Submitted by
SCkikapuD
a Weekend Warrior
from Spartanburg, SC
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2010
Strengths: Durability
Weight
Explosive Speed
Weaknesses: Rear Suspension Design
Bottom Line:
Great bike. I built with a buddy from the ground up. I'm a heavy guy and beat on bikes. I replaced my Trek 4500 with this bike and wouldn't go back. My only complaint is the way I have the drivetrain set up. We're still dialing and redialing it in.
Can't be the best bike on the market, but definitely a better than average one.
Probably best for a 180lb-200lb rider looking to ride a good XC bike for the money.
Bike Setup: Reba Team Fork
Avid bb7 Brakes
Panaracer Fire XC's w/Blue Sidewalls
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Submitted by
E.L.
a Weekend Warrior
from Granada Hills, CA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2009
Strengths: Great bike.I never really needed to change anything on this bike. Never broke down on me in this last year i rode. I have just short of 1000 miles on it according to my cycle computer. Easy to ride works on many different types of trails.
Weaknesses: When it rains the brakes make noise but doesnt bother me much.
Bottom Line:
Over all i am very glad this was my first mountain bike. Great price for a dual shock and i would recommend it. i shall go biking tomorrow with it.
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg ,Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2008
Strengths: A rock solid frame, great disks, perfect gearing 9for my purposes) and a great $$$ value
Weaknesses: Tires are probably the only real let down, the rear shock was a little lite but hey I am 210lb
Bottom Line:
I'll put it to you this way..my budget was about $2500 cdn and I choose this over a number of considerably more expensive bikes but please remember fitting your bike s almost as important as the quality of your bike. After 3 seasons (500-600km a month) and many trips with 40 lbs of gear hanging on a postmount rack w/paniers traveling at 40-50km/h at times (yes downhill), this bike has remained a rock! Though I have trahsed a few racks from the weight and the beating they take on washboard and old hiking trails. Solid, great value nd so far indestructible!
Strengths: Nice looking, light, well ballanced, Stiff frame.
Weaknesses: The seat has to go, Grips can be a little softer. rear shock can be a little more absorbing.
Bottom Line:
For the price, I think this is a great bike, upgradability is endless and it looks great. At first the front shock was very saggy but with a few twists of the knobs it was nice and ballanced with the rear shock. An excellent light mid level XC bike. This one is a keeper.
Similar Products Used: Devinci Banzi, Gary fisher Cake, Specialized Enduro. Kona Dawgmatic and the Dawg.
Bike Setup: 100% stock bike.
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Submitted by
Fraser Cole
a Cross Country Rider
from Swansea, Wales
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2004
Strengths: Very light full susser. I couldn't hop any other susser like this one. Turns on a sixpence through the trees. I got a 16 inch frame so I can throw it about a bit. I prefer a fox vanilla (coil) instead of the float - It's more durable if you do a bit of light jump/drop off work.
Weaknesses: So light that I sometimes think I will destroy it & then I did - but it was a rare frame defect & Kona sent me a new one. factory forks & Brakes need upgrading if you've got spare coin. Wore out a headset a month too
Bottom Line:
A very fast flying full sus machine. Has coped with a hammering of trails & d/h riding including 3 descents of the Fort William world cup downhill course. Has also survived regular 4 and 5 ft drop offs (I know it's not supposed to but it can cope) Most d/hill bikes only had 3 inches of travel a few years back! If you do what I do Maybe you should be looking at a Dawg or Coiler but be prepared to puff up hills. Theres enough travel for a bit of freeride & you can still race uphill on a relatively light bike. If it's this marriage you require - buy one now
Similar Products Used: Kona ku-ku & Kona Coiler but too heavy going on climbs
Bike Setup: Upgraded fork to Marzochi z1 drop off 130mm travel. Grimeca 4pot hydralic brakes. Shimano SPD pedals.
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Submitted by
Scott Lenz
a Cross Country Rider
from Missoula, MT USA
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2004
Strengths: Vary Strong and sturdy. It climbs well and makes nasty decents effortless.
Weaknesses: The tires I got on the bike sucked. Switched them out to some killer WTB and I was in business. Also a little on the porky side, if you like to race.
Bottom Line:
This bike is worth the money. You very little for some killer components. Riding this bike is killer fun and have nevewr had any problems. The frame is built to last. The four bar full suspension setup is awsome. I love everything about this bike. Get this bike if you want affortable fun on two wheels. $1200 for a full suspension with quality disc brakes, wow!
Bike Setup: Full suspension with fox float r in rear and Bobmer mx comp up front. It has shimano hydraulic brakes and XT rear derailer.
