It’s said that the effects of one’s actions determine destiny in the next life. If that’s true, our latest bike on test from Kuota, the Kharma, must have been a naughty girl in her last life, as she’s pretty sweet this time around… (Or maybe she's naught this time as she was a nice girl before?)
It’s no secret that we’re fans of Kuota here at Pez. (Just click that thumbnail pic to see how sweet this rig is.)
The Italian firm made an extremely good move a couple of years ago, partnering with a cycling passionate “Mad Frenchy” as its North American arm. In their first year they took some time to clean up after their last distributor and then just before Interbike 03 they sent PEZ their flagship Khan for a test… I guess we got on board the rocket right before blast off, as by the time that first Interbike closed, they had sold more bikes than they thought they would for the entire next year… a lot more.
It’s been a pretty nice ride since then, as that was about the same time things took off for us and we have both enjoyed laughing at one another as we struggle through all the good problems that you have when the demand for your product exceeds what you thought it would. Kuota now sell more bikes in a month than they did in a year in these markets, and for a pretty simple reason, they make a product that looks and performs in a league that is usually a notch or three higher in price. They are also not shy about adding and changing models, bringing you the Ironman winning Kalibur , the carbon razorblade Kredo and our latest tester the Kharma.
Add the fact that Kuota are still a growing brand, meaning they are not a “dime a dozen”, and maintain a boutique feel. Nice combination of factors, and they (and their dealers) are making a pretty strong move toward the front of the bunch...
Enough about them though as this is about a bike after all…
And this test is for Kuota’s new painted (YES PAINTED!) version of the Kharma model that sits at number three on the price scale in their product line.
By all means, excuse yourself for looking at the picture above, noticing the kit and thinking “there’s another lottery winner’s bike”... Our test bike came loaded with Dura Ace and Zipp wheels, as well as one of Selle Italia’s limited edition Fire saddles, so riding it makes you feel like you’re on a super expensive rig too…
But it’s with cost in mind that we switch things up on you. Normally price is the last thing you see in a review, but not today…
How Nice The Price?
Starting at a base of $1545 for Frame, Fork, Carbon Head set and seat post is a nice number. Add another $1,530 and you’ll total $3075 for the Kharma loaded with the new Ultegra and a sweet set of Reynolds Alta Race wheels. $3399 lands you a special Chorus Edition… (Add $180 for the snazy Red, Metalic Blue, Azzuro Blue or Silver) What all these have in common is that they are just dollars away from the Frame and fork price of some of the other Carbon bikes that we get…
Kuota can sell a few bikes that get into the 5-6k range pretty quick. Lots of people can. In the case of the Kharma they’ve just built a bike that rides a bit richer than it costs…
The geometry is pretty neutral. The front end has a very consistent feel and Kuota look back to their roots (as fork makers) to match a great fork with good head angle.
Some super-light forks stay stiff to a point and then seem to flex all at once if you put pressure on them. “Loading up”, like compressing the front shock on a motocross machine so it springs back as you make a jump, isn’t a great characteristic for a road bike fork to have just as you make a turn…, yet some folks think having a super light fork is more important than how it handles… Kuota put a very good performer up front that will feel good to a range rider sizes. They also hide a large part of the forks stability in the inside…
In fact, Kuota also hide a bit of the swerve and curve that makes the power transfer areas of the Kharma match the performance of their fork. The chain stays seem pretty plain (as long as you look past the Flashy D-Ace chain set and the slick Look Keo pedals.
A peek inside shows the same reinforcement as the fork gets.
Kuota just chose to make this bike perform well without as much of the “in your face” style that has drawn so much fuss with their other frames…
The Bottom bracket area is also a fairly simply section. Sturdy, stout and multi directional wrapping gives you all the stability. But all of the bling that comes with the carbon weave is covered by a very nice red finish to create a very clean look that is conservative (if fire engine red can be such a thing…) on the test bike.
A point should be made here in that Kuota are not using paint to hide an ugly joint as is the case with a few other brands. The painted Kharma is the same bike as the clear coated rig. Kuota wrap everything in the same fashion painted or not, and the craftsmanship is as evident on the Kharma as it is in the Kredo (shown below as an example).
Looking at the large view of the bike (you can click the little thumbnail again for a look), you can see that the same large, bulged-out head tube used with the Kredo is also here on the Kharma. Kuota do a good job of not forgetting that some of the twist you get in a frame is at the head tube and Top tube area, and they make that area fairly stable by making a large contact patch with the barrel shape. They also taper things where there stress isn’t as high, and you can see the slight taper of the seat tube. That gets larger again as it enters the Bottom bracket, but they save a little material doing things this way… They also do it in a fairly conservative way, and you may not notice it unless it’s pointed out.
Down the Highway…
One of the best things about running lots of tests is that we can kit these bikes out, regardless of how they get sent to us. So while I did ride it as is, I also ran it without the Zipp Wheels and with a standard saddle. Carbon tubulars are too close to cheating, and no man should judge a bike’s comfort on anything but their own saddle… So we loaded up the Prolink Light and a set of American Classics 420’s, just to keep things in perspective…
The Kharma is just a nice bike. Very neutral, very stable handling but firm enough that you get good feedback to maintain control at speed, but without the buzz that usually comes with it. The front fork is great, plain and simple. The total frame package moves evenly front to back and allows a firm hand without being wishy washy.
The Ride quality resulted from a nice combination of geometry, light weight and stability. Kuota really got fiber orientation right on the Kharma. It is stout enough for heavier riders, but not a rough ride for lighter guys like me (148), and that’s impressive in itself. Considering the bike, as shipped (Zipps, no pedals) weighs 14.9 ponds, the fact that it’s not a flexy bike and is still suitable for larger folks is also a plus.
Stomp the gas and it goes forward without flexing too much. Hit the brakes and it stays composed. Rolling down the road is comfortable and muted… Sure the acceleration was better with the carbon wheels, but it was great with the clinchers too. And while the Kharma is not a purely “light weight” bike, it happens to be lighter than most bikes that perform this way. It’s what lots of folks want out of a super exotic bike, it just happens to be two notches down from the top of Kuota’s range…
Kuota’s Kharma is not a bargain basement bike. What it does well is fill a pretty wide cost gap between the super high end and the mid range. If any word can mean different things to different people, it’s “affordable”. Bill Gates probably has a different definition than I do, and you probably have your version too. The Kharma is just a very good option for those seeking most of the benefits of pricy carbon but having a budget that requires them to spend in the 3-4k range…
Note: if you have other experiences with gear, or something to add, drop us a line. We don’t claim to know everything (we just imply it at times). Give us a pat on the back if you like the reviews, or a slap in the head if you feel the need!
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