails.
Bike Setup: Marz exr, avid disc, lx deore D.T., Sun ds 2 rims, IRC trailbear tires, fox vanilla rl rear, titec cockpit.
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Submitted by
PJM
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City, UT
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2004
Strengths: See review 6/27/02 #1....This bike rides/climbs and downhills with a confidence-inspiring feel...
Weaknesses: I have 2K on this custom-built frameset. I break everything I throw a leg over, ride strictly XC, and I NEVER even attempt to put more than 6" between the ground and my tires. Top tube cracked right in front of the seat tube gusset weld. JRA. 3/4 the way around the tube. Check this area if you have a few yrs on your frame. After stripping the frame for warranty replacement, I noticed another crack in the small swingarm bridge eminating from one of the welding pressure release weep holes. 3/4 around the tube. Now, all that being said, I am 210lbs, and agressively ride 2-3K/yr. of tech. singletrack, (I have two FS bikes built up cause I break everything and always need a backup) and can say without a doubt that I am the real deal "JRA" rider. Bike companies should hire me to ride their products cause I have demolished (my words) under warranty every frame and fork I have ever ridden,(except my 99/00 Mars1) and I have NEVER abused this frame. My old GT LTS-1 lasted the longest of em all.(4yrs) It suprises me the Bear only lasted 2K...really suprises me. Kona is going to replace the frame for me so kudos to Kona...I would bet they would like to get rid of me since I am 3yrs. riding a lighter frameset (King Kikapu-still riding it) that had a failed swingarm tube(jra) and a shock mount bolt(jra) in the 1st yr riding it. Since most people are not 200lbs and ride 3K/yr, you must take this review with a grain of salt... LOVE THE RIDE OF THIS FRAME!!!
Bottom Line:
Great riding frame. It really does it all for 99% of the xc/trail riders out there. Only a 210 lb. monster like me could break this frame, and I did it in 2K miles riding xc, without ever jumping or abusing it. I don't believe, again, that most all good riders under 200lbs could break it or claim a warranty like me....
Bike Setup: Duxe SL air, custom wheelset, cantilever brake setup by runnning a Stinky seatstay...27lbs...
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Submitted by
Neil Forrow
a Weekend Warrior
from Cheltenham
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2004
Strengths: Bombproof. Makes you ride slick and fast.. an enjoyable bike to ride. Nice angles and stiff. A true all day ride.
Weaknesses: Stock it is downspecked compaired to other bikes....
Bottom Line:
Great bike.. well worth the money. If you can find a secondhand one get it.. the frame will have stood the test of time.. The one thing all Kona Bear riders should do is get the rear shox "pro pedal" it makes such a difference to the way the bike pedals.. If you are in england, when you get the shox serviced.. get it done by mojo.. they give it pro-p for an extra 20£..
Favorite Trail: Lech, anywhere in B.C. and any in Wales
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$750.00
Similar Products Used: All sorts
Bike Setup: Hope M4's Hope bulbs on sunn single tracks, Propedal the rear shox.. xt rear mech, xt block, flight saddle...
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Submitted by
Pete
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2004
Strengths: Looks, weight, frame, just fits me like a glove! Can climb well with it too. Dowbhill is a blast.
Weaknesses: Cannot (or not recommended) put a dual crown fork on. Nothingh else really.
Bottom Line:
After reading all the great reviews for Kona squishies I decided to find a used one on eBay. It took a week but I found one with the BETD extra travel plates ... they are awesome!!! I was basically a xcountry rider but now I am riding things I never would have on my Fuel 90. I can jump off anything, fly down stairs and still ride xcountry so this bike is for me. I will eventually put on hydros but the mechs work well although they scare the hell outta of folks on the path when they squeel. I will get a Stab next year cause I like DHing but what can I say ... the Bear makes me want to ride all the time.
Bike Setup: A few upgrades: has BETD 6.5" rear travel upgrade and added a Marzocchi Z1 Wedge, m545's
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Submitted by
Robert
a Downhiller
from Palo Alto, CA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2003
Strengths: Nice Geometry, Light bike even w/ upgrade components
Weaknesses: Stock components not that great
Bottom Line:
I've been riding this bike most of the summer and fall and have slowly been upgrading parts on it. Now that I have all the weak parts off the bike I must say that it is a great all around bike. It's burly enough to do hucking, jumping, and downhilling, yet it is still light enough that you don't have to carry it up every hill you come across.
Strengths: This bike has the burliest frame I've seen (Which is important when your 6'3' 250lbs like me)and comes set up with some very decent componentry for the price. Killer looks too!
Weaknesses: I've heard bad things about the stock tioga tires but I upgraded at the shop before I took it home so they were never an issue. I also switched out the pedals to a sick set of flats. The brakes are a bit noisy but as I have read that goes away over time.
