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Submitted by
mattwhi
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Dalby Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Strengths: | Solid frame easy to ride XC, handles ok for decents | | Weaknesses: | Rear Stock shock I find to be very hard, a front shock with a little more travel would be nice | | Similar Products Used: | nothing similar - Commencal Supreme mini DH | | Bike Setup: | Stock except from DMR V8 pedals and Juicy 5 front disc brake and Maxxis Swampthing tyres | | Bottom Line: | when I first purchased the bike I was very happy but after given the bike some hammer on some tough XC trails I found the brakes to comepletly give up (scary decents with no brakes) hence up upgraded front to hydraulic, this year the bike seems to be slowly falling apart upgraded the components slowing. bottom bracket and headset creek allot which is anoying | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Johnson
a Cross Country Rider
from Thousand Oaks, CA
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | guadalasca to backbone to PCH | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheel World | | Strengths: | solid frame, easy to learn how to work on and fiddle with full suspension disc brake bike. I love the Sun rims | | Weaknesses: | It depends what kind of rider you are. If this is your first real new mountain bike and are riding XC, this bike is great especially at the price you can get a full stock setup on. If you know anything about bikes or have some steep climbs or bumpy descents, this bike has some issues. Trying to keep up with some good all mountain bikes on the DH will be a white knuckle ride thats not fun. Shock and fork need to go. Brakes need an upgrade. I have had to make lots of adjustments on the Deore rear derailleur and the 8 cog stock model is cruel and unusual punishment. Super heavy bike. | | Similar Products Used: | none in this class. Fisher Cake, Yeti 575, Trance X1 | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi MZ 3 fork, Deore all around (8 speed cassette). Fox vanilla shock. Hayes MX 2 disc brakes. I threw on some panaracer XC Pros and am happy with those. | | Bottom Line: | Like the other posters have said, if this is your first full suspension disc brake bike and you are on a budget get this bike.It is well worth $600 making the jump from a 10 year old hard tail.I have put in about 2000 miles on this bike since June and had some awesome rides around Ventura and SLO counties. The fork, shock and brakes are easy to adjust and learn on. Casual XC riders would love this setup. The minute you ride your buddies top of the line bike, you are in for a world of hurt. You notice the bumps and weight and you can't wait to upgrade. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Turner
a Weekend Warrior
from Huntingdon, Cambridge, U.K
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | chicksands bike park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Grafham Water Cycles | | Strengths: | Amazing bike. Cheap to begin with, hi-spec components don't look out of place. Can handle anything i've done on it which includes weekends away on the North Yorkshire moors, the odd xc race and it excells in the duel and 4x freeride stuff at chicksands! fantastice bike!!!Highly recommended for someone looking for a do-anything bike. Looks nice too! | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy. bushes neeed regular mantainance. high bottom bracket means I find I run the seat a little lower to avoid being too far over the bars. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Kahuna '03 | | Bike Setup: | xt brakes, xt mechs, marzocchi bomber z1 drop-off 130, fox float r, easton ea70 bars/stem/seat post,maxxis high roller 2.3 kevlar tyres. | | Bottom Line: | Very versatile bike. Great fun to ride. Can take anything most riders will throw at it. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
VegasJoe
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Vegas
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | sheep range | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$899.00 | | Purchased At: | Southwest bikes | | Strengths: | Being my first full suspension bike,I am loving it. Price was right. First bike with disc brakes. Love 'em | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | GT Outpost | | Bike Setup: | Stock setup | | Bottom Line: | Great bike! A little heavier than expected. Maybe future component upgrades will fix this | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Austin
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | wheelworld.com | | Strengths: | The frame is great -- feels sturdy for a XC bike. Gotta love the gold -- hopefully I can get a pair of Crank Bros. 5050's to match it. I only bought the frame, which is a great deal. The rear shock is great if you're a little more aggressive a rider, or if you like the feel of a coil. | | Weaknesses: | Not many -- only thing I can see is that the shape of the chainstays are conducive to eating up the chain -- you almost need a chain guide. I've bent a few links in just the little while I've been riding it. Other than that, however... | | Similar Products Used: | IH Warrior Expert, IH Warrior DS. | | Bike Setup: | Kikapu frame, SRAM and FSA drivetrain, Marzocchi/Fox suspension, Truvativ/WTB cockpit, Mavic wheelset. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great frame for a great price. It will take abuse to an extent, and is pretty solid. I'm not so sure about the stock build, but it's been great to me so far. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan D
a Cross Country Rider
from Fullerton, CA
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Fullerton Loop, Chino Hills, Whiting Ranch & Aliso | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$325.00 | | Purchased At: | wheelworld.com | | Strengths: | This review is for the 2006 Kikapu *frame* only. I bought the frame online and built it up with my own components.
