Submitted by
Gregory Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from Chingford,London,UK
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2003
Strengths: Weight, Fox Shock, Groupset, Wheelset, It's a Kona!!!
Weaknesses: Skinny UST tyres - swapped 'em when I brought it. Evil Marathon Fork - why oh why did Marzocchi decide on the skanky adapter instead of the usual one like the have on EVERY OTHER AIR FORK MADE!
Bottom Line:
I gotta say that it took a lot to pry me away from my beloved GT which I have stuck with for the last 4 years and upgraded so that the only thing left original was the frame. But, and I say this through gritted teeth, I'M GLAD I DID! The weight difference over the GT is a real joy, and the lockout on both the front and rear is fantastic. I developed a riding style to match the I-Drive, but switching to the Kona's was no big effort and I haven't looked back since then. The bike is a whippet on the trails and with the lighter Raceface kit is very very quick now! My only gripe is the fork - really difficult to set up after switching from the Rockshox Duke, and the adapter always manages to leak some air when you remove it. Great fork, a right pain to set up. I'll post another review at the end of the Summer and see if I'm still as keen as I am at the moment!
Similar Products Used: GT XCR 4000, Gary Fisher Sugar 1,
Bike Setup: Stock except for: Raceface SYStem, XY Seatpin, Good'n'Evil Grips & Air Alloy Riser Bars, Panaracer Fire XC Pro Tyres, Viscount VRT Saddle
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Submitted by
Kelley
a Cross Country Rider
from Arcata, CA
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2002
Strengths: Solid, lightweight, good components, & nimble handling. It's a KONA - what else would you expect?
Weaknesses: Those skinny 1.80 Tiogas - change them quickly, because these tires get very squirrly at speed on fire roads.
Bottom Line:
I am very happy with this machine. I weigh 155, and I'm 5'9", so the 18-inch size is perfect. It's lightweight(right around 24.5 pounds), it has a very solid feel (especially in tight single-track), and it accelerates very quickly. I'm still experimenting with suspension settings. Because the front and rear have lockout, I err on the plush side. The Marzocchi Marathon S fork is fantastic - a huge difference when compared to the older rockshox I have used. With beefier tires, a lo-rise bar, and platformed clipless pedals, the bike becomes more of a trail bike - especially at my weight. If I had to pay full retail for this bike (2,899.), I would have given it four flaming turds for value. But at the price I paid (2,200.), it's an outstanding value. Thanks to the guys at Revolution Bikes.
Strengths: this bike rocksthe fork is sooooooo smooth throught its travel. i have the 1998, the bike that is orange with the interupted seat tube, and its still kickin. the rear shock is nice but it needs lockout for the long climbs. the drive train placement is far better then the sugars and the fuels.
Weaknesses: nothing, its a kona. and the words weakness and kona should never be used togther
Bottom Line:
this is the best full susser i have ever ridden. there is no pedal induced bob whatsoever because the the kona guys were geniouses and they put the drivetrain on the chain stays and not split between the main tirangle and the rear triangle. This makes the bike accelerate faster and climb better, it also alows for more travel without the need for lockout. although the bike is a little on the heave side,29lbs, i would never trade it for anything lighter. the reason is the you can only have 3 things in a bike, light weight, strength and durrability. and you need to choose 2, the knoa combines the last2 to make on of the best full suspention rides ever. the frame itself is bombproof. i have been takeing many 3-4 foot drops durring rids and the frams just wont give up. i will ride it till it breaks, then i will buy another.
Similar Products Used: giant xtc, foes fxc, fuel 100, many c'dales
Bike Setup: xxtr and xt groupo with rhino light rims. monkey light carbon xc bar and m515 pedals. most of the bike is still stock.
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Submitted by
Mark Beattie
a Cross Country Rider
from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2002
Strengths: It's a Kona! Very light weight, Climbs exceptionally well, It is stable in all conditions, has been very low maintainance, and it looks cool.
Weaknesses: Can't think of a single thing
Bottom Line:
This thing rocks. Possibly the most fun I have with my clothes on. I would recomend this bike to anyone who wants to go faster feel more comfortable than on any other bike brand I have tried. Super reliable, stable and predictable handling, and backed by the coolest bike co. in the world KONA.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale SV 1000, ProFlex 856, Ventana ???, Kona SEX 2, Fisher Sugar 2
Bike Setup: Xt/XTR drivetrain, Spinergy disc wheels Avid mechanicals, Marzocchi Z-2 atom,Fox Float RL, , RaceFace cranks, Heasdset, seatpost, stem and signature Ti BB, MonkeyLite bars, Serfas Aria seat, Time pedals, Geax tires. Tasty.
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Submitted by
Peter Marth
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City, UT usa
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
Strengths: This is an UPDATED review of my 1st review... See first review...
