1998 Kona Hot

[mk one]

that looks really nice now, would love a go on it. I know your not really bothered but black rims would look good

And it was a quick build, it usually takes me a bit longer as there is always something missing or going wrong :roll: my Kilauea was almost complete until i realized i didnt have a spare saddle or a chain, both kinda important for riding

Mark

 

[Pipmeister]

Very tidy looking bike..
I would be very happy with that..
What model and year are the forks ?I like the look of them..

Cheers,

The forks are 2007 Team with Motion Control Damping, but I added the larger SID decals myself.

Tim Flooks has reduced the Crown to Axle measurement to 430mm, which I find is more suitable for Kona suspension corrected frames from 1994, up until the geometry changed again after 2003.

Pip.

 

[Pipmeister]

that looks really nice now, would love a go on it. I know your not really bothered but black rims would look good

And it was a quick build, it usually takes me a bit longer as there is always something missing or going wrong :roll: my Kilauea was almost complete until i realized i didnt have a spare saddle or a chain, both kinda important for riding

Mark

Yeah I have some black wheels that are nearly a matching pair; a front Mavic X517 Black on XT HB-M752 in Black, and a rear Mavic X517 Dark Brown SUP on XT FH-T780 in Black. They are close enough to fit as a pair, so I may pop them on sometime.

Pip

 

[al-onestare]

Blink and you miss it.

That's my motto when rarities like this, the Ku and others appear from time to time. As soon as I caught a glimpse of the frame for sale on Facebook, I knew there was only one person who'd be the right owner - sorry everyone else! I could see this next to the yellow 98 Ku and Pip smiling the biggest smile you've ever seen.

You can even say that the passing of the Kilauea SE was meant to be, because it was less than 2 weeks later that it appeared for sale, in Florida of all places at a pretty reasonable price. The rest is history: the seller was a top man, super supportive and not put off by the third party "hey I'm acting on behalf of someone else on the other side of the pond..." story.

As Pip and others have said, these were the last Hot's ever made, with this one in the 2nd half of the 98 model production run meaning it really is one of the very last. That in itself makes it even more special than a 'normal' Hot - not that Hot's are normal! I also love the fact that this could be a hybrid frame, perhaps even more special than the catalogue frame listing. So on that Pip, any news on your comparison with the 97 Explosif?

I can't wait to see this next to the Ku: red and yellow, red / black with yellow / blue - proper amazing. As for the build, it totally works. The black off-sets the frame much better than silver (in hindsight) or white. The little touches like the black bolts add a lot of value. I also think black rims would look brilliant. Maybe some Cross Max (black hubs too) would look good.

Most of all, it looks ridiculously quick: slim, agile, angry. Top marks Pip, can't wait to see it in the flesh!

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

Thank you very much Al for all your help and encouragement.

I have taken a few measurements to compare the Stays on my 1997 Explosif and the 1998 Hot, and to me they seem the same. I reckon the paint is thicker on the Hot, so this isn't the most accurate of comparisons. I'll do this another time as I want to get some riding done.

The sun is trying to show here in West Berkshire, and so I have taken a better picture of the Sparkle that shows the violet and gold flakes.



Pip.

 

[al-onestare]

Re:

Gorgeous!

And interesting. Am I right in thinking that previous paint schemes and custom colours didn't have the same emphasis on dual sparkles? Were Enigma painting these or someone else?

 

[magas]

that is very, very nice - great frame / bike with a lovely paint.

have fun with it out on the trails.

 

[ryanmtnman]

Re: The last of the Hots

Great looking rig man! Amazing how good of shape it was/is in. Definitely low use! Rider her Hard and Fast!

Guys, I just posted my 98 Hot on the "How Much is It worth" page. Similar vintage, actually was welded up even later in the run than Pip's. Full 853 frame (including rear triangle) with no rack eyelets.

post: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 0#p2719255

 

[Pipmeister]

Re:

Hi there,

That is a very interesting story regarding your ‘98 Hot.

Up until now, I had assumed that the contract with Enigma to weld the Hots and Kus had ended by 1998, and that the very last of the Hots were welded in the Hodaka factory, while the custom paint schemes were done Stateside – possibly still Velographics or perhaps Enigma themselves.

As I said earlier, mine has a late Hodaka serial number. The only other serial number that I have for a 1998 Hot is Canuck’s sparkle green with black and gold decals. Despite only a ‘partial’ number being visible, it would appear that his was also built in Hodaka.

During Al’s research into the 1997 Caldera, and my investigation regarding the 1998 Ku, we discovered that things were in a state of flux. I guess that it is little wonder that there were “a number of full 853 Hot tube sets still around” and that Enigma were able to oblige.

Anyway, the wheels that I initially popped onto my Hot were the pair that I removed from my decommissioned 2000 Kula. They were only meant to be a stop gap while I build something more suitable. However, I did a bit more re-fitting this morning and popped on a pair that may be nearer what finally ends up on the bike.

The rain has stopped here now, so here are a few more pictures – I will still attempt to get a better shot of the violet and gold flake in the sparkle paint….. maybe when the sun comes out.

Pip.

 

[ryanmtnman]

Re:

That sure is a pretty rig Pip. The Hots sure are mean and lean.

Lucky you that you are only seeing rain. We are in the middle of a polar vortex and the temps have barely gotten into the single digits! Spinning wheels are but a figment of the imagination currently.

Ride her hard!