For the price, you cannot beat this frame. It is my first full suspension frame and it has been able to handle any & all trails that I have thrown at it. For the most part, I ride almost exclusively XC, but it has handled some very gnarly (yet infrequent) single track & downhills without any problems. The ride position is very comfortable. It also is simply a GOOD LOOKING bike; guys on bikes that cost 3x as much as my entire build often compliment me on it and ask to ride it. | | Weaknesses: | Long time FS riders tell me that the Fox Vanilla shock is not optimal for XC riding. However, since this is my first FS frame, I do not have a single complaint about the ride or the amount of travel. | | Similar Products Used: | First FS frame. | | Bike Setup: | I bought the frame alone and built up the ride with good components. My Kikapu looks nothing like what you would get if you bought the bike as a complete build. | | Bottom Line: | You cannot beat this frame. I am a firm believer that "it's the rider--not the bike--that makes the difference". With that in mind, this frame has never let me down; it has never been bested by any trail that I have thrown at it.
I love my Kikapu and would recommend it to anyone looking to do mostly XC riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ricky G-money
a Cross Country Rider
from Mission Viejo, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | In RSM | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$650.00 | | Purchased At: | wheelworld.com | | Strengths: | Nice looking gold frame! Looks very sturdy, all components work great. Front shocks are starting to feel a little softer after a few weeks of riding which is nice. Price is great for full suspesion bike with disk brakes! This bike will get better with age (as suspension is upgraded). Loving this bike so far.. | | Weaknesses: | Seems to have a creeking sound coming from headset, bottom bracket, or frame sometimes.. when riding which is a little anoying at times. Chain SOMETIMES hits frame when landing from a small jump (jumping off a curb, or small obsticle) maybe a better rear derailur will keep it from doing that, I'm a noob so maybe thats normal.. Rear fox vanilla shock feels little stiff.. it will definitely be my first upgrade. Feels a little heavy, higher quality components will solve that. | | Similar Products Used: | 1998 Marin Riftzone; 2003 Specialized rockhopper. | | Bike Setup: | All stock from the shop. | | Bottom Line: | Sweet bike for the price! Perfect for a begginer who is broke and wants a descent bike. You wont find much close to this quality for the pirce. Gets you on the trails! As you get better you can upgrade componets, frame is worthy of keeping around for a long time and it has a 4 year warranty. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul McElhone
a Cross Country Rider
from Lincoln, UK
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Red Route at Laggan Wolftrax | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Rutland Cycles | | Strengths: | Really plush ride after a few hundred miles bedding in.
Excellent spec for the price. | | Weaknesses: | A bit on the weighty side, but I onlt notice this when putting it on the car. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Fire Mountain, Specialised Hardrock, Trek 6500 | | Bike Setup: | As stock but with SPDs. Mine came with the 9spd Deore setup and Hayes MX2 mechanical discs. | | Bottom Line: | Fantastic bike for the price (I paid £600 for the 9spd deore version). Although it seems heavy compared to my old Hardtail this isn't at all noticeable on the trails. It climbs like a demon, and seems to find oodles of traction going up no matter where you point it. The forks and rear shock took a little while to bed in, and okay, they're not particualrly adjustable, but at the moment they seem fine. The Fox shock eats bigger bumps, and is starting to be more responsive over the smaller stuff, yet with barely any noticable bob on seated climbs. The bike is so sorted that it's rare I have to climb out of the saddle so I don't get bothered by it bobbing about then either.
Point it downhill or on twisty singltrack and it's just got a HUGE grin factor. It handles fantastically and the riding position is perfect for me (5'10" on an 18" frame).
