DO any of you guys have experience with the new Kona Stinky's? How do they handle? Are thety built tough? Are they reliable? Who all here owns one?

i have an 02 stinky, i love it. thing is built like a tank, is stupid reliable, and with the right parts, can do just about anything.

haha, I was at performance the other day. now, mind you, I'm a roadie, so anything over 20 pounds is considered heavy in my eyes...when I tried to pick up the stinky, I was like DAMN! that thing had better be ****ing bulletproof! It had to weigh more than twice what my roadie does. anyway. carry on with the discussing

I don't own one but I have test rode one for the fun of it; they're super tough and as already mentioned...like a tank. It's not very pedal friendly because of all the travel.

Are they reliable?: Yes, Kona is a pretty well known name.
How do they handle? : Pretty good unless you like to pedal on the road...then you have a problem.
Are thety built tough? : Like a tank...if you can break the frame then you must be doing some crazy s***
Who all here owns one?: Not me but it would be fun

pedaling is in the eye of the beholder. for someone who's only ridden hardtails, yes, it'll bob. ive been riding f/s for over 5 years now, and ive got my pedal stroke pretty smooth, to the point where, without a platform shock, i barely experience any bob. so much of that is in the rider, not the bike. and honestly, if your 6"+ travel bike isnt bobbing, it isnt set up correctly, as it wont absorb the bumps.

Thanks for the replies I think I am going to go test ride a kona Stinky and Norco manik on the weekend. I do allot of urban riding to, although, so the manik might feel better. But i love and trust Kona. A quick question... Does the like "standard" or "non delux" Kona stinky come in any other colours than the army green? I like it, but I love the dark tan brown on the stinky delux?

O and by the way, the little kid accross the street just picked up a Kona stuff jr. So far seems to be extremely solid. Tried to ride it but the seat is to close to the bars to wheeliy or anything for anyone over about 5"2 (I am taller then that).
We well see how his bike turns out.

Its a fr bike...

its tough first
good pedaller (drive train and or geometry) second
light last

If you are buying a bike like this weight isn't a consideration. 38 to 50pounds is not uncommon for a fr bike.

the 05 stankies have fox dh 3.0 on them, and bob is minimal when tuned correctly

The Manik and Stinky are two completely different bikes; the manik is a Freeride Hardtail, and the Stinky is a Full suspension Freeride/downhill bike. The two handle differently. If you are doing urban you will find that a hardtail will probably suit you more.

I am also looking at buying a kona stinky and was wondering if there is anything wrong with the 2002 models. When did kona start making the stinky. Does this sound like a good set up?
"2002 Kona stinky with super jr t front fork and betd rear plates for a 7 in travel. New bashguard, chain, rear cog set, front sprockets, cables, fresh tune up, new rear mobster tire, ditch witch wheels, 8in front brake rotor, 6 rear, great bike everything works great"

How much is a 2002 like this worth? Can I see some pics of stinky's?
DREW

the stinky has been around forever..... 1999 or 2000 i think. tanks for sure.... but pedaling....agggg.... pedal-bob city baby_ population you!

The Stinky is a great bike. You should however slap on a new shock such as a Manatou Swinger(be sure it is a coil over) or FOX Vanilla w/ProPedal to cut down on the bob that dirtjumpP.1 mentioned.

As for price, if it is the basic Stinky and in great condition I would say you are looking at some thing like 800+ depending on what mods the seller did. I have not seen any decent Stinkys drop in value as much as one would expect.

first stinky was in 99, but it was a direct copy of the 98 stab. and pedal bob city? compared to a hardtail maybe, but i dont think its bad at all, and i dont use a platform shock and my bike weighs a svelt 44lbs on my bathroom scale. and i trail ride the thing, single ring and all. stop whining about bob and either get stronger or learn to pedal better, a smooth stroke will make almost any bike "pedal well" and a crappy stroke will make almost anything pedal like crap.

i only say that because my friend has last years stinky, ive riddin it and its pedal bob is bad... crappy shock and flat riding leads to pedal bob, on dh courses its fine though. its just my observation as a hardtailer.

exactly. ive been riding fullys for going on 6 years now, and ive had a vanilla rc and now an avalanche, neither with propedal, and i dont get much bob. you have to have the feel of the suspension and know how not to pedal in squares. and any fs bike is going to feel squishy and bobby if you usually ride a hardtail.

Hey thank you.