1991 Kona Explosif question.

[boy"O"boy]

Hi all.

Here's a question for the Kona experts out there.

Me and a work colleague have found an abandoned Kona Explosif on site. Looking at the Catalogue specs....I'm almost certain it's a very faded 'purple' or a blue 1991 Explosif. The decals are all original....some of the XT is still there as well as very rusted project 2's/ velocity stem/ 165 bars
(Although blue isn't in the Catalogue... maybe it was in other markets?)
Once we find an owner we will rescue it.

Which leads me onto my question.....

My colleague has another frame that seems Identical. Same details as the blue one.

Is the tapered/fluted seat tube to bottom bracket join unique to the Tange Prestige Explosif?
....or is it across the whole 1991 model range?


The bikes shed 'find' bottom bracket/seat tube
S/N F91 22 763?


The 'other' Kona with similar b/b seat tube junction

Is the Red one a resprayed Explosif from 1991?

Cheers
boy"O"boy

 

[mk one]

'91 Explosifs were purple(blue), black was an option. '91 Explosifs have brazed on seat clamp bolts, '92 have collars, except some '92 Explosif Pro's which some say are just '91 frames with new paint.

The bulge butted tube on the red pic is Prestige, only on the Explosif and Hot that year, the blue pic doesnt look like a bulge from here, maybe a better pic would help. But if it is a prominent bulge around the whole diameter then yes, it will be an Explosif or Hot.

 

[MatBH5]

Lower end frames (non-Prestige) had a squashed seat tube at the base, so not the true bulge, but it was wider side to side.
My Fire Mountain had this feature, and was the same blue as the first picture.

 

[mk one]

Just about to say this, if squished front to back and bulged side to side then it is Konas own spec tubeset, here is a pic of a 91 FM

 

[boy"O"boy]

'91 Explosifs were purple(blue), black was an option. '91 Explosifs have brazed on seat clamp bolts, '92 have collars, except some '92 Explosif Pro's which some say are just '91 frames with new paint.

The bulge butted tube on the red pic is Prestige, only on the Explosif and Hot that year, the blue pic doesnt look like a bulge from here, maybe a better pic would help. But if it is a prominent bulge around the whole diameter then yes, it will be an Explosif or Hot.

Cheers Mark.
Thank you. That's the definitive answer we needed!
Wez is rushing home at lunch to check his serial number..... hoping it's a Hot

The blue is definitely a '91. Here's a pic of the whole bike. Just got to track down and see if it has an owner..... judging by the cobwebs and Rusty spokes, forks and chain...it hasn't moved in a long while. Even got XT thumbies and 2 finger levers on it.


Cheers
boy"O"boy

 

[mk one]

Cheers Mark.
Thank you. That's the definitive answer we needed!
Wez is rushing home at lunch to check his serial number..... hoping it's a Hot

The blue is definitely a '91. Here's a pic of the whole bike. Just got to track down and see if it has an owner..... judging by the cobwebs and Rusty spokes, forks and chain...it hasn't moved in a long while. Even got XT thumbies and 2 finger levers on it.
View attachment 775710

Cheers
boy"O"boy

Yep, that's a Prestige frame, the colour is strange, certainly doesn't look like a faded Purple, the Explosif was much darker, though the decals look original. I am sure Tom was making the Hot's back then too.

 

[TreaderSteve]

Would like to see the colour underneath the front mech - my purple Explosif has its original shade of deep purple under there

 

[mk one]

The other option which the serial should show, is it is a '92 Explosif Pro, which did have the same Dupont Imron colour options as the Hot, and some as I said, have been found with the same frame details as the '91 Explosif.

 

[boy"O"boy]

Yep, that's a Prestige frame, the colour is strange, certainly doesn't look like a faded Purple, the Explosif was much darker, though the decals look original. I am sure Tom was making the Hot's back then too.

Wez rushed back at lunch and took more pics to confirm the red one. S/N F91 13967
Not a Hot unfortunately but still an Explosif with the seat tube bulge being round and not oval.
Here's more pics of the red one.




Cheers
boy"O"boy

 

[minor_LEGEND]

It might be a non-UK colour option. It looks similar to the Fire Mountain Blue from 91 we had here in UK, meaning it could well be a genuine Kona colour just not UK catalogue spec. that we are used to seeing. Nice find, that would be in the boot of my car already.