In short, I love this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J
a Weekend Warrior
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$275.00 | | Purchased At: | online - price is frame only | | Strengths: | -good price
-good geometry
-it's a Kona | | Weaknesses: | -weight
-stock components are iffy - build it yourself or upgrade | | Bike Setup: | bought frame, built up with:
-Marzocchi MX Pro ETA/TAS
-SRAM drivetrain (X7 RD/triggers, X9 FD)
-Avid BB7 mech disc brakes
-Race Face Evolve XC cockpit/crank
-Crank Bros Candy C pedals
-Serfas Furano saddle
-Sun Rhyno Lite rims/Deore hubs
-WTB Timberwolf front/Panaracer Smoke rear tires | | Bottom Line: | If you can get a good deal and then put some decent components on it, you won't be disappointed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Canberra ACT
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Stromlo | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Purchased At: | bikes,com.au | | Strengths: | The frame is really nice - reason I bought the bike. Mine came with 9 speed Deore throughout, which is nice. The crank and BB also seem fine. It's a nice ride and handles all XC conditions well. The Hayes MX2 discs work very well indeed. The Sun Black Eye rims are nice and sturdy. | | Weaknesses: | I bought the entry level gold 2006 model - so obviously the equipement is not the best. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Stumpjumper, 2004 Kikapu Deluxe. | | Bike Setup: | I have changed many parts - new seat and post, new flat bars and longer stem. Fox Float on the rear and upgrading to Reba or F100 on the front. Candy C pedals. WTB grips. Maxxis Crossmark tyres with Flyweight tubes. | | Bottom Line: | It's a great entry level XC bike - and the frame is so good it's worth spending money upgrading equipment as things wear out. The stock suspension with the base model is entry level only and will need to be upgraded to cope with proper XC riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jonny
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Unbelievable value for money, reasonable components for the price, nice feel when riding. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly heavy for true XC bike, but at this price and being a full susser its par for the course. Pedals that come with bike are useless, throw them out and if you like flatties buy V8's! | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Rockhopper Comp - similar in that it is a similar price and an XC rig, but of the hardtail variety. Also tried Kona Dawg. | | Bike Setup: | Standard, apart from DMR V8 pedals and Shimano XT hydraulic brakes (180mm front & rear). | | Bottom Line: | I really do love this bike. Its just a great bike to ride and very much an all rounder for trail riding. You could ride long XC loops on the Saturday and tackle steep, technical trails the next day no problem. When I want to ride for a long time I put the seat up and when I want to tackle tricky descents I just drop the saddle down. The bike has never let me down. Im going to try 130mm forks on her, might not be the best idea, but I fancy seeing how much it can handle. The only criticisms I have are that I find I have to adjust the Deore rear mech frequently to keep it running sweet. Also I got rid of the mechanical discs, they were okay but nothing matches the feel of a decent hydraulic. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tommy Fuchs
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Ant Hills | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | Online | | Strengths: | Popular suspension design that is good all around. | | Weaknesses: | After riding for about 6 months I noticed a crack in the seat stay. Kona only offered to replace the bolt-on seat stay. After about a year I noticed a crack where the top tube meets the seat tube. Kona should now replace the entire frame but I will have to see. I am a 6' 170 pound rider on a 20" frame. I am not a heavy rider for my height and I would have thought a Kona would have held up better. I do not ride crazy stuff, just XC and single track. I have never dented a frame (can someone tell me how in the hell you dent a frame). | | Similar Products Used: | GT Outpost, GT i-drive, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR | | Bike Setup: | The stock setup never hit the ground. As soon as I got the bike all the stock components came off and I built it up nice. Fox vanilla RLC. Raceface headset, bars, stem, seat post, and cranks. Hayes carbon nine brakes. All XTR shifters, front and rear deraillers with avid flak jacket shift cable set. Sram cassett and chain. And a set of Mavic Crossmax XL wheels to finish it off. | | Bottom Line: | I'm not sure if I just got a lemon or if there are more frames with bad welds on them out there. I have a friend with a Kona Stuff he beat the crap out of for years with no issues, this is one reason I bought a Kona. I thought it was what I wanted at the time. The rear suspension was not as plush as my i-drive was but it did seem more solid. I was discouraged when the first crack appeared and have had my eye on a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR ever since. My FSR should be here tomorrow and the kikapu is going back to kona. The kikapu will be put back to stock once I get the new frame and put on ebay soon there after. So look for an all new Kona Kikapu soon on ebay. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Gladstone, OR
