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Submitted by
Brian T
a Cross Country Rider
from Norwich
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Bluff Point | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1150.00 | | Purchased At: | Mystic Cycle | | Strengths: | Price!Awsome, Full Susp.. | | Weaknesses: | Handlebars are Thin,Deore shifters and Deore front dur. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek. | | Bike Setup: | Upgrades:Race Face Bars,XT Shifters,XT Front Dur.,Race Face evolve Crank,Panaracer Tires | | Bottom Line: | With the price of this full suspention bike you can do a few Up-grades and Make it your own!I bought an 06 and the shop knocked off $300.Thats the cash i used for the up grades.Sweet Machine, Nice ride, Alot of bang for the buck. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from Maple Ridge BC Canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | i have just a question how much does this weigh? thats is it.
put up on review..=thanks thanks | | Bottom Line: | i want an answer | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tony Carr
a Weekend Warrior
from Dorking, Surrey, UK
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | North Downs area | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Nirvana, Westcot, Surrey | | Strengths: | Strong frame, good stability, looks good, wearing well after 2000 miles | | Weaknesses: | Can be a bit flighty sometimes if not fully concentrating. The setup of standard BB and cranks - woefull! Had massive chainsuck with Raceface cranks everytime I went from middle to granny. Chainsuck almost ruined swinging arm!! | | Similar Products Used: | Scott something or other and Marin :) | | Bike Setup: | Back shock at 120, front shocks at ?? can't remember lol, Nirvana did a swap (at no cost) of swinging arm, cranks and BB to Shimano LX with hollow BB set - beeeeoootiful | | Bottom Line: | Good all round bike, used to ride most evenings last summer locally in North Downs area averaging 20-30 miles per night and 60 -80 miles on a weekend - bike never let me down after chainset and BB was changed. Did south Downs way on it and it was an excellent ride on the kona. Good for weekend warrior and intermediate loon wanting some XC/single track fun. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jared Lester
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashua
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Happy? | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Strengths: | Heavy, Durable, Could bve used by a Grizzly Bear | | Weaknesses: | Breaks Easily, Constant Maintenance Problems, Gear S | | Similar Products Used: | Cake 2 DLX Gary Fisher | | Bike Setup: | 5:1 Gear Ratio with Hard Bikes | | Bottom Line: | DONT BUY THIS BIKE... IF YOU RESPECT MY OPINION | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Lemos
a Weekend Warrior
from Windsor California USA
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1050.00 | | Purchased At: | East Side Cycles | | Strengths: | I got this bike for Christmas, and it is one awesome bike! It handles everything well and the bike shop took
$600 of the normal price, love the color and everything; great bike. | | Weaknesses: | NOTHING | | Similar Products Used: | Specilized (don't know how to spell it) big hit and giant stp1 | | Bike Setup: | full suspedntion front bomber shocks and back has Fox float | | Bottom Line: | Great bike, reccomend to all!! Really good cross country Always go with KONA! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drew
a Weekend Warrior
from NC
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Bennett Gap | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Strengths: | pedals very efficiently,some bob when standing, light weight, stiff chasis, nimble as well as burly, can handle agressive riding up to carefully performed 4 and 5 foot drops. on trail although bike performs best in agressive XC conditions. At high speeds the bike can get a little jumpy but handles very well in turns accelerates well and is a great climber. | | Weaknesses: | not much small bump absorbtion, BB creaking | | Bike Setup: | I have since switched to avid mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors for easy on trail brake adjustment.Ryhnolite XT disc wheels,wheels added some weight but lots of strength and steadyness in fast bumpy conditions. | | Bottom Line: | If you are anyone from the weekend warrior to the agressive XC racer looking for an easy to pedal bike that can also hang when the trail gets rough, this is the bike for you. Weight is kept to a minimum (Easton Ultralite Aluminum Tubing)while the strength of the overall bike is hardly compromised. If you are looking to freeride downhill or urban, try something else! Trail warriors and endurance riders may be on to something here... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Julian
a
from England
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light, good components, lock outs front and rear, decent brakes, excellent XC bike and good value if you can get a discount. | | Weaknesses: | Remote lock out would have been nice | | Similar Products Used: | Tested the following at dealer before purchase, Scott Strike Team,Orange Sub 5, Giant NRS 2,Marin Rock Springs | | Bike Setup: | Std | | Bottom Line: | Tested back to back the nearest competition was in fact the NRS2 but the Kona is just a better alround package!! Marin Very dissapointing unless you want the option of 6" travel at the rear. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nat
a Cross Country Rider
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | 'Lava' (chch) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | maladjusted Canberra australia | | Strengths: | Handles really well
Not too heavy
Versatile
Rear shock lock out which I used a lot.
