Kona Explosif Advice.

[Thorpie]

Hi, I am after some advice and opinions on my 97 Kona Explosif (there is a link to the bike somewhere on the forum). I picked the bike up today after winning it on ebay a couple of days ago for £411! As the seller said it is in good condition with hardly any marks on the frame. All cables and pads need replacing and it needs a very good clean and re grease but other than that it is fine.

The questions I have are -

Should I replace the Indy SL's with P2's or leave them on?

What tyres do you recommend as both need replacing.

Lastly, any tips for making rusty bolts look half decent again?

When finished I will get some pictures up.

Thanks in advance, Trevor.

 

[JeRkY]

I was watching that auction keenly when it was around £155 with hours to go....certainly shot out of my hands fast.

Personally i'd keep the shocks if they work well. but its a personal preference. As for screws, easiest thing is to replace them, alloy ones are not too expensive.

Enjoy it, it looked nice in the photo's

 

[guybe]

Hello

I would put P2's on it and small tyres on it if it's mosty tarmac riding, if not, it's for off road then get some grippy tyes and run suspension forks.

For rusty bolts, best to replace them and it shouldn't cost that much.

Good luck on the bike and hope to see some pics soon.

 

[Anthony]

Hi, I am after some advice and opinions on my 97 Kona Explosif (there is a link to the bike somewhere on the forum). I picked the bike up today after winning it on ebay a couple of days ago for £411! As the seller said it is in good condition with hardly any marks on the frame. All cables and pads need replacing and it needs a very good clean and re grease but other than that it is fine.
The questions I have are -
Should I replace the Indy SL's with P2's or leave them on?
What tyres do you recommend as both need replacing.
Lastly, any tips for making rusty bolts look half decent again?
When finished I will get some pictures up.
Thanks in advance, Trevor.

When I priced the bike I included zero for the forks and I really think you couldn't sell them, which tells a story. Whether you want rigid or suspension, only you can know, but if you want suspension and you want to stay contemporary the obvious choices might be 97 Judy SLs (quite rare compared to 96) or early Z2s. But as the other thread below points out, a Pace may be the best choice - especially as the frame colour isn't that easily complemented.

Tyres Conti Mountain Kings, but I thought you were going to commute on it?

New bolts from a bolt shop, not a bike shop, better quality and 20p each

I still hate you, but welcome to the forum!

 

[Thorpie]

Just a quick one, will a brand new Tripple Butted P2 fork be a problem for my 97 Explosif's geometry or are the P2's 'suspension ready'. Trevor.

 

[Anthony]

Just a quick one, will a brand new Tripple Butted P2 fork be a problem for my 97 Explosif's geometry or are the P2's 'suspension ready'. Trevor.

They do the current ones in 41cm and 44cm length, the former being the right length and the latter being f'ugly, but neither would really suit your sublime colour scheme. You'd be best off with a period one off eBay - you'll find one with a little patience, although be careful as many sellers don't know whether they're selling tb or pg, the clue being in the weight (1.85lbs and 2.3lbs respectively). It should look like this:

 

[Thorpie]

Anthony, you have a pm. Trevor.