Submitted by
Graeme Hunt
a
from Tucson, Arizona, USA
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2006
Strengths: Frame is solid, and the softail takes the edge off the trails beautifully. Still climbs like a good hardtail. Easy to throw around.
Weaknesses: I agree with the others... the handlebars, seatpost and cranks aren't all that, but I've been abusing them all for 2 years now and they have held up just fine. I've had NO problems with the hubs, fork or seat, and I weighed as much as 185 (now down to 173) with no problems. Tiny bit heavy... mine weighs in at a hefty 33lbs. Original SUN rims were good but heavy.
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is that this is a great all-around bike for under a thousand clams. Like otherwise mentioned, if you're a weight wenie then it may be a bit too heavy for you, but I have put this through 2 years of solid, teeth-jarring abuse and NOTHING has broken on it. Just this past weekend I bent the big chainring, but that's it. Frame is solid and stable, softail takes the bumps and saves your bum, and most of the stock components are decent. I feel this is a solid Intermediate ride that can be made great with a few timely upgrades... a hidden gem.
Okay, here's the deal. When I first saw this bike, I was very skeptical. I had never ridden a soft tail before, and did not have a very good picture in my head of them, nor did I know much about KHS. That said, I love this frame. Every time get on the bike I love it more. It pedals like a slightly flexy hardtail, but the ride is spectacular. You can go out on an all day ride and get off feeling great. On small drops and rocks it feels like a full suspension. The one type of terrain I have noticed that it does not do a great job of taking out the edge of the hit is on roots. At speed roots that are high in the dirt make traction a real issue, as with a hardtail. The frame is suprisingly light but it will NEVER BE SUPER-LIGHT. If you are a weight weenie, get a KHS alite. The alite 4000 is a 3 pound frame.
Now for the components. We'll start with the bad. The handlebar is not good. I swapped it out the day I got it and put my Titec on it. The bar ended up cracking at a bend after about a year of abuse on an a trials/urban bike. I bent the rails on the seat as well, and I weight 160. The fork. Well... I have had big problems with an air and oil leak. Every time I put air in the pressure forced the oil out through the dust seals. After a couple of months I tore the fork apart and found a flaw on an air seal. Hopefully after I replace that seal, my issues with this fork will go away. Fortunately it is air ASSIST, so if you weigh less than me, you can ride the fork fine with no air at all. I am planning on buying a Marzocchi Marathon soon, and then most of my planned upgrades and issues with this bike will be over. Okay, the wheels. A few months after buying this bike, I had the freehub die. The rachet just would not bite. After using a cheap intermediary hub for a few months I built a new wheelset and got discs because they are fun. :) Seriously though, the brakes are light, easy to work on and work well enough, but in the conditions I ride in, (mud, creeks, ice, etc.) the rim brakes would occasionally leave me holding the lever and my breath into a turn. Last thing bad I have to say is buy a Avid rollamajig. I had small shifting problems because of the cable housing relative to the geometry of the rear triangle. An easy $6 fix.
After all of that rambling, I still adore this bike, if that tells you anything. This is an extremely versatile frame. With no upgrades it will take you farther into the trails than any other bike out there for that price. With some key upgrades over time, this bike will become a part of you. The smaller company of KHS gives this bike more character than all the Treks and Giants out there.
The Bottom line: I cannot see how anyone would be disappointed with this bike. I ride nearly every day in the warm seasons and I beat the crap out of this bike. I have told you ALL of my qualms with this bike and I want to say that IF I ever kill this frame, I will buy another, or at least another KHS. Good luck shopping for your new bike, I know it is a challenge. Be sure to stop and look at KHS they have some of the most versatile, affordable, and best hardtails and soft tails out there, and that's quite a combination
Bike Setup: KHS comp st. Hayes hydrolic discs, xt rear derailleur, Titec hellbent riser, xt hubs, rhyno lite rims, Avid rollamajig
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Submitted by
Stick Nick
a Downhiller
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2004
Strengths: For the price the bike has some great components: Avid V's and levers, Kore stem, Panaracer tires, Sun Rims... The frams is light enough for the city and burly enough for the mountain... cromo back end is nice.
Weaknesses: Sopme crap parts. Would have paid a few extra bucks for a decent crankset (the TruVative 5D is complete crap) and the Power Tools componets are ass (especially the handlebars).
Bottom Line:
The bike has nice jump - but feels "soft" in the rear here and there. The company could have added a better crankset and handlebars: like me, Im sure most people would not have minded paying a litte more.
Haven't really hammerd it on the mountain yet - but is holding up nice to my city abuse; the 1" of rear travel is nice to help take the edge off.
For beginning thrashers this bike will be a good place to start - especially if learning how to upgrade parts yourself :-)
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rock Hopper - custom painted, upgraded components.
Bike Setup: Stock except I have upgraded the handlebar to an alloy, downhill riser and replaced the clipless pedals with soem VP platforms... WIll be changing the following over the next few months: New Crank set (LX or XT with an MRP chain tensioner), new, dosc ready hubs (will have the wheels rebuilt) and will be adding discs early next summer.
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Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Christchurch, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2003
Strengths: Specs for the price, soft tail takes the bite off the trail. Good frame geometry provides excellent balance for single track riding.
Weaknesses: Poor spokes, have had the back wheel rebuilt. Very poor quality seat, bent the seat rails. Couple of weeks later bent the seat post. This occured from XC riding on mild to moderate terrain that any average bike should handle. The shocks (RS Pilot) were initially terrible, with easy bottoming out. A lot of money spent on a full rebuild made them run better, but the air assist constantly leaks making the shocks too soft.
Bottom Line:
A couple of upgrades would have made this bike great. The bike went to the shop too many times in the first 6 months with me dishing out $$$$$$$ that I would have been happy to spend on better components in the first place. My advice, replace the seat/post/wheels/shocks and you have a great XC bike.
Bike Setup: Standard, except for stronger spokes, Fiziks seat (titanium rails), stronger seat-post.
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Submitted by
Adski
a Weekend Warrior
from Newcastle, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2003
Strengths: CroMo frame lasts forever, as does the elastomer shock. Been freeriding it and it's solid but still light and fast in XC mode.
Weaknesses: Potentially harsh rebound in the back end due to the lack of damping. Not a real problem except on a certain frequency of bumps.
Bottom Line:
Brilliant value for it's capabilities. Just enough resilience in the rear end and CroMo frame to take the edge off nasties, and no maintenance required! Definitely no rear-end harshness that's prevalent in Aluminium bikes. Hardtail price with a much better feel, snappy and fast yet resilient. Gotta love steel bikes.
Bike Setup: Platform spd's, risers, Sun Rhino-Lite 36h wheelset, Deore/LX.
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Submitted by
Brett
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003
Strengths: A great bike for those who do not want the weight penalty of full suspension but need the comfort and added traction offered by the 1" rear travel, this bike is almost as stiff as my previous Trek 9.9 and just as light
