budget build kuota kharma
imsimon
Posts: 181
Hello.
I will be using this post to track my build of a kuota kharma. I've now sourced the majority of the parts and will be slowly putting all together. Nearly everything will be 2nd hand from here or ebay
This was the exciting day when it arrived a few days ago
Yes the garage is a mess. Got a motorbike race on sunday and the bike needed work and everything got thrown around a bit! You can see my current allez in the pic which will becomme a winter/wet weather bike. I shall be using the wheels from that kinnetic k1, s and putting the originals back on allez
This will be a learn as I go project, I've hardly any bike mechanic experience. The most I've done is change my allez from 9sp sora to 10speed 105.
Heres the frame which is a medium.
Since this picture I have removed the bottom bracket which was an fsa I have ordered a new dura ace 7000 bb (one of the only new items that will be used) I have also added the brakes which were ultegra 6600 and a 6700 ultegra rear mech
The only items i need to get are a chain and and cassette.
I will be using this post to track my build of a kuota kharma. I've now sourced the majority of the parts and will be slowly putting all together. Nearly everything will be 2nd hand from here or ebay
This was the exciting day when it arrived a few days ago
Yes the garage is a mess. Got a motorbike race on sunday and the bike needed work and everything got thrown around a bit! You can see my current allez in the pic which will becomme a winter/wet weather bike. I shall be using the wheels from that kinnetic k1, s and putting the originals back on allez
This will be a learn as I go project, I've hardly any bike mechanic experience. The most I've done is change my allez from 9sp sora to 10speed 105.
Heres the frame which is a medium.
Since this picture I have removed the bottom bracket which was an fsa I have ordered a new dura ace 7000 bb (one of the only new items that will be used) I have also added the brakes which were ultegra 6600 and a 6700 ultegra rear mech
The only items i need to get are a chain and and cassette.
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Comments
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Couple more pics.
Front mech anx thd bottom bracket removed
Rear of bike to show mechs and rear brakes
Front brakes
That's where I'm up to I had expected the new bb by now which is annoying but I've got plenty to be doing with my motorbike for the weekend.
Having trouble with the seatpost. Theres a small metal insert between the post and clamp and it just doesnt want to go together0 -
Looking forward to seeing the finished bike!0
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Carbon frames that overtly show the carbon weave always look dull and dirty to me. Shame cos im sure it will look nice when youve finished. I like Carbon but it needs covering in shiny paint to look good imho.the deeper the section the deeper the pleasure.0
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pride4ever wrote:Carbon frames that overtly show the carbon weave always look dull and dirty to me. Shame cos im sure it will look nice when youve finished. I like Carbon but it needs covering in shiny paint to look good imho.
More likely my grease covered hands when I'm working on it!! The weave isnt as obvious as in the pics but I'm love with it anyway0 -
The new bottom bracket arrived yesturday dura ace 7900 for 21quid new.
All went well and new b installed along with a dura ace 7800 crankset. 53/39 with 172.5 cranks. I've also stuck the old wheels on just to move it around on
Really must clear my garage0 -
Great project, really love the Kuota. Very interested to see you progress through to completion. I'm a novice at bike mechanics myself but quite fancy doing this as a hobby to pull together something fantastic.
You should see my garage!!!0 -
Thanks roy. I'm quite confident I could make a lot of money on this bike but I love the kuota so it will stay. Well see how it goes and imay look to do another just for the funof it and sell it on. Got mymotorbike ra e 2morrow. If I dontbrake to much on the bike then progress on this bike will speed up dramaticly. Thnx for your comments0
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finally had a bit of time today so managed to do a few little bits to move things along although I didnt do as much as I had hoped!
first thing was to clean and stick a load of grease in the headset, had to get a little spacer from lbs as it wouldnt quite tightened and then fit the stem which was £8 from ebay!
next was to take the cassette off of the rear wheel and put it back onto my allez's wheel, I cheated here as I didnt have a chain whip and couldnt manage it with an old piece of chain so got LBS to do it.
chain fitted its an ultegra 6701 £20 in sale from wiggle and new cassette put on 12-28. heres the new shiney cassette on the not so shiney wheel!
fitted handlebars and made a start on the cables but unfortunatly ran out of time.
popped the wheels on and here it is resting up against the allez and others
and my final picture, the bike taking up most of my garage, loaded on the trailer ready for reschedule race on sunday
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nice spec going on there.0
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Great pics Simon - keep em coming.0
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Great bike, I bought a kharma evo at the start of feb with ultegra groupset and spinergy wheels and downgraded my Allez sport to commuter and winter ride. The sora drive chain on the Allez is starting to wear and I was thinking about upgrading the groupset (rather than paying to replace sora parts that I'm not really happy with) to 10 spd tiagra or SRAM apex-worth it or buy a different winter bike?"It never gets easier, you just go faster"0
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You forgot to put the word 'top' in your title :-)Yellow is the new Black.0
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dnwhite88 wrote:Great bike, I bought a kharma evo at the start of feb with ultegra groupset and spinergy wheels and downgraded my Allez sport to commuter and winter ride. The sora drive chain on the Allez is starting to wear and I was thinking about upgrading the groupset (rather than paying to replace sora parts that I'm not really happy with) to 10 spd tiagra or SRAM apex-worth it or buy a different winter bike?
