96 Kilauea singlespeed build

[redzephyr]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

Hey Martin, was looking at your Explosif post (again ... for the 20th time!) but rather than just looking at your beautiful bike I read Anthony's reply ....
He was talking about the cable stops not being brazed on...

"my identical frame has one and in fact I think 96 Konas all had rear V-stops from half way through the season. The Explosif was still sold with Maguras, and lower models with Curve cantis, but Kona started to provide V-stops as soon as V-brakes came out, in much the same way as they started to to provide disc tabs long before they fitted discs as standard equipment."

Man that guy knows his Kona's... always learn something reading through his posts.

So maybe this is late model that had cable stops...maybe your serials will be early 96 models something like "H5A" I guess?

Anyway I think the weight will tell the truth of the tale...my guess is still a Kilauea (with cable stops)...as much as i'd love it to be an Explosif I think I'm dreaming.

 

[Muddy paw]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

Well this is an interesting scenario and one i'll certainly be keeping my eye on as no matter what this model turns out to be it's still going to be a great ride when sorted ..

 

[redzephyr]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

Just for reference...think its clear from looking at all three in a row that the top tube of the Explosif is different.

my bike


96 Kilauea


Magas 96 Explosif

 

[magas]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

Hi mate, appriciate that you like my Konas

Agree, that Anthony is the Kona wiki at RB. I have almost forgotten, that in the second half of 96 Kona switched to V's when they become available in great numbers.

So it could be that yours had been originally designed for V's rather for Curve cantis like the Kili in your comperision of bikes.

Just from the first look of this 3 bikes it (yours, Kili and Explosif) I would say that yours could be a Kili - (shape and diameter of tubes), but as said: weight will tell the truth

In the 96 brochure Kona stated the following bare frame weights (steel frames):

Hot - Reynolds 853: 1,5 kg
Explosif - Columbus Max: 1,7 kg
Kilauea - Columbus Cyber: 1,9 kg
Cinder Cone - Kona butted Cro Mo: 2 kg
Lava Dome - Kona butted Cro Mo: 2 kg
Fire Mountain - Kona butted Cro Mo: 2,1 kg
Hahana - Kona Cro Mo: 2,1 kg

I would assume, that Kona used a smaller frame then 18" for taking the weight, its more likely, that your frame could be heavier, then those figures.

Regarding the Max tubes of the 96 Explosif - they are bi ovalised. Won't destroy your dream of having here a Max Explosif, but from the pics. it doesn't look like one - sorry.

 

[al-onestare]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

Some folk are odd. Why would you repaint a Kilauea and label it a Cinder Cone?

Anyway, good investigation skills Magas.

 

[magas]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

that also comes to my mind, al

it's more likely, that people label their bikes as Hot

 

[al-onestare]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

that also comes to my mind, al

it's more likely, that people label their bikes as Hot

Which is what the owner of this bike did to their '95 Sex One (see the Kona thread)

 

[redzephyr]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

Thanks Guys,

Really appreciate your help and comments.

Stripped the bike and weighed the frame, its a shade over 2kg (2013gms).
If Magas is right and the catalogue weights are for a smaller frame then it might be a Kilauea. The overspray in the head tube and BB shell are a close match to the colour of the kili in the picture above. Its definitely not green/gold or orange/red of the 96 Cindy/Lavadome. I'm guessing that previous owner just did respray and found the 98 Cindy decals on Ebay...probably thought passing it of as a 98 would be better than a 96 regardless of the model...Muppet.

Anyway I'm off to pm Gil_m and see about some 96 Kili decals!

 

[magas]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

so it obviously looks to be a Kilauea - not bad.

If the respray is of quite poor quality I would try to remove the overspray (with white spirit, paint remover, brake fluid - carefully) at some points of the frame to see what is underneath. I would then try to remove the overspray of the seattube, where normally the Columbus decal sits, maybe its still there.

I'm going to dig out my Kilauea frame and check the serial and the style of it - also going to weight it.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Re: Unidentified Kona Frame - 96 Explosif/Kili?

From a bit of rooting around in the archives, it looks as though the '96 Kilauea has a 28.6mm top tube, while the Cinder Cone has 31.8, so measuring the top tube diameter should give you a quick method to distinguish between the two.

A few '96 Kilaueas pictured on the web have indented (not just flattened) chainstays:

download/file.php?id=86662
http://s268.photobucket.com/user/keirri ... 2.jpg.html

but that sort of feature might change mid year.