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Purchased At: | Fat Tire Farm | | Strengths: | Great smooth ride... Good for a beginner who wants to get a start. Great value for the price. May not be good for someone over 240 lbs. The gold color looks great and turns heads. Great bike out of the box and can be even better with some upgrades, like the drive train. | | Weaknesses: | Narrow tires, with ok traction. The weight is heavier than I prefer, espcially when carrying. The chain makes some nose when jumping, probably caused by the rear derailer. For the price I would have expected better rear and front derailer. I don't understand putting $50 accessories on a thousand dollar bike. | | Bike Setup: | Stock from the box. | | Bottom Line: | I would recommend this bike to anyone. huge step up from a department store bike. No regrets..... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chris
a Weekend Warrior
from whangarei, new zealand
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | glenbervie forest | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | bike barn - auckland | | Strengths: | great frame & decent spec for a dual sus bike at this price | | Weaknesses: | mz comp fork very stiff & reluctant to give 100mm travel,
slight weight penalty for dual suspension | | Similar Products Used: | marin nail frs (1996), voodoo hoodoo al. | | Bike Setup: | vanilla r fork, monkey bar vice, hope mini 8" front disc, m535 spd pedals. | | Bottom Line: | a great bike with a dialled ride & handling. a good frame for upgrading. the original forks were not too great, with the vanilla up front is now a lot better at handling the bumps. maybe miss rebound on rear shock. pedals well and does not bob too much. would recomend to anybody after a good budget full susser.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Oakland County, MI
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Lakeshore | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$995.00 | | Purchased At: | Continental Bike Shop, Hazel Park MI | | Strengths: | It's a Kona - robust frame, worthy of future upgrades, stands up well to my own 6 ft. 3 in. 230 pound clydesdale frame, pretty decent components for an entry-level full susser XC bike, including disc brakes. Sharp-looking graphics and paint job as well. | | Weaknesses: | Weight, but that's only noticeable when I'm hauling it down the front steps or putting it into the car. It was my own preference to immediately upgrade the shifters, and if I had the money I'd have upgraded the Marzocchi fork to a higher performance one. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Prophet | | Bike Setup: | Salsa stem, SRAM X.7 shifters, X.9 rear derailleur, Crank Bros. Egg Beater pedals | | Bottom Line: | I still love my C'dales, but I've become a real fan of Kona's XC geometry, beefy North Shore designs, and sturdy build quality, along with all the confidence that it inspires. For someone either just starting out in mountain biking or has a limited budget that prevents them from getting a race-ready The King (same frame as the base Kikapu, just better components), this is a great bike that you can grow with. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kyle
a Weekend Warrior
from Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikeworks | | Strengths: | 2006 kikapu - looks great, full suspension, disc brakes. Rugged enough to handle trails right 'out of the box' | | Weaknesses: | Rear shock, may be fox, but bob's quite a bit. Drivetrain is kind of weak, truvative five d, and deore / alivio derailleurs. Expected better with that price. Not a good bike if you are over 220 lbs..... | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Race Face diabolous bars and stem(yes I know they are DH), thomson elite seatpost, odi lock ons, Race Face evolve cranks x-type | | Bottom Line: | this bike is a great way to get into the sport fairly cheap yet be confident that it will hold up to some abuse, realizing that it is not a freeride/DH special, and will break if you ride it that way. Bike gets looks all day from other riders, and is easily upgradeable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Orange
a Weekend Warrior
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Sta. Rosa | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$279.00 | | Purchased At: | Trade for my Caldera | | Strengths: | Entry level dual suspension. A great upgrade if your are using a hardtail and the rear suspension is a fox baby! | | Weaknesses: | None so far! | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis XLT 3.0 | | Bike Setup: | Avid BB7, Avid Speed Dial 7, XT derailleurs and cassette | | Bottom Line: | I am pleased and very happy that I upgraded to a full suspension bike. My ride right know is more bearable and relaxing. If your planning to upgrade, don't hesitate, do it but purchase a Kona, they got their geometry right on the button! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tobbe
a Weekend Warrior
from West Coast Sweden
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | cykelspec.se | | Strengths: | It's a Kona! And, in the EU spec, it comes with clipless pedals and disc brakes (deore mech). It rides like a good full suspension bike, stands up to abuse and is great fun overall! | | Weaknesses: | The saddle is horrible. The tires are a compromise in any condition. The overall weight! | | Similar Products Used: | Kona King Kikapu, 1998 year model. | | Bike Setup: | As it came out of the box. | | Bottom Line: | Value for money! I sold my 1998 King Kikapu because it was getting old and needed too much attention. Went on my hardtail for half a year, but something was missing. So I went for this budget - but brand new - bike. And I'm really happy with the way it rides.
