# KHS Montana Team



## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

I would include a photo, but my computer is not responding to the uploading.

I have a KHS Montana Team that I am trying to find out the year on it. It's got one inch headtube, tapered downtube. accomodates 26.8 seatpost and the frame is silver with blue graphics. Blue KHS on the downtube, the seat tube has TEAM in block letters with Montana underneath the block letters. It has a true temper logo on the top tube. 

Like i said, wish i could include the photo, just not possible. Anyone recognize this year? If not, anyone know where to reference serial numbers?

Thanks

Scott


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## Veloculture (Dec 18, 2005)

i loved my KHS Montana Team. i would love to get another one actually. i really regret selling it. 

does you're bike have XTR? what's the parts spread?


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

The components will give you the year:
http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano

I have a '93. Based on your description I'd say that yours is newer, but would need to see a picture.


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## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

*It's a mix*

It has a mix of XT and XTR. It came to me with old Deore thumbies, but I remember the guy told me he took them off his old bridgestone and put them on the KHS because he could not get the hang of the old rapidfire. It has a switchblade fork on it, also aftermarket. The original owner told me it came with "some old rock shox"

The serial number has A50 on top, then a line of numbers underneath. I love the bike, have enjoyed riding it. want to find a little more out about it.

thanks

scott


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## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

*Thanks*

XT front cage is from june of 95, so that is a good lead.

The photos i have seen of 92-94 have different graphics, they say montana on the downtube.

Thanks for the info

Scott


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## ashwinearl (Jan 2, 2004)

swolfe said:


> I would include a photo, but my computer is not responding to the uploading.
> 
> I have a KHS Montana Team that I am trying to find out the year on it. It's got one inch headtube, tapered downtube. accomodates 26.8 seatpost and the frame is silver with blue graphics. Blue KHS on the downtube, the seat tube has TEAM in block letters with Montana underneath the block letters. It has a true temper logo on the top tube.
> 
> ...


Ahhhh.
My first real good mtb was a Montana Team. Lugged, yellow and grey. XT thumbshifters.

The headtube ovalized and they warrantied it with a purple Tig welded one. I've always had a soft spot for Kuu-Haaa-Sss bikes.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Decals looked like this in '93.


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## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

*Ha Ha!*

That's funny. That picture was what told me that mine was not a 93. I spent almost an hour looking and reading about all of the bikes on that site. Nice collection, very nice.

Decals are different for sure on mine. I think that 95 seems like a good bet.

Thanks

Scott


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Yeah that's me. Too many bikes, and not enough sense. :|


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## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

*emailed*

I just emailed you a photo of the frame to your "comments" email address.

Scott


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

swolfe said:


> I just emailed you a photo of the frame to your "comments" email address.


Just responded back.

form the e-mail: I think that the serial number format is "Uymmxxxxx" where "y" is the last digit of year and "mm" is the month of manufacture.

Let me know if that works for your frame.


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## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

*There it is...*

U412

Thanks for the help on this. December of 1994.

Thanks to everyone else who responded to this query. That's what I love about this message board. No stone has been unturned at one time or another.

Peace

Scott


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## mcbrat (Dec 12, 2006)

hey, I just picked up a Montana Team as well. the chainrings and rear cassette are worn badly. I believe mine to be '88-'91 time frame.... 3 digit ser. num. no letters. mine has the Ritchie Force stem, and pink handlebars. most all components are Deore XT labeled.

I'm trying to decide on if I should replace the worn parts with original spec pieces, or go with different gearing, etc.....


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

mcbrat said:


> hey, I just picked up a Montana Team as well. the chainrings and rear cassette are worn badly. I believe mine to be '88-'91 time frame.... 3 digit ser. num. no letters. mine has the Ritchie Force stem, and pink handlebars. most all components are Deore XT labeled.
> 
> I'm trying to decide on if I should replace the worn parts with original spec pieces, or go with different gearing, etc.....


IMHO, original period correct spec.

Post a pic! :thumbsup:


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## swolfe (Dec 30, 2005)

*I've enjoyed mine*

I've been riding mine daily since I built it up with spare parts, etc. I only got the frame and fork. I wanted to "preserve" the condition of my XO-1 by having something else to commute on, this bicycle has done that very well.

