[SeanyRocket]

I have an 06 Dawg primo and love it. It is my first full sus bike so I dont really have much to compare it to, but I know I have a lot of fun riding it. I bought it because I found it on craigslist and got a great deal on a practically new bike! It was an impulse buy...

Lately I have noticed in some of the other forums that Dawgs or Kona's in general dont get much love...unless you come to the Kona forum! Whenever someone asks what but they should get...very rarely does anyone suggest a Kona. Even if they do, someone else jumps right in and lists all the things they dont like about the brand (kona), the bike, or the suspension design. The faux bar suspension and pedal bob is always at the top of the complaints list. I guess I would just like to hear what you guys like about your Kona's and why you prefer it to the other brands.

 

[CJH]

I guess I would just like to hear what you guys like about your Kona's and why you prefer it to the other brands.

I bought a 2007 Dawg Supreme off of Ebay, also an impulse purchase after I found out my local dealer could not get anymore '07's. It is also my first FS bike and I can only compare to others I have actually ridden on real trails. Those would be an '07 Stumpjumper, an '05 Trek Liquid and an '05 Enduro.

At any rate, this is what I like about the Dawg:

1) High bottom bracket. The highest of any 5" bike I have seen. I'm a lousy technical rider so the high BB helps me get over rocks. Riding the Liquid and the Stumpy on the trail near my house was no fun with all of the pedal strikes.

2) Slack seat tube angle. Basically the geometry of the bike works well.

3) Simple, no nonsense design.

4) Squats much less than the bikes listed above. This may be due the RP23, I'm not sure.

5) Stiffer than any of the bikes listed above, although I am running a Pike with a 20 mm through axle so not exactly a fair comparison. I have never ridden a Dawg with a stand QR fork so I can't say how much stiffer it is that other bikes. All of the other bikes above had QR forks.

What I don't like:

1) Is a bit burly for the riding I do and has a tall standover, but both of these are resolved with the '08's so not a big deal. I can always swap over the parts to a new frame or just sell mine and get an '08.

2) Compared to the other bikes I have ridden, the Dawg with the RP23 is the worst at climbing over squared edges bumps at slower speeds. I have read that this is much improved with a coil shock and may try that at some point.

3) It is a taller feeling bike than the others, sort of the "sitting on" vs. "sitting in" sensation. But I'm more than happy to deal with this to get the taller BB height.

4) Not a lot of rear tire clearance.

As far as comparing Kona to other brands, I really don't have any opinion. I guess I kind of like that they don't have the best reputation as that means no expectations on me, LOL.

 

[4slomo]

I bought an 06 Dawg Deluxe and I love it. With a Kona, you get a comparatively higher quality frame, which means that the components will be of a little lower quality for the price. I like how the frame is continually refined over the years, versus others reinventing their bikes every year or two. The frame is designed in Washington/B.C. and then the frame is built in Taiwan, taking advantage of lower labor rates. Most on the boards seem to pay lip service to the frame, and then bash the bike based on the components. There don't seem to be too many places where you can buy a bike with the same frame built into an under $2K to $4K bike. I found it a little hard to keep the front wheel down while climbing, until I replaced the OEM fork with a Talas. For extended climbs, I drop the fork down and find it climbs well for me. I like how well the bike is balanced in a neutral riding position, and yet when you move forward or back it responds. I like how the bike descends, especially with the fork fully extended on more aggressive downhill trails. I don't have expectations of racing or freeriding from the bike, just riding a wide range of trails. I've ridden a few other bikes as comparisons, including most recently an 08 Stumpjumper Pro Carbon, an 07 Ironhorse Azure Comp, and a few rental Canondales and Marins. I like my Dawg the best.

 

[G-VegasMTBiker]

I own 2 Kona full suspensions now, an 02 Bear and 06 Dawg. I bought them because I get a strong feeling of confidence when I ride them. Their designs just work, plain and simple. Plus the geometry is spot on. Some people complain about the high frame weight, but come on...build it strong, cowboy the f**k, and ride it till you drop. On my Kona's I know I'll break way before they do.

 

[SeanyRocket]

What does OEM stand for?

This is great stuff. You guys are making me feel more and more confident about my decision.

 

[G-VegasMTBiker]

OEM = Original Equipment manufacture some people also say OE. Basically the stock parts it came with from the factory.

 

[GrantB]

I own two Konas, a Kula Deluxe and a King Kikapu. The selling point for me is the geometry. The slack head angle thing probably isn't that big a deal to you guys on Dawgs, but on the hard tail it makes for a unique ride. Carving instead of twitching through corners, you know?

I cross country raced the Kula a couple of times, but only really race the Kikapu in enduro stuff now. Both bikes are rock steady at high speeds and easy to spend a lot of time on. Climbing can be weird at first, keeping the nose down and all that, but you learn how to ride it. I actually really enjoy how you can so abruptly change lines mid corner or climb due to the light front end.

 

[jimbvrly]

I bought a Kona because of its of tough frame. I wanted something I could take out and ride hard and have confidence it wouldn't break on me like bikes in the past. I bought a stinky frame and built it to be exactly what I wanted. My 1 bike.

 

[headstrong356]

Kona is great!!! I love my coiler. The selling point for my was how they blend the geometry of an XC bike with that of a DH. The headset angle wasnt too steep so i can still climb a hill. Also this is about the frame not the OEM! you can alway upgrade.

 

[GrantB]

That blend of DH and XC even extends to the dual suspension cross country bikes. A Kikapu descends like mad.