1996 VooDoo Bizango 18.5"

konaman1

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Testing the water here folks. As I'm not getting time to ride much these days due to other wallet crushing pursuits and a growing family, I took this apart and thought I'd sell the parts and mothball the frame until I had more time/money. As I already have other projects in the pipeline I think it might be a good time to pass this on to a new owner before I build it up again!

I bought this from Mousemat via eBay a couple of years back. I'd wanted one ever since finding out about the original VooDoo's excellent pedigree mostly from Anthony's posts. These were made in Chico, California in the Mountain Goat factory by Jeff Lindsay at the same time he was welding up the Hots and Ku's for Kona. VooDoo was Joe Murrays brainchild and his next move after leaving Kona. So essentially this was Joes design progression whereas Kona stuck with the '94 design for years after Joe left. Built from Tange Ultimate Superlight tubing and having really neat details like the snake stays, recessed head tube and super cool Ritchey hooded drop outs the Bizango was the top steel frame in the range.

This was in a sorry state having lost its original paint and braze ons and gained a few strange features like hydraulic hose braze ons. I got in contact with Joe Murray via email and he confirmed the serial no and sent me a couple of sets of original waterslide decals. The frame was then packaged up and sent to Bob Jackson cycles for a full respray in the original orange. They also removed the hose braze ons and added some v brake braze ons. However in my haste to get it sent off I didn't check the decals before putting them in with the frame. I got a call from Bob Jackson asking me if I really wanted an orange bike with orange decals! No not really... So long story short I've wanted a white Kona since first laying eyes on the '95 Kilauea but don't like the white Kona stigma that's developed with the powder coating revolution and so the white VooDoo Bizango was born, albeit in Italian enamel pearlescent white rather than powder coat. They did a great job and the paint is stunning in the sunlight, my poor photography do it no justice! The decals are edged in silver so bare alu really suits it best although I've thrown red and orange and gold ano on it at different times. I've built it up with various components mostly high end Raceface syncros, xtr etc and I've ridden it with P2's, Sids and Z2's, it rides beautifully, racey with a long top tube but that is counteracted by a high front end due to the long head tube so it feels stable even when descending. The stays are supple and forgiving more so than my 853 Hot was, it feels more like a titanium frame to ride.

Size 18.5 with a 23" top tube if you are used to Kona's its definitely more like a 19" than an 18" to ride. It takes a 26.8mm seat post.

I'd like £300.00 posted with the King aheadset and xtr m900 fr mech included in the sale which is slightly less than it owes me.

If you don't require the CK or the mech I'd accept £250.00 Considering its pedigree and the cost of the paint I think its a good deal and if it doesn't sell at this price I've pretty much convinced myself to build it up again!






 
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