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Submitted by
Alan
a Cross Country Rider
from Cleveland, OH
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2004
Strengths: Nice component spec, quality frameset, easy to bomb this baby down (and up) hills!
Weaknesses: After owning a Klein Mantra for years, the paint on this bike is not anywhere near as durable. Scratched and chipped easily, whereas my Klein still looked new after 5 years of thrashing.
Bottom Line:
I purchased this bike because I needed a little more travel than my Klein could manage, but didn't want a full out long travel bike. The Kikapu fits the bill. Had I saved up a few $$ more I would have gone with the King to save weight, but the price was right.
So far the bike has fared well with the exception of the cables/chain stretching much more quickly than I expected. Additionally, due to the slack head tube angle the bike is not much of a technical singletracker. My Mantra could literally turn 90 degrees with no issues (however as a result it was twitchy as well on the fast stuff, as evidenced by a high-speed crash that left me with a few broken bones).
If you want a well-spec'd all-purpose bike, this one fits the bill. Kona has a great reputation for building bomb-proof bikes, and aside from the wear on the paint I feel this one will last me a long time.
A quick suggestion: My friend upgraded his seatpost and bars to Easton Carbon and replaced the tires/tubes with lightweight Kenda's. A few minor upgrades saved 3lbs for a few $ and make for a much easier uphill battle!
Favorite Trail: Vultures Knob (GOTTA GET TO THE KNOB)
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At: Internet
Similar Products Used: Giant NRS, Kona Dawg Primo
Bike Setup: Stock with the exception of XT front derailleur and 959 pedals.
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Submitted by
gpd
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2004
Strengths: Frame is awesome. RR/FR Shock is great, takes the bumps at breakneck speeds.
Weaknesses: So far haven't found anything yet as far as the frame weaknesses.
Bottom Line:
I bought the frame from ebay and built it up. Just bought the frame on ebay. Awesome ride. I would recommend this bike to anyone who is looking into getting a full suspension bike.
Similar Products Used: First full suspension bike purchased. Would recommend this bike to anyone looking for a great full suspension bike that does alot of XC and cross country riding.
Bike Setup: Easton EA50 handlebars with ODI grips, sram x7 shifters and rear derailleur, Deore brake levers and front derailleur, Race Face Prodigy stem, Shimano LX crankset, Front shock-Marzzochi MX comp ETA 100-125, Rear shock - Fox float R, Avid Mechanical disc brakes FR/RR, Mavic 221 disc wheelset, Bontrager jones tires 2.1.
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Submitted by
jjh
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2003
Strengths: Great Price Good feel
Weaknesses: Weird balance between front and back shocks. Does bob a little up hill.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the 2004 model kikapu (I can't see it mentioned here yet).
Moving up from a hardtail with crappy shocks I really enjoy the marzzochi front shocks on this bike.
I did kind of hate the feel of this bike until my bike store kindly swapped the 600lb rear shock spring to an 800lb one. I might be a slightly heavyish rider at 185lbs but it seems odd that the rear shock was very squashy for me but the front one has never travelled down further than 1/2 way.
All the other components on this bike work well although gear/brake cables seem to be stretching faster than normal.
The mechanical deore disc brakes are great although they are effected more by water than I was expecting.
A great bike for cross country, I expect to see more of these around with happy riders.
I'll take one chilli off just because I can imagine ways this bike could be better although finding a bike that actually is better for this price would be a big ask.
Bike Setup: Swapped Kona riser bars for some generic flat handle bars. Swapped 600lb spring on fox vanilla shock to 800lb spring. Changed to Hutchinson Python tyres. Longer stem added.
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Submitted by
sam palas
a Cross Country Rider
from sydney , australia
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2003
Strengths: light, strong, balanced xc dual suspension bike. Shimano discs stop real good.Marzocchi mx w/eta fork works very well in all terrain, especially on rough bumpy trails . Seat was comfortable from day one. fox float r is just perfect when you find the right adjustment setting for your riding style.
Weaknesses: tyres suck changed them after a month kept on getting flats. Not so much a weakness but longer travel fork would further complement bike.
Bottom Line:
Good allround dual xc mountain bike which kicks ass even when the trails get real rough. Kona has got it right once again. All quality shimano parts work fantastic. Fork alittle noisy but who can hear it when you are ripping down a trail.Original tyres ,kept getting flat tyres and ended splitting one sidewall.Tyre grip in wet,mud was poor and in the dry was average.
Bike Setup: New mx 105mm marzocchi's fitted (for more travel)WTB velociraptor tyres fitted and shimano MD-545 platfom pedals. Suspension setup ,Front fork 42psi rear shock 150psi and rebound in 7th fastest, for 182lbs.
