# What is up for KONA 2011?



## IrSc (Dec 11, 2008)

So I heard that Kona is completely changing their gravity line up for 2011 and getting rid of the stab and stinky bikes. 
Can anyone either deny or conform this and give any info on what is going on with the new rides if this is true?


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## Nut! (Nov 2, 2007)

Hope it's true. About time!


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## William42 (Oct 29, 2006)

Nut! said:


> Hope it's true. About time!


Yah! who wants a 9 lbs race frame with a 13.5 bb and a 63 degree HT with a linear to progressive curve and a nicely placed pivot for monster trucking over rocks these days anyway! Sounds like a stupid bike.


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## Andrewpalooza (Dec 7, 2004)

If it still says Kona on the side, then I still won't care.


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## IrSc (Dec 11, 2008)

Andrewpalooza said:


> If it still says Kona on the side, then I still won't care.


productive comment....
If you don't like KONA why comment on a KONA thread?


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## _rich_ (Jan 22, 2004)

Andrewpalooza said:


> If it still says Kona on the side, then I still won't care.


Gotta love the haters !!!!
I rode a 2000.5 Stinky-Five for years and it handled everything
I could do on it...(and I did alot every weekend for years)
I since have been riding a 2006 Stinky Primo, and it also
has been a great freeride bike for me....

I'm not a very smooth rider(actually i'm the exact opposite)  so i'm pretty hard on my bikes,
and my Kona's have held up to years of abuse...

here's a pic from this past sunday, one of MANY drops
that my Kona hits every weekend....

I'm not trying to say kona's are the best bike or anything, just saying they are more than capable(especially for people on a budget)...
I welcome a change as long as it's for the sake of improving,and not for the sake of just changing..


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## William42 (Oct 29, 2006)

dear rich: well said, and sick picture. 

Plus, the current iteration of the stab (which they've been doing for 1-2 years?) has some of the most dialed dh geometry of any bike on the market, its got a nicely place pivot point, and for those of you who like to ***** about braking characteristics, its got a fuggin floater. all and all, a rad bike. For some reason the internet is retarded though, and where one bikes 63 degree HT angle is the best thing since sliced bread, on another bike, its "boring and lame and stupid and heavy and wont ever ride well" without actually riding either.


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## COLIN M (Mar 26, 2009)

I agree that is a SICK picture and a nice size DROP. hey rich are you the one running AVY suspension? IF so those purgatory bikes you posted were also very nice bikes i also run AVY and swear by it THE BEST!!!!!!


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## _rich_ (Jan 22, 2004)

COLIN M said:


> I agree that is a SICK picture and a nice size DROP. hey rich are you the one running AVY suspension? IF so those purgatory bikes you posted were also very nice bikes i also run AVY and swear by it THE BEST!!!!!!


Yea that was me...
The Purgatory's were both my friend Brian's bikes..
I think I posted a sick Canfield too which is my friend James bike...
We all use nothing but Avalanche suspension, both front and rear,
it is without a doubt the best,most durable suspension a freerider
could ever ask for........thanks for the kind words guys


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

_rich_ said:


> Gotta love the haters !!!!
> I rode a 2000.5 Stinky-Five for years and it handled everything
> I could do on it...(and I did alot every weekend for years)
> I since have been riding a 2006 Stinky Primo, and it also
> ...


Amazing picture, props on hitting that thing! What is it, like maybe 15-20f at the face? Can't really tell from this shot, but it looks like it has a nice long and steep run out - have any pics of that from the side?
/threadjack


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## _rich_ (Jan 22, 2004)

Iceman2058 said:


> Amazing picture, props on hitting that thing! What is it, like maybe 15-20f at the face? Can't really tell from this shot, but it looks like it has a nice long and steep run out - have any pics of that from the side?
> /threadjack


Honestly we never measured this drop.
If I had to guess i'd say 13' + or - 1'


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

_rich_ said:


> Honestly we never measured this drop.
> If I had to guess i'd say 13' + or - 1'


Like I said, hard to make it out from the angle of that pic, it sure looks big. Note to everybody: this is what an actual 13f drop looks like. Not a 13f PinkBike drop LOL.


