Submitted by
Erik Solymar
a Downhiller
from Ottawa,Canada
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2006
Strengths: endless suspension, strong overall, easy to lift front,fast on the Dh's, corners well, looks great
Weaknesses: i found that the swingarm would bump the seatstays a bit on hard landings, which is a bit anoying. pedals like a beast. heavy. front end flex's on harsh braking
Bottom Line:
its a bit costly for the performance. the bike could b a bit stiffer on braking, and the annoying bumping on the seatstays is a flaw, but other than that, if you're serious into DH, id concider it, becasue the weight and pedalling on flat ground are generally not an issue when ur flyin down a steep hill at 80 clicks.
Bike Setup: rear 24" MODO, front 26", Shiver, Deore 8" hydro in back, North Shore cranks, MRp system 3, ringle pedals and hubs, nevegal and kinetic tires, clump bar/stem
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
James
a Downhiller
from Tyne and Wear -UK-
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2004
Strengths: Stab Primo is a really strong frame, it doesnt flinch at all. my shock doesnt really bounce around while riding, but the 9 inch travel on it is superb for big drops and hammering over rocks it makes the ride sooo smooth absorbs loads of stuff in your way
Weaknesses: absolutley NONE
Bottom Line:
this makes me a better rider for sure. not really too heavy at all when riding it, perfect shock, doesnt bob around when riding smooth, but sucks up rough landings and rocks and most big stuff in your path, like when i was sure i was gonna fall off from landing on wet, funny shaped rocks it just went staight over them all with no probs, hardly felt them, the frame is solid! Looks FanTastic! i got mine at a Really really good price wouldnt really want anything else for the money, is a downhill bike but i do loads of different stuff on it - bit o street, local jumps and downhill, brilliant bike! 5 chillies!
Similar Products Used: kona stinky dee lux, Club Roost DH8, kona Stinky
Bike Setup: 24" Atomlab TrailPimps, Monster T 200mm, MRP chain device, easton bars, nokian gazza 3.0 (f)/ 2.6 (r)tyres, Hope M4, Hope bulb hubs, Fox vanilla RC
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Guss
a Downhiller
from Deerfield/MA/US
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004
Strengths: Suck a kick ass bike. Strong/endless travel/not a bad pedaler/all around good freeride/downhill bike
Weaknesses: The only one that i can think of is weight, but asking for a dh/big hit freeride bike under 40 is like asking for a fat free burger a mcdonalds. So theres really nothing wrong with it
Bottom Line:
If u want a top of the line Dh bike then this is the bike for u. Its the best Dh bike money can buy. Its an incredible race bike and cant wait untill i get my new race bike proveded by Kona in about a week or two.
Similar Products Used: Kona stinky, Rockmountain RM9, RM7 DH, switch,Norco A-line and i currently have a Norco Team Shore.
Bike Setup: the only thing thats stock is the Frame and a couple other small parts. dorado fork, Sun Suv wheels w/ King hubs, 5th element shock....... the list is endless
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John Dillard
a Downhiller
from Capistrano Beach, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2003
Strengths: Pedals great. Frame rises as you pedal down instead of sinking through your travel downwards. Cushions hard landings better than any other bike. Easy to whip. Pops off lips easily or can stay low to the ground to save time in racing. Easy to manual, bunnyhop, nose wheelie.
Weaknesses: When you bottom out, the tire does rub the seat. But I have never had it hit the seat post. It only rubs the seat in the last 1/4 of an inch of its nine inches.
Bottom Line:
It is the best frame I have ever owned. People worry about it being to heavy, but it feels perfect to me. I can still do all the stuff I could on my stinky dee-lux. It will be lots of fun at Big Bear and recommend this bike to anyone looking for a real downhill/free-ride bike.
Strengths: ITS A REVIEW OF THE 2001 but since I had the bike for more then 2 years, you should learn a bit....at least I hope. -first thing you need to know and nobody knows about that, this bike isn't heavy! Its only the parts that kona put on it. My 2001: replacing cranks for xt, guide for mrp, stem and handle for easton, shiver for boxxer got the bike from 49 to exactly 43 pounds. Now its not heavy, its even pretty light for how strong it is. on the 2003 you should not have this weight problem but remember that a boxxer is lighter. -2001 built with xtr everywhere and great great hubs. -no paint = no paint scratch, it still looks very nice. -pedals way better then other dh bikes and coners also among the best. -unbreakable
Weaknesses: it has a noticable brake jack but knowing to ride this bike = knowing to brake gently with the rear and letting go off brake temporarily when things get out of control. a softer rear coil also reduces the jack. the rear suspension is little bit stiff with stock coil! but with a softer one it bottoms, maybe a 5th element would improve this bike a lot.
