Specification

Kona are doing three specifications of the Operator and a frame only option for those riders that like a custom build. The base complete model starts at £3,300 that includes the Boxxer RC fork, Kage rear damper, Formula hubs laced to Sun MTX 33, SRAM Guide R brakes and Sram gearing with a lower specification X5 shifter and X7 rear derailleur. A super reliable MRP G3 steel chain guide with Race Face Chester crankset rounds the drive system nicely. There is an array of in house Kona parts from bar and direct mount stem to seat, seatpost and clamp that come along to finish the bike off.

The flagship Supreme Operator still features the same chassis but has the aforementioned World Cup Boxxer fork and the Kage RC damper. Kona say part of the large price increase over the DL and base models comes in the Connor Fearon style build including NovaTec wheels that look and sound really good. SRAM deliver the drive via X01 DH, a product that has been one of our favourites for some time now with the X0 Carbon crank to match. With the slick looking MRP G4 mini chain guide to accompany this it’s looking good particularly with the Guide Ultimate brakes. The cockpit has been taken care of by ODI on this bike although the bar does have a slightly weird shape to it. All in all it’s a good build but at £7,899 it’s hard to fathom how this bike is £4,000 more than the DL model at £3799. It simply doesn’t add up. This is what Kona had to say:-

“The Supreme compared to the DL, features some big product jumps. The brakes go from Guide R’s to Guide Ultimates, the drivetrain goes from Sram GX to XO DH and the fork from an RC to WC. The bar and stem again go from house parts to Connors exact ODI choice and the Novatec wheels are the same wheels Connor and Aggy race World Cups and ride Rampage in respectively.  The whole way through the bike there are big product jumps. It would be rad if the bike was a bit cheaper but we tried to make an almost exact replica of what Connor races, with the exception of the rear shock, we have pretty much achieved this and the all these high end parts are added up, they equate to a price that reflects that pro build.”

Verdict.

The chassis on the Kona Operator really is on the money even if the retail price on the top end Supreme version is on Mars. And if you opted for one of the lower spec models at £3,300 or £3,800 it’s not out of the way price wise and with some modifications to the parts list it would make a great bike that would be tough, fast and reliable. We actually switched to some cheaper parts on our test bike and didn’t find it wanting.

We rate this bike highly and the ride characteristic offers superb traction together with a silent ride. Its interesting that Connor Fearon is currently running revised chassis with Metric shock fitted so clearly changes might well be in pipeline again. For now however the Operator DL would be the bike of choice here, for Kona are dreaming with the price of the Supreme version with so many top end spec aluminum bikes available at half that price.

Operator £2899

Operator DL  £3799

Supreme Operator £7899