Kona Ku Serial Number List - update 22/12/24

[mk one]

I won't ever tire of seeing this frame. A stunner and no mistake.

Agree, the colours and the iconic flame design, classic combination.

 

[Monsieur Paul]

Picked up this ‘96 Ku in Kelowna, BC, Canada. Under the grime, there was a serial number: Ku0121. Also discoverer a crack in bb shell on the drive side (visible in 2nd photo), though, so it’ll be a “close to home” bike, built into a townie for the missus. If any collectors would prefer it on their wall, let me know. Have original Curve cranks, brakes, and Velocity Alu stem and stupid thin Alu kona bars (keeping the Paul’s)

 

[Pipmeister]

Hello and welcome to Retrobike.

Thank you for posting the pictures of your 1996 Kona Ku. I have entered it on the Serial Number List, and have called the colour Team Orange. There is a bit of a story behind why that was documented, and I can always alter the listing if we conclude that the description is inaccurate.

Anyway, I would very much appreciate a shot of the Serial Number, even if only for my own records.

Many thanks.

Pip

 

[Monsieur Paul]

Hello and welcome to Retrobike.

Thank you for posting the pictures of your 1996 Kona Ku. I have entered it on the Serial Number List, and have called the colour Team Orange. There is a bit of a story behind why that was documented, and I can always alter the listing if we conclude that the description is inaccurate.

Anyway, I would very much appreciate a shot of the Serial Number, even if only for my own records.

Many thanks.

Pip

Here you go. I was wondering what the color was…. Doesn’t seem quite like either ‘metallic mustard’ or ‘golden’ so I’d be interested in hearing the story!

 

[Pipmeister]

Thank you for the picture of the Serial Number of your Ku, which I have added to my records.

Don't get too excited about the use and the name of the colour, and I hope that it's not over-egging it too much. However, it is currently approaching my bed time now, but I will cobble something together in the morning.

Pip

 

[Pipmeister]

Good morning,

There are a couple of separate stories here that are related, but I'll try to stick to the use of the Orange Team Colour.

I first noticed that there were a few incidental pictures of Team Riders in the 1995, 1996 and 1997 catalogue, who were riding Orange bikes. Those catalogues are scanned, and archived on this site if you want to wade through them.

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/Manufacturer+Archive/Kona/Catalogues/
Anyway, there are a few of pictures in the 1995 catalogue of Team Members who are riding Orange bikes - not very clear, but rather fat tubes for Steel:



.....And what is Max Jones riding here in the 1996 catalogue - presumably taken in the 1995 Season. Again, the tubes seem too fat to be Steel, so possibly painted Kula or Ku.



Getting onto Steel though, there were a few frames that came to light that were apparently Ex-Team Member's Hots, which were either Orange, or Orange to Yellow fade. You'll see Trish Sinclair's Orange Team bike documented on the Serial Number List as 17” 1994 Orange TET 1681. And here is an example of a 1994 Orange to Yellow fade TET 1705, which at 17" could also been one of the girls' bike:



I also thought that the Explosif Team Issue frames, were limited to the Rasta Yellow Flame / Green examples, but there were also some Orange painted examples. Here is a Nemo Columbus Team Issue frame:












The other story that I'll brush on here, require its own thread - the painting up of the Titanium Frames. So apart from the well discussed painted Rasta Yellow Flame / Green examples, I'll just stick to the Orange painted Titanium here.

Here is an interview with Dave Wiens with a 1996 King Kahuna 6Al-4V. The picture below of him riding it in Mountain Bike Magazine does look somewhat washed out, but I believe its the same (Orange) bike in the first picture of the interview, and in the next shot of him in action:







So Monsieur Paul, the Orange colours that I have seen documented in the Catalogues, and the few that you have listed are:

1996 Kula: "Golden"
1997 Explosif: "Mustard"- also seen "Team Mustard" on the 1997 pull-out sheet.
1997 Koa: "Orange Metallic"
1995 Muni Mula: "Magnificent Mustard Metallic"

Phew, that'll do for now, and I would rather not clutter this Ku Serial Number thread with another discussion, so perhaps you would like to start your own thread for your Orange Ku in the "Reader's MTBs --> 1997" section.

Pip

 

[Pipmeister]

Edit / Update: Alasdair just pointed this out to me, and it definitely needs to be added here.

The 1996 Team Issue Orange Kapu that he acquired. Once again the Nemo version of Columbus Nivacrom tubing, and with mention of a "Team Issue Mustard" colour on the Fork Steerer . Maybe this was the name of the official Team Issue Livery; and do we see Tom Foster on there - should I know who that is?











Pip

 

[Monsieur Paul]

Wow Pip, thank your for the well-documented and illustrated reply!! This one I think is closest to the explosif team issue orange. Interesting to see the Hot there too -I actually raced the Hot with that same yellow to orange fade (external down tube ribs), that Kona provided on a pro-dev deal back in 94 or 95.

 

[romanrinos]

Absolutely loving the content here - and just what the f* - this is just Epic! A Team Issue Orange Kapu?! Kept that quiet!

 

[al-onestare]

Absolutely loving the content here - and just what the f* - this is just Epic! A Team Issue Orange Kapu?! Kept that quiet!

It's on the Kapu thread

More tremendous work from Pip!