95 Kona Fire Mountain

[Proto2000]

Found this one a few weeks ago but the seller wanted too much. Waited until today to make an offer and he was good with it so now I own it. It has all of the original parts attached less the saddle and tires and is in really great condition too. The color threw me off as it looks black in the pics I saw but is multi color with different light angles. Never seen this paint on a Kona before so am happy about that. Not a high end Kona but with the paint and nice parts, brings it up a few notches. I will likely keep as is because I wanted the fork and stem for an 94 Explosif frame I have, reason I bought it, but the fork steer tube is too short. Win some, lose some. Looking for the right fork for the Explosif again.

 

[winjohn]

Nice looking bike...looks a pretty long head tube on it the Explosif must be enormous! Good luck with the search for a longer steerer tube fork, you'll ned it.

 

[moonlite]

That's in good nick. Good to see the original colour -- there's a frame in my pile, same model same year, but nowhere as nicely preserved.

 

[Muirwoods94]

Nice find!

 

[Proto2000]

Pics of the Explosif, 20" center to top. Not sure what size that makes it but head tube is very long. Any guesses about the silver sticker being tubing used or something else?

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Any guesses about the silver sticker being tubing used or something else?

Could it be a Tange Prestige Ultimate Ultralight?

 

[Proto2000]

@MattiThundrrr. That's what I was looking for, that shape of sticker. Matti, what tubing sticker was normal use on a 94 Explosif without the splined down tube? I've heard that when the splined down tube frames were all gone, Kona painted Kilauea frames as Explosif's.

 

[Proto2000]

I just found these in my tire pile so gonna slap them on the wheels and give them a good scrub. Pics to follow.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Matti, what tubing sticker was normal use on a 94 Explosif without the splined down tube? I've heard that when the splined down tube frames were all gone, Kona painted Kilauea frames as Explosif's.

I don't know the answer to that, but I did find this in a "Hot" themed thread, which is also full of Explosif info

"Fluted downtubes are unique to Tange Ultimate tubesets. The HOTs and Explosifs that used this tubing had fluted downtubes. I think that the Explosifs only used Ultimate for the downtube, and Prestige for the rest of the frame, while HOTs used Ultimate throughout. I could be wrong on this point however."

Thread 'OK, tell me about the Kona Hot...'

Jun 6, 2008

Following on from Wu's post about Kona's I'd like to get more specific and ask the retrobike massif for views/opinion/fact regarding the Kona Hot.

I know they are handmade in the US, and pre 1994(?) they were made by Teesdale - are these more desirable thn the later Hots?

Did the steel change over the years as it did with the Explosif, and if so which vintage is best?

Don't know why but I have an itch that needs to be scratched for one of these...

• Little Bob
• Replies: 45
• Forum: Retro MTB Chat

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Here's a photo of a 94 with a black Ultimate Ultrastrong sticker