Bottom Line:
Basically this is one sweet bike, for only 1,100.00 I got a savage bike that can take most of anything, killer looks, great geometry, a decent component set up and the knowledge that this bike can handle anything it comes across. The bike just feels good when I ride it, which is an uncommon feeling, I usually feel like I am going to break most bikes. I hope to add a longer stem and a set-back seat post soon...and maybe a set of hyrdro's but we'll see how that goes. Basically if you're a large person looking for a bike that is as burly as you are....this is the bike for you.
Similar Products Used: First Full Suspension bike, also ride a rigid DiamondBack Ascent EX.
Bike Setup: Pretty much stock, like I said I upgraded the tires.
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Submitted by
Justice Banks
a Downhiller
from Adealaide, S.A, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2003
Strengths: Killer looks an price, so much bike for your buck. It's so versatile, one day cruising with your girlfriend, aggresive trail riding the next.
Weaknesses: I would have to say the low bottom bracket. I find it easy to clip rocks with my pedals. Tires are no good. The cable Hayes worked at first but soon lost their feel. Nothing compares to the feel of hydo's.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for any standard of rider with varied riding styles. Looks great, rides great and is of the high quality that anyone who has riden Kona bikes in the past has come to expect.
Strengths: Cross country. Has no other use. This is a specific task bike
Weaknesses: I blew out the shock on like a 1 ft. drop. Not at all durable or built for agressive riding. Expensive for what you get.
Bottom Line:
I reccomend this bike only for the pure cross country enthusiast, DO NOT EVEN THINK OF FREE RIDE. I learned that the hard way. Get a stinky or something with more than 80mm of travel for freeride. I give it an overall rating of 2 chilis only because it might be okay for cross country. But is still totally not durable.
Strengths: just about everything is sweet but this is an uprade bike though. I still have the seat post, bars and brakes.
Weaknesses: i had to replace the tires and rims. I wore out the bb pretty fast and the stem is alittle to long. the headset wore out. but hey who cares about alittle upgrades.
Bottom Line:
Its a great all around trail bike stock but eventually you start building it up and it gets better and better. I know a guy who made a bear weigh 25 lbs and mine has heavy fr parts and only weighs 34 lbs. Im gonna race dh with it next season and its gonna be fine. Its worth every flamin' Chili
Bike Setup: z1 fr,world force stem single track rims, fsa v drive cranks, mrp, same rear derailer, same bars, pig head set. I did a lot of upgrades but the bike is still sweet stock.
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Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Chelmsford, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2003
Strengths: Solid frame, great ride, climbs great, and suspension works awesome.
Weaknesses: The Tioga tires, because they never felt right. Some minor disk brake rub, but easily adjusted. Brakes are a little noisy, and I can live with it. The seat, just had to be changed
Bottom Line:
This bike is AWESOME!!!! I got on this bike for a test ride, and new right away it was the bike I was looking for. I can't believe I wasted my time getting into mountain biking riding a hardtail. I bought this as a 2002 left over and save 25% off list. I have taken it off a couple of 2 ft. drops, and it lands great. This bike has been great where ever I have ridden it, from riding with my kids to real technicaL trails. I switched to clip pedals last year, couldn't get unclipped, and had a nasty backwards endo resulting in wrist surgery. I have been switching back and forth between pedals. I clip in when I ride trails that I know, and go with flat pedals when on unfamiliar trails. I will submit another review in a few months.
Bike Setup: Changed the tires to Michelin Wild Grippers, changed the seat, added bar ends, changed pedals, and the rest of the bike remains stock
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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Clinton, MA
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2003
Strengths: This is my first full suspension and it's just amazing. The Race Face parts and Hayes brakes are great, 100m travel on the Marzocchi fork is plush.
Weaknesses: LX rear d, Tioga tires, shimano m505 pedals That's it, I really have no complaints..
Bottom Line:
This is my first full suspension and it's just amazing. The Race Face parts and Hayes brakes are great, 100m travel on the Marzocchi fork is plush.
I do a lot of XC riding on tight single track and this bike corners and handles great. But on those days at 'nam' when I feel the urge for some 3-4 footers, this bike handles is even better. The bike really shows it's strength when you got some speed going - fast, rocky, winding downhills are cake.
I used to fall behind on the technical sections, now I have friends that can't believe how fast I am. I already replaced the pedals, tires are the next to go.
This bike was renamed to the Kona Dawg for 2003 - I highly recommend one.
Strengths: I love this bike. It seems to be very tough, I ride xc and also around downtown. It is great for both it can take pretty big drops with no problem. My friends Full suspension cant compare. And the bike looks bada@@.
Weaknesses: So far nothing to complain about. Except the brakes seem to squeal alot. but nothing else.
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks. Somehow yesterday it was locked on my bike racks and came at 75 mph, bounced about 10' in the air and landed on the sholder of the road. So far the only problem is the front rim is bent and a few scratches. That is about it.