Breaks are nice and perform well, and dont add much expense to the whole package.
I got the bike after a bumpy 24 hr race on a hard tail, and swore I would never ride a hardtail again, and after riding the Kikapu delux for a month or so it was so nice, I thought that it was the answer (as you do when you buy a new bike). | | Weaknesses: | I had several difficulties initially with rear hub and gear changing. May relate to assembly.
Rear suspension 'bobs' a lot, and I'm interested to read reviews that say it doesnt. I weigh about 70kg (154 pounds)and when I get off the saddle I lose heaps of power. I have some benchmark climbs that I use to compare bikes and compare tyres etc and the power of a hardtail beats the dual on almost any steep climb, technical or not.
I have just broken the frame (fatigue fracture of chainstay near the weld) so time will tell on the warranty service....
I also had some troubles with the disc brakes (shimano deore) with taking the wheels on and off. They often required adjustment. The brakes perform very well when they are aligned.
Marzoucchi bombers took a while to smooth out. I dont use the front lock out very much, but it does improve power if you use it. The lock out has stuck a couple of times throwing me into downhills with not much travel. | | Similar Products Used: | None for any length of time. | | Bike Setup: | changed saddle to fizik, otherwise as it came. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is a nice ride, with nice but affordable components.
It handles really well and is versatile enough to race and free ride....
But if you want to win XC races, I think you lose too much on the climbs to use this bike.
If you are racing 24 hour races the plush handling and rear suspension will almost certainly save you time by the end.
But, somehow my frame broke and that's not really ideal...
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern California
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Flume | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1899.00 | | Purchased At: | The back country | | Strengths: | Breaks, shifters, raceface crank, Marzoochi fork, Fox float rear shock. Get the picture, no upgrades needed on this bike. Handles very good. Rear suspension is top notch. Has lock out both front and rear but I don't think it's necessary. To me it's a very light bike. It looks good. | | Weaknesses: | The rider is the biggest weakness. Kona grips feel like your holding a bare handlebar. Kona seat was the first to go. | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0, Haro X3& X2, Marin Mount Vision, KHS 1500, K2 attack 3.0, Marin Bear Valley. | | Bike Setup: | Speed vee seat. Everything else stock. | | Bottom Line: | I put alot of work into buying this bike and this was the best setup for the money that I could find. I'm what you would call a Clydsdale. With a Camelback full of water and tools I can tip the scales at about 250 lbs. After riding this bike for 5 minutes I felt like this is the bike I've been ridding for a year. Suspension is plush but not overly bouncy so I can't feel any bob. I rode the Flume trail on this bike and it just performed flawless,very comfortable. The only discomfort I've expirenced is the grips. Because of my size & weight I almost got sucked into the 5-6 inches of travel craze that seems to be the fad. Long travel bikes are nice if your doing 10'jumps but for the rest of us it just means more weight. This bike feels light, handles great and climbs like you wouldn't believe and I haven't come close to bottoming out the suspension. Shimano disk breaks are second to none, quiet and they feel good. The only bad thing, and it almost kept me from buying this bike, is the name. Whoever is the brainchild behind the name Kikapu should be spanked. If you want a bike with the upgrades on then this is the bike for you. Bottom line, there are alot of nice bikes out there. It's hard to buy a bad bike but this one is a winner you will not regret buying this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GordonG
a Cross Country Rider
from Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Not too hard, please! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | The BikeMan Cairns | | Strengths: | Nice build, good components, great geometry, it's a Kona :) | | Weaknesses: | Too fast for me! | | Similar Products Used: | Previous bikes Kona Caldera, Kona Pahoehoe | | Bike Setup: | Standard apart from lights and speedo and stuff like that | | Bottom Line: | This is my third Kona, my first full-suspension bike. Geeze, I wish my back had discovered rear suspension ages ago! Would have saved a lot of pain. When I first got the bike, it was set up for America (front brake lever on the left, not the right as here in Aus) and I promptly launched myself over the top on my first ride. You can't blame the bike, but it definitely proved the brakes are the best I've ever used.