It's a 29 mile round trip commute. Includes a 1.4 mile section of singletrack each way and about 3 miles of dirt road. I love doing it on the XO; but the season here in the Oregon makes things pretty nasty most of the time.

I am enclosing a picture. It's a 95. The fork on it is not stock, but I'm not complaining one bit. I have it set up 1x7 with old Conti Cross Country 1.5 tires on older cane creek wheels. Onza pedals, bontrager stem and bars. single Deore XT thumbie on newer XT cranks. Shimano 105 rear D.

Bit of a Frankenbike; but it rides like i dream.

Scott


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## mcbrat (Dec 12, 2006)

I did a review of all the components. and their status....

Component	Status	Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chain Rings	Bad	Shimano SG, C46, C36, C24
Derailleur, Rear	Bad	SRAM NEOS
Rear Cassette	Bad	Hyperglide, E28T, E24T, E21T, E18T, E15T, E14T, E12T
Shifters	Bad	Shimano Deore XT
Tires	Bad	"Diamond Grip 47-559 26x1.75 - Front
Ritchey Megabite Overdrive 26x2.0 fits 26x1.5-1.75 rims - Rear"
Chain	Gone	
Tubes	Needed	Ritchey pack of 6
Bottle Holder	OK	Specialized, black
Brake Levers	OK	Shimano SLR STI
Brake Pulls	OK	Shimano Deore XT
Crank Set	OK	Shimano FC-M730 175, 137x24T Hub
Derailleur, Front	Ok	Shimano Deore XT
Frame	OK	21" CRMO Ritchey Prestige, Logic SuperTubing
Handle Bars	OK	Easton E9 TaperLine?
Hubs	OK	Shimano Deore XT
Pedals	OK	Shimano Deore XT
Rims	OK	Ritchey Comp Vantage, Heat Treated 415 grams
Seat	OK	Turbo (Italy)
Seat Stem	OK	TR ?
Stem	OK	Ritchey Force

I've only found the correct 24T chainring so far.... but this will be a slow build leading up to spring.... got other projects first


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

mine was an endo machine.


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## uphiller (Jan 13, 2004)

I rode down the steepest steeps I have ever done on mine. I had a 16" of the blue and pink frame when I was in high school, and stopped riding it long after I was too big for it. I could get way don low over the rear tire, and the tt was short, so I could roll some crazy stuff.
Tim


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## alexk (Sep 30, 2005)

colker1 said:


> mine was an endo machine.


Steep head angle?

Sounds a bit like my '93 DB Axis in rigid build. Suspension forks have taken the edge off that kind of behaviour thank goodness.


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## alexk (Sep 30, 2005)

mcbrat said:


> I did a review of all the components. and their status....
> 
> Component	Status	Description
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ...


Sounds like it could more like 1991 if it's got STI on the brake levers. Does it have the shifters under the bar and combined with the brake levers? I thought KHS rebelled against Shimano's RapidFailure shifters and specified the thumbshifters on the Montana Team in 1991.

Should be a nice ride when built up, Ritchey Logic Prestige


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## mcbrat (Dec 12, 2006)

alexk said:


> Sounds like it could more like 1991 if it's got STI on the brake levers. Does it have the shifters under the bar and combined with the brake levers? I thought KHS rebelled against Shimano's RapidFailure shifters and specified the thumbshifters on the Montana Team in 1991.
> 
> Should be a nice ride when built up, Ritchey Logic Prestige


the shifters are under the bar, separate units from the brake levers.

I'm new to decent MTB stuff. many years ago, I had (and still have) a decent (not high end) road bike (Panasonic AL9000) but I've gotten away from riding, and want to get back into it. I got this KHS for $50 and a spare Subaru distributor....


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## mcbrat (Dec 12, 2006)

I stand corrected. they are the integrated units.


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## mcbrat (Dec 12, 2006)

almost done. I'm still waiting for a piece to finish the brakes.....


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

mcbrat said:


> almost done. I'm still waiting for a piece to finish the brakes.....