If you want to go full susp without spending a fortune, try this one! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
david musco
a
from denver,colorado,USA
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Front suspention little iffy. If you get it you might what to get a new fork. Its back shock is ok, if your a somewhat beginner to full suspension cross country this bike is great. Also great handling! Tires are ok, little small, handle loose gravel ok! | | Weaknesses: | terrible for even trying a jump. kona moose grips really bother me becuase when ever your didn't where gloves your hands get super sweaty. if your going to only basically do cross country.....great bike......but if your crazy like me.....not the best bike | | Bottom Line: | its a ok bike... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Durham
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | XC Where ever | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$825.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike | | Strengths: | Tech support. They do a good job of getting back to you. Marzocchi makes good forks. | | Weaknesses: | Frame. It is not noted in the manual, on the webiste as far as I could see nor did my dealer inform me that an 04 Kikapu was not a good buy for a 6ft 8 inch 255 pounder, who rides twenty of thirty hours of technical trails a month. The tech sizing guide stated that the bike would fit me height wise, but stipulated nothing about weight. After I bought the bike a random email to tech support informed me I'd be better off on a Coiler. They were right. I have broken two Kikapu frames - log hopping and rock hopping on anywhere from tech one to tech three (plus) rated singletrack. The frames can handle 180 pound riders. | | Similar Products Used: | Tested Prophet (Cannondale sez their frames have no weight restrictions), Specialized XC (lifetime warranty), Giant Reign (Lifetime warranty I think...) | | Bike Setup: | Just a box of parts now and no frame. No bike. Have to wait a few months to get another one and it'll be cold again. | | Bottom Line: | I'm fortunate to have walked away from two frame break rides. Wet conditions, night rides, cold, rain, snow and challenging trails - no ER. My ride is smooth. I do (did) it 5 days a week. I don't attempt stupid stunts on an XC bike. It's just depressing that these touted burly bikes don't hold up well under weight and torque. Consider manufacturers with lifetime warranties on their frames if you are big and want FS. Avoid this bike. If you are a welter, fly or flea weight then this bike holds value for the intended design. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
j west
a Cross Country Rider
from edmonton, alta, can
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | slickrock practice loop | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | poison spider bicycles | | Strengths: | the fork was responsive when it needed to be, and the rear shock didn't sap my energy. The derailers shifted quickly and smothly. Lighter than my hardtail. | | Weaknesses: | no bashguard! The chain fell off when I was in 3rd gear in the front. The fork could have been better, I guess (because it is much better than my JUDY) | | Similar Products Used: | TREK 820, GARY FISHER Wahoo | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi MX comp, Fox Float rp3, Deore LX front, Deore XT rear, self-sealing tubes. | | Bottom Line: | This bike made handling drops and hills a breeze. I climbed a mountain road in the morning to get to the slickrock trail and it was quite easy. I rented this bike for $39 for one day, and it was quite a nice bike. I would suggest that you check out this bike when it comes on sale used later this season, as the one I rode had a huge upgrade in components. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor McCalla
a Racer
from Dakota Dunes, SD, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | DEATH MOUNTAIN | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1244.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Way | | Strengths: | Great for smooth, not very fast rides. Climbs 7 out of 10 thanks to the tires but they wear out fast. I like the silver (2005) but it wore off from my bike rack. The | | Weaknesses: | While going fast the front and rear shocks just make noise. After 1 day of fast riding i broke my fork. The brakes couldn't stop the bike itself even without a rider. The derailers can't keep the chain on track when it gets bumpy. The bottom swing arm bolt keeps coming loose and you can't reach it without taking it to a bike shop to take off the front chain rings. Not that cheap for a not that great of a bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Hardtail, Iron Horse whatchamacallit (rented), Cannondale Prophet (rented) | | Bike Setup: | New Odysses pedals and a Taco Bell Casadilla, FIESTA! | | Bottom Line: | The guys at the bike way told me i could use this for fast trail riding and small jumps. I know that it didn't to that. If you are going to be on flat ground (non-mountain terrain) this bike should work. But if you go any faster than 25mph and it can get pretty hairy, I'd dish out the extra $400 and get the coiler. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Taylor McCalla
a Racer
from Dakota Dunes, SD, USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | DEATH MOUNTAIN | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1244.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Way | | Strengths: | Great for smooth, not very fast rides. Climbs 7 out of 10 thanks to the tires but they wear out fast. I like the silver (2005) but it wore off from my bike rack. The | | Weaknesses: | While going fast the front and rear shocks just make noise. After 1 day of fast riding i broke my fork. The brakes couldn't stop the bike itself even without a rider. The derailers can't keep the chain on track when it gets bumpy. The bottom swing arm bolt keeps coming loose and you can't reach it without taking it to a bike shop to take off the front chain rings. Not that cheap for a not that great of a bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Hardtail, Iron Horse whatchamacallit (rented), Cannondale Prophet (rented) | | Bike Setup: | New Odysses pedals and a Taco Bell Casadilla, FIESTA! | | Bottom Line: | The guys at the bike way told me i could use this for fast trail riding and small jumps. I know that it didn't to that. If you are going to be on flat ground (non-mountain terrain) this bike should work. But if you go any faster than 25mph and it can get pretty hairy, I'd dish out the extra $400 and get the coiler. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Louisiana