Bottom Line:
this bike took me from freeriding to easy DH to DH racing and im still pushing more and my race results are getting better and better. I never even think that this bike could break under me and its very predictable. getting good tires is a must otherwise the bike will never reach its potential (comp 32-24 is my favorite). I like the rear pivot linkage because it pedals like a 5 inch travel so acceleration is efficient enough for racing. All around I'm very happy with it and after 2 years nothing has broke or come loose except the shiver that I dont recommand. Too bad hayes doesnt make those purple mag brakes anymore, many people are trying to buy mines. I know you can get a better race frame but that would be an intense, turner or foes. they expensive and wont last as much as the primo. I'd say on certain condition primo beats those frames : big drops, tigh cornerings but in the open and fast parts it simply doesnt stick to ground enough and gets unstable unless you put the wheel all the way back but then the bike looses its quick and maneuvrable feeling. there are no problems except brake jack and a little lack of plushness at the rear compared to other 9 inch frames. I wont give 5 because of these little problems.
Submitted by
konamax
a Downhiller
from SADL,Quebec,CANADA
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Strengths: super stiff rear end,super plush,pedaling efficiency,great parts all over it
Weaknesses: weight, can't pedal backward, weird chain line and cable line.
Bottom Line:
pedals as great as my old stinky except it's so more plusher.hard to get around rocks but easy to go through or over rocks. Super fast on DH courses 'cuz it has that «all you can eat»mentallity.thrustfull.Wait for next year 'cuz it comes with the marzocchi 888 (will kick boxxer and dorado's @ss)
Favorite Trail: t-fs-b (1,2,3,4,) and johnnyairtime
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Purchased At: kona
Similar Products Used: any top of the line DH bike or frame.Either V10,M1,BB7,DHSmono or tube,giant's
Bike Setup: stock '03 bike except that I ride flat pedals. Stock bike means Shiver,hayes,MRP,MAvic D321,Ringle's hubs,fox vanilla rcDH (with piggy bag)tioga's saddle and tires
Strengths: this review is on the 2001 Stab Primo. wow... well for a start, with 9 inches of travel you cant really go wrong.. very smooth, plush travel too! my frame came with a stock 500 lbs spring which i swapped out for a 450 lbs one, as im quite light (130 pounds even tho im 5' 11") and with the 50 pound difference, its very plush. the primo pedals very well compared to my previous bike, which i wont even mention as it cracked under the seat tube on some small DJ style jumps. the 4 bar linkage helps with the movement of the suspension under braking forces compared to those single pivot designs, and the adjustable wheelbase is a real plus, however for now i have my rear wheel slid in all the way, for the maneuverability but if you need more stability, extend it that extra inch! about the frame... very over built rock solid materials, top workmanship, especially those very cool looking black CNC'd machined travel plates and also the way people look at your bike with a sense of awe... (v cool) one other thing, would be the way this bike wheelies... easy to turn, and can go on for a few hundred metres... =D
Weaknesses: ok... when in max travel, or possibly near that, the seat post will fall back into the back, and hit the seat stay yolk causing a loud bang.. perhaps some soft material stuck there could fix this? ill try that later apart from that, the weight is a real killer... its fine riding however, when pushing up stairs or whatever, be prepared to exert godly amounts of energy into it.. VERY HARD but hey on a DH which is what this was desgined for, noones gonna worry about pushing so i guess its not really a weakness? 1 other thing id like to mention is its a pain to clean the pivot areas as its quite awkward to stick your hand around and wipe the mud off.
Bottom Line:
Buy this bike if you freeride, downhill and have lots of stairs to jump and energy to burn. Dont buy it if your scared about weight, dont believe in yourself and have 'money problems' this bike isnt one for weak people. buy it and go out and ride. this bike will NOT dissapoint you, if you bought it for what it was intended for.
Similar Products Used: Giant DH-Team, Santa Cruz V10, Intense M1, Santa Cruz Super8,KHS Dominatrax and others which i cant quite recall at this moment.
Bike Setup: 01 Stab Primo, Fox 450x2.8 sprung Vanilla RC, Azonic 2" rise DW Bar, Azonic pedals, stem and a love seat. 01 Monster T w/ drop crown, Shimano XT 8" F/R with Deore shifter and XT rear derailleur, A2Z 12mm Hub, DT Swiss 12 Gauge spokes,32 hole 4 cross pattern Mavic D321 with F 26x2.7 Maxxis Mobster, R 26x2.5 Maxxis High Roller, Thomson Seatpost, Middleburn 38 tooth chainring, RF North Shore DH (175mm), RF Signature DH BB (128mm) 03 MRP Dual Slalom 1, FSA Orbit Extreme headset, and a 02 XTR 34-12 cassette
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Isaac Pantone
a Downhiller
from Huntsville, Utah USA
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2003
Strengths: Fairly light(for a DH rig), pedals great, primo acceleration, corners great, takes rutted-out wash boards like nothing and the rear wheel hugs the ground around bumpy turns and other DH obstacles. This bike is super dope !!!!