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## _rich_ (Jan 22, 2004)

Iceman2058 said:


> Like I said, hard to make it out from the angle of that pic, it sure looks big. Note to everybody: this is what an actual 13f drop looks like. Not a 13f PinkBike drop LOL.


here's a vid..


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## COLIN M (Mar 26, 2009)

NO PROBLEM BROTHER, I ride a CANFIELD LUCKY with AVY front and rear and stunt ride here in BURBANK HILLS. I will post a 10FT> drop i am working on that one of YOU IS SICK. If you are ever out in CA. hit me up would love to ride with other AVY riders just got back from Northstar Resort some fun riding but no big FEATURES from what i saw. I go out and BUILD my own stuff to ride in the local hills and getting better but nothing that BIG yet PROPS TOO YOU is that going between 2 trees?


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

_rich_ said:


> here's a vid..
> http://www.pinkbike.com/v/146341


Looks butter. Nice.


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## themarsvolta55 (Dec 23, 2004)

that drop looks very connecticut-ish


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## kipdrunner (Aug 9, 2007)

Yes it looks like it belongs right in Trumbull.
And if you ignore a bike just because it says Kona on it, you're a damn fool.


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## IrSc (Dec 11, 2008)

_rich_ said:


> Gotta love the haters !!!!
> I rode a 2000.5 Stinky-Five for years and it handled everything
> I could do on it...(and I did alot every weekend for years)
> I since have been riding a 2006 Stinky Primo, and it also
> ...


where is the pic?


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

What happened? The internet ate all the pics/vids?


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## Mowerman (Jan 1, 2005)

IrSc said:


> So I heard that Kona is completely changing their gravity line up for 2011 and getting rid of the stab and stinky bikes.
> Can anyone either deny or conform this and give any info on what is going on with the new rides if this is true?


does that mean they will only be making bikes with that gimmicky magic link? 
They phased out some good bikes in the name of marketing that idea.


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## IrSc (Dec 11, 2008)

Mowerman said:


> does that mean they will only be making bikes with that gimmicky magic link?
> They phased out some good bikes in the name of marketing that idea.


The new magic link works really well though, honestly it does I have used a bike with it and was really blown away with how well it worked. Thing is I dont think they would put magic link on their new DH or FR bikes.... thats just me though.


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## themarsvolta55 (Dec 23, 2004)

kipdrunner said:


> Yes it looks like it belongs right in Trumbull.
> And if you ignore a bike just because it says Kona on it, you're a damn fool.


i live in trumbull : )


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## mothahucker (Feb 6, 2006)

Iceman2058 said:


> What happened? The internet ate all the pics/vids?


I second that. What's up with the weird movie piracy video?


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## StinkyFTW (Jun 29, 2008)

Check this out, the Kona Operator...Kinda reminds me of a Session. I don't know if this counts as completely changing the dh/fr lineup but still. 
link


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## IrSc (Dec 11, 2008)

StinkyFTW said:


> Check this out, the Kona Operator...Kinda reminds me of a Session. I don't know if this counts as completely changing the dh/fr lineup but still.
> link


I love it, I just saw it on their website and gotta say it does look similar to the 88 especially with the new rockers, but I like it.:thumbsup:


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## Pslide (Jul 3, 2006)

Nothing wrong with that...looks pretty good to me. Nothing novel, but quite refined. Not keen on the unnecessary beer gut, but that seems to be the style these days.


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## Pslide (Jul 3, 2006)

On second thought, it looks a bit under designed around the main pivot. (Main pivot itself looks pretty good though.)


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## TORO1968 (Oct 9, 2005)

I think it looks pretty sweet...


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

Pslide said:


> Nothing wrong with that...looks pretty good to me. Nothing novel, but quite refined. Not keen on the unnecessary beer gut, but that seems to be the style these days.


same here. it seems they could just flip the shock to get the resivor to clear.