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$649.00 | | Purchased At: | New Revolutions Cycles | | Strengths: | Well built, Excellent components for price, held up great so far. Shocks perform well, not much bob, soaks up big bumps. Love the brakes, grip well, easy to setup. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, front fork is okay, probably the first thing to be upgraded. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 830AL | | Bike Setup: | All stock except for TIME pedals | | Bottom Line: | Big step for me was the disc brakes, I love em. I was concerned about bob since i weight 220, but it doesn't bother me at all. $650 was a steal for this level of bike and the kona quality it great. I would recomend to anyone looking for an entry level full suspension. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Louisiana
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$649.00 | | Purchased At: | New Revolutions Cycles | | Strengths: | Well built, Excellent components for price, held up great so far. Shocks perform well, not much bob, soaks up big bumps. Love the brakes, grip well, easy to setup | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, front fork is okay, probably the first thing to be upgraded. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 830AL | | Bike Setup: | All stock except for TIME pedals | | Bottom Line: | Big step for me was the disc brakes, I love em. I was concerned about bob since i weight 220, but it doesn't bother me at all. $650 was a steal for this level of bike and the kona quality it great. I would recomend to anyone looking for an entry level full suspension. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Gambrill State Park (Frederick, MD) | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$599.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike | | Strengths: | Great price
Full suspension
Great price | | Weaknesses: | pretty heavy
pedals stink | | Bike Setup: | stock except added Salsa bashguard | | Bottom Line: | Way better bike than my Trek 4100. Got it on spring clearance so the price couldn't be beat. I don't notice the weight much since the 4100 was also heavy, but friends' bikes are much lighter. I find the rear shock to be pretty firm (I weigh 165) but it still smooths the real rough stuff without hurting you on the uphills. Fork isn't great, but it gets the job done. For $600 I couldn't have gotten a hard tail with similar components, this was an incredible deal. Great bike for anyone looking to try out full suspension. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sam d L
a Weekend Warrior
from Guelph, Ont, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Canmore nordic centre, Alberta | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Cafe | | Strengths: | Its a kona
Suitable for light freeride
Fairly efficient pedaller
Nice brakes, wheelsets, and drivetrain | | Weaknesses: | no lockout
coil shock sucks for racing
No SPD pedals | | Similar Products Used: | DaVinci XC
Santa Cruz Heckler
Rocky Mountain All Mountain Race | | Bike Setup: | Swiched to Stans noTubes
Switched Springsets
New Pedals
New chain | | Bottom Line: | Good bike for the proce that you pay. You get brand name parts on a Kona for $1000. You have to switch the pedals the springsets and the chain. You can take this bike basically anywhere you want to. This bike is good for people of all sizes. I like this bike it, fits me well and i am 6'7 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Durham, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocky Road | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$799.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike (Chapel Hill) | | Strengths: | Decent components for an entry level full suspension XC bike. Scalable. Frame. Price. | | Weaknesses: | When I plan to have kids, I will replace the stock saddle. I'll give my chaps a few rides to get used to it, but if they can't I'll be looking to ditch it. The bike is on the heavy side for XC, but I'm a Clydesdale and I should be the one shedding pounds. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant Yukon. Connondale Jekyl. Gary Fisher Cake 2. | | Bike Setup: | Stock for now. I'll ride it until parts start to annoy me. If they don't I'll leave them alone. No, wait, I was too heavy for the stock spring so I had Patrick (Performance) throw on a 1050lb spring. I'm 255 lbs. PERFECT! | | Bottom Line: | Best bang for the buck especially if you find it on sale. Bryan, Patrick and Jeremy over at Performance Bikes in Chapel Hill were very patient as I researched what full suspension bike I would be best off with. The sale price was insane. The service was top notch and their knowledge base is endless. For you hardtail lovers, who might be skeptical about full suspension, I bought it b/c my back would be the first to give out on long technical rides. I was worried about less efficiency on my climbs, but they are easier now and there is NO pedal induced BOB in the rear. Smoother ride. "Not as noisy either", said a deer who approached with a dollar and stuffed it into the back of my tight spandex biker shorts. "You riders scare the CRAP out of us." | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, NJ
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Race Course, Cannonball, Indian Rock, Hoefferlin | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Campmor | | Strengths: | suspension (smooth on technical singletrack)
handling
components
brakes
price | | Weaknesses: | weight
tires
pedals
handlebars (no good for climbing)
no front lockout | | Similar Products Used: | none in duel sus category | | Bike Setup: | stock: deore/lx f/r derail, deore shifters, shimano clipless pedals, truvativ fiveD crankset, shimano cable disc brakes w/ avid levers, mavic rims w/ shimano hubs, Marzocchi MX Comp coil fork w/ Fox Vanilla rear shock. All other components are Kona (saddle, seatpost, handlebars) | | Bottom Line: | GOOD BIKE!
Been riding a hardtail for two years and have noticed an immediate increase in skill with this bike. Super smooth on technical singletrack. Absorbs bumps, lumps, roots, and rocks like it's nothing. Handles very well through the rough, and in general. Brakes are killer for my type of singletrack/XC riding. For the price you really can't beat it. I recommend to anyone looking to take the plunge into duel sus category.