Weaknesses: When bottomed out in the rear end the swingarm hits the top of my seatpost right under the seat. Solution: heavier spring.
Bottom Line:
There are many excellent bikes out there but this one is exceptionally sweet. It comes speced nice if you buy it stock or you can buy a frame a build it up. These are super strong and can take everything without sacrificeing the weight. Mine weighs in at 43.5lbs. They also have adjustable wheelbase as well as low bottom bracket for making cornering better. The cockpit is also very precise to add to the handling effects. Well enough of this. Go test one out. Ballistic Cycle is a great new shop in Northern Utah. CHeck it Out!!!!!!!!
Similar Products Used: Super 8, RM 9, Stab dee-lux, balfa BB7, stinky,
Bike Setup: Stab Primo frame w/ Fox Vanilla DH, Shiver, shimano 105, hayes 8", azonic bar, Sun Double Track(Mag 30), Maxxis Mobster 2.7, Highroller 2.7. SDG saddle, FSA V-Drive/ MRP , fsa pig dh hs
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Garry Miller
a Downhiller
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2003
Strengths: Great colour combo , looks great , frame feels really stiff , Fox DH shock is great !! .
Weaknesses: Had the bike three weeks , so far 1) The stantion guards on the shivers were rubbing on the seals and fork 2)Shivers also had a prodlem inside , the whole right rod is loose causing really nasty clicking noise 3) The rear sus seatstay hits off of seat post near full travel 500 lbs spring didn't help much ( doesn't matter where the seat post is positioned it still happens ) 4) Swingarm on the drive side suffers really badly from chain slap ( at the point just is behind the MRP ) 5) Paint chips easily 6) Hayes discs are good but you may need to change the pads to Redstuff or similar because of brake fade under heavy use .
Bottom Line:
This would be a great bike if the faults were fixed , the bike loves fast downhills and it feels really nice when jumping . But for now the faults are really getting to me , you expect when paying £ 3600 for a bike that it should run perfectly .
Similar Products Used: Had a Santa Cruz Bullit for seven months and the only problems I had was when I went to change a front puncture and the 20mm axle on the boxxers was stuck solid . ( my fault for not greasing it I suppose )
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Garry Miller
a Downhiller
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2003
Strengths: Great colour combo , looks great , frame feels really stiff , Fox DH shock is great !! .
Weaknesses: Had the bike three weeks , so far 1) The stantion guards on the shivers were rubbing on the seals and fork 2)Shivers also had a prodlem inside , the whole right rod is loose causing really nasty clicking noise 3) The rear sus seatstay hits off of seat post near full travel 500 lbs spring didn't help much ( doesn't matter where the seat post is positioned it still happens ) 4) Swingarm on the drive side suffers really badly from chain slap ( at the point just is behind the MRP ) 5) Paint chips easily 6) Hayes discs are good but you may need to change the pads to Redstuff or similar because of brake fade under heavy use .
Bottom Line:
This would be a great bike if the faults were fixed , the bike loves fast downhills and it feels really nice when jumping . But for now the faults are really getting to me , you expect when paying £ 3600 for a bike that it should run perfectly .
Similar Products Used: Had a Santa Cruz Bullit for seven months and the only problems I had was when I went to change a front puncture and the 20mm axle on the boxxers was stuck solid . ( my fault for not greasing it I suppose )
Strengths: Vanilla DH is the sickest rear shox on the market today bomb proof can't bottom or top out plush and super strong 5th element doesn't even come close.
Weaknesses: None so far.......
Bottom Line:
If your thinking about getting the top of the line frame such as a v10,m1 or 222 don't even bother,for the same price u'd be better of with the best bike out there and when your paying that much for a 500.00 dollar 5th element go for the vanilla dh with the titanium spring the proggressive shox does not compare what so ever.
is the kona stab primo a good DH bike (i think its from 2000) it has a Marzocchi Monster T, 7.0" travel fork and a Fox Vanilla RC, 9.0" travel Rear Shock so is it good for FR/DH an Read More »
So I've decided to pick up a full blown DH bike as I found a shop that is clearing out their fleet of Kona's at a killer price. They've got to move about 30 of these bikes for the Read More »
What bikes do you think would be better for down hill. im confused there all so good. The only thing i am concerned about is that the demo 7 has a single crown and all the other Read More »
Calling on Stab Delux or Primo owners...
Do you race DH regularly?
D.O.P.E equipped?
How's climbing on it: Can you make do for 'medium' steep climbs*, if you're just riding alo Read More »
Found a possible deal on a 2000 Kona Stab Primo in good shape, and I'm wondering if it is still worth buying.
I've been looking for a Stab project for a few months now and would Read More »
