Kona invites you to a product presentation - this causes puzzlement in the FREERIDE office. After all, the Canadians only presented their elaborate carbon downhiller "Operator" and the enduro bike "Process" last year after a long development period. But indeed - Kona is launching a new downhiller. The "Precept" declares war on the pricey mail-order competition, as the affordable counterpart to the well-known big bike "Operator" costs just € 2,500.
At first glance, the bike is not an eye-catcher like its big brother "Operator", but looks rustic in keeping with the price. The shock is high up in the bike and is articulated by an unconventional rocker arm with an axle eyelet drilled through the top tube. A conventional stem is clamped to the head tube - no fancy direct mount. However, savings had to be made somewhere. For the suspension elements, Kona relies on the tried and tested combination of RockShox "Domain" fork and "Kage" shock. This is the standard uniform - in our comparison test (FREERIDE 2/14), all price-breaker big bikes were dressed like this. Kona didn't experiment with the brake system either: Avid "Code". It stands its ground, grips firmly and feels good in the hand.
While the bike world is infected by the 650B virus and all manufacturers are jacking up bikes like crazy, Kona continues to rely on 26-inch wheels with the "Precept": "That's exactly the right choice for a bike like this because it's robust and affordable," say the gravity experts from Canada. If you compare the geometry data of the "Precept" with that of the "Operator", the two are quite close together.
Does the "Precept" ride like its big brother? Kona presented its low-cost downhiller to us in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis bike park. This was actually exactly the right terrain to push the bikes to their limits. But unfortunately the rainy summer put a spanner in the works - both downhill trails were closed. So we had to blast down the "Strada del Sole" jump trail. Compared to the "Operator", the hefty weight of the entry-level downhiller is noticeable. Weighing 18.2 kilos without pedals, it is not quite as easy to swing over the jumps as the "Operator". Nevertheless, we are always surprised at how much fun price-breaker bikes like the "Precept" are. If image, high-end and tenths of a second aren't quite so important to you, you'll get a solid performance here. Step-downs and drops were easily absorbed by the bike with its favourable suspension elements - however, it rattled quite loudly.
ConclusionThe affordable big-bike alternative to the "Operator" seems to be a success. We still have to find out how the "Precept" compares to the competition and how it performs on really angry downhills.
PLUS Price, brakes
MINUS Weight, loud, cheap parts
MANUFACTURER INFORMATION
Distribution Kona Sports International SAM
Info www.konaworld.com
Material/sizes Aluminium/S, M, L
Price 2,499 Euro
Weight without pedals approx. 18.2 kg
MEASURED DATA
Front/rear suspension travel 200 mm/200 mm
Rear suspension system Swinger System
EQUIPMENT
Fork/damper RockShox Domain RC/RockShox Kage R
Cranks/gears Truvativ Ruktion/SRAM X5
Brake system Avid Code R
Impellers Sun Ringle MTX 33 sleeved system wheelset, Maxxis DHF DH 2.5 tyres
Laurin Lehner
Editor
