Kona Ku Serial Number List - update 04/11/24
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Pipmeister
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Re: Re:
I'm on it - must get to bed now..... work tomorrow!
Thanks again.
Pip.
kyle888":26od3ksl said:
I'm on it - must get to bed now..... work tomorrow!
Thanks again.
Pip.
Re: Re:
Jesus - check out those tubes - it's like a monster-truck! Still, proper cool and what a colour to have
How could they get away with having a brace / bridge? What was the rear triangle made from that would give it enough strength so it wasn't too flexy?
Good luck on finding out where it went!
pipmeister":96fw6jsp said:kyle888":96fw6jsp said:
You are a Star
That is the only other picture of a 1998 Ku that we have seen. Previously to this, the only other one was the lichen green example posted by Anthony in 2009.
There is conformation now of no Chain Stay Brace / Bridge on the 1998 frame.
Well done mate
Pip
Jesus - check out those tubes - it's like a monster-truck! Still, proper cool and what a colour to have
How could they get away with having a brace / bridge? What was the rear triangle made from that would give it enough strength so it wasn't too flexy?
Good luck on finding out where it went!
Pipmeister
Senior Retro Guru
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Re:
Each of the 4 years that the Ku was manufactured, it was the custom “Hand Made in U.S.A.” version of the Kula and Pahoehoe. Each of those versions of the Ku was made with that year’s specific tubing that included the main frame and rear triangle. The Kula and Pahoehoe on the other hand used generic 7005 rear end, regardless of each version of the Easton aluminium main frame.
From what we have now seen, none of the Ku frames from any of the 4 years of manufacture have a brace / bridge across the Chain Stays.
As for why or how that came to be… who knows; there must be examples of frames from other manufacturers like this?
It is quite a good way however of identifying a “mock-up” Ku that is actually a Kula or a Pahoehoe. I have seen two bikes on this site that at first glance appear to be a Ku….. Sadly for the owners, they are not!
Pip.
Each of the 4 years that the Ku was manufactured, it was the custom “Hand Made in U.S.A.” version of the Kula and Pahoehoe. Each of those versions of the Ku was made with that year’s specific tubing that included the main frame and rear triangle. The Kula and Pahoehoe on the other hand used generic 7005 rear end, regardless of each version of the Easton aluminium main frame.
From what we have now seen, none of the Ku frames from any of the 4 years of manufacture have a brace / bridge across the Chain Stays.
As for why or how that came to be… who knows; there must be examples of frames from other manufacturers like this?
It is quite a good way however of identifying a “mock-up” Ku that is actually a Kula or a Pahoehoe. I have seen two bikes on this site that at first glance appear to be a Ku….. Sadly for the owners, they are not!
Pip.
Pipmeister
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Re:
I reckon it’s time to give this thread a bit of an update:
Thanks to kyle888, we now have a reasonable picture of a 1998 Ku. I came perilously close to owning this beauty pictured below, but it was not to be :cry:
It is interesting to note that the frame of this bright yellow Ku differs from the only other picture that we have seen to date, the Lichen green example that Anthony contributed back in 2009.
Most noteworthy is the Headtube. The green one seems to have a reinforced flare on the Headtube. This first appeared in 1998 on the Kula and Pahoehoe. The yellow one however looks to have a parallel Headtube, which was last used on the Ku (and Kula) in 1997. We have seen two other examples of frames made up to look like a Ku on this forum – both of which had reinforced flared Headtubes. One had 1997 decals, but with 1998 cable routing, and replaceable gear hanger. It also had a Chainstay brace, which we know to be incorrect. The other had 1998 decals and cable routing, but with Easton Ultralite hallmark stamped into the Downtube, which would also be incorrect for that year. This, together with a Chainstay brace, rules out it being a Ku.
I would say that the yellow example is the real deal, as the frame decal is a Columbus Altec 2 Megatube 7005. I have also had correspondence with the original owner.
I mentioned in an earlier post that the green example has what seems to be a Columbus decal. I was assuming at the time that it was the same design as the Columbus Nivacrom Max OR decal - a mainly gold coloured affair. This now seems to be incorrect. I’m left wondering if it is genuine after all - the decal, along with what looks like a reinforced flared Headtube, is an indication of another mock-up.
Anyway, I was hoping that I could post the frame number of the yellow one, but sadly I couldn’t get that information. It would have helped with this thread, (and Al’s 1997 Caldera thread) and possibly confirmed who welded those tubes together. We have only guessed that this was done by Enigma Design.
What this space for an update on the serial numbers that we have collated so far.
Pip.
I reckon it’s time to give this thread a bit of an update:
Thanks to kyle888, we now have a reasonable picture of a 1998 Ku. I came perilously close to owning this beauty pictured below, but it was not to be :cry:
It is interesting to note that the frame of this bright yellow Ku differs from the only other picture that we have seen to date, the Lichen green example that Anthony contributed back in 2009.
Most noteworthy is the Headtube. The green one seems to have a reinforced flare on the Headtube. This first appeared in 1998 on the Kula and Pahoehoe. The yellow one however looks to have a parallel Headtube, which was last used on the Ku (and Kula) in 1997. We have seen two other examples of frames made up to look like a Ku on this forum – both of which had reinforced flared Headtubes. One had 1997 decals, but with 1998 cable routing, and replaceable gear hanger. It also had a Chainstay brace, which we know to be incorrect. The other had 1998 decals and cable routing, but with Easton Ultralite hallmark stamped into the Downtube, which would also be incorrect for that year. This, together with a Chainstay brace, rules out it being a Ku.
I would say that the yellow example is the real deal, as the frame decal is a Columbus Altec 2 Megatube 7005. I have also had correspondence with the original owner.
I mentioned in an earlier post that the green example has what seems to be a Columbus decal. I was assuming at the time that it was the same design as the Columbus Nivacrom Max OR decal - a mainly gold coloured affair. This now seems to be incorrect. I’m left wondering if it is genuine after all - the decal, along with what looks like a reinforced flared Headtube, is an indication of another mock-up.
Anyway, I was hoping that I could post the frame number of the yellow one, but sadly I couldn’t get that information. It would have helped with this thread, (and Al’s 1997 Caldera thread) and possibly confirmed who welded those tubes together. We have only guessed that this was done by Enigma Design.
What this space for an update on the serial numbers that we have collated so far.
Pip.
Re:
Excellent work Pip. I'm convinced you'll get one as long as you keep plugging away.
This one is lush. I bet the colour is quite something in person and I still can't get over those tubes. Proper epic badness! It must soak up the bumps like nothing else than going full suss.
Excellent work Pip. I'm convinced you'll get one as long as you keep plugging away.
This one is lush. I bet the colour is quite something in person and I still can't get over those tubes. Proper epic badness! It must soak up the bumps like nothing else than going full suss.
