1992 KHS Montana Pro

[LongboardSi]

Picked this up cheap on Gumtree, probably about a year ago, but never got round to posting it up. Better pics of it's current guise to follow, but here it is just after picking up from near where I work in Leeds.

Came with slicks instead of the Maxxis (rear's too big anyway) but other than that I got hold of it as shown here. Not sure of any details on the fork (think it was originally bought with a Mag-21). Otherwise there was a good selection of original bits which I'm fully intending to keep most of, like the XT bits

Made a few changes since. I struggle with old-school narrow bars, so on went a set of only-a-few-years-too-new Titec Flat Trackers, and nice long and low silver Answer A-tac instead of the very heavy and slightly rusty, short and high steel KHS stem.

Tyres were switched out for a IRC Mythos (2.1front on the rear) an 2.25 Trail Bear at the front (can't get anything quite as big as I'd like in the rear, but then I do like rack bashing...)

Saddle is currently white Specialized Toupe, but will hopefully end up as a white Flite, when I get round to re-covering one. Seatpost is currently a cheap black Kalloy Ritchey copy, with a clamp that slips, but once I've finished re-furbing it, will be a silver USE with blue clamp bits. In the photo it's slightly past the max height, so I needed to change it, but it really needs to be silver to compliment the stem.

White Skyway grips added as I like soft, slim (non-lockon) grips with a bit of a flange, and white sets off the decals, bottle cage etc.

 

[doctor-bond]

Re:

Nice find. Great performing bikes these: fab steel frame, and build into really light, quick singletrack weapons.

 

[LongboardSi]

Re: Re:

fab steel frame, and build into really light, quick singletrack weapons.

Yeah - it needed a few little tweaks to release it's potential - was just a bit short and high at the front (and some would say a touch too small for me, but I like the Mike Muz style of massive amounts of seatpost and low front end).

First proper ride was the Velo 29 Sportive X last September - 100k or so of mixed road/off-road round much of the North York Moors. Stuck 1.5" conti XCs on for that and ran, but prefer beefier rubber normally, and the aforementioned wider bars. Felt great for what I was doing on it.

Second ride was Longun's Peaks ride a couple of months later. Home turf and absolutely loved it in a slightly more rugged guise. Although the cheap, old seatpost started slipping every time I sat down hard on it.

 

[LongboardSi]

Re:

Hopefully this works: photo from Sportive X

 

[TheEasyLife]

Re: 1993 KHS Montana Pro

Very Nice. Looks like a 92 to me though. My 92 has a black khs stem whereas 93’s had a zoom stem iirc. Towsure Leisure in Sheffield were the uk importers in the early 90’s and yours looks just like mine which I bought as a 92 model in 93 for £650 iirc when I lived in south Sheffield as a yoof.

Does yours have a bontrager front rim and a Ritchey rear? That’s the spec of my 92. And also what’s the first 4 numbers of the serial number on the headtube? (And I’m away this week so can’t tell you what mine is to compare to my collection! Doh!)

Cheers

James

 

[Andy B]

Re: 1993 KHS Montana Pro

Love the way they ride, my ‘93 is (almost) catalogue spec, clicky link in signature below

 

[TSC.]

Re:

Love it, these are such an underrated frame. They ride so well.

 

[TheEasyLife]

Re: 1993 KHS Montana Pro

Shhhh! Don’t tell everybody or they will all want one

I joined this site 2 years ago as I was looking to build a Montana Team from a Pro as they use the same frame then was offered a Team Frame so that stopped that project. It’s been downhill ever since (no pun intended).

Cheers

James

 

[LongboardSi]

Re: 1993 KHS Montana Pro

Very Nice. Looks like a 92 to me though. My 92 has a black khs stem whereas 93’s had a zoom stem iirc. Towsure Leisure in Sheffield were the uk importers in the early 90’s and yours looks just like mine which I bought as a 92 model in 93 for £650 iirc when I lived in south Sheffield as a yoof.

Does yours have a bontrager front rim and a Ritchey rear? That’s the spec of my 92. And also what’s the first 4 numbers of the serial number on the headtube? (And I’m away this week so can’t tell you what mine is to compare to my collection! Doh!)
James

Sounds like it's a '92 then! (EDIT: So the following post doesn't look bizarre, I had mistyped '93 )

Some good info - thanks for that. Never knew the Towsure connection either. So it's kind of come home (from Leeds) then.

Yeah - the rims are the same - I assumed that Ritchey one was just a replacement, (think the '93 came with two Bontragers from what I remember, but not checked that.) So I don't need to try and find a matching pair then

Definitely came with the Black KHS stem, although that had gone rather rusty...(and I needed a home for my A-TAC)

Still got the original brake pads!

 

[TheEasyLife]

Nah. Am convinced yours is a 92 given the black stem and bontrager/Ritchey rims. Iirc Towsure bought a load of 92’s in as a job lot In summer 93 given the positive press of the 93 model. The 93 model was £799 iirc and the 92 model was £650 for essentially the same bike give or take a few details and stem being the biggest difference I can remember offhand. I’m from Sheffield and as a teen had limited funds so the 92 was a no brainer over the 93 which had rave reviews in mbuk. I then slowly spent the £150 difference at je james on bramall Lane on use, xlite and other titanium bits to shave as much weight off an already light bike. And I still have and appreciate it to this day. Happy days.