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## 317000 (Mar 2, 2007)

Super awesome looking. One of the nicest looking bikes out there, in my opinion.


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## NS-NV (Aug 15, 2006)

Only the Stinky 6 survived the axe.


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## StinkyFTW (Jun 29, 2008)

OMG MOAR

More on the Operator

35 pounds aint bad.


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## rep_1969 (Mar 25, 2004)

You know, I'm sure it's plenty strong, but on the front trangle where the top and bottom tubes meet at the head tube looks pretty wimpy. Looks very "snapable". :skep: At least it does in this side view.


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## StinkyFTW (Jun 29, 2008)

That crossed my mind when I saw it too. Time will tell.


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## Iceman2058 (Mar 1, 2007)

I'm sure that thing will look better in real life. That's obviously a small in the pics, the larger size looks more harmonious (the raw proto in the pictures above seems to have a much longer TT). 

It also looks like the goal of that wimpy looking headtube is to get the front height down as much as possible. That's fashionable and all, probably a good move.


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## TORO1968 (Oct 9, 2005)

I believe the prototype shown above is a medium or large, whereas the shot of the completed bike is a small, hence the difference in head tube length. 

I also think it'll be plenty strong, but the head tube junction on the completed bike doesn't "look" very stout. Kona builds tough bikes, though, so I kinda doubt we'll be seeing pics of failures once these have been on the market for a few months.


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## coty (Sep 12, 2008)

IrSc said:


> The new magic link works really well though, honestly it does I have used a bike with it and was really blown away with how well it worked. Thing is I dont think they would put magic link on their new DH or FR bikes.... thats just me though.


Yah I second this, I got magic link on my coil-air which I use for cross country and freeride/downhill. Works great but I've since bought an all out dh bike and quit abusing the coil-air so much. I keep wearing out the rear end where its doesn't pivot. On my second chain stay already. Wearing out the rear frame piece above the chain stay now.


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## daisycutter (Sep 18, 2005)

The head tube junction is the same as the 2010 giant glory and I have not heard of them braking. Looks like a sweet bike.


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## MTB-AHOLIC (Oct 8, 2005)

awesomenicity


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## Konad (Jul 7, 2010)

Kona is making sexy bikes? Who divided by zero?


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## frango (Oct 10, 2004)

Aside from the fact that I've never linked kona for lack of progress and lame design IMO, there is one thing that bothers me...










What have been thinking about while designing such low HT?! So what now, shall we assemble top crown upside-down?


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## Tom Church (Feb 9, 2004)

Got a chance to check these out at the Kona Blast last week. I only rode one for a short time but one of the guys on my shop team rode it for a couple of days. He said it takes to the air much better than the Stab and feels more stable overall. It also corners a lot nicer. He thought the steeper HT and higher BB would not feel as good but after the first run he admitted that he was wrong. 

The linkages are really stiff and the bolts have double sheer points (frame wraps around both sides of the rocker link). The Main Piviot is adjustable without having to remove the cranks and the bolts are huge! With the refined geometry and piviot points the brake link wasn't really needed. 

Gus and most of the riders out there thought the thing was pretty sick. 

We were convinced the Magic Link was a gimmick at first too. But once you ride it you'll see that it actually works and it works really well. I'm selling my Uzzi VP for a 2011 Coilair. Half the price and a better ride if you ask me...


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## masterofnone (Jun 21, 2009)

Wow, you prefer the coilair to the intense? I know you couldn't wait to get your uzzi, that's quite a statement. A big budget ride is a nice luxury and good for bragging rights (if you're into that sorta ****) but I'm kind of a bang for your buck kinda guy, otherwise I'd be wasting boatloads of dough for a rider with just average skills lol. "Pretty damn good with a reasonable price" is good enough for me. As for the smallish headtube junction I'm sure it's plenty strong, Kona isn't known for building underbuilt bikes.


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