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Submitted by
Ian
a Cross Country Rider
from Chelmsford, UK
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2003
Strengths: Great value, sensible spec and mix of frame geometry and components which perfectly fit the requirements I have, coming from years of hardtail riding. Perfect for ripping through tight single track with enough comfort for all day XC rides. Can take the drops too unless you go crazy in which case buy a Stinky!
Weaknesses: None really except it took some time to arrive at the ideal rear shock set up. Also shock pump access to the valve on the Fox Float R is difficult
Bottom Line:
This bike feels just so nice to ride. Everything is tight, stiff, strong and well balanced, feels very 'together'. I like the lively frame geometry and the light weight for a full susser. Coming from a steel hardtail weighing 34lbs I guess this is to be expected! The Deore brakes are excellent. The bottom line is I don't feel I've lost anything from the change to full suss and have gained a whole lot of comfort and added fun factor. There is a lot of hype going on in the market place right now but I reckon Kona have got it right sticking with a tubular frame that still looks like a bike! The rear shock is out of the s**t, there's room for bottle mounts, you can shoulder the bike really easy. Also I couldn't find anything with this quality of overall spec for this kind of money - so full marks to Kona for sticking to their principles and what they know works in the real world - I won't be changing this bike for a long time. Oh and it looks great too.
Similar Products Used: I've tried Marin Wolf Ridge, Specialized Enduro, Giant NRS but mostly rode Univega Alpina hardtail for ages.
Bike Setup: All Standard, might change tyres but they don't seem too bad, except in mud. The grips are too skinny and the bars too wide but that's a personal thing.
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Submitted by
Kenn Lochel
a Cross Country Rider
from Henderson NV 89074
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2003
Strengths: Great bike! Smooth XC bike I have ever ridden. Great combination of components and price. Brakes are very smooth and predictable. Been riding the trails at Bootleg and the Fox rear shock takes a beating and keeps going. Great for serious XC riders.
Weaknesses: None found yet
Bottom Line:
I would definately buy another Kona product. The construction and component combination makes for a pleasure to ride and great bang for the buck. I am an upgrade junky but I don't think I will have much to do on this one.
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher Joshua, Marin, Redline Monocog.
Bike Setup: Stock except for tires. Changed to 2.1 Tioga rear and 2.1 Mythos front.
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Submitted by
Jason Anderson
a Cross Country Rider
from New zealand
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2003
Strengths: great ride, forks, brakes, rear shock, weight and most other things
Weaknesses: seat too hard
Bottom Line:
this bike is really light for going up hill and it has the brakes and the forks for going back down. If you are a peson who has riden for 1-3 years this is the bike for you. But this bike is not designed to do big drops.
Similar Products Used: kona stinky, wheeler 2000czx
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
G Man
a Cross Country Rider
from St Louis
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2003
Strengths: Disc brakes, Marzocchi fork w/ ETA, Fox shock, solid drivetrain components.
Weaknesses: Weight. tires and wheels not as nice as the rest of the bike, but it's still a great value.
Bottom Line:
Rad bike! Perfect all day XC ride that also shines on downhills. Hydro discs and sweet Marzocchi fork w/ ETA fork the same price as Giant with mechanical discs and Trek Fuel with V brakes, how can you go wrong?
Bike Setup: Panaracer Fire XC Pros, Salsa seatpost, Ritchey Pro stem.
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Submitted by
Aaron Ritter
a Downhiller
from Williams, IN USA
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2003
Strengths: Marzocchi Fork w/ETA, Fox R, Deore discs, SDG saddle, and of the fact that the bike's a Kona! Don't judge the looks of the bike by the website, test ride the bike and you'll see that the tubes are pretty big, the welds are nice, and the frame is quite beautiful.
Weaknesses: You, maybe. Weight is not a big issue to me. This bike will just make you stronger and faster! The Tiogas aren't the greatest in thick mud and they throw cowpies on to you.
Bottom Line:
This bike totally rocks! Great manuverability, sprints extraordinarilly and with little bob, flies downhill, takes whatever you throw at it, but please, don't be stupid and use this bike to huck off of cliffs!, fairly light compared to my 45lb. freeride bike, beautiful frame design and paint, and very nice components for the money. I would definately recommend this bike to anyone looking to start xc racing, which I'm going to do, or to the person who's looking for a rig that'll get him/her where he/she needs to go, take a beating, and come back for more! GET THIS BIKE! Kona is a great company and you'll not be disappointed by their bikes or their customer service!