The bike accelerates like a rocket out of corners and up hills, even with this fat old fart on it, is comfortable to ride, looks good even though the colour is not quite what I'd expected, although it grows on you.
If I had to pick any problem area, it would be one that applies to all full-suspension bikes: I've yet to see one that was easy to clean!
I'd recommend this bike to anyone who has deep enough pockets - it's actually worth the money... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a Weekend Warrior
from Hoboken,NJ
Date Reviewed: April 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Stillwell | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Palace | | Strengths: | Lightweight frame, fully adjustable suspension with lockouts, quality components, and it's a Kona! | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale F900 | | Bottom Line: | Awesome lightweight machine for racing or for the weekend warrior. You can't beat a Kona whether you're carving up the singletrack, or bombing down hills... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
COLT
a Cross Country Rider
from THAMES VALLEY UK
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | CHILTERN HILLS | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2432.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Dock NI 20% Discount | | Strengths: | Lightweight and feels ‘tight’, nice suspension feel both ends, disc brakes exceptioonal. | | Weaknesses: | No rebound adjustment. No complete lockout on the forks, goes down to – 30mm. Saddles a bit hard for an oldie on XC rides – ok I’m only 32 !
| | Similar Products Used: | Klein Palomino, Klein Adept, Specialised Epic, Specialised Enduro/Enduro Comp | | Bike Setup: | Stock except addition of Lizard skins. New saddle soon. | | Bottom Line: | Firstly don’t let the colour in the brochure deceive you, it’s not bright yellow but a really nice dark gold colour.
I was initially going to go for the Kikapu but UK supply delays until May put me off, I’m glad I didn’t however as this bike rocks. It feels light and manageable at 26.9 pounds and perfectly balanced with a really plush suspension system even for me at 6’4” and 16.5 stone. Compared to the other bikes I rode it felt 'tight' with no wallow or loose feel although to be fair I only rode them on the hard stuff.
I was slightly disheartened that the Float RL wasn’t on the bike with rebound adjust but with the stock set up I’ve got it feels just right on the rough and smooth. The lockout lever is a nice addition because lets face it most of us ride on the road or steep flat sections at some point. Having said that I don’t actually lock it out that much favouring the floaty rear end – I’ve been on a Hard tail for 8 years !
The brakes are superb with no fade and nearly threw me over the front on the streets in my home town.
Lastly in true Kona style its nice to see a varied mix of quality componentry adding to the look and feel of the bike. All in all I am extremely pleased with this bike and it’s a real joy to ride. Despite a few very minor weaknesses I give it a score 4.5
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TERRY KUTZBACH
a Cross Country Rider
from MESA, AZ. USA
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | MC DOWELL MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1899.00 | | Purchased At: | EHRHARDT CYCLERY | | Strengths: | VERY LIGHTWEIGHT FRAME AND COMPONENTS, ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION, QUALITY FRAME | | Weaknesses: | NONE SO FAR | | Bottom Line: | THIS IS A GREAT XC RACING MACHINE, ACCELERATES QUICKLY AND CARVES THE CORNERS WELL. NICE MIX OF COMPONENTS AND A QUALITY FINISHED PRODUCT. IDEAL FOR SERIOUS RIDER INTERESTED IN LIGHT WEIGHT XC RACE MACHINE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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