1991 Kirk Revolution - Retro MTB Rebuild / Upgrade - MAGNESIUM Frame Mountain Bike

[@chriscross5689]

Purchased one of these brand new when it had just been launched.. stunning finish.. enjoyed it for 6 months before it was stolen..

[@MonkeyShred]

They are stunning bikes! Sorry to hear yours was nicked!

[@lifeonbicycles]

Great vids! I love watching you bring old bikes back to life.

[@gav9819]

Loving these Kirk videos, bought my Revolution in '92 and still ride it to this day! Replaced almost all the parts but can confirm my frame is not cracked and rides fine!

[@jenks7243]

Cool bike, lusted after one of those back in the days!!

[@a.alegria4533]

THE FRAME IS SO BEAUTIFUL!

[@deskelly9313]

Really looking forward to this one!

[@briand7381]

Awesome. I love elevated stay bikes. So strange looking. It looks like a kestrel. Can’t wait for the rebuild!

[@ih8hertz1]

Where do I find a replacement front derailleur

[@speedo1664]

Looking forward to this, cant wait.

[@leecollins390]

Congratulations on the 5 large,always enjoy your videos.I think that bike is a money pit, but When you wanna do it, you wanna do it and for sure i'll be watching,lovin your cat!

[@MonkeyShred]

Definitely a money pit. I've been watching them on eBay for ages and ages. Fortunately I've picked up most of the XT components cheap and I can recoup some costs from selling off the standard ones. Still, like you say, when you wanna do it, you wanna do it.

[@ganimed1976]

SRP stands for "Specialty Racing Products". In the 90's they made all kinds of Aluminum and Titanium bolts, screws and also some components like cantilever brakes, Titanium cogsets and other stuff. These parts were high quality and very expensive. But this stem is not from SRP. It's only a sticker that someone put on it in the past. That Kirk Magnesium Bike is awesome btw. Always loved the design of the frame. An old Rock Shox Mag 20 or 21 would fit well to the Magnesium frame ;)

[@jakobw135]

How does the MAGNESIUM frame compare to flexible and shock absorbing STEEL? Does it WELD like steel?

[@Romin.777]

Nice, very nice, museum worthy. Or hammer it down the trails. :))

[@MonkeyShred]

I'm not sure I trust the reviews enough to hammer it down the trails!

[@cheaprubbergarage6015]

Beautiful machine mate

[@TheStellalegs72]

65 Quid, thats a steal bud, cant wait to see the final build

[@peteryouds5634]

MonkeyShred.....Good to hear the Kirk is staying in your collection . Super cool and unique , eager to see it done up , hopefully the frame doesn’t have any cracks !

[@MonkeyShred]

If it does - it'll be a nice display piece. It's an interesting design!

[@peteryouds5634]

MonkeyShred .....Yeah definitely a nice display piece ,since the engineering and aesthetics are it’s main attraction ......I wonder if a suspended fork would have helped remedy the issue of frame failures ?

[@MonkeyShred]

Perhaps but I suppose it could have also made things worse. Suspension makes you feel more comfortable...you push harder on the trails to compensate and end up sending more force through the back end.

[@fujiuser1968]

Awesome to see 1,nice video..I had the Muddy Fox version in the mid 90s,bought it used from a junk shop for 65 quid as the guy just thought it was a cheap quirky bike (and no internet to do research back then )..wish I still had it as it was way ahead of its time and rode lovely ...wouldn't mind finding another 1 :-)

[@MonkeyShred]

I wasn't aware of the Muddy Fox version until recently! I thought this frame design was Kirk only but it looks like the MF is an exact copy!

[@fujiuser1968]

@@MonkeyShred they were the same frame,just re branded :-)

[@MonkeyShred]

@@fujiuser1968 interesting. Do you know what sort of year that was? I wonder if it was after Kirk stopped producing.

[@fujiuser1968]

@@MonkeyShred from what I can make out it was made in 1990 by Araya

[@Shoichigo]

Muddy Fox in kirk frame models. 1991 : MF26CRM-MGA (XT) , MF26PRO-MGA (DX) 1992 : MF26MGSB (DX + ROCKSHOX MAG20) , MF26CRM-MGA (XT) , MF26PRO-MGA (DX) , MF26MGLB (DX) , MF26MGB (EXAGE 500LX) 1993 : MF26PRO-MGA (DX) , MF26MGB (EXAGE 500LX) , MF26MGC (ALTUS C10) 1994 : I do not know. 1995 : it does not exist. These had a "kirk Precision" decal on the frame.

