ID for Titanium Kona

[bikenoob]

Great info andrewl.

Being the frame from '94, do you think the Manitou has too much travel and the bike will handle like a chopper?

 

[Anthony]

Great info andrewl.
Being the frame from '94, do you think the Manitou has too much travel and the bike will handle like a chopper?

As Andrew is in Hobart, he's most likely asleep at present, but when he wakes up I predict he'll say no. As he has a 100mm travel Z1 on his 97 Hei Hei, he could hardly say yes!

As you rightly say, the 94-96 Hei Heis were made for 63mm forks and in fact the size 16 had a slightly slacker head angle than the bigger sizes anyway (70.5 vs 71), and you're going to lose around another degree if you stick with a fork 17mm longer than the frame was designed for. That certainly won't make it handle like a chopper, but some people find that a 69.5 head angle slows the handling down more than they would wish - it's a matter of personal taste.

But given that the fork is worth c£40 at most, I'm surprised that it's looming so large in your thinking. I can't see much of the kit on it, but the XTR V-brakes and hubs look like a good start, and is that a Middleburn crank?

You're not all that easy to please, are you?

 

[bikenoob]

The crankset was made by FRM http://www.frmbike.de/catalog/index.php?page=produkte

They make bikes and parts for weight conscious racers.

I'd love to put a Pace fork but they are not that easy to find and service where I live

 

[guybe]

A great looking bike, shame about the decals, I would buy the correct decals for it to make it completed, then it will be perfect bike.

 

[andrewl]

Great info andrewl.
Being the frame from '94, do you think the Manitou has too much travel and the bike will handle like a chopper?

As Andrew is in Hobart, he's most likely asleep at present, but when he wakes up I predict he'll say no. As he has a 100mm travel Z1 on his 97 Hei Hei, he could hardly say yes!

Yes would have been alseep.

Actually what I would say is take it for a ride and see what you think, as you may find you want to ditch the fork for other reasons than the axle crown length

 

[bikenoob]

I sent an e-mail to tech @ konaworld and the say that 1995 is the year for the bike based on the dropouts, the decal on the seat tube and the 2 down cables.

The decals other than the one on the seat tube aren’t original.