Weaknesses:
*Weight*: Compared to my hardtail it's a bit heavy and my climbing has suffered some. From what I've heard both those things are pretty common when switching to duel sus. In the future I may swap for a lighter fork and/or change to some lighter components, especailly in the cockpit(saddle, seatpost, handlebars). For now I'll just have to get stronger.
*Tires*: Don't like, switching to my old trusty continental explorers.
*Pedals*: Switched to clipless
*Handlebars*: Low rise, no good for climbing, but tolerable
*No front lockout*: No good for climbing, but tolerable
The pros on this bike far outweigh the cons. So if you are thinking of buying one, GO FOR IT!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Philip Mok Kar Hoong
a Cross Country Rider
from Penang, Malaysia
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Nil | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Sim's Cycle, Penang | | Strengths: | Kikapu 2005 model. New square frame. Nice color. Affordable & reasonable price. Smooth riding performance on both on and off roads. | | Weaknesses: | A bit heavy, if you are a weight conscious rider. Other than that, nil so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Bianchi, Superlight, AC 1 & Team, Stinky Dee-lux & Giant XTC Team. | | Bike Setup: | Preferably to upgrade to a lighter fork, change the cassette to XT's 34teeth & low rise handle bar for better climbing performance. | | Bottom Line: | This bike offers smooth riding performance similar with those high end cross-country bikes. At 27lbs+, this bike can still climbs very well. The new square frame makes the bike more stable when descending, especially in single track trails.
Inorder to climb well and responsive during descending, I would suggest to add 5psi more than its' recommendation at the rear shock, since there is no rebound on Fox Float.
Others, the shop specialises in selling Kona bikes & the owner of the bicycle shop has more than 25 years of experience to serve me & tune up my bike.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
K
a
from Canada
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Strengths: | Good complete entry level package including disc brakes. Minimal bob uphill. Good all around cross country bike for those looking for a grind or those who want to just play around. Good set up for my fisrt full suspension. | | Weaknesses: | Marzochi front fork is elastomar. Needed a new seat. Replaced rear shimano disc pads after 2 months. Instead of upgrading certain components, it is probably just buying another bike. | | Bottom Line: | Good bang for the buck. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Alberta CA
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Cyclepath, Medicine Hat | | Strengths: | Great value for money. The best full suspension bike I have used. Brakes work good in both wet and dry conditions. Absolute top bike, I would recommend it to anyone but hey it is a Kona! | | Weaknesses: | The only things I can possibly find is the saddle position but maybe with a few more adjustments I’ll get it sorted. The front disk brake was rubbing, but yet again this was easily sorted. | | Similar Products Used: | Owned/tested Kona and Specialized bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Out of the box. Added Specialized computer and cactus proof inner lining to the tyres. | | Bottom Line: | Since I have had this bike my riding has improved greatly. This is mainly due to the almost perfect set up provided by Kona. As a whole, the bike provides a great package although a bit too much if you are a beginner rider.
The bike doesn’t 'bob' down trails. The front suspension does the majority of the work and does it well, sometimes to a point where you may rely on it a little too much.
Cabling and suspension really need to be tightened up after about 2 weeks of riding. It's best to return it to your dealer for a service if unsure how to do this. As with most new bikes things loosen up it’s not a problem to fix!
To sum it all up, the bike is fast reliable and great value for money. If you thinking about buying one head straight to your local dealer, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Idaho
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$850.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Strong component set for the money.
I really like the Kona geometry.
Solid frame.
Nice price. | | Weaknesses: | Really the only weakness I have found is the pedals. I traded them out for clipless. | | Similar Products Used: | Tested several Kona, Gary Fisher, Giant, Specialized, Trek, Marin, and Cannondale models. | | Bike Setup: | Upgraded to SPD clipless pedals. | | Bottom Line: | Overall a great bike for the money. I tested about 25 bikes in this price range before riding the Kikapu. Once I tried the Kikapu, my decision was easy. The Kikapu is by far the best bike I rode in this price range.
The componetry is nice. The Shimano disc brakes are very nice and have great stopping power. The suspension eats up bumps yet is efficient (virtually no bob). The frame design and geometry are excellent. With the pedals upgraded, I have no complaints. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Weekend Warrior
a Weekend Warrior
from Up north AB
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Strengths: | rider position .. the components .. value for dollars spent.I'm enjoying the bike more with each ride I go on | | Weaknesses: | Out of the box the wheels were not true, I also saw the same problem with a few other bike brands.So if any manufacturers read these reviews ... DO THE WORK ON THE LINE ... it shouldn't be a requirement that the bike shop mechanic spend two hours setting up a new bike | | Similar Products Used: | not used but tested ... Norco , Haro , Specialized. | | Bike Setup: | added clip pedals | | Bottom Line: | One of the biggest problems with this bike .. I never imagined how many teenagers out there were aware of this bike.. three or four times every ride ,I hear the " sweet Bike " or, is that a Kikapu ..