[@bikermonster8354]

Wow A cool Bike. I know the problems of this bike, but this Kirk Frame is a part of the mtb historie. In my opinion the first bike producer who work with magnesium. Best wishes from Germany

[@wotajared]

Glad to have found your videos! Sadly don't have much more that an occasional coop workshop, else I'd keep assembling retro MTBs. I've been eyeing an abandoned Marin Muirwoods which could be a nice project. Else, it's a bit hard to find even used up here. I recall reading that on one of last year bike conventions some entity presented a magnesium frame.

[@MonkeyShred]

Abandoned Marin Muriwoods? Might be something nice to grab and work on if it's truly abandoned.

[@gaddmeister]

Detachable mech hangers are generally for alloy bikes and in this case magnesium. If they had a mech hangers that was part of the frame and you bent it, you would have a strong probability of snapping it if you tried bending it back due to the material. Steel is more resilient to bending hence your other bikes do not have detachable mech hangers. I used to sell these back in '95 and the amount of warranty claims was ridiculous. Mainly the rear drop outs used to fail.

[@MonkeyShred]

I'll make sure to check those out then, thank you. Any other memories of the Kirk?

[@gaddmeister]

@@MonkeyShred Yes we had lots of warranty returns due to snapped rear drop outs. They were flexy to ride, but at the end of the day a cool bit of British history.

[@MonkeyShred]

I've stripped the bike down today and seen the dropouts. There looks to be a few removable parts on these frames? Is that what was failing - the fasteners holding them in place?

[@gaddmeister]

@@MonkeyShred no they used to just crack in that area. And other areas to. It was 95 when when I sold these. I worked for a bike shop that sold Dawes which Kirk was marketed by. Nothing against the bikes, but the only ones that came back under warranty. We replaced about 5 frames in the 6 months I did my work experience.

[@Max-xl3ml]

Really cool frame clearly ahead of its time. Magnesium is a really interesting material with a lot of useful potential but like aluminum and titanium it has challenges that you just don't face with steel.

[@juan24242424]

Nice ride

[@aydeng4875]

Where do you get all these bikes, for sooo cheap?

[@MonkeyShred]

eBay my friend. eBay.

[@aydeng4875]

MonkeyShred that’s what I thought, do you just look and look, and or negotiate?

[@MonkeyShred]

I have a few searches set up that I constantly go in to and see what's around. I've tried to negotiate before... sometimes it works, sometimes they turn it down and I get an even better deal. I once offered a seller £50 for a 88 Rockhopper Comp - He said he wanted £100 but would take £75 - I asked if I could do £70 so I didn't have to find change and he turned it down and let the auction run... I won the bike for just under £30 ha!

[@aydeng4875]

That’s hilarious

[@Anybloke]

Nice frame. If it was mine I'd dump all those crappy parts and possibly fit a budget sus fork. I'd fit V brakes and run it perhaps 1x10 with a 42 or 46 ring.

[@psycloneranger2279]

cool bike i remember seeing these in halfords

[@bullwhipjohnson8247]

Andy at BikeItUK did a restoration on a Kirk road bike a while back. It's interesting.

[@kcrymble]

Always wanted one of them.

[@lucasdefrias]

Soy de Argentina me encanta las bicicletas retro,me gustan tus videos

[@MonkeyShred]

Hola Argentina, gracias por mirar (From Google translate - sorry if it's wrong!)

[@marktaylor6664]

Hi one of my best mate's has the very same bike as this and it still looks like brand new still and it looks great still but my mate does not use this bike he keeps as a show peace in his house he will only use this bike few times in the UK summer months. But my mate does have quite a few retro style MTB bikes that he has been doing up and full rebuilds on and some old retro style MTB bike parts are quite hard to find now. But my mate does fare bit of mountain biking trails at the weekends and he is quite good at it.

[@MonkeyShred]

Seems like a good idea that. I won't be riding this one much when it's done. I don't want it getting destroyed.

[@marktaylor6664]

@@MonkeyShred hi mate got your message back to me yes my mate has got the same bike as what you have but it's a very good show peace in his house and he will only use this bike few times in the UK summer months as we both think it's a very rare bike and all the parts are still like brand new still when my mate bought this MTB bike it was covered up with dust sheet but it was still a little bit of dust on it but when my mate done a full clean up on this bike he was shocked on how new this bike was still and it never really went out on any dirt trails or on the road that much but my mate will not sell this MTB bike as it's still like brand new still

[@01FozzyS]

Sheila loves the bike.

