What Kona is this?

[shanghai_tim]

snooks - The bike arrives next week and I will certainly look. In the meantime, what would an E in a diamond on all the tubes mean?

 

[snooks]

It would mean is the same as my 94 Kona Kula, and made from Easton Varilite Tubing and also has a lifetime guarantee :0)

My serial no starts off F9409

:0)

 

[Anthony]

It would mean is the same as my 94 Kona Kula, and made from Easton Varilite Tubing and also has a lifetime guarantee :0)
My serial no starts off F9409
:0)

Does your Kula have a replaceable mech hanger? Both in the catalogue and in all the photos of production bikes that I've seen, the 94 Kula has no replaceable mech hanger, but the AA does have one. And this eBay bike does not, leading me to think it's either a 94 or 95 Kula.

 

[snooks]

It would mean is the same as my 94 Kona Kula, and made from Easton Varilite Tubing and also has a lifetime guarantee :0)
My serial no starts off F9409
:0)

Does your Kula have a replaceable mech hanger? Both in the catalogue and in all the photos of production bikes that I've seen, the 94 Kula has no replaceable mech hanger, but the AA does have one. And this eBay bike does not, leading me to think it's either a 94 or 95 Kula.

The second one IS my Kula :0)

 

[Anthony]

The second one IS my Kula :0)

Nice plants!

Why no replaceable hanger do you reckon? Even for £800 you didn't get one, and yet the AA did.

 

[snooks]

Nice plants!
.

I didn't say that was my place...that was the bike I bought from Masha...and that was his pic :0)

I'll have to have a look at the hanger the next time I go out

 

[shanghai_tim]

It would mean is the same as my 94 Kona Kula, and made from Easton Varilite Tubing and also has a lifetime guarantee :0)
My serial no starts off F9409
:0)

Does your Kula have a replaceable mech hanger? Both in the catalogue and in all the photos of production bikes that I've seen, the 94 Kula has no replaceable mech hanger, but the AA does have one. And this eBay bike does not, leading me to think it's either a 94 or 95 Kula.

I got the bike and did a good cleaning of it. No dents but a lot of paint scratches. Overall I am very happy with it. Full XTR M900 stuff.

I think it's a 94 Kula. I am happy. The rear mech does not have a replaceable hanger. It looks a lot like snooks' Kula but it looks like mine has been painted. I did not find the E in a diamond on the tubes. Perhaps they have been covered by the paint.

snooks - How big are the E's? Maybe I am not looking close enough.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[LostAtSea]

Hmmm, forks are '95 MY, could still be an AA as they dropped the mech hanger for '95. Whatever, alu Kona's ride a lot better with P2's than the frankly abominable Marzo XCR's

 

[snooks]

snooks - How big are the E's? Maybe I am not looking close enough.

If they are there you will see them! The diamonds are about 3cm across, and the "E" is slightly bigger than the serial no.

Mine are on the main three tubes of the frame

 

[Anthony]

In view of the wisdom from Snooks, if it has no Es then it isn't a 94 Kula and we know it can't be a 94 AA, so it can't be a 94 bike as they were the only aluminium bikes in the 94 range.

Remembering that F9 in the serial number says where it was built and the next digit 4 says it was built in 94 for either the model year 94 or model year 95, it must be a 95 model.

It probably can't be a 95 Kula, unless Easton stopped stamping an E on their tubes at that point. But finally, in view of the further wisdom from LostAtSea, it could be a 95 Koa, Muni Mula or AA, all of which were made from generic double-butted 7005.

Unless anybody knows better, I would guess that the three frames were identical that year and the models were differentiated only by the equipment fitted.