I'm just the weekend warrior type , but since I got this bike , I find myself trying to adjust my schedule so I can get on the trails once a day.. I guess that says it all.I'd like to rate it at the highest level ... since I got the bike set up I haven't had one problem ... But after reading some of the reviewers complaining about people who don't know bikes over rating them and skewing the results I decided to play it safe ... 4's it is .. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Greenfield
a Cross Country Rider
from Gales Ferry, CT
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Bluff Point | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Purchased At: | Mystic Cycles | | Strengths: | Great components for the price. Can't beat full suspension and disk brakes for 1000.00. Plus, it's a Kona! | | Weaknesses: | Don't know if it's just me or the tires, but had 2 flats in one weekend, sidewalls seem very thin. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except I changed out the stem (standard one was way to short)added clipless pedals, and a Kona Bell. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike at a great price. Definatly gave me more confidence to try other things. This is the first full suspension bike I have owned and was worried about the bike bobbing going up hills. No problem with that, I can climb hills that I could never make it up before and sit the entire way up. Also handles the hits on the way down without any problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Elísio da Conceição
a Weekend Warrior
from Oporto / Portugal
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Gerês, Serra de Arga, Freita | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Zone | | Strengths: | The agility and the great riding body position. The Avid brake levers. The Truvativ crank. The Mavic wheels. | | Weaknesses: | Didn't found many yet. Perhaps the rear shock absorber will be upgraded by me in the future. | | Similar Products Used: | Before, I had a Haro Extreme EX0 which is completely diferent. | | Bike Setup: | As announced by the manufacturer. Stock as in the catalogue. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is great for what costs. For a biker like me, that loves mixed kind of trails, seems that is a well balanced, decent in climbing or descending, reazonable light weighted bike. Perhaps I will upgrade the suspension in the future but, for the present time, I am getting a lot of pleasure with it. I surely recommend this bike for the ones that want a good compromise between agility and all-track response capability in a upgradable frame. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin Higgins
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra, ACT, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 7, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Somewhere New | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Mal Adjusted | | Strengths: | Really Great Value
Frame feels solid
Brakes stop like they should | | Weaknesses: | Balance between forks and rear shock seems weird, front is too hard or rear is too soft.
Standard rear spring bobbed a lot up hills for me, swapping it has fixed this but made things a bit more firm all round.
| | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | Swapped pedals for SPD clipless, changed to flat bars with a longer stem, ODI lockon grips, upgrade to LX shifters, replaced all cabling inner and outers, stainless steel Connex chain, many new tyres, swapped 600lb rear shock spring for 800lb. | | Bottom Line: | I've reviewed this in the 03' section before there was an 04' section but I've had it for a bit longer now (1500km) so I thought I'd give it another burl.
This is a great bike, but I've run into a couple of little things:
Forks went really notchy and horrible, this turned out to be because I had the pretension turned down to nothing to get the most travel out of them, putting a little bit of tension back on made everything smooth again.
It's worth upgrading the chain, I guess most bikes come with low quality chains and it's a cheap upgrade to something good, feels heaps better.
I only upgraded the shifter pods because I smashed up the deore ones on there.
Cabling seemed to wear quickly, it is very dusty where I ride though.
It's great fun to ride, suspension makes longer rides much more pleasant but is too hard to really soak up big hits, this is good up hills though where it's a lot like riding a hard tail. It's quick through single trail and lets you rattle downhill at a decent pace too.
Where you really see the value of the full suspension is on flat but bumpy single trail - it lets you get in a lot more pedaling because the wheels are on the ground for more of the time compared to a hard tail. I am much faster through sections like that than I was on my old hard tail.
For this money you can't go wrong with this bike, if you need a hardcore XC race bike then I'd spend a bit more and get something lighter but if you are looking for an intermediate mountain bike that can go hard, this is it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Gainesville, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Razorback/Santos | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Purchased At: | Mr. Goodbike | | Strengths: | -Stiff frame
-Great components for the price
-It's a Kona! | | Weaknesses: | Brakes? They don't seem all that strong, maybe I jsut need to get them set up better, or get avids :) | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first FS comming off of a 99 GT Timberline (Great beginner MTB, to bad GT turned it into a woman's bike and filed good old chapter 11) | | Bike Setup: | Stock as can be. | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike, it's awesome! I'm diggin the slacker than normal XC head angle, so much more stable when speeding down trails, but that's just me. LX rear derailleur shifts super smooth. Bakes are OK but I might like a little more power. Marz fork and Vanilla shock eat up bumps. Great all around bike! Go get one if you're thinking about it! I got the first 04 review, hehe.
-Ride On- | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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