[@MonkeyShred]

Sheila?

[@dietbountyicecream1444]

I think some spengle giro 3 would look dope on it

[@MonkeyShred]

I like your thinking. I was thinking some mag wheels... but the only issue with them is I'd have to go freewheel instead of cassette.

[@kcrymble]

I've got a spare Girvin Flexstem if you want it (for cost of postage.)

[@MonkeyShred]

Ah don't worry - I have a few spare! I buy them every time I see them cheap ;)

[@lorensorafail2774]

esta muy bonita la bici

[@MonkeyShred]

Google translate to the rescue! Gracias!

[@Zeben84]

This bike looks agressive af, look at this reach !!

[@jackhammer40k_]

IIRC the element Magnesium is highly reactive because it only has a couple of electrons in its outer shell, so it's never found by itself in nature, only as salts I think. As an alloy the outer shell of electrons is completed by other elements (probably aluminium, IDK), so the reactivity of the Magnesium is cancelled. Story about this bike spontaneously combusting, probably BS. You have nothing to worry about. Maybe an organic chemist can correct this...?

[@MonkeyShred]

Well there we go! I've learnt something today! Thanks. I just remember lighting magnesium powder in science at school

[@cspower7259]

Yea most alloys are cast with magnesium in. Forks and motorcycles have loads in. I think there is a tipping point where too much magnesium could be a problem as you mentioned with cracking etc..

[@nadiabentuler9746]

Mg alloys have been used in aviation (a somewhat risk-averse field) for ages. And one can actually weld the stuff. e.g. in this ongoing restoration of a Messerschmitt Bf 108: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4a5m2amg62kfJY

[@MonkeyShred]

@Robert Trageser Seems like I need to have a play!

[@ForTsz]

Am I the only one that think beltdrive would be nice for this build?

[@C345OFR]

Pretty sure belt drives require specialist frames that can be split at the chainstay. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[@ForTsz]

@@C345OFR Yes it need the split if the chain line is passing though the rear triangle But it is possible when the chainline pass right under the chainstay

[@C345OFR]

Do you have any examples of that? I'd be genuinely interested to see a non-standard chainline.

[@ForTsz]

The frame in the vid is one of the example No chain pass though the rear triangle

[@C345OFR]

Right you are! Great spot, I didn't even notice! A belt drive would certainly eliminate the issue of the front derailleur. I wonder if it would need to be a custom -sized belt or if it could be bought off-the-shelf. Could be pretty expensive if it's the former ...

[@C345OFR]

I went on a bit of a research binge after Andy at BikeitUK featured the Kirk Precision road bike frame a while ago. The whole Kirk story is fascinating TBH. There's a more comprehensive explanation in the link below but the TLDR version is that it's a prime example of a product rushed to market. old-metal.blogspot.com/2009/06/kirk-precision.html Oh and the *promo vid* is 8 mins of peak '80s gold - love it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2KadGV8gpZ2Z5o

[@MonkeyShred]

That promo video is great 😂

[@Herbybandit]

As previously said the stories of mag alloy suddenly bursting into flames is bs, maybe if it was cracked an an inexperienced person tried to weld it then I can see the magnesium reacting fiercely with any oxygen present ? Also I imagine if the frame was to fail it would be sudden and catastrophic without much warning as it is so stiff. I wouldn’t go for the Girvin forks, they might have been cutting edge at the time but they weren’t that good either.

[@MonkeyShred]

I think this bike is more of a showcase for me. I don't really plan on riding it, just in case. I was thinking of the Girvin forks as another showpiece idea.

[@marcsnelson1]

I've got two of these. They look absolutely gorgeous but ride like shit. Mine feels like riding a unicycle whilst pushing a wheelbarrow!

[@MonkeyShred]

And the Girvin forks too... mannnn

[@trimmerman1]

I can see why you are having an extended contemplation on this bike. I don't think it's necessary to restore this bike. There isn't anything too special about the fork and handlebars of this bike. I believe showcasing the frame is the way to go. The brakes were not satisfactory. In the active part of the bikes early life they tore the rims apart. The rigid fork will cause undesirable vibration that will beat up the rest of the bike. As a MTB, This bicycle needs a shock and front disk brake. I think it could also be configured as a road bike. It would be unique. There is my $0.25 worth.

[@MonkeyShred]

Ah Jeff. You don't need shocks and disc brakes to ride MTB ;) I'd happily throw this around the trails... if it was steel. I have gone kept it original though and will probably only use it on road. I don't want the frame to fail!