Kona Kilauea--1993?

[paramount13]

I just picked up this Kona and I'm trying to figure out what I have. The serial number on the bottom bracket starts with F204. The previous owner purchased the bike new and according to his description the bike should be stock--he was not a bike person. But the components don't match any model years from what I can tell. The bike has the ovalized seat tube where it joins the BB shell, and the stickers indicate Kona tubing. It has 1 1/8" steerer tube with the Impact headset, velocity stem, and Project Two rigid fork. But the rest of it is Shimano: It has the lovely Shimano XT FCM730 crankset, M735 front/rear derailleurs, XT four finger rapid fire shifters, XT cantilever brakes, and Deore DX hubs with a 7 speed cassette. As far as I know this is a US bike, or maybe Canadian (1% chance). My best guess is this is a 1992 or 1993 bike based on the serial number and the XT 7 speed components. Any thoughts?

 

[BerthaPog]

Looks like a '92 Kila - came out after the catalogues so didn't appear in them.

The frame was the same as that years Cindercone, but had better bits - Shimano DX, and possibly a few bits of XT, but the XT bits could have been upgraded as they wore out.

As for frame location - as with almost all Konas its from the far east - Taiwan, the F meaning the Fairly company - though there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Anthony]

F204 means April 1992, so the frame was made at the same time as F204 3975, which is a 1993 Lava Dome. So they were still completing orders for the 1992 model year when production for 1993 was well under way.

The 1992 Kilauea used the new geometry introduced to the rest of the range for 1993, so the frame isn't the same as a 92 Cinder Cone, even though as TedC says the tubeset is equivalent. It looks as though it's a size 21, with a 17cm head tube. That's a decent length, but I believe that the earlier 1992 size 21s actually had 19cm head tubes.

I don't think the XT Rapidfire can be original, unless specially fitted by the shop. Kona made a point of sticking with thumb shifters until long after the others had adopted Rapidfire. They used Suntour XC Pro for the Explosif until 1994, then Gripshift for 95 and 96, so they didn't actually make a Rapidfire Explosif or Kilauea until 1997

 

[paramount13]

Thanks TedC and Anthony for your insights. The head tube is 17 cm. Seat tube is 21" (center BB to top of seat tube) or 18 1/4" (center BB to center top tube). Head tube is 17 cm (sorry for the mixed units).

How does the Kona tubeset compare with the other sets used around the same time (Tange Prestige, etc)? Which company actually made the "Kona" tubing?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Anthony]

As far as I'm aware, Kona didn't use the basic Tange Prestige after the 1988/89 Explosif. They used Tange Prestige Concept (an ovalised and tapered variant) for the Explosif from 1990 to 92 and for the Kilauea from 1993 to 95 (the Explosif went over to Tange Prestige Ultimate from 1993).

They used Tange MTB (which is also double-butted but unlike Prestige not heat-treated) for the Cinder Cone some years, but not 1992. I doubt whether there was any difference in quality between Tange MTB and the generic db 4130 that they called Kona Light Butted Cromoly.

 

[mcvw]

Hi,

This bike is almost identical to mine - which I bought in 92 Kilauea (brand new).

Mine is still stock (apart from tyres and bar ends) and mine runs all DX group-set/thumb-shifters.

Hope this helps in any way - or if you like I can check the bike for markings/measurements if you like.

Cheers,


Mike

 

[Skeeter1]

An old thread I know.....but does anyone know what time of the year the 1993 Kona range was released in the UK please?

 

[FluffyChicken]

An old thread I know.....but does anyone know what time of the year the 1993 Kona range was released in the UK please?

Usually like most bikes, Aug/Sept of the year before.

 

[Skeeter1]

Usually like most bikes, Aug/Sept of the year before.

Thanks for that...I was trying to remember when exactly I bought mine back then.
This has helped.
Kind regards Dude.