Nice. It just looks so right to have that Ritchey stem on there. Hint, hint, Laffeaux. 

Those are nice bikes. Ive never ridden one, but I used to get beat frequently by Tyler Kettenburg on one of those. 

Theyre almost a Ritchey P-23.


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

Fillet-brazed said:


> Nice. It just looks so right to have that Ritchey stem on there. Hint, hint, Laffeaux.


That looks like a '94 which used Ritchey tubing and had Ritchey-style stays.

In '93 Zoom was a team sponsor. Zoom bar and stem on the bike, and they are sweet!


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## mcbrat (Dec 12, 2006)

laffeaux said:


> That looks like a '94 which used Ritchey tubing and had Ritchey-style stays.
> 
> In '93 Zoom was a team sponsor. Zoom bar and stem on the bike, and they are sweet!


someone mentioned earlier that it could be '91 because it had the Shimano Deore XT STI Brake/Shifter units? One side was busted bad, so I found a set of STI Deore DX 7 speed units, and transferred over a few bits that were different on the XT model.

the number stamped under the BB tube is just 3 digits.

I ended up replacing the BB and the head set too...


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

mcbrat said:


> someone mentioned earlier that it could be '91 because it had the Shimano Deore XT STI Brake/Shifter units? One side was busted bad, so I found a set of STI Deore DX 7 speed units, and transferred over a few bits that were different on the XT model.
> 
> the number stamped under the BB tube is just 3 digits.
> 
> I ended up replacing the BB and the head set too...


Yeah, it could be slightly older. It's definintely a different version of the frame than what I have. Older might make make sense.


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## Intense5point5 (Jan 25, 2007)

I did a pretty good search and figured this would be the best thread to post on. I just picked up a 1993??? KHS Montana Comp for free from work (LBS) It had a 27.2 stuck 4 inches into the 26.8 seat tube. I cut a 8" incision down the seat tube with a narrow bladed metal grinder and took out the old post and welded a nice bead back up it. I threw a Michelin XCR 2.0 on the back and a Maxxis Ignitor 1.95 on the front, and some Easton EC70 Bars on it. I'm not sure on the year, and the wheelset has me confused. They both share the set of Deore LX Hubs but the front is a Ritchey rim, while the rear is a 1992 Bontrager/ Weinmann rim. This bike is so light!!!! I need someone to make or find me some original logo's or templates. It's been abused and flogged, but I plan on sandblasting the frame and powder-coating it in the original metallic purple/sparkly color or that sexy burnt metallic orange that I keep on seeing cheap Chevrolet's dressed up in. Any questions/tips/comments? I love how it rides so far, but I am concerned on keeping it mostly original, while still modding it a little bit without being over the top. So far, I think I'll paint the EC70 flat bars to look like the Zoom 170 bars (logo's and all.) and converting the wheel set to tubeless with Stan's, Any covert/sleeper mod ideas?


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## rensho (Mar 8, 2004)

The 90-91 teams had 7sp XT sti thumbies(above bars), separate from Magura brake levers. XT all around, with Biopace. Uses Tange Prestige tubing.


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## shedrat29 (Jan 27, 2007)

Sounds the same as my team, I think they are rebadged Ritchey P23s my number is 5xx which falls into the ritchey frame # sequence, raced mine in 90/91 been up in the loft since. cheers Keith.


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## shedrat29 (Jan 27, 2007)

Mines a 89 I think, 7 sp thumbshifters ,all xt, 28 hole front hub,cool old leather turbo, 150mm flat force comp stem and a short top tube made for fun downhills but we used to ride the buggars. God bless the old attack position.IF I can drag it down u guys want to see a photo? Got Ritchey cranks, levers and cants now but still have the XT bits.


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

The thing I remember most about KHS was an ad. They had a woman in a bathing suit halfway in the water holding the bike on her shoulder.

I had a mtb magazine in my backpack and brought it out to demonstrate a point for an art class. There was a custom builder who had fillet brazed joints that were left bare to show off the work and that was the point I was trying to make, don't hide the welds in your sculpture, make them part of the visuals. Opposite the pictures of the frame was the KHS ad. Not many guys in the class really noticed the brazing.

Pen Guin


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