I have a friend that's justgot an evo, looks great
I would definately stick a few upgrades on the spesh rather than get a new bike. I would get some 2nd hand shifters from here tiagra or 105 10speed. Then sell soras on ebay which is what I did and the price difference was less than 20quid. Do the same with crankset, add a new 10sp chain cassette and cables and you've got yourself a decent hack. It would cost a lot more to get new bike and the allez is a good frame.
Smidsy thanks for your comment.
Here comes the next installmant of the build......0 -
Some more progress with some frustration this time!!
Firstly heres how we start you've probably worked out for yourselves that I'm a tight bugger so a workstand isnt an option so here instead is the bike on a turbo I got for £20
Next came this. The exit point of internal cable for rear brake had come off before I got it. But left all this glue on the frame
Some people would appear to use chemicals but I didnt want to chance that so I just sanded it down as far as I could and stuck it back using araldite held on to it an then left it tapped to the frame using paper underneath
Next was the cables which was really hard as my cable cutters gave up. I've done front brake and rear casette complete along with rear brake but unfortunatly the cable to crankset got frayed whilst I was faffing and now cant be used. New one has been ordered but would of been nice to of finished the cables off.
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The above post was yesturday. I've taken the tape off today to check the exit of brake cable and all seems ok
It really shouldnt be that much more work. Put the gear cable in, bar tape pedals, index the gears (not looking forward to that but got to learn one day!) And what imreally not looking forward to. Getting the seatpost in. It seems the most stupid design and even the lbs agreed and says sometimes It takes a few of them to get it in. I just wish the person I got itfro left it In!! Still its these things that make it seem that much better when (if) its all done0 -
coming on well.
good work.0 -
Great build so far, looking forward to seeing the finished product!0
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Hi imsimon
I am looking to build a bike. where did you manage to source your Kuota frame from.?
Thanks
Roop0 -
it was just in a evans bike box but actually got it from ebay, bit of a risk I know but I really wanted the bike in these colours and I definately cant afford the £750ish cost of a new frame!
its looking nearer completion now! ive bought some new wheels, I like the K1's that are in the pics but there not quite true and corroded a bit where spokes meet the rim so cant be trued, I thought this bike deserves decent and true wheels that will last so it is now wearing mavic cosmic elites I think it suits the bike much better, they came with tyres that arent so red as well!
indexed the front mech but still struggling with the rear gears for some reason and I just cant see why! might have to resort to LBS as I really want to ride it!0 -
The end is in sight!!!!
I took it to lbs in the end and I had stupidly not hooked the gear cable in properly hence why i couldnt index the gears!!!!
Anyway £6 later here is the bike wearing the new wheels
Note this is not the final picture! Will have a proper wash saddle at correct height etc. Not ridden yet but I'm chuffed with the looks!
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Fantastic Simon - you must be well chuffed with that.
Gorgeous looking bike!0 -
much much much better on those wheels!
looks awesome for mostly 2nd hand!! :shock:0 -
Looks great! How does it ride? Any idea of the final weight & budget?0
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Looks great with those wheels on mate.Cipollini Bond
Pinarello GAN0 -
Markjaspi wrote:Looks great with those wheels on mate.
I suppose the wheels are ok
only joking! I think they look great mark, thanks very much for a good deal! they definately look much better that the K1's
not sure on weight I'll pop back to LBS over the next week or so and find out as they have some proper ones!
overall cost will be my little secret! but well over £1,000 cheaper than if I bought similar spec new so im happy!
Ive enjoyed it so much Ive just bought another kuota frame for more than £100 less than this one, I will probably spec it more at 105 level and use the K1 wheels and sell on for a bit of profit to maybe fund even better groupset bits for this (or pay for some bills, car insurance etc!!)0 -
All good. Nice work...
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imsimon wrote:overall cost will be my little secret! but well over £1,000 cheaper than if I bought similar spec new so im happy!
Ah, the significant other occasionally browses the forum, then? Seriously though, that's really well done! Such a satisfying process once it's all put together, too. Good luck with the next one! 
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Oopppssss within a few days of finishing I've just bought better shifters so got to start taking it apart again. Ill then use the shifters from this bike on the new one. The new shifters are still ultegra but the grey ones and in much better condition. It will at least give me another chance to practise indexing!!0
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Nice project, and great looking finished product! I've been thinking about a second hand build for ages so this has certainly boosted my confidence in a good outcome. Pity about the secret price but judging from the sounds of it, more affordable than I would have thought0