Weaknesses: At 3,200 miles or so,(2 mos after the 1st review) I snapped the drive-side swingarm CLEAN IN HALF!! DISCLAIMER..... I weigh 215 lbs,ride hard, and ride alot. I also have a history of breaking frames JRA. Lightweight, fast fs equipment is cool, but if you are over 175lbs, and ride alot, I would not suggest buying this frame. In a fast, turning compression, the drive-side chainstay/swingarm broke clean around the pipe next to the RIM, right in the middle of the stay. A perfectly clean, no jagged edge break in half. This alu pipe, when able to see the wall thickness, scared the livin bjesus out of me. The Wall of the pipe didn't look more than a 1/32nd of an inch thick! This frame is purpose-designed for lightweight performance with lighter riders on it.
Bottom Line:
If you are over 175lbs, and RIDE ALOT, I would look alternatively at the BEAR. Kona warrantied my busted stay, but I will no longer take this bike into the backcountry. Don't trust it. I ended up buying the Bear frameset and building it up. I still ride the KING, which I love dearly for what it is, but only on in-town rides under 20 miles or so. Gotta understand what I, and the review is telling you. I believe that this frame or bike is the best-performing fs/xc frameset on the market ($1000)but ONLY for the average or smaller rider... I WILL say this is one buttery-smooth/fast/sweet ride, but not for big-uns. ..
Bike Setup: Mark Air fork, lightweight xc stuff all around. 18" frame built to 25 lbs...
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Submitted by
Cory
a Cross Country Rider
from St. Louis, MO
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2002
Strengths: Super light weight, good tracking, plush travel, great climber
Weaknesses: didn't come stock with discs
Bottom Line:
I finally found the perfect fully for me! This bike is built for midwest terrain, it seems. Lots of fast climbs and descents, and this handles it all. No flex, like the sugar, no muted feel like the semi-pivot bikes, so it actually climbs better. Weighs almost nothing, (under 27 for the 21") rides like a dream, tough as nails. While it's a cross country bike, this can handle jumping the roots and rocks with supreme authority. Of all the bikes i've ever ridden, i've never been as happy with one as the King Kikapu.
Bike Setup: Raceface cranks, bb, handlebar, Thomson stem and seatpost, selle italia saddle, King disc wheels w/Hayes hydro discs, xt/xtr.
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Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Frisco
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2002
Strengths: Light weight, excellent Kona geometry, plush ride, good looks & value
Weaknesses: A little flexible in the rear for heavyweights. Don't believe that the Kona name makes it jumpable.
Bottom Line:
Bought as a frame direct from Kona. $1250 w/ Float R shock. The King is faster and smoother than anything I've ridden before. This frame handles technical climbs and wheelie drops with incredible ease. Great climbing traction, holds a bumpy line up or downhill, won't stiffen under braking, fast and stable. With a 4" fork I can't imagine better for long rides on technical trails. 5 year warranty too. Stiffness isn't a problem up front, but the rear triangle definitely has some flex. It's only noticed once in a while, like in a turn full of fast sharp impacts. UST tires lessen the effect. If you are 185+ lbs. maybe you should look elsewhere (SC Superlight), but it's so active and plush for my 155 lbs. that I wouldn't trade it. If you're a typical XC lightweight, this is a nearly perfect, very versatile bike.
Similar Products Used: Many hardtails, Ibis SilkTi, Santa Cruz Superlight
Bike Setup: CrossRoc UST Disc wheelset, Formula B4s, Manitou X-Vert Air, SRAM 9.0, XT, etc.
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Submitted by
g-banger
a Cross Country Rider
from morganton, NC
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2002
Strengths: Climbs like an animal hunting prey. Very light, 23.5 pounds. Smooth shifting, incredible braking, and comes with the best component package for the dollar. Marzochi Marathon fork, need I say more. Nice Red color. Obviously the boys at Kona are Red-Wing fans!
Weaknesses: Small tires are a bit shakey at 25-30 mph when riding over loose gravel on dirt roads. However if your looking for a machine to handle rocks, roots, and anything else when on a true singletrack, this is it.
Bottom Line:
I've ridden this thing on every kind of terrain and like it more and more each day. It's an f'n Kona. It's built to take abuse. If you have any doubts, check out the BC scene and see what it's roots are.
Bike Setup: Easton Magnesium Stem, Carbon Monkey lites, Carbon Seat Post, Race Face Next LP, Avid single digit TI's, XTR shifters. And yes some bling bling.
Strengths: Its a Kona! Need I say more? Its lightweight(less than my Ti hardtail) and tracks like a dream.
Weaknesses: Designed as a lightweight race machine and is thus put together with light weight parts. Some of the bushing in the rear linkage wore out after a couple of months. Kona says they should only last 6 months. These bushings had only 1mm worth of wear surface but were replaced with some old pro-flex bushings that have 3mm worth of wear surface. (Kona's bushing package goes for $80, but that's for all of them.) This increased the lateral stiffness of the rear triangle and fixed a minor ghost shifting problem I was having.
The stock fork (a rock shox sid sl) is way light but is kinda squirly. I'm a 'zochi kinda guy and just as soon as I finish wearing out the bushings on this sid, I will be replacing it. Those new Fox's are sounding pretty sweet!!!
This bike came with Mavic Cross Rides which were fitted with presta tubes even though the rims were drilled for shrader. Kinda weird, no? Oh, and those mosquito tires--ate em up in a couple of rides. The wheels require a fair amount of attention as the hubs seem to loosen up quite a bit.
I also managed to lock up the rear shock, a fox rl or rc or whatever the one with the lock out is. Happened while I was actually walking the bike up some loose, nasty, cactusy, cow-poopy, NM desert landscape (White Mesa, of course). Fox fixed it with no hassel but said it could have been caused by running too low a pressure. I don't know. I tried to keep it up at about 140 or so.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a blast to ride. It's light weight is a big factor in having fun as this thing loves to fly. It is NOT a free ride bike and would prolly break if I dropped anything over a few feet. I have taken it into the waaaay back country on many solo epic's and it hasn't failed me yet. Do your maintainance and this bike will reward you.
Strengths: Great frame, superlight setup. This frame weighed in at about 5lbs with the Fox RL shock. For the money, you can't beat it! I was looking at the Fuel, RM Instinct, and the Kik-some-poo, and the Kona suspension was the most plush out of all of them. It feels quite progressive. It takes the supple bumps, but doesn't bottom that easily. Just like their long travel Stinkys. Plus it 'twas the lightest. This is a great all day ride!
Weaknesses: At times, the front end feels kinda like a wet noodle. Not a really wet noodle, maybe a moist one. The front triangle isn't super laterally stiff, and it's mostly due to the rocker's cutouts and light weight functionality. I'm 150 lbs and It really shouldn't feel like that. But really it's not that bad once you get used to it.
Bottom Line:
Best bang for the buck dual suspension bike out there. I love this bike! Excellent all around do-almost-everything bike. This superlight frame makes a superlight bike. You can definately ride this bike all day and not get sick of it!
Bike Setup: Raceface turbine cranks w/ rings, system, ti BB, heatset, Easton carbon handlebar and seatpost, precision billet brakes, judy sl uppers with englund 85mm cartridges, XT derailleurs, White Indistries front and rear w/ti spokes 3 cross alloy nips. The complete bike weighs in at 23 & 1/4 lbs (15"). I kid you not!
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Submitted by
Peter Marth
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City, Ut. 84060
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2002
Strengths: Well made, super light, proven design, reasonably priced Full Suspension frameset with top of the line Fox RC lockout air shock, cartridge bearing main pivot points, Easton tubeset, beautiful in its' simplicity, and all for around a thousand bucks. Can't beat the price, and, it has a 5-year warranty.
Weaknesses: May be too light for 200 pound aggressive riders like me, but I rode it 3000 miles this summer w/only a couple of problems. At 2000 miles, the 3" long bolt which mounts the top of the shock to the rocker snapped clean off inside the sleeve, bending the rocker arm, and disfiguring the shock eye-bolt spacers and connections. KONA warranty people were less than helpful. I requested a new left side rocker arm, (which I bent back into shape in a vise, and the Kona rep. told me I couldn't even purchase one, and that I had to send the entire bike into a dealer to "have them look at it." I am still riding on the bent-back rocker arm cause I don't want my bike to be sitting in a shop for 3 months. This is stupid. Purchase one of these bolts at a hardware store and carry it with you when riding.
Bottom Line:
If you are a hard core rider looking for a reasonably priced, good looking, feature-packed, fast-handling, lightweight full suspension frameset that doesn't look like the space shuttle, and you are custom building it, this is it. And, at 3000 miles with a 200-plus pound person riding the crap out of it, it seems to be holding up.
Similar Products Used: 97 GT-LTS1, 00 GT-I-drive(didn't like the dead feeling)
Bike Setup: Handbuilt Wheels w/White hubset, Bontrager 32 hole Ceramic, 14/15 db&alloy in a 3-cross. King Headset/Bontrager 150g ti bar, Koski 4-bolt stem/Sachs Extreme 8-spd, Avid Ti levers/SD stoppers, 01 Manitou Mars Air fork, Dean Ti post/SelleItal Trans Am Max, White compact Crankset/BB, XT deraileurs, and real tires. (2.1 620 gram knobbies) Large Frame-total weight=just under 25 lbs...
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Submitted by
Philip Sweetman
a Cross Country Rider
from Robbinsville
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2001
Strengths: Built a custom XC racer using the King Kik frame, the new Marathon S fork, CT-2 flat bar, CrossMax UST wheels, XTR transmission and Hope mini disk brakes. The bike is just around 24 pounds and has made a huge difference to my trail riding. It is very fast, accelerates and climbs great and handles the twisties and logs like a scalpel. It has made a 15% difference (first time out) on my local timed trail. Looks great too!!
Weaknesses: Could spec the Kona build a little better. 2002 rocker arm for the suspension is better braced than mine, which came with a 2001 piece (to be replaced)
Bottom Line:
Excellent race frame, good value in comparison with boutiques, makes a great trail bike with